Sometimes it pays to make a comeback. The Chevy Camaro and Dodge Challenger will soon be hitting showroom floors again, a regrouped Led Zeppelin is packing concert stadiums and getting rave reviews and 65-year-old Harrison Ford is even making a return as Indiana Jones. 2008 may go down as the year of the comeback.
On a less grandiose scale, Polaris has revived its trustworthy Trailblazer, previously on a leave of absence while awaiting an engine transplant. Behold! It’s back and better than ever — the four-stroke 2008 Polaris Trailblazer 330.
Behind The Music The back-story for this particular machine dates to its original 1987 debut, the good old days when Polaris was first making a name for itself with unique and smooth-riding ATVs, snowmobile-style CVT transmissions and floorboards that ended up changing the appearance and feel of many subsequent wheelers. Its belt-driven automatic ATVs may have been originally tarred and feathered by purists as propelled by rubber bands, but you can’t ignore how well they’ve caught on ever since.
At the time, the 250-class Trailblazer and its Scrambler platform twin were both different, fun machines that earned a following. ’Blazers were popular in the southwest, where two-wheel-drive is all you need and the forgiving ride dampened harsh desert whoops for rec riders. It’s also a popular choice in southern Europe, says Polaris.
Then came tougher emissions standards, killing off the two-stroke ATVs. Instead of canning the Trailblazer 250 after the ‘06 model year, Polaris chose to re-tool by adding an air- and oil-cooled four-stroke mill from the existing Trail Boss to keep the old soldier alive. With a $3,899 price tag and the aforementioned positive qualities, what’s not to like?
Wayne Davis/
ATV Sport
Facing the Music To thoroughly answer that question, we hit some hilly trails for an afternoon flashback with the 2008 Trailblazer 330. First off, it’s not a bad ride. Old as it may be, it’s still comfortably sprung, easy to ride and has decent get-up-and-go for a 330. Beyond that, though, the Trailblazer serves as a reminder of how far our industry has come since 1987 — quality- and performance-wise.
In practice, though, this quad has what it takes for a spirited trail ride, even in the hills. We might not have been going as fast at the peak of hills as we were at the bottom, but we crossed every summit and weren’t constantly stymied by a lack of power. Keeping up with a KYMCO Mongoose 300 was no trouble, but the Trailblazer’s acceleration wasn’t exactly rocket-like.
Quads look better in photos with a bit of air under the tires, trust us. Achieving liftoff on this unit was challenging in the tight, often uphill segments. We did it, though, and you can, too.
Handling and the single-lever disc brakes both delivered expected levels of control and performance. Dual-lever brakes would be nice on any machine, especially one deemed sporty by its maker. Pleasantly enough, the soft handling doesn’t translate into wallowing loads of body roll. Five and a half inches of ground clearance isn’t record setting, but we only clobbered a few rocks with the swingarm along the way.
Part of the credit is due to its weight balance — a near-perfect 49-to-51 split, front and rear, as measured by our Intercomp scales. With the same equipment, we observed a total wet weight of 512 pounds. For comparison, the Renegade 500 we had on hand was far heavier (and faster) at 697 pounds.
The CVT, with reverse, also operated as expected — not the most engaging setup, but sufficiently predictable and smooth. We rode the Trailblazer in the rain and on very muddy and wet trails and didn’t experience any water invading the CVT.
Competitive Comparison After all 20+ years (and counting) on the market, there still aren’t many trail cruisers quite like the Trailblazer or the Scrambler. Certainly the Can-Am Renegade 500 and Yamaha Wolverine 350 2WD come to mind, but at $7,599 and $4,399, they’re both significantly more expensive.
Is a low price and ease of use enough to justify this model’s continued existence? That depends on your expectations.
With single-lever brakes, chain drive, a comfortable seat, predictable power and an automatic tranny, the 330 is still simple, affordable and fun for unfussy riders, growing teenagers (16 plus) or less experienced riders. For enthusiasts who need features like adjustable independent suspension, 4WD, multi-function gauges, EFI and sportier handling, this quad is likely to disappoint. Sorry to break it to you old man, but times have changed.
So here we are, it’s 2008 and we’re still pontificating over the Trailblazer. Does it pay to make a comeback? Like we said, it all depends on you. Surely some felt Britney or Jacko’s so-called 2007 comebacks were awesome, but definitely not everybody. From our perspective, it seems the washed up codgers should step aside to make room for some new and improved talent. In the case of the Trailblazer 330, though, would any manufacturer ever truly fill its shoes? Probably not.
