2017 Chevy Trax Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byCameron RogersManager, News

　　Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at zzdcar include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

　　

What’s new

　　The Chevrolet Trax is refreshed inside and out for 2017. New exterior features include redesigned front and rear fascias, projector headlights and LED taillights. Every Trax now has an additional USB port and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. The Premier replaces the LTZ as the top trim, and several advanced safety features are now available.

　　

Vehicle overview

　　Chevrolet introduced its pint-size crossover SUV, the Trax, to American shoppers in 2015. For people wanting something smaller and less expensive than the Chevy Equinox, the Trax has been a viable alternative on the Chevy dealer lot. But compared to other subcompact crossovers, it has left us underwhelmed. The 2017 Trax gets a major update, so it's a fair question to wonder whether it is now a serious contender or if it is just spinning its wheels in the mud.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2017 Chevrolet Trax LS 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$133/mo  for Trax LS

　　Trax LS

　　LS 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A) - $21,000 MSRPLS 4dr SUV AWD (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A) - $22,500 MSRPLT 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A) (Most Popular) - $22,900 MSRPLT 4dr SUV AWD (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A) - $24,400 MSRPPremier 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A) - $26,100 MSRPPremier 4dr SUV AWD (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A) - $27,600 MSRP

　　vs

　　$166/mo

　　Avg. Compact SUV

　　The exterior differences between the 2016 and 2017 Trax are immediately obvious. The refreshed car has new grille and headlight designs, both of which look similar to newer Chevy vehicles such as the Spark and Sonic. Inside, the instrument panel has a more traditional and flowing look to it, which we like better than last year's blocky dash. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone app integration are new this year and relegate navigation duties to your phone's default app rather than the last year's BringGo premium app. Several new options are available as well, such as keyless entry and ignition and advanced safety features.

　　Unfortunately, Chevrolet didn't address all of the Trax's existing deficiencies. The Trax is still a relative underperformer for fuel economy, and its ride quality on rough roads isn't the smoothest. If these are areas of concern, you might be happier with one of the Trax's rivals. The sporty Mazda CX-3 and the roomy Honda HR-V are smart choices, and they deliver excellent fuel economy to boot. The Jeep Renegade brings a bit of off-road ruggedness to the mix, while its corporate cousin, the Fiat 500X, upstages the Trax with its Italian design. Overall, though, the 2017 Trax is more attractive and competitive this year, and it's certainly worth a look if interior space is a priority.

　　The 2017 Chevrolet Trax comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, front and rear side curtain airbags, and knee airbags for the driver and front passenger. Also standard is OnStar, which includes automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance, remote door unlocking and stolen vehicle assistance.

　　Front-wheel-drive models have front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, while all-wheel-drive versions have four-wheel disc brakes. At the zzdcar test track, an LTZ AWD came to a halt from 60 mph in 120 feet, and an LT required 122 feet. Both stopping distances are about average for this class.

　　A rearview camera is standard on all versions, and additional advanced safety features are standard or optional depending on trim. The Driver Confidence package (standard on Premier and optional for the LT) includes blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Premier's Driver Confidence II package adds forward collision alert and lane departure warning.

　　In government crash tests, the 2017 Trax received a top five-star rating overall, with five stars for total front-impact safety and five stars for total side crash safety. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Trax its highest possible rating of Good in its small-overlap and moderate-overlap front-impact tests as well as a Good score for the side-impact, roof strength and head restraint (whiplash protection) tests.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

　　The 2017 Chevrolet Trax is worth consideration if you're looking for an affordable runabout that's easy to drive, easy to park and offers up-to-date technology. Others in the segment are a bit more refined, however.

　　

Driving

　　With its small, urban-oriented footprint, the 2017 Chevrolet Trax is both easier to park and more maneuverable than larger crossovers. The LS and LT models are better riding because of their 16-inch wheels, but even so the ride can get choppy. It gets worse with the LTZ model and its 18-inch wheels. A busy ride, combined with the Trax's short wheelbase and somewhat vague steering, can generate a lack of straight-line stability on the highway, and you'll likely find yourself making frequent, albeit minor, steering corrections. When driven enthusiastically around turns, the Trax is competent, but the uncommunicative steering and modest tire grip prevent drivers from enjoying any real engagement.

