We here at GM Authority are speaking with a bit of a bias when we say the Chevy Trax is the best value in the subcompact crossover segment. However, more neutral parties feel the same way. The 2025 Chevy Trax earned a spot on the Car and Driver 2025 10Best Trucks list, which encompasses pickup trucks, SUVs, crossovers, and vans.
Car and Driver editor Tony Quiroga called the Trax “an automotive tour de force that proves affordable isn’t the same thing as cheap.” The outlet highlighted how the Chevy brand has shown up frequently on the 10Best Cars list in recent years, mainly for its V8-powered sports cars, the Chevy Corvette and Chevy Camaro. However, the Chevy Trax shows that the Bowtie brand has other strengths, like practical and affordable transportation that doesn’t feel like a compromise.
This is the second consecutive year the Chevy Trax has been on the 10Best Trucks list following its debut for the 2024 model year. Car and Driver has had a long-term Trax Activ since it first awarded the crossover a 10Best spot. The magazine noted that the more time the staff spent with the Trax, the more they liked it.
While some lament the lack of availability of all-wheel drive or a stronger engine, Car and Driver agrees that the Trax’s sole powertrain not only serves it well but exceeds expectations. The magazine said having only 137 horsepower isn’t as bad as it sounds “thanks to lively throttle response around town and the V6-like growl of the turbo three when you lean on it.”
Add this to a crowded trophy case for the beloved second-generation Chevy Trax. In addition to back-to-back 10Best honors, it was the Cars.com Best Car of 2024, earned the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. ALG Residual Value Award, and was even South Korea’s Crossover of the Year.
Car buyers agree that the second-gen Chevy Trax is a home run. Sales went through the roof compared to the first-gen model, and it recently became the best-seller in its class by a significant margin, outselling the Subaru Crosstrek by more than 11,000 units in the second quarter of 2024. With all models in this class, including Chevy and Buick, combined, GM has become dominant in the subcompact crossover class with a whopping 29-percent market share.
Comments
I paid my 2024 Trax Activ off last month. My tendency is to always be on the lookout for “the next one”, but darn it, my Trax is a heck of a nice little crossover, I just might hold onto it for a good while longer.
Good idea. 21K in one year doesn’t bode well for this vehicle. Its built to a price point and based on my experience with GM vehicles in that category, it MIGHT make it to 100K, but not sure I’d want to own it then. If nothing else, interior bits and pieces will bite the dust. It’s a fine vehicle for those that keep it garaged and only drive it to church on Sunday, but not an ideal one for hard use.
Seesh, 100K miles isn’t a benchmark. Change the oil regulalry, keep up on scheduled maintenance (it has a wet timing belt), don’t drive it like an idiot and it will last as long as you need it too. Any car sold today in the US marked that is treated as described above should make it to 150-200K miles without MAJOR issues. Maintenance is key, and more often than not with a pricepoint vehicle, their owners severely neglect that important stuff and only address when something breaks.
Good post, well said.
To expound on the oil: it’s imperative Dexos1 Gen3 branded oil be used, having additives for belt-in-oil flexibility support, above and beyond the mainstream SP and GF-6A ratings, which are good but not good enough. Penzoil Platinum (not Platinum Plus) and Mobil 1 Advanced are good big-box and auto parts store value choices.
https://www.traxforum.com/threads/about-that-dexos-1-gen3-oil.10458/
Yeah, I used to be a moderator at that forum until the trolls grew too thick to repel. I haven’t been back for months. I have a couple posts about OEM+ upgrades you may want to check out. One for extendable sunvisors and one for the underbody splash guard under the engine.
Well put. No one else will listen because what you said makes sense and that doesn’t fit with their brand. Not on this site. I’ve never seen a group of people complain so much as they do here, and I am the only male in an office so I know complaining when I hear/read it.
Anecdotal at best. Why doesn’t it bode well? None of what you posted is fact, it’s opinion, and not an educated one at that. Just a bunch of typical GM bashing. The compact cars built here were built to a price point and it showed, the Trax isn’t like the Cobalt or the Cruze or the Vega, Monza or Cavalier….maybe it was Lordstown’s fault? The Trax feels solid and well built.
I will buy the American-built RAV4 instead. It is also the best-selling vehicle in its class and is a the top five seller in every state.
Sure, it’s a 7-year-old design, you pay sticker, and you get iffy safety and features vs. others at this point in its lifecycle (a new one comes for ’26. Get ready for $40K+ for most versions). LOL. Plus, that’s in a size class above the Trax, so it’s apples and oranges.
And it’s ugly.
As with ALL Toyota’s!
With the engine and transmission made in Japan
Only the hybrid version is made here. Are we supposed to be impressed by what you posted about it? Who cares? It’s still ugly, it’s still boring and I doubt you’ll be buying one anyway you just wanted to bash the Chevy. Meh.
“having only 137 horsepower isn’t as bad as it sounds ‘thanks to lively throttle response’ ”
This “bad” is a common observation by reviewers which lament the HP since the 2nd Gen arrived when almost it’s universally dismissed the 162 pound-feet of torque coupled to a six speed tranny is responsible for that response. That’s 15-25 pound-feet over that of the latest under 1.5 engines found in other vehicles in the Trax’s class. Especially the unfortunate CVT equipped.
I know “pound-feet of torque” is too highly technical for most to consider, but there it is. It’s torque that makes for acceleration. HP makes for speed.
Luv my 2024 LT.
HP makes for acceleration, not torque. Torque is rotational force, power is energy/time. Very different things. You could be like a tractor with 1000 ft lbs, but only making 40Horses, and not going anywhere quick.
Oh. OK. It’s lively because of the “only 137 horsepower.” Got it.
The “rotational force” you cite IS the “energy” in your energy/time.
I can use you to correct you:
“Not…quick.” That’s speed. Quick or not.
“going” because there’s torque. More torque, more go.
As in paraphrases,
“You could be a tractor with 1000 ft lbs making 750 horses, and going every where quick.”
“You could be a tractor with 10 ft lbs making 750 horses, and going no where.”
I first heard the torque/acceleration-HP/speed discussed by the grown ups when I was a kid 50 years ago. And repeated endlessly and never once challenged in all my years of worshiping the internal combustion engine, God’s greatest gift to the world.
Torque makes for acceleration, HP makes for speed within that acceleration time. Torque gets you off the line.
I don’t care how well you maintain it. Keep the Trax past 100k miles and it will likely rattle and squeak and nickel and dime you. You get what you pay for.
Bad generalization unfortunately.
Toyotas nickel and dime people as well. It is just how a vehicle is maintained…that matters.
So anything above a certain price point won’t squeak or rattle no matter how many miles are on it? What is that price point? I have a GTI with 157K and it’s quiet, but I only paid $4500….did I luck out? Price is not a determining factor in build quality or longevity.