[bestclimb]

Best way to make a truck like a blazer more efficient is to load the thing down and pull a trailer near max capacity. Or drive it in conditions that a more miserly vehicles are unable to operate.

Don't get me wrong full size rigs have a place and a use I have pointed out before that a chevy suburban is more efficient than a geo metro when operated near max capacity, but as a single occupant commuter it's strengths are not being utilized and it's shortcomings are being highlighted. You can spend all the energy you want to make a blazer more efficient, but you are still totting around a couple extra tons of vehicle. If the blazer is the right rig for you due to how awesome you think it is that's fine, but the cost for that will be a fuel bill that is twice or more than for a more suitable ride.

Back when I was choosing a first car. I picked a sweet dodge pickup over a toyota corrola/chevy nova. sure the truck was way cooler but I paid through the nose for that image (and this was when gas was less than a buck per gallon). Had I to do it over I'd go with the much lamer nova and pocket the difference in fuel, insurance, and maintenance.