Brian Is Looking For A New Ride, Should He Buy A Chevy Trax? 

Brian, If the threat to buy a Trax is a diabolical plot to publicly SHAME Alex into giving you a bigger raise, I salute your scheming ways. 😂😂

I'm very intrigued by the new Trax. It's so darn good-looking and the price is unbeatable. I'm hoping he buys one and makes ownership videos so we can see how it holds up over time. Inquiring minds would like to know.

Had a similar decision to make recently as my old car died and I went with the Hyundai Elantra SEL with the SEL package. came out to about 27K. I much prefer cars, especially sedans. I was very impressed with how well this drove. I also considered the Honda Civic hatchback but the Honda dealers in my area were terrible to deal with.

I like it, my one big reservation is long term reliability and longevity. We tend to keep our cars long term.

I like the Trax too but I'm a little afraid to buy one because in the past these Chevy vehicles ended up having a $6,000 rebate/discount within 2 years of introduction and it kills the resale.

This car is about the only one I would trade in my beloved 2012 Honda Fit Sport for. The looks,tech, features and price are outstanding for the price. Brian, you have evolved into an incredible reviewer. I like how succinct, informative and fast paced you are with your reviews. Kudos to the channel!❤

A 1.2L Turbo 3cyl will not be an engine with a long life span. It's cheap in price for a reason.

I’ve had my Trailblazer 1.3 AWD for 38,000 trouble free miles. To be honest I bought it on a whim and really didn’t think I would like it as much as I do. It’s impressed me in every way and has become one of my favourite vehicles.

From Veloster N to Chevy Trax....This is not the way, Brian.

A 3 cylinder turbo sounds like a durability disaster. Will this even make it to 100K miles?

I bought this exact car a week ago. I love it! I live north of NYC and commute 60 miles a day, this is a great commuter. Luckily I have a backup AWD vehicle for bad snow. My friends are shocked when I tell them it's 3 Cyl LOL .

I have a Mazda 3 Hatch with AWD and the car is excellent. A couple of random hiccups with one unplanned service stop to address an issue, but the vehicle is incredible, and the AWD system is incredible. MPG is ropey at altitude (I drive a non turbo with AWD) but averages from 25-30 in real world scenarios. Only drawback is the impractical hatch space, although I surprised myself with how much fit in it during a cross country move.

Trax vs Seltos vs Prius doesnt sound like it should be a hard decison; they're all so different, but dang am I also torn between them. You cant beat the price tag of the Trax, but I dig the look of the Seltos (and AWD ofc), and then the new Prius is just a fantastic feat of engineering. Honestly excited to see more, whatever you choose!

It’s so nice to see a manufacturer building a station wagon, which is likely the most sensible body style. I know they call it an SUV, but it’s really a return to a station wagon.

Great , realistic review of the Trax! I like it! Saw one on the interstate here in Nashville and it was really good looking! In making your purchase decision there are 2 vehicles you should consider…. The Subaru Crosstrek and the Mazda CX-30 Carbon Edition. The Crosstrek Premium trim level with 1 option package and the wireless charger comes in at $30K. The Mazda CX-30 Carbon Edition is $31K and will give you standard AWD like the Subaru but it will give you the nicest interior of all the ones on your list and all of the safety stuff too. The Mazda3 is an awesome car but the CX-30 does it all better so take it oof your list.

Three cylinder concerns me. The Corolla Cross would be my first choice. Good luck on what you eventually go with.

That trax is great upgrade from the outgoing model, it'd be on my short list with the corolla cross. I always point people to snow tires before awd but the Impreza is hard to ignore. I'd pencil out the Prius mpg savings too. North Carolina ain't a quick drive.

If I heard right, you mentioned the Corolla hatchback as one option that you are considering. If you really want or need a practical hatchback, I am sorry to say that the Corolla is not. Particularly if you get one with the spare tire, that cargo area is very shallow, narrow, and vertically short. The Mazda3 hatchback has a more practical hatch space. But, as other commenters have mentioned before, if you want a practical and affordable Mazda hatchback, I would suggest the CX-30 over the Mazda3. And having tested out the new Prius, I gotta say that the low roof really cuts into headroom and door openings. The liftback design in the new Prius is still fairly large and practical. Ultimately, I am most curious about what the ownership experience would be for this new Trax. Chevrolet had to consolidate customers of the Cruze, Cruze hatchback, Sonic, and Trax into one affordable option, and presto: the new Trax is born. Very intriguing.

Trax is a great buy, just that we don't know reliability. I'd not buy but lease, and get whatever car that can be delivered the fastest. I'm actually in the same market, deciding between Trax, Kia Seltos, Hyundai Kona and Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid. Leaning towards Corolla Cross Hybrid despite the smaller cargo capacity. If you do MINC often, then seat comfort may be the deciding factor in this segment. If you get to drive Trax for a long distance trip, please do report back on the seat comfort (rear getting sore, neck sore, etc).

