 | Positives: So much better than the first-generation, handsome styling, comfortable and roomy cabin, great handling and steering, easy infotainment system, seriously affordable. |
 | Negatives: Lackluster acceleration, apparent interior cheapness, no all-wheel drive. |
 | Bottom Line: The Trax is one of the best values in the car industry, and it's significantly better than the first-generation. Not only is it attractive, but it's also pretty good to drive. It's just too bad there's no AWD. |
Driving Experience
The Trax isn't quick, but it's still quite pleasurable to drive thanks to excellent steering and very predictable handling. The 137-hp turbocharged 1.2-liter inline-three engine gets off the line well, but its slow-shifting 6-speed automatic does it no favors. Torque comes on low in the rev range, which means the Trax has enough power to get off the line with some vitality but is somewhat limited by its sluggish transmission.
Ride Quality: The ride is comfortable but not mushy. It manages bumps and gaps well, and it's quite compliant.
Acceleration: 0-60 comes in 8.8 seconds, which isn't especially quick. It is, however, quicker than its predecessor, which did the same sprint in 9.3 seconds.
Braking: The brakes have nice, progressive feel and modulation, not something you find in crossovers much these days. The brakes made the driving experience that much better.
Steering: Steering is precise and with a modicum of effort. There's actually a bit of feedback coming through the steering wheel, a bonus.
Handling: There's some body roll, but it's all predictable. For a front-wheel drive-only crossover, the way the Trax entered and exited turns was refreshing. The FWD VW Atlas we drove last year could take some pointers from the Trax, believe it or not.
Technology
GM in-car tech has vastly improved over the past few years, and the Trax ACTIV trim benefits from the easy operating system, an 11.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, and an 8.0-inch digital gauge cluster. The Trax ACTIV also comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a Wi-Fi hotspot. A wireless phone charger is optional.
Infotainment System: Both the gauge cluster and infotainment touchscreen are crisp and have great contrasting graphics that make them highly legible. The icons are large, easy to read, and easy to understand. We think it's an excellent system.
Controls: The physical controls are fine. The physical climate controls are a bit cheap, but we'd take them over touchscreen versions any day. You can still operate them via the Trax's touchscreen, but we're guessing most drivers will choose not to.
Styling
The Trax is a handsome SUV that looks a lot nicer than it's price point would indicate. No longer looking like a roller skate like the first-gen Trax, the current model is longer and sleeker, more masculine, and overall just better looking. The cabin isn't especially fancy, but everything looks good for the price. There's a lot of shiny plastic inside, which looks so-so.
Front: The front fascia of the Trax looks great. Thin DRLs mate nicely with the top border of the grille, and the large black mesh grille looks great and is well-integrated. A simple bowtie emblem looks great front and center.
Rear: The back end is simple and crisp. The taillights look better from the rear 3/4ths angle than straight on from the back, but at least they're not overdone. The bulge on the liftgate adds character to the rear. The rear haunches extend nicely above those taillights and meld nicely at the base of the rear window.
Profile: The Trax is well-proportioned, and the wheels and tires fill the wells nicely. The body contouring is simple and muscular. Black ACTIV wheels match the total absence of chrome, which we love.
Cabin: The layout is good, and the infotainment and gauge cluster are well-integrated, and the dash exhibits character with some artful layering, yellow highlights, and a linear look. Shiny plastic is prevalent, but that's expected in an affordable SUV.
Comfort
The new Chevy Trax might be affordable, but it provides excellent levels of comfor thanks to its longer wheelbase, more legroom, and car-like driving position. The ACTIV trim level also comes standard with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel.
Front Seats: The front seats are nice and wide. Bolstering could be improved, but the cushioning is spot-on. The synthetic seat materials are very good.
Rear Seats: 38.7 inches of rear legroom is huge for a small crossover. That's more than two inches longer than the Subaru Crosstrek and the same as the Buick Envista, the Trax's more upscale twin. Even the middle position is comfy thanks to a flat cushion and minimal seatback bulge.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): It's not especially quiet inside, but that's what you get at this price. There's some engine noise when the Trax is pushed, but road and wind noise are kept mostly in check. Build quality is very good.
Visibility: The low seating position is excellent and provides great sightlines out the front. Overall visibility is very good with no major obstructions.
Climate: The climate system works well and heated up quickly. The heated seats and steering wheel respond well when activated.
Safety
The new Trax hasn't been tested by the IIHS or the NHTSA, but it does come with a very good set of standard safety features and some top-tier optional features, as well.
IIHS Rating: Not tested.
NHTSA Rating: Not tested.
Standard Tech: The Trax has the Chevy Safety Assist suite that includes Forward Collision Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Following Distance Indicator, Intellibeam (automatic high beam control), an HD Rear Vision Camera, and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System.
Optional Tech: Our test vehicle was outfitted with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane Change Alert w/ Side Blind Zone Alert, and Adaptive Cruise Control.
Storage/Cargo
The Trax is definitely bigger than its predecessor, and it's on par with some of the larger competitors in this segment. Interior storage options are pretty good, too. A family of four should be just fine for short trips and weekend jaunts.
Storage Space: The front row of the Trax provides easily accessible cupholders, a front cubby with the wireless charging deck, and some good door pockets.
Cargo Room: The Trax provides 25.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind row two and 54.1 cubic feet with the seats folded flat. That's about the same as the Kia Soul.
Fuel Economy
The fact that the Trax comes in front-wheel drive configuration only means gas mileage is better than it would've been with all-wheel drive. The three-cylinder engine is pretty miserly, and overall our numbers were very close to the EPA estimates. We drove in combined conditions for most of the time.
Observed: 27.8 mpg.
Distance Driven: 127 miles.
Audio
The stock 6-speaker audio system is fine. It's about what you'd expect at this price. Clarity was decent, but the system lacked bass. It's too bad there's no audio upgrade available.
Final Thoughts
We really enjoyed the Trax. It's refreshing to see a truly affordable crossover that's handsome, roomy, and comfortable. The fact that it was great to drive came as a bonus. No, it's not quick, but its overall dynamics were far better than we expected. Except for the Mazda CX-30, there's no better-driving small crossover at this price. We would've like to see an all-wheel drive option and a better audio option, but the overall package is very compelling. This is the Trax they should've made the first time around.
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