The results are in, and they are not good for the 2018 Chevrolet Trax. Consumer Reports named the 10 Least Satisfying Cars based on owners’ responses and other data compiled. The Trax, unfortunately, comes in as the fourth least satisfying vehicle on the list.
Owners docked it points for a rough ride and basic interior. Fuel economy is also average, despite its 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and six-speed automatic. The engine did deliver notable engine noise, however, which also came up in the data. A cramped and narrow cabin didn’t earn the Trax much love, either.
CR looked at the Owner Satisfaction Score, which is based on whether the owner would purchase the same car again and measures if the vehicle has lived up to its expectations. The outlet also asked questions to retrieve data on the driving experience, comfort, value, styling, audio and climate systems.
For GM loyalists looking for a sub-compact crossover, the 2018 Buick Encore may be the better route.
Plus, a nationwide lease on all-electric off-road Pickup and SUV.
Extra comfort for rear-seated passengers.
Filings made in 24 countries, so far.
The sweepstakes closes on December 22nd and the drawing will take place on December 28th.
At a time of year when luxury car ATP usually rises.
Sales decreased 5.6 percent to 16,670 units during the first ten months of 2024.
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It has the old 1.4T, which is just not good enough. The new 1.4T or even better, the 1.5T would make this more than good enough for most people.
Ouch! This CUV reeks of old GM: sells strong but delivers poorly! Either give it the necessary updates to make it competitive and appealing, or kill it with fire!
Yes, only "GM loyalists" would pick an Encore over a Trax and actually believe it is a different vehicle and not just another flavor of its crappy little South Korean built clone. "Dude I traded my Trax for this Encore and it's got so much more space inside, and so much more power."
Drawback is CR also tests and reviews vehicles from other manufacturers, and GM doesn't do so hot whenever there is actually competition.
The Encore GS does have the newer 1.4T which has more power and is smoother.
Do you mean the Encore Sport Touring?
Yes.
Strawman. Everyone knows the two cars are basically the same car. That said --
-- the Encore rides way smoother, it's definitely quieter, and the interior is better.
It was interesting going after South Korea as crappy in defense of Chevy.
Cramped? Have you been inside the Honda HRV? The 500x? And the frickin' Juke?
What if you're not a "GM Loyalist" but a Chevrolet loyalist? Those people really get the short end of the stick here compared to the Buick buyers. Or what if you aren't an auto enthusiast at all and have no idea that Chevrolet and Buick are even tied to the same company (GM) or that they themselves (Chevy and Buick) aren't even real companies at all?? If I knew nothing of the auto industry and was shopping for a small cuv, I'd pass right on by the Chevrolet dealership and head to the rival Buick dealership up the road. The Encore is seriously stunning for what it is and is so much nicer for roughly the same money.. The Trax just looks and feels cheap all around. I feel it makes Chevrolet look bad.
We looked at the Trax for our daughter but the lease deal on the Encore was actually better. After 2 plus years of use, we decided to lease her another one. Great vehicle! With that, I don’t recall any “show stoppers” with the Trax but the Buick was a better deal for us...
This is actually a very fair point...For whatever reason GM often highly subsidizes Encore leases; offers vary month to month but at least twice a year they offer a $0 down $199/mo lease on the base FWD Encore...
If I recall, both SUVs were within a few $$$ of each other but the Buick was a sign and drive deal - $298 per month for 24 months with 2 years of OnStar, 2 years of Maintenance and 2 years of SiriusXM. Both cars were 12K miles per year. What swayed us the most is that the Buick had more safety features (ABS Breaks, Cruise Control, etc, etc). Funny, never in a million years would I have ever thought we'd have a Buick in our family - now we are on our second one. Amazing too is how many people ask us about it. If only they'd release the Avista...
It’s got a ABS and cruise control. Everybody has ABS and cruise control. Even the off brands like Ford and Chrysler.
If it did, neither the sales guy nor the brochure said anything about it having those two features for the trim level we were looking at. Was told I needed to step up to the next level which was more expensive. In any event, it doesn’t matter as the Buick has been awesome and the 2017 Encore is even better. Alls well that ends well...
I have a 2017 trax and its great for what it is. The motor is great once it breaks in and yes its cramped but its a mini crossover, thats what its supposed to be. The back seat is actually pretty nice. The interior is easy to clean. Its drives and tracks very well it snow. Its been driven 10k hard miles and not a single problem. It was 20k brand new. Id call it a win in my book.
This should have been an easy fix for GM. They already have the newer 153 HP 1.4T in the Encore. The 1.5T from the Equinox would make a nice upgrade. They could easily apply some Buick like quiet tuning and ride quality upgrades and the interior could easily be upgraded a bit without breaking the bank. They also should find a way to fit a proper center console/armrest.