Let's do a price comparison
Ford Mustang Mach-E Premium (303 mi): $48,775
KIA EV6 WIND (310 mi): $48,795
Hyundai Ioniq 5 SE (303 mi): $44,000
Chevy Blazer EV 2LT (293 mi): $47,595
Tesla Model Y Long Range (318 mi): $65,990
Hi Mockingbird. Thank you for posting this stuff on the blazer. I was looking forward to it.
1) I agree with you in that a car with instruments in the center, so you have to look away, is objectively inferior, a nonsense form-over function thing at the start, which I believe was started, or really took off, with the mini. I think Elon grabbed that and ran with it because, as you said, he just wanted to jack up profit. The objective evidence for that is his $100k models S and X both have instruments.
2) Bravo to Blazer for having a speedo and a HUD. Unfortunately, I think the A/C vents look like a spectacular nearly endless wasteland of plastic painted to look like chrome, and looks cheap and awful. Other commenters here said it looked busy. The interior was a dealbreaker for me.
3) I disagree with you on your price comparisons. MYLR is standard AWD, which means a second motor, which is a considerable expense. AWD ALWAYS decreases range, so your posting the above range numbers on the blazer, looking close to that of the Tesla, is an unreasonable comparison. One should only compare the MYLR price to that with the REAL price of AWD and 300+ mile range other models. Here's another example: I personally went to the Kia dealer, and your $48k car above was really $59k sticker in AWD, and then they wanted a $10k dealer premium. Seriously. (One more complexity: the Kia charges significantly faster than the MYLR, so although the range is only like 270 (or 279 can't remember which), in practical terms on a roadtrip the amount of time and stops are very, very similar. If you can find a real-world charger that gives the 250kW that is...) So, I think you should look into your comparisons a *lot* more. My use case (long road trips on snowy roads) means AWD and 300 rated mile range is really, really important, so you can't ignore those points.
Bringing this back to Tesla: T's drive pretty good, silly-sick acceleration, rather efficient and therefore long range, and they have a charge network that people report as vastly superior. Those are really basic, objective, important positives (except maybe the acceleration, which will probably just help me get myself killed one day). I have the MYLR on order even though I hate, detest, revile, think is idiotic, make fun of, and rail against lack of instruments near your field of vision while driving, because nothing even comes close on the basics except the EV6 AWD (pretty much the same price). Perhaps if I'm really, really really lucky I'll drive an MY before I'm dead.
-TPC
PS
The EV6 is really dark inside and has much less and much less useful cargo room, and it has the jaw-droppingly awesome overhead view for parking. And instruments where they are easy to see. (For me, it lost out on the first two negatives and lack of supercharger network.)
