I bought a trailblazer 2 months ago for moving. Kid drives a lot for job. Gas mileage is so-so. Found a seller with a Chevy equinox which gets 25+ on hwy. vehicle is 1 person, 99% of time, no towing or hauling. Equinox owner will do even trade. I assume TB and nox has similar reliability numbers? 05 TB 155k miles, 06 equinox, 105k miles,
On the surface it sounds like a good swap based on your stated needs, but I’d want to see the maintenance records and general condition of the Equinox first. Assuming both vehicles are in similar condition, the Equinox is worth around $1000 more according to the bluebook.
Also be aware that while you’re not towing now, if you ever decide you want to tow, the Equinox has a much lower towing capacity than the Trailblazer.
Owners on Edmunds.com give both an average 4 out of 5 stars. But, as always, any individual car can be a lemon. Be sure to have it checked out thoroughly by a mechanic.
Be sure to check that the heater blows hot air, since a common complaint is the heater only blows cold.
Just saw an 05 nox with bad headgaskets for 1500. Don’t feel like yanking top end. But, it would be a good deal moneywise. Than I could lower price on TB to move it faster
You also need to check with your state’s DMV to find out what the legal requirements are for transferring ownership. Some states would require you each to sell the vehicle to the other for some nominal amount, perhaps even $1, I order to make the transfer legal. When I decided to give my old pickup to my daughter, I had to sell it to her for at least $1.
Neither car would incur any great loss in value trading it for the other. Neither is worth that much to begin with. Trading for convenience is definitely worth it. Your history is no more known then his. Both are taking a chance but having each mutually checked out on the basics is really all that’s required. Go for it. They aren’t Rolls Royce’s .
You’re not curious why the seller is willing to go even up on a 1 year older vehicle with 50k more miles on it?
Offhand, I might say the seller knows something about that Equinox they’re not revealing.
Or maybe they just don’t know how much it is worth. KBB and the like get you in the ballpark, but so much depends on condition. Lots of minor scrapes and dings can make a car look less valuable than it is.