2025 Chevrolet Trax Review: Why Clever Buyers Skip Activ And Focus On Price

The used car market may finally be settling, after a pandemic's worth of inflated prices, but what choices are there if your need for "brand new off the lot" is butting up against budget? The Chevrolet Trax recently returned to dealerships in massively-changed second generation form, dropping the toy town look in favor of something easily mistaken for a far more expensive SUV at first glance.

Appearances are undeniably deceiving, though. With a starting price of $21,495 (plus $1,095 destination), the 2025 Trax LS is the cheapest model in Chevrolet's current line-up. Less than the next-cheapest SUV, the 2025 Trailblazer from $23,100, and less than a not-long-for-this world Malibu, even, which starts at $25,800.

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It doesn't make the Trax the cheapest new car in the U.S., period — there are still a handful that start under $20k, in fact — but you could make a solid argument that, in that cohort, it's the one with the most mainstream appeal. Let's face it, while you might brag about sticking to budget occasionally, most people don't want their penny-pinching to be obvious to whoever they drive by. So, is the 2025 Trax a secret bargain, or a false economy?

Styled to fit in with Chevrolet's other crossovers, the 2025 Trax is handsome in a chunky way. 17-inch wheels are standard on lower trims, rising to 18-inch black-painted alloys on this Activ grade, and 19-inch versions on the sportier-styled (but identically priced) 2RS grade. Given the market's sway toward SUVs, the decision not to try anything too risky seems a wise one.

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There are a handful of compromises for going the Trax route, but arguably the most significant is the fact that the SUV is front-wheel drive only. Despite the rugged aesthetic, there's no all-wheel drive option. If you want all four wheels to be driven, Chevy's cheapest route is the 2025 Trailblazer LS AWD, from $26,395 (plus destination).

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Then there's fuel economy. The Trax's diminutive engine doesn't automatically add up to gas-sipping: the EPA rates it for 28 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg combined. That's a point behind the Trailblazer in each category, despite that SUV having a 1.3-liter engine. My own, predominantly city driving saw the Trax come in at 26 mpg.

The Trax is not a contender for the Chevy ZR1 treatment. Its 1.2-liter three-cylinder Ecotec engine musters a mere 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, and is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission as standard. Unsurprisingly, then, the Trax does not put the "Sport" into SUV.

It's not slow, nor even sluggish, but it doesn't encourage eager driving either. I expected the tiny three-pot engine to be wheezy and lackluster, but it does just fine nipping the Trax around urban roads. On the highway, overtaking requires a little more pre-planning than you might be used to, and the ratio-short automatic leaves things loud without a seventh or eighth gear to shift up into a highway pace.

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The Trailblazer, with its slightly bigger engine and 9-speed automatic, feels a bit more refined as a result, but don't expect it to be much more practical. Passenger volume, along with rear legroom and headroom, are almost identical, the Trax only down by fractions compared to the more expensive SUV. The Trax's trunk — 25.6 cu-ft, expanding to 54.1 cu-ft with the rear seats folded — has almost exactly the same dimensions, too.

In fact, the Trax's cabin is cleanly designed and certainly doesn't look as cheap as the Chevrolet actually is. The entry LS and 1RS trims have a 3.5-inch cluster display and 8-inch infotainment touchscreen; from the mid-spec LT up there's an 8-inch fully digital driver's display, to go with the 11-inch infotainment screen. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the board, though wireless charging is part of the $895 Sunroof package available on the LT trim and up.

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LS and 1RS cars get manual air conditioning; LT adds single-zone automatic climate control. Unexpectedly, the 1RS has a heated steering wheel and heated front seats as standard, as do the Activ and 2RS trims; heated seats are optional on other trims. Chevy's infotainment system is basic but easy to navigate, and there's a USB-A and USB-C in the front as standard, and another pair of the same that only support charging in the LT and up.

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Admittedly, not all of Chevrolet's design feels as great as it looks, though the key touch points are all from a shared parts bin with some of the automaker's more expensive models. It means the wheel controls, stalks, window switches, and the like don't come across as cheap, just purposeful and sturdy. Some of the detailing is positively charming, in fact, like the knurling on the front air vents.

At the entry-level, the Trax is hard to beat. Toyota's Corolla Cross has a bigger engine, but starts at $23,860 for the 2024 model; you can have all-wheel drive, but then you're at $26,510. Honda's HR-V is more expensive still, starting at $25,100 for FWD or $26,600 for AWD, while the cheaper Kia Soul is FWD-only and comes with undoubtedly more contentious design.

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When you get into the higher-spec — and more expensive — Trax trims, though, the value proposition gets trickier. This particular review car, for instance, an Activ with the Sunroof package and the Driver Confidence package, lands at $25,990 before destination. That's not far off that Corolla Cross AWD, a delta which those in cold weather states might decide is worth crossing in return for greater traction.

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Chevrolet makes forward collision warnings with automatic emergency braking standard, along with lane-keep assist with departure warnings, front pedestrian braking, and tire pressure monitoring. Blind spot warnings, rear cross traffic alert, and rear park assist are available, along with adaptive cruise control, as part of the Driver Confidence Package.

The 2025 Trax LT — from $22,500 plus destination — feels like the sweet-spot. That's when you get the fancier dashboard gadgets. The Driver Confidence Package is available, but only if you also add the LT Convenience Package with heated front seats and steering wheel, keyless entry, and heated side mirrors; that adds $1,390 altogether, bringing the total to $24,985 including destination. That's still $1,400 under a base-spec Trailblazer AWD.

If the first-generation Trax was a bobble-head version of an SUV, this second-generation model feels a lot more grown-up and mainstream. Styled to appeal to modern tastes in crossovers, sensibly-equipped, and practical, it's not the right model for towing, or dealing with heavy snow and ice. Quite honestly, though, they're not demands every driver places on their SUV.

Instead, the Trax straddles a compelling line between feeling affordable without feeling cheap, something that's often easier said than done in the auto world. There are more capable SUVs out there, undoubtedly, and more powerful ones, but as an all-round package for someone wanting a new car without straying over $25k, the 2025 Trax fits the bill nicely.