What about CX-30 or CX-5 non turbo 2.5 both available under 30K w/AWDll

I suppose it depends on the region, but everyone seems to forget the Ford Escape, for roughly the same price. I found a 2022 se for 22,000 at a dealer around 80 miles from me. I would love to see a similar spec of both vehicles compared.

Kia/Hyundai products have excellent lane centering/assist. If you are doing longer road trips, I gotta believe that should be a strong consideration. I recently spent 1300 miles in a rental, base spec Kia Forte and I was impressed overall. Huge trunk for such a "small" car, you'd have a way easier time living/packing a Forte than a claustrophobic Mazda3. Just because it has a hatch, doesn't mean it has more practical room. That said, if you are looking for AWD hatches under $30K, I don't think you can avoid at least thinking about a Subaru Crosstrek/Impreza.

If you don't plan to keep the car beyond the warranty period or don't care about resale value, just buy whatever you like the most. But if you do, choose the Japanese brand with naturally-aspirated engine. The base Prius has a higher purchase price than Trax 2RS/Activ, but its depreciation rate is much better! And you save a lot on fuel too. So your total cost of ownership for base Prius should be as low as the Trax 2RS/Activ.

The wild card is insurance rates in your adopted home state. They're RIDICULOUS! I can see going for the Prius LE -- probably the FWD with some better tires for its extra trunk depth -- or for the Trailblazer with its fold-down front passenger seat. I agree the 1.3 liter should really be offered on the Trax in the US (and note that the Chinese edition of the Trax, called the "Seeker", is offered with a 1.5 four-cylinder). The neat thing about the Trax is it's kind of an experiment with the US market to see if a small wagon will fly here. I certainly hope it does. There are so many cars in this segment in Europe that aren't sold here, and they should be. Definitely the ACTIV for you; the narrower tires will give better fuel economy and snow performance and be cheaper to replace, and the better driver seat will help.

Very nice vehicle for the money--- but for long drives, lane centering tech should come with the adaptive cruise (Driver Confidence package) I would consider the corolla cross hybrid with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0!

I like this a lot. Being that I’m retired, I no longer need AWD because I don’t drive to work daily anymore. Since you live in Michigan, though, I would definitely recommend AWD. Of the cars you are looking at, my first choice would be the Seltos, not only because of the AWD but also because of the 100,000 mile warranty. I’d also suggest a Subaru Crosstrek or a Corolla Cross

This really looks quite nice. What about the Corolla Cross? It would (I assume) have more space, and likely be more reliable, but maybe out of the price bracket... Or ask Alex for a raise 🙂

Brian I think a Subaru Crosstrek or a Ford Bronco would suit you very well. Keep up the great work with the car videos. You and Alex are a great team.

I would definitely suggest the Prius for fuel economy and resale value. I think it will have a much lower total cost to own for you and I think it looks great now!

I like the looks of the Trax more than the Trailblazer as well. This design should have been used for the new Trailblazer & the Trailblazer’s design could’ve been the refreshed Trax.

The Prius definitely followed by the Seltos. I’m looking at durability, strong warranties. I like the Trax it’s an amazing accomplishment but your driving from Michigan to North Carolina I think having all wheel drive is needed it adds to the safety factor that the Toyo and KIA offer. The Trax is more of an inner city vehicle. The KIA Soul is another option price wise and warranty but no AWD.

It's funny how the addition of 100cc's is something we make a big deal about these days. Even the thought of a sub 2.0l engine (with forced induction) seems odd to my Gen-X sensibilities. We're living in different times - I'm only now starting to come around to the idea of a 3 cylinder being a power option for anything other than a small city-like car. I've not been a huge GM fan but I really like this car though probably a bit more towards the Buick Envista - time will tell how these do reliability wise and how well the overall build quality holds up. I may be looking at putting a Buick in the driveway after almost 40 years of non-GM ownership.

What about the Subaru Crosstrek? You could even get a Forester under $30k. AWD and higher ground clearance could come in handy during winter.

You’ll appreciate a Subaru Crosstrek for those snowy winter days in Michigan and it will easily get you to all of your winter playtime destinations.

I'd rather get a Subaru Impreza or Kia Soul. If you like the Trax get some OTD offers for Buick Encore GX, the GX is basically the luxury version of this and you can get HUGE discounts on the Buick , so the actual OTD price of the Buick (FWD version) is similar to the Trax. Why get the Trax if you can get the Buick?

well, if your going to give up awd it looks like a good vehicle but then the nissan kicks has similar features in the sr trim for a similar price, it just looks a lot more dated but better mpg. I’m wondering why then if you would prefer awd why you aren’t looking at the corolla cross either le or hybrid s trims?both squeak in under 30. Food for thought, back in the day I had a 96 fwd corolla with a five speed when I used to live in north dakota and then in denver, and as long as I wasn’t trying to go through more than 5 inches of snow I never got stuck just have good tires on it.