　　The engine's performance is just adequate. Although the Trax's engine proves reasonably responsive in city driving, its lack of punch on the highway means merging and passing maneuvers require planning and patience. Regrettably, this is something that's pretty common for this class of vehicle; only the Nissan Juke can accelerate with any real sense of vigor. We do like the Trax's six-speed automatic transmission, though, which shifts smoothly and quickly enough to wring the most out of the engine's limited power.

　　

Interior

　　Despite its small size, the 2017 Chevrolet Trax gives you plenty of useful interior space. Although the front seats are narrow, front-seat headroom and legroom are plentiful, while the rear seat has enough room for a pair of adults, provided neither is over 6 feet tall.

　　The Trax rear luggage area has a modest 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space, and though that's more than the average sedan's trunk (assuming you pack up to the roof), there's not much utility in a vehicle sold as a sport-utility. The rear seats fold down to expand that to 48.4 cubic feet; lifting the seat bottoms first allows for a flat load floor, which is viable when trying to maximize available cargo space. Those 48 cubes are on par with the Mazda CX-3 but constitute less total volume than vehicles such as the Jeep Renegade, Honda HR-V or Subaru XV Crosstrek.

　　Aside from the relatively small cargo area, the biggest issue is the substandard quality of the interior materials. Hard plastic covers most interior surfaces, and the handful of soft-touch surfaces don't impress as substantial when viewed or touched. Another example of cost-cutting is the absence of a center console, which impacts available interior storage.

　　The Trax's standard MyLink interface features a 7-inch touchscreen on the dash that links with your smartphone via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto software. Both provide access to your music library, podcasts, navigation and certain apps such as Spotify. On the downside, the MyLink touchscreen can be slow and sometimes fails to register touch inputs, which can be frustrating.

　　

2017 Chevrolet Trax models

　　The 2017 Chevrolet Trax subcompact crossover is offered in LS, LT and Premier trim levels. Each is available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

　　Standard equipment on the LS includes 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, full power accessories, air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a driver information display, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, power lumbar adjustment for the driver seat, a fold-flat front passenger seat and a rear cargo cover. Standard electronic features include the Chevrolet MyLink interface with a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone app integration, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, OnStar (with 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot) and a six-speaker sound system with two USB ports and an auxiliary audio jack. All-wheel-drive models get alloy wheels.

　　The LT trim adds alloy wheels, roof rails, upgraded headlights, LED daytime running lights and taillights, silver-colored exterior elements, rear privacy glass, cruise control, remote engine start, heated outside mirrors, a storage drawer under the front passenger seat, upgraded cloth upholstery, a 110-volt household-style power outlet and satellite radio.

　　The LT is available with several features packages. The Sun and Sound package consists of a seven-speaker Bose audio system and a sunroof. The LT Convenience package adds keyless entry and ignition, a six-way power driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and cloth/leatherette (premium vinyl) upholstery. The Driver Confidence package includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors.

　　Going with the Premier gets you all the above features except the sunroof (which is available as a stand-alone option). Also included are 18-inch alloy wheels, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated front seats and full leatherette (premium vinyl) upholstery.

　　The Premier is available with the Driver Confidence II package, which adds forward collision and lane departure warning systems.

　　Every 2017 Chevrolet Trax comes with a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine produces 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. In zzdcar testing, a Trax LTZ (the Premier's previous name) with all-wheel drive accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 10 seconds flat. A front-wheel-drive Trax was quicker at 8.9 seconds. These are average times for a subcompact crossover SUV.

　　The EPA's estimated fuel economy figures are 28 mpg combined (25 city/33 highway) with front-wheel drive and 27 mpg combined (24 city/30 highway) with all-wheel drive. These are respectable figures for this class of vehicle, but similar to our experience with the Chevrolet Sonic and Cruze (which share this turbocharged 1.4-liter engine), we've found it difficult to achieve the EPA's ratings in real-world driving.

　　

2017 Trax Highlights

Trim: LSLTPremierLS

　　

Base MSRP	$21,000
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	28 MPG
Cost to Drive	$133/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	18.7 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles