Chevrolet Trax test drive

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 The little Trax is pretty familiar by now.
I remember back when GM didn’t want to sell it in the US. (For a while it was sold in Europe and Canada. While the US was only getting the Buick Encore version)

But with a bunch of newcomers like the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3, GM needed something cheaper than the Encore in that segment.

I do like the look of the Trax. It reminds me of a little bulldog. And I actually got nice comments from strangers about the “Orange Rock Metallic” color.

 Inside, everything is just fine. Simple and well laid out.

The version I had for a week was an LT FWD. So seats didn’t have leather.
But the vinyl/cloth combo looked good. And they were very comfortable.

The Bose stereo (part of the well worth $1400 Sun & Sound package) sounded great.

 The only thing I really hated inside was the stupid placement of the USB plug.
Inside the top glove compartment. So you either cannot see your phone. Or you have to leave the compartment open for the wire.
Pretty bad.

Maybe things will be better once Apple Car Play is offered on the Trax. (Or just move the USB to the console!)

 The back seat is pretty much what you’d except in a compact.
It’s actually fine for most people.

 A roomy truck is what you get.

 On the road, the first thing I noticed, was a pretty bad case of the “video game style steering feel”.
I guess most people don’t mind anymore. Since it reminds them of the games they play all day.

I still have a problem with it…(Maybe because I don’t play video games…)

But, as usual. I did get used to it. Kind of.
The Trax is very easy to drive. The engine feels pretty “peppy”. At least around town.
And I never had problems on the freeway.

The ride is always very comfortable. The car feels really solid on any road. (Although the doors feel a bit tiny when you close them)
The whole thing was also very quiet all the time.

The Trax is rated at 26City/34HWY. After a week of driving I did get 26 in the city.
But had no problem getting 39 average on the freeway.

I really enjoyed driving the Trax for a week.
It feels like the right car for the right price. At least the one I got.

Mine was an LT FWD with the “LT Plus package” and the previously mentioned “Sun & Sound package”. For a total of $25 215.

I’d say this is really a good price for a nice car with a sunroof and great Bose stereo system.
It’s no sports car but it doesn’t pretend to be.
I never felt it was too slow.
It is comfortable and quiet. And gets really good mileage for a small SUV. And it does have a nice, friendly personality to it.

The Honda HR-V seems like the more conservative choice in that segment.
But the new Mazda CX-3 is the one to watch.
As a top of the line Grand Touring model is about the same price as the Trax I was driving.
And it includes GPS, Sunroof, Bose and leather.

So, I do recommend the Trax. If you can get a good deal on it.

Conversation 8 comments

  1. Good review…fair. I personally can't stand the look of it.

    When are you going to review / try out / etc the 2016 Volt? I recall you were a fan of the original – and am anxious to hear your POV on the new one.

  2. The materials look bargain basement cheap. Is it any better in person? The impression I get from the pictures is that your typical cheap GM interior is prevalent in this model as well.

  3. I sat in both the CX-3 and the Trax at my local autoshow. The Trax is unbelievably cheap looking compared to the CX-3. I wouldn't consider the Trax at all compared to the CX-3, especially since they have similar MSRP's.

  4. The materials are not bargain basement cheap in real life. (And I really don't think other GM models are. The new Volt/Cruze and Malibu are really nice inside)
    But… I must say that the CX-3 has raised the bar for the segment, and everyone else has some catching up to do.

  5. Any plans to drive a Mazda CX3 GT? I bought one about 2 months ago with the iactive package and love it. Curious of your thoughts. This looks so bargain basement in comparison,

  6. Douchebag – obviously you're trying to be as your name implies. However at least when you're being an asshat, at least use a comparison that is fair. Mazda has exceptional quality; uninformed 14 year old boys who still think Pam Anderson is hot while sitting in their moms basement come up w/ more informed and funny thoughts than what you'd just done.

  7. It is like a Rubbermaid interior compared to a HR-V I sat in. As soon as Honda updates their engine to the new turbo 1.5, it's only CX-3 and HR-V to dominate this segment.

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