The 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS isn't super powerful, but it gets the job done.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The Chevrolet Trax is a subcompact crossover SUV and the lowest-priced model in GM's lineup.
I was impressed by the Trax's strong feature content, attractive design, and great value.
The Trax lacks engine power when filled with passengers and does not offer all-wheel-drive.
The average price of a new car has risen by more than $10,000 over the past five years, making a good, affordable new car harder to find.
Enter the second-generation Chevrolet Trax, which launched this year.
With a starting price of $20,400, the Trax is not only the most affordable model in the Chevrolet lineup but also the cheapest model offered by General Motors in the US.
I recently spent a week driving a 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS around the streets of Atlanta.The 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS SUV in Crimson Metallic paint.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
I was impressed by the Trax's strong slate of features, competitive pricing, and attractive styling.
Unfortunately, the SUV's three-cylinder engine felt underpowered when loaded with passengers, and its lack of an all-wheel-drive option may be a dealbreaker for some consumers, especially in colder climates.
My test car came to $27,085.The 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS SUV.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The Chevrolet Trax comes in five versions, with the base LS trim starting at $20,400.
My top spec Trax 2RS test car starts at $24,300. Freight fees, a sunroof, and optional driver assistance tech pushed the Korean-made SUV's as-tested price to $27,000.
The Chevy design DNA is strong here.The 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS SUV in Crimson Metallic.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The Trax features a muscular and athletic design with broad shoulders that GM says is inspired by the big brother, the Chevrolet Blazer.
The design gives the impression that the Trax is bigger and wider than it actually is.
Overall, I think it looks terrific.
The Trax is one of the larger offerings in the subcompact segment.The 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS SUV.
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At 178.6 inches long, the Trax is three inches longer than the Toyota Corolla Cross and seven inches longer than the Nissan Kicks.
My 2RS trim test car came with optional 19-inch black-painted machined aluminum wheels.The Trax's 19-inch black painted machined alloy wheels.
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The base Trax LS has 17-inch steel wheels, while all other trims have 17-, 18-, or 19-inch aluminum wheels.
Under the Trax's hood is a small, 1.2-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder engine.The Trax's 1.2-liter, turbocharged three-cylinder engine.
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All versions of the Trax are powered by a 1.2-liter, turbocharged, direct-injected Ecotec three-cylinder engine that produces 137 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque.
The turbo three, shared with the Buick Envista, is mated to a shiftable six-speed automatic transmission.
The Trax is front-wheel-drive only and does not offer an all-wheel-drive option.
My Chevy Trax 2RS test car boasts EPA fuel economy ratings of 28 mpg city, 32 mpg highway, and 30 mpg combined.
The Trax was fairly nice to drive, but its engine can feel underpowered at times.The Trax's front cabin.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The Trax isn't very sporty or particularly fun to drive. But it does offer reasonably responsive handling and a comfortable ride.
As with its cousin, the Buick Envista, the Trax's biggest shortcoming is its 1.2-liter engine.
The 137-horsepower, turbocharged three-cylinder has enough juice for daily errands around town. It struggles if you ask it to do anything more than that.
When you load the 3,000-lb SUV with people and their stuff, the tiny engine feels outmatched by the task, throttle response becomes lethargic, and there is noticeable turbo lag.
Motor Trend found the Trax accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in a pedestrian in 8.6 seconds.
The Trax's cabin is intuitively designed with decent material quality.The Chevrolet Trax's cabin.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The Chevrolet Trax is a great example of delivering an interior on a budget without it feeling cheap. It would be a stretch to call the interior luxurious or premium, but it also doesn't punish you for being frugal.
Interior quality is good, and there are plenty of soft-touch materials in the high-contact area. The red turbine-design air vents that felt out of place in the pricier Blazer EV worked well here to add a pop of color and visual appeal to the cabin.
The black Evotex front seats with red RS badging and accents are heated in my test car.The Trax's black Evotex front seats with red accents.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The seats were pretty comfortable but lacked much adjustability.
In front of the driver is a stylish flat-bottom steering wheel.The Trax's steering wheel, instrument display, and audio controls.
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The Trax is equipped with an eight-inch digital instrument display instead of a traditional gauge cluster. There are also handy audio controls located on the back of the steering wheel.
My test car came with an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen.The Trax's infotainment system.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The Trax's infotainment system has fairly limited features, but what it does have is very intuitive to use.
There's standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, as well as a backup camera.
The Trax offers an impressive amount of room for a subcompact crossover.The Trax's rear seats.
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With 38.7 inches of legroom, the offers 2.5 inches more than the Mazda CX-30 and six inches more than the Toyota Corolla Cross.
Rear seat passengers also have access to dedicated USB-A and USB-C plugs.
Behind the rear seats, the Trax boasts a formidable 25.6 cubic feet of cargo space.The Trax's cargo compartment.
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The Trax's 60/40 split rear bench can fold nearly flat to expand cargo room to 54.1 cubic feet.
The Trax 2RS comes standard with the Chevy Safety Assist.The 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS SUV.
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Chevy Safety Assist includes key features such as forward collision alert, lane keep assist, and automatic emergency braking.
Adaptive cruise control requires an extra Driver Confidence Package.
My verdict: The 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS reminds us that cheap when done right, can be cheerful.A 2025 Chevrolet Trax 2RS SUV.
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is an attractively styled small crossover with a comfortable interior and is generally pleasant to drive.
Though it could use more power and an option for all-wheel drive, the content it delivers at a sub-$30,000 price is very good. The value proposition gets even better when you look at the sub-$25,000 price point of the mid-grade LT and 1RS trims.
Dollars and cents aside, where the Chevrolet Trax really shines is that it feels more expensive than it actually is. And that sounds like a good deal to me.