It's a compelling package. The new Crosstrek looks good too. I found the Prius a bit claustrophobic, but I'm 6'4".

I've gotta have a LITTLE bit of juice and get-go, otherwise I like the looks of the new Trax, but the 130ish HP just kills it for me. My Rabbit has 170 and I'd like to go up to 200-230 if I can in something a little bit bigger [car seats are killer for small cars]. Been looking at the Equinox/Terrains with the 2.0 Turbo. They're about the same price used, but you can get a SLT Terrain with some trimmings like heated steering wheel and power lift-gate with or without AWD for anywhere between 22-25k for a 2018-2020 within driving distance of me]. I just gotta see how they "baby" before committing. Otherwise I'd like something like the Buick Regal TourX [wagon]. Maybe that would be big enough lol.

I’m hoping you guys will do a comparison of the Trax and the Buick Envista when it is released.

I think the Corolla Cross is the best deal from the price, performance, and efficiency standpoint. I don't know what the availability is for Corolla Cross, but an SE trim will run you around the same price as the Seltos with the turbo. Plus, AWD is standard in the hybrid models.

Because of your long drives, the Trax Activ with the power driver's seat and lumbar support setting is the way to go, Brian. 😃

I was shocked to see a black one today in a small park....Looks good in person .

You’re also getting a premium vehicle with Mazda. It’s quality, elegance, engine is far reliable. I’d personally go with the 3 but I would go with chevi if it had more power and reliability to back it up. Although that price is impressive. I think for you overall Prius would be a better choice.

For me, If I can afford the a new car, it would be between a lower trim CX30, the Trax and the new Envista. Apparently the 3cyl 1.2l turbo is actually a decent power plant for being reliable, but it is relatively new overall and a lot of mechanics haven't said much about them

I wouldn’t touch the trailblazer with a 500 foot pole. I have friends that currently have their trailblazers in the shop for the fourth time! So they share the same engine that would be no. I would definitely go with the Mazda or the Toyota Prius! You were going to be very happy with either one of those long-term!

Anything is better than this car

Prius all the way. Great styling, reliability and resale value can not be beat.

Are the Subaru Impreza and crosstrek not an option to consider Brian? You said you don’t mind cvt and awd would be nice for winter driving.. the price point, size, and options they offer sound like they have everything you’re looking for!

What about a hybrid Ford Maverick with a cargo cover? Better MPG, quicker acceleration, and I'd imagine way more cargo capacity

Corolla Cross is one I'd look at as well. Out of those you mentioned I prefer the Seltos, more power with real AWD.

I’m 5:8 and sat in the new Prius and it was really small inside. My choice under 30g would be this Trax or the Kia Soul/ Seltos and get an extended warranty with the Chevy Trax.

(if you can find one at sticker)-->a LX or Sport Honda Civic hatch. Passenger+Cargo area about the same, much better MPG, price about the same, more power, best resale in business, no turbo, reliability.

Corolla Cross Hybrid, dude.

So, there is no space to store the cargo cover under the floor with the spare tire? If the cover can’t be stowed inside, that’s super inconvenient.

Good review. I would buy 1 myself. The drivers seat is a 6. way height adjustable without power. The cargo cover is a pain. WHERE do you store it?? Not a big fan of 19## tires @ it does need a Shark 🦈 fin antenna. To bad GM doesn't offer a 6way power seat on the lower trims.

The Seltos lets you store the cargo shelf under the floor deck.

Which trim can be equipped with memory seat?

Never thought I’d consider a product like this, but GM really hit it out of the park. Looks nice, priced to sell. I will wait until the crash test ratings come out though before visiting the dealer.

Brian should only buy a trax if he wants to get stranded on the side of the road.

This will be fun to get updates on how many times it goes for repair 😂

I was going to ask where the Trax is made but decided that I too have a search engine. I was surprised to see it is made in South Korea! The factory just finished a four month refurbishment. This could be a solid vehicle, depending on how Chevrolet spec'd it out. And a host of other factors (including where the components that aren't built in that factory are sourced.)

Active with 2RS Wheels (I don't like Black rims like Alex either), whatever seat trim, Front License Plate Bracket, Driver Confidence Package, & figure out a way to add Wireless Charging. The Sunroof Package is a waste of headroom & money.

I totally understand your dilemma. Shoot for an 4WD/AWD. Id you like the looks of the Prius you can like the trailblazer. Kia may be just that more costly in long term fuel and maintenance, but I suppose you won't be keeping any vehicle beyond 2 years.

I suggest the Mazda CX-30, the base trim is only slightly more than the base trim of the Trax and it has a lot of standard equipment.

I watched Alex rave about the handling on this too. Is it really better handling than a Mazda3/CX-30 or a Honda Civic/HR-V?

Get a Trax, Brian! I think we need more reasonable price and focus cars like these. Hopefully reliability will be good.

What’s the predicted reliability of this car /engine? Can you expect 10 to 12 years / 250k without major issues like a base Corolla cross or Crosstrek. My Crosstrek is 10 yrs old without major issue. I’d like to expect 12-15 years and pay a little more.

Great video. I too am seriously considering the Trax as a replacement for my 2017 Hyundai Elantra. If I do, I'm definitely going with the Activ trim so that I can get the power seat. It's a game changer with the minute incremental adjustments you can make and having lumbar. It's too bad the 2RS doesn't have it also.

CX5 Select in Soul Red is your answer 😊

Brian should get the Buick Envista

How about the new Corolla Cross Hybrid as an option?

Probably the best bang for the buck for under 30K. I mean its 25K. The review buzz has been very good the last few days on all channels.

I’d get a civic hatchback. The sport touring or something like the base engine in the sport trim Even the hrv is good too But the trax for its practicality and style are good too. It’s not worth giving up comfort and practicality just for the sake of “it’s a GM product”

Never buy a car in the first year and generation. I’d really hope someone who reviews cars would know this.

This is the 1st Chevy I would consider in a LONG TIME. Seems they did something both good and right here. (Rare)

Hmmm well, if you looking at upgrading to a high end Trax, you might consider a Corolla Cross Hybrid . . . Under 30k . . . well, the Seltos with the 2L and IVT would be a good choice as well.

Go for it - - - - looks like a great vehicle for the price

Brian, you compare everything except expected reliability and depreciation. I suspect the Trax would finish last in those categories...

Fuel economy is important to me so I would go for the new Prius which looks amazing.

It was Alex in 2015 who nudged me towards my first American car ever: the Buick Encore. That car was simply a dressed up design of the previous Chevy Trax and WOW did that thing sell for a while. It also forced the Honda HRV and the NIssan Kicks into existence, just to get a slice of that pie. Looking at this new Trax I kinda wish the same thing had happened on the Buick side. A similar version of this car, because I'm convinced THIS Trax will be a smash hit in its price segment, but a Buick 'clone' could have added everything missing here for a pricier tag, no?

How about a Trax vs corolla cross hybrid video next?

I’d go for the Mazda 3 sedan if you go Mazda. Or the 30 CX. The hatch has a terrible blind spot. I really like like the Toyota hatch, but the mark ups are still high. Which means you should get the GTI S trim 😊 The Trax is cute. Prius for gas savings is a huge factor. GTI S trim - you’d love it.

I wonder if their lane keep assist keep you in the center of the lane or just give a touch in the stirring wheel to keep you from crash? That’s a tough decision and I’m in the same situation as you, but I will be able to wait until the Buick Envista because that’s what I’m looking for, Envista, Prius, Corolla Cross. But if the lane keep assist doesn’t keep me in the center of the lane like Prius and Corolla Cross, I won’t considerEnvista cause this is more important for me

For me it’s between Trax and Kia Seltos. I test drove the seltos, love how it feels, but overall think I’m going to go with the Trax.

No.

I have a Trax 2RS and i love it.

I would get none of those options and just get a Honda Civic Sport hatchback. It has a hatch, under 30k, gorgeous, and you can get it with a manual like your Veloster. And yes, I know the touchscreen is only 7 inches. For me, I’m ok with that.

The one thing I hate about the Trax is the warranty compared to Hyundai and Kia, especially with Chevrolets not so stellar track record in recent years.

@Brian. Why not also consider the Honda Civic hatchback or new Subaru Impreza? Those are bigger than the Mazda 3.

I would advise against buying a car that's completely new or just been redesigned. New/newly refreshed cars always tend to have a couple design failures either minor or major. Let people use it for a couple years so you know it will run fine for 60-80k, or not.

I’d pick the Toyota Corolla cross hybrid le or regular le…. I like the simple rugged look they have

would consider corolla cross L vs trax? and surprised that you would consider seltos

Prius will have resale value holding power. Hard part will be getting one of the new GEN ones. AWD version for sure, if MI!

I would get the Prius hands-down. It will run circles around the Trax on acceleration and fuel economy, plus you have the utility of a spacious hatchback. The added money you would pay up front would pay for itself over time with the gas mileage. Your fun factor would be exponentially higher on a day-to-day basis. And I haven't even mentioned the sporty looks of the new Prius.

I would buy if I were you, a Corolla cross awd in hybrid or reg gas, will run forever!

I thought it said Chevy Traxi. I think the yellow model in the thumbