Compact Crossover Affordability for Urban Driving
Chevrolet offers an SUV in every size from small to very large, propelled by gasoline, diesel or electricity. The 2025 Chevrolet Trax comes in at the small end of the SUV spectrum and is the least expensive vehicle sold by Chevrolet. In increasing order of size the Chevy SUV line-up is the Trax, Trailblazer, Equinox, Blazer, Traverse, Tahoe and Suburban. The point is that Chevrolet does not want you to look elsewhere when going bigger as your family grows or when all the kids have moved out and smaller becomes better once again.
Drivetrain
The 2025 Chevrolet Trax only comes in front-wheel drive, powered by a turbocharged 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual shifting option. The three-lunger puts out 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque with peak power at 2,500 rpms that will get you from 0 to 60 mph in about nine seconds.
The Trax is EPA rated at 28 mpg City/32 Highway/30 Combined. In 189 miles of mostly in-town driving we averaged 28.8 mpg. The best we achieved was over a pure 50-mile highway run at 65 mph—33.2 mpg.
Driving Experience: On the Road
The Trax Activ weighs in at a relatively trim 2,983 pounds, which is a good thing as the small engine displacement means momentum is everything. The 1.2-liter turbocharged engine needed to be pushed hard to get up-to-speed for freeway merging or climbing a hill. Once in sixth gear cruising at freeway speeds, and it came time to pass, there is a lack of torque. Coupled with two seconds of lag before the turbo kicks in, plus waiting for the transmission to drop down a gear or two, requires forward planning before passing.
The remedy for this—and to squeeze-out as much oomph as possible—is to use the manual shift mode. When needing to hold a gear or accelerate harder simply press the button on the left side of the gear shifter and then pull back to drop into a lower gear. It worked remarkably well and became my go-to for steady acceleration. With this said, the Trax is not a sporty SUV and Chevrolet does not market it as such.
The suspension, which could have been more firm, made for an overall smooth highway ride. Certain road imperfections challenged the Trax with jolts felt strongly. Some body roll arrived when The Trax was pushed too hard around a corner, but it was acceptable. Wind noise was nearly non-existent, with the power windows and the power glass sliding sunroof ($895 option) closed. When the sunroof was open, there was a buffeting “thud, thud, thud” sound that went away by opening one of the windows about an inch. This isn’t unique to the Chevrolet Trax, but is something designers should make sure doesn’t happen.
The electric-assisted power steering was light, which is fine as the Trax is happiest when tooling around the city. The Goodyear Assurance 225/55 all-season tires on 18-inch gloss black aluminum wheels provided for good maneuverability and grip. Stopping was straight from power-assisted ventilated front disc and rear drum brakes, aided by electronic brake force distribution, cornering brake control, brake assist, a 4-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS) and stability and traction control.
One thing missing that we come to expect on all the cars we review is Auto Hold. Engaging this feature would hold the Trax at a light without needing to constantly apply the brake.
Driving Experience: Interior
– Editor Picks spent a week in a Trax outfitted the Activ trim, to top of five trim levels. The others are LS, 1RS, LT and 2RS.
Our Trax Activ had a combination of hard and soft plastic on the dash and door panel surfaces with materials that were expected for an affordable car. With comfortable seating for four, there was good rear head and leg room. Storage is ample with the rear 60:40 seat up, but expands to 54.1 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded near flat. Access to the storage area is through a manual lift gate with a convenient low lift-over load height leading to a flat floor. There is a privacy cover for the rear cargo area.
Chevrolet describes the Trax as having a “thoughtfully designed interior maximizing comfort.” For the most part, we agree. Our Trax interior color was black with gray insets on the seats and door panels and tasteful brushed aluminum accents. The seats were covered in EcoTex, a synthetic leather-like material designed to be durable, stain-resistant and easy to clean. The heated front seats provided good support with the driver’s adjustable with 8-way power and the passenger 4-way manual. The padded center armrest opened for storage.
Other features are multiple storage compartments, cup holders, A/C, power windows (express down) and door locks, power and heated outside mirrors, rear window defroster with a wiper, carpeted floor mats and keyless entry and start. The sun visors not extending was curious.
Driving Experience: Tech and Entertainment
The infotainment screen tilts toward the driver with the Trax having all the connected car technology we have come to expect. The 11-inch color touch screen handled the HD rear vision camera and the six-speaker sound system with AM/FM/HD and SiriusXM. Other features include USB-C and A ports, OnStar voice recognition, Bluetooth streaming audio, hands-free telephone and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A Wi-Fi hot spot is available with a separate AT&T service and data plan.
A note regarding OnStar: A simple push of a button connects you with a friendly GM representative to handle emergencies, directions and general assistance to make your driving experience safer and more enjoyable. This is one area where GM has been the industry leader. After the introductory service plan expires, it is well worth renewing.
The Trax dash layout is simple and straight-forward, featuring a tachometer and speedometer as part of the 8-inch driver information center. All controls are within easy reach of the driver, but if you have read many of our reviews, you know – Editor Picks is a big fan of wheels, knobs and switches for the radio and climate controls.
Chevrolet got it half right. The climate control wheels are large enough to use when wearing gloves, but the radio only had a volume knob—no channel knob. The main controls are on the touch screen. The steering wheel-mounted audio and telephone controls are a back-up for convenience or if the screen should decide to not cooperate to your touch command. The system worked well during our time with the Trax, but are both a volume and channel selection knobs really too much to ask for?
Driving Experience: Exterior
The Trax draws attention with design cues separating each of the trims. The Activ we drove had slim, wide-set LED headlights sitting aside a black grille with titanium-chrome accents. Our Trax Activ had black roof rails framing the power glass sunroof.
Safety and Convenience
The 2025 Trax has a 5 Star NHTSA government rating and comes with safety and convenience features, including 10 air bags, a tire pressure monitoring system, forward collision alert with emergency braking and lane keep assist. The Driver Confidence Package ($795 option) adds rear cross-traffic alert, lane change and side blind zone alert, adaptive cruise control and rear park assist.
Pricing and Warranties
These 2025 base prices include the $1,095 Destination charge.
- LS $21,595
- 1RS $23,595
- LT $23,795
- 2RS $25,595
- ACTIV $25,595
The 2025 Trax comes with these warranties.
- Bumper To Bumper – Three years/36,000 miles
- Powertrain – Five years/60,000 miles
Observations: 2025 Chevrolet Trax Activ
The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is in the very competitive small SUV category that includes the likes of the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona, Toyota CH-R, Kia Soul, Jeep Renegade, Mazda CX-30 and Nissan Kicks. To standout from this crowded field the Trax holds its own by offering a roomy interior with ample storage space, has good technology offerings and low-30s highway fuel economy. What will get consumers attention is the low price of the LS trim, starting at under $22,000.
The Trax is comfortable for four adults and shines for commuting and shorter range road trips. It is a good value for the money considering the features and roomy interior. As the least expensive vehicle sold by Chevrolet, it is an inexpensive way to transition from a small sedan to a SUV.
Story and photos by John Faulkner.
[See image gallery at ev-authority.com]
Disclosure
– Editor Picks is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and other efficient powertrains. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@ev-authority.com or by commenting on any of our stories. We answer every comment!
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