Congratulations to Chevy for winning the Jack Singapore "It's Pretty OK!" seal of approval and Mark's "Not a Total Pile" award. For an American brand, that's progress.
My wife bought a gen 1 Chevy Trax right before we met and honestly… it hasn’t been a bad car for us. Although I have been extremely meticulous about doing the standard PM’s on it. The only part that failed was a $30 purge valve. So $30 in non-routine maintenance over 100k miles I will call a win every time.
Maintenances and driving style goes a long way in making cars reliable, also driving environment makes a big difference, if driven mostly highway on smooth roads and a mild climate there's rarely random problems.
My wife had a 2017 right before we met as well. We had one major issue where the intercooler straight up failed, but it was also -40 F and it was covered under warranty. Sold it recently but it was still a decent car. As much as people love to dog on the 1.4 liter, it is fairly reliable if you take care of it! I’ve got a 2016 Cruze 1.4 rolling onto 180,000 miles and I’ve only had to repair the valve gasket and an intake hose that was disintegrating. My biggest complaint about those two cars is that they are ridiculously slow and not that good on gas either
@@geerstyresoil3136The problem is lack of consistency. It's not that they are all going to break down, it's just that your chances of getting a dud is much higher with something like the gen 1 Trax. GM can't afford to put out subpar cars. When Toyota or Honda screw up they have a reputation of quality so people mostly shrug it off, when someone buys a Chevy and it's crap, they won't buy another Chevy.
@@shaiapouf420fan boy detected. The rose tinted glasses and blinders you clowns have for the products you worship is hilarious. That alphabet car sucked and the steering was horrible. But you can't just let him honest take hang. Nope, you've gotta jump in and defend m'lady
@@panagiotisf7228 and american makes are even more pos that break down after your back from the dealer. so whats your point? toyota is king, also in QC too. bye lier
America NEEDS more cheap vehicles available not less. They've already been selling quite well from what I can tell, which is good. The drivetrain in these is fairly reliable. I haven't really heard anything bad about either the 1.2 or 1.3 engines. Some people say the six-speed is lazy in shifting but that's more of a preference than a problem. The only problems I've heard about have been electrical gremlins, things like intermittently working power windows and locks. Hopefully that can be easily fixed at the factory going forward.
I agree, for someone looking for an affordable hatchback and does not need AWD this is a really good value, definitely nicer than the Venue/Soul in terms of looks and driving dynamics for just a hair bit more money and effectively competes with entry level versions of the HRV, Corolla Cross, Rogue Sport, Kia Seltos/Hyundai Kona. Good on Chevy.
@rvo2001 They Doms do have not a business case to build super cheap cars themselves. The labor costs of the big three at their home plants ensure that nothing selling south of 25K could hope to turn a profit, hence this, along with the Envista, Trailblazer and Encore are all built by Daewoo in Korea. Ford gave up on this space altogether with the cheapest Maverick in the high 20s, Stellantis is no longer carrying Fiat in the states so the Jeep Renegade is gone.
We need more, more, more cheap vehicles. And you made an excellent point about reliability: there should be no excuse for powertrain reliability issues. I really hope this works for them because knowing I can get one of these for 20k brand new is so appealing, even for someone who isn’t desperate but just loves practicality.
They need to make a 3800 but a 3 turbo or natural 4. Good, reliable, cheap. Use it in a bunch of vehicles. I would want a longer warranty for this car- Kia overs 5 years bumper to bumper.
The glow up from its previous generation is the most drastic single generation change I’ve ever seen in a car. To be fair to the old one, I have a friend who drives one and it’s over 100K miles and hasn’t needed much besides standard maintenance.
Thank you for a fair and objective review of this vehicle. I just want to share my experience with this 'American' car that is actually made/assembled in Korea. I had owned TWO Chevy Sparks prior to owning this vehicle in December 2023. The Spark as some may know is also made in Korea and that is where I gained confidence to upgrade to the Trax. In the six years that I owned the Sparks I had absolutely NO trouble with them. Other than visits to the dealership for scheduled service, I did not have to replace even a screw or washer. Just sharing my experience for those who are considering this vehicle.
The big question mark is the wet belt system used in the timing belt and oil pump. PSA has had a lot of issues with their version of this 1.2 engine and the Ford 1.0 engines have had failures as well. The belts tend to fragment at relatively low mileage and clog up the oil pickup which ultimately trashes the engine. I would wait until the jury is in before I would buy one.
The car is an improvement, but rust protection is clearly lil john levels of loww~ Many panel cut or weld seams without sealant, plenty un pockets for salt and most large areas have no covering rubber meterial. Just like a ford. Just like a chrysler. I would love for this channel to also take a quick look at rust prevention, as for someone living in a place with 4 seasons this matters.
I actually like these from the first time I saw one and I am NOT a GM or any American auto maker buyer or would have interest in anything US-led. So good job, Chevy/GM.
@@Anthony-on6gktbh that’s not a flex you seen Hyundai’s track record recently 😂 they were better off copying Toyota using old Mitsubishi engine designs
@@SF.Automotive I actually work for a GM subsidiary in Detroit and we manufacture the HVAC systems for these, the Buick Envista, and a couple other's, so not "totally" Korean made, but not sure how much else about these has American-produced content.
Im 31 years old, this is my 2nd vehicle in USA, the first brand new. I had a 2014 Equinox, I bought it with 120k miles, I had it for a year and zero issues at all. Now that I have the trax, I'm amazed about this one, I totally love it. And yes, I wanted something elegant, peppy, no CVT, cheap, a competitive tech, a compact car, under 26k dollars, and yes, the trax is the better option and Im proud of my choice...
The car was engineered by GM worldwide, not just Korea, the engine was done mostly in Europe with input from China and Korea, every auto company these days have worldwide engineering and manufacturing now
@@alanb3213 Well? I'm currently living in Korea, and the main news when this car came out was that GM Korea's engineering team had led the design of this car. This was quite big news for Koreans because GM Korea was previously DAEWOO and their engineering team was rated as superior to Hyundai/Kia. But in the 2010s, GM headquarter left development of the compact car to OPEL in Germany, which was very sad news for Koreans. However, starting with the Trailblazer, the design of the compact car came back to GM Korea, and GM Korea's engineering team put a lot of effort into the design of the TRAX mark2 so as not to miss this opportunity. It was very well known in Korea, and as far as I know, it was designed by GM Korea 100 percent (except for engines and dynamometer devices such as transmission, of course)
I have a 2021 Trailblazer with the same 1.2 Turbo engine as the Trax , so far at 45k miles zero issues , very cheap to maintain and I'm getting 37mpg combined , I drive slow ..so definitely a win for Chevrolet
@@andersonrodriguez8258 It's a FOUR STROKE, they PROMISE! My 75 year old father actually just got a brand new one of these. The small engine feels completely sufficient, and isn't noisy at highway speeds. While the interior features all the little 'goodies', like a completely Digital Dash & large Center Console touch screen with WIRELESS CarPlay/Android Auto! My only concern was the durability of that tiny engine, but Europe & Asia have been running similar powertrains for years, so the 3cyl turbo is really only a 'new' thing for North America.
My net worth is hundreds of thousands dollars higher because I always looked at a car as a tool to get me from point A to Point B. People that buy cheap cars and drive them till the wheels fall off are smart. Not desperate.
@@jimfarmer7811 This. My maternal grandfather was the only person in our family to be able to hoard any real amount of money. He drove a Renault 12 (go look it up) until the day he was no longer able to drive. You always need to make more than you spend. Preferably a lot more. That's the only way to get anywhere under capitalism.
Has a Honda Fit owner let me tell you a Honda long term isn't much better. Worse car I ever owned. Research after the fact showed me how many people are having issues. Many of my issued have been around for years and they never fixed em.
I took two different trim levels out over a month ago. I liked them both. It looks like a mini Blazer. It's sharp, the interior is nice, the dash is cool, and the cargo room is more than enough-- and it drives just fine. The engine, being 1/2 of a V-6, sounds better than most 4 cylinders. I sent a friend of mine (Lexus SUV owner) a picture of one and asked her how much she thought it costs (she didn't know it was a Chevy product). She said probably around $40,000 dollars. Spoiler alert.. It ranges between under $21,000, and around $26 or $27,000 fully loaded. She was shocked!
I've had my 2RS since last August 10k miles and thankfully no issues yet. I like it a lot. It's my daily and it's comfortable and affordable. I appreciate your honest review, is it perfect no, but it's good and hopefully reliable.
The engine has already been around for six years in various Chevy and Buick models around the world and they've been doing fine so far. The transmission has been around since 2009 and is pretty average in reliability. My only concern on paper would be the electric water pump.
@@colin-nekritz Modern Mopar vehicles are hit or miss - I've seen some come through my shop needing absolutely ridiculous repairs due to obvious design flaws, and some with 200k on the "original" drivetrain (mainly Dodge Avengers/Chrysler 200's and a handful of 2.0L Dodge Darts if you can believe it, not including trucks or commercial vehicles) - They're not all created equal.
I work at a GM dealer in Florida and we have had some turbo issues, but that’s about it. The biggest problem I see with the 1.2L long term is that is doesn’t use a timing chain, it uses a wet timing belt, meaning it’s bathed in oil just like a chain would be. This makes it much more expensive to replace. If you look in the owners manual, it says to change it every 10 years, 150,000mi, or at 75,000mi for severe service. I would just encourage any owners to change their oil every 6mo/5000mi max to protect that belt, and be aware, when that belt needs to be changed, expect to spend around $1500-$2000.
@@captainvector I think the point is it’s cheap! Whats funny though, is the 1.3 they use in the trailblazer has a timing chain, but then you get a plastic oil pan, the one on the 1.2 is metal. Makes no sense!🤷♂️
Ford did that with the 2.7 and 5.0 in the F150s with a wet belt powered oil pump. And it's behind the timing chains and nearly impossible to change. And they're blowing up already!
"The biggest problem I see with the 1.2L long term is that is doesn’t use a timing chain, it uses a wet timing belt, meaning it’s bathed in oil just like a chain would be. " - OH NO... afaik every other engine that used this design so far turned out to "die young" . they will be money pits after ~80k miles
I think these things look good, and fill a desperately needed segment. I was getting worried that all new cars in the $20ks were just going to completely disappear altogether. I'll be interested to see what you guys think of the Buick Envista with the better rear suspension, lower sloped roofline, and $5-8k premium over this. It almost seems to fix the "cheap-feeling" problem the Trax has, but creates new problems of having less cargo space and is no longer sub-$30k.
I’m not the target for the Trax or the Envista but I would go for the latter if I had to pick. I really like its looks and it’s quieter inside, and I don’t care much about the cargo space. If it had a more upscale interior and a motor with more of a track record I would probably consider it.
We'll get there! Although they'll probably still have to name them SUVs or 'Shooting Brakes' or something... How did 'estate/station wagon' become such terrible terms?
@@StreetPreacherrPeople get too sentimental over what something is technically classified as and get put off, for whatever reason. Same thing happened with minivans -- in a vacuum without social coersion most SUV/crossover buyers would probably opt for a minivan but are led by the ideals of marketing departments and their peers to crossovers.
I’m a Honda and Toyota guy, but I stopped and looked at one of these - a silver RS with black trim and red accents - and damn, it was a nice looking car, and for 25k it had heated seats and steering wheel, and a sunroof. We shouldn’t assume that only low income customers will be buying these - my household income is well into BMW territory, but I drive a Civic Si and would absolutely consider this for my daily drive to work (I want to retire someday).
Same situation as you money wise. I just bought a Trax LT Sliver with blue trim yesterday as my personal car (traded a Hyundai Accent - hey it got 45 mpg on the highway). I make good money, but I am frugal and will not pay what they are asking for most new cars these days. This is the 1st new car I bought in 29 years (it was a 1995 Camaro) for myself been all used cars since until now, but always make sure the wife has something nice and new (or at least newer than mine). So far, I am impressed it's a very nice car for the price, I hope the longevity is good. I am pretty easy on a car are I work from home 3 days a week and my office is only 10 minutes away, so I usually put around 10k a year on a vehicle.
GM seems to have done a good job with both the new Trax and the Buick Envista. I think they both look nice, have good features, and are affordable. They have low HP but it’s comparable for the class. For simple transportation they seem nice
It feels weird to say it, but I'm glad GM still makes vehicles like this, given how expensive the average car is in the US now. They may be boring, but at least they aren't terrible now. As the title says, if the reliability Trax (pun intended) well over time then it definitely has its niche in this class of vehicle.
@@mcnuggetapple I guess you're doing pretty well. Here in the lower-middle class Dundalk neighborhood of Baltimore, $15k-$20k is the affordable car price, which is why used cars are selling more than new.
@@thephrancmy 2021 Soul with the CVT has had no problems. But I’m doing fluid drain and fills every 50k. Also, the feel of the Kia CVT is actually really good.
I think they nailed the styling. It doesn't look like a cheap car. My kid needed something, and this was one of the first things we looked at. The powertrain made it a No Sale, ended up getting a Subaru for the naturally aspirated 4 banger. That's what the Trax should have been built around.
I’m actually kind of surprised that this (and its sibling the Envista) look as good as they do. Styling doesn’t really cost anything; cheap cars are often intentionally homely looking to encourage buyers to go upmarket.
Ford and Chevy both know that these wet belts were very problematic in Europe, so they decide to start using them in American cars. Neither company deserves our business.
We appreciate it when Jack festoons us with his transparency and shows us that this car has immense Gangnam style yet still has Chevy's durability, like a rock
Why would they sale a wagon. Many of the brands don't even have a sedan related car on sale to sale a wagon variant. Every wagon sold for the past 20 years has had pretty pathetic sales. The only exception to this is the Subaru Outback which was the best selling wagon globally in 2022 all thanks to the US market.
US consumers don’t want to buy “station wagons”. But car makers have figured out that if you make a wagon a bit taller than a sedan and call it an SUV or crossover, they’ll happily buy them.
We got the wife an LT in January. She has about 1300 mi now. I love driving it myself and look forward to summer road trips. I would only like to add one point to the conversation. Of all Chevy vehicles, Trax is now by far their best looking vehicle.
I bought a 24 Trax 2RS with sunroof $26,000 out the door. I love it. It’s amazing how well 1.2 runs. It lets me have something I enjoy driving and keep miles off my Camaro and Corvette.
For centuries i've been waiting for a car maker to make a product where i can easily store my Pool Noodle. Thank you, RS Lifestyle! jokes aside, that 3 cylinder sounds nice i think.
Just realized GM starting making this new Trax a few weeks ago & I’m highly impressed with all the reviews that I’ve watched so far, I’m definitely gonna buy one in a year or 2 to replace my current 2007 beater I just spent 80k last year on a 2023 AT4X & really want to order a 130k Corvette ERAY in a few years so my commuter/ beater needs to be under 26k to me this is the best looking car on market in the 20/25k range & is exactly what I’m looking for as a grocery getter. I’ve been driving GM/GMC vehicles for the past 40 years & every single one of them has been BULLETPROOF hopefully this one will be bulletproof as well for the price!!!
I like the new Trax, I do wish it was AWD, but I appreciate that not having it keeps the costs down a little so it's fine for people who don't need/want that
It won't go well here, I think a major problem is the 7500 mile oil change interval. I wouldn't go over 5000 in these boosted 3 cylinders. The oil definitely takes a beating.
Google PSA 1.2 turbo engines and read the comments. The Trax has the same engine. This is not a case of an unforeseen design flaw. Chevy knows that this engine will not last. They want it to last until the 60K warranty period is up and then have people purchase a new one.
I bought a Trax 2024 a month ago. Only time will tell how well the 3 cylinder turbo aluminum Korean engine holds up, and if the wet timing belt needs replacing at 40k miles instead of the 150k miles recommended in the manual. According to a spec I saw, iron sleeves are being used in the engine, which should help with longevity. I hope. I plan on getting oil changes every 4k miles/6 months.
Did my research, thought this was the inexpensive crossover to buy. It looks great, has all the bells and whistles, so went to my Chevy dealer and, ..... I couldn't pull the trigger. I just don't trust the 3 cylinder 1.2 engine. Wet timing belt?? I'll wait for a little more info to surface on the reliability before I buy. If It had a 2.0 4 cylinder turbo, I'd be driving one right now!
Bought my ceyanne orange base trax 3 weeks ago. All in was just under 25000. Only real dislike is the plastic box under rear view mirror.does have lag when hard accelerateing but not a real problem. Am super happy to have gotten the discontinued Ceyanne orange color and like it having steel wheels ,won't have to have leaky tires in 5 years. So far have been getting 33 mpg .
A few months ago, one of friends got the Buick version of this vehicle for 23k out the door. It’s not the sportiest or most exciting car, it’s very competent, easy and comfortable. It and the Trax are the affordable vehicles we need more of
In an alternate universe, Honda is building their version of this on their own assembly line at a GM plant in Mexico and telling people, "no really, it meets our standards".
People that must have one of these should lease it for 3 years then turn it in. Otherwise, they will be spending some serious money if they try to keep it for the long haul.
I had a '13 Cruze turbo which they called 30 mpg combined as well. The engine improvements over the last 10 years are pretty good considering this is bigger, rides higher, and the engine is smaller.
This car is perfect for my retirement-aged parents on a fixed income who have run their 2004 Escape into the ground… can’t wait to drive it when they get one.
It's mind-boggling to me that the Chevy Cruze hatchback, which had the 1.5 turbo 4 cylinder and a manual transmission offered, was overlooked by so many, but this Trax is somehow so cool and inexpensive? My friend has a Cruze Hatch RS and i was surprised how much space inside it has, while having more power and better fuel economy. This Trax is pure marketing bs.
I see this as GM’s equivalent to the Ford Maverick. Different form factor of course, but it’s their entry level vehicle that’s greatly raising the bar above what it is replacing in the model lineup at a reasonable price. They genuinely look decent when I pass them on the road. The old ones were abhorrent.
Jack’s T levels were so high he overlooked the ‘junior engineer’ who completely nailed the exhaust note. I’m selling my GT3RS and picking up 10 of these puppies. Who am I kidding, my assistant will do that for me.
Sometimes you luck out with the GM econoshitboxes. My 2013 Spark lasted me 11+ years of daily big city driving with absolutely 0 drivetrain issues the whole time I owned it. Don't get me wrong: Nothing worked on the thing near the end and the locks didn't work anymore but it still DROVE. It got me to where I needed it to be and it looked kinda neat.
My friend’s dad just bought this for one of their daughters, and after they personally had bad experiences with the previous gen Cruze, I wondered why they chose this over an HR-V, especially knowing the Honda will definitely be better long term
@@imnotsqiddy Yeah, and it’s really sad. Because that’s going to be bought by someone who can barely afford a car and with all the complicated electronics it will need $4000 worth of work…
I commend Chevrolet for continuing to develop practical, affordable, combustion engined vehicles. That’s what the vast majority of us Americans really need.
I have to admit Chevy did actually do a good job with this car. Only thing is it’s probably a good buy if you stick with a lower trim wanting just basic transportation and don’t have the budget for anything nicer. If you’re going top trim, there’s better options or you can even go up to a subcompact suv and that’s nicer.
I’ve driven the 2024 Buick Encore for a month as a rental. It’s pretty, pretty good. I feel if a Billstien rear shock was available that would make a huge difference in the ride because it’s nasty on dirt bumpies. Also the air vents do a combo point and shut off, it’s clunky and you can’t get the air to go exactly where you want it. I’d also replace the front a pillar speakers and it would sound very good actually.
My brother got one of these shortly after they came out, does a lot of interstate driving. No issues thus far, though I’d say it certainly looks a lot better than it drives. If they’re fairly reliable over the course of 10-15 years and GM keeps it around (and maybe uses the platform to experiment with its new hybrid approach), I could see it becoming a real mainstay of the Chevy brand, aside from their full-size SUVs and pickups. I do also see them all over high school and university parking lots, so I think they’re really lucking out with their target demographic.
I don't think it's feasible to use such cars for 10-15 years... Especially with 1.2 turbo engines. Most likely engine will not live longer than 2-3 years (50-60k miles), and transmission will be dead nearly in 5 years or so.
The Chevy Trax is not only a versatile and compact SUV, but it is also the pinnacle of automotive design. Its sleek and modern exterior design catches the eye, while its well-thought-out interior layout maximizes comfort and functionality. With attention to detail and innovative features, the Trax sets itself apart as a leader in automotive design. From its aerodynamic curves to its cutting-edge technology, the Chevy Trax truly excels in both form and function, making it a standout choice for drivers who appreciate superior design.
Just to watch Mark make those faces is PRICELESS. ......I like the fact there is no CVT. I just wish they would have a little more horsepower. Thanks for a good video...as always.
The horsepower is just fine. The thing weighs like 4 lbs and the lower gears pull a heck of a lot of torque. 0-60 in 8 seconds is damn good for the entry level vehicle in the family. The former entry level vehicle (Spark) would be lucky to get to 60 in under 12.
I really like the Envista, but as you say I want to see how the drivetrain holds up. A turbo 3-cyl with a wet timing belt makes me nervous. If they made that Buick with an engine with characteristics like the old 3800 V-6 I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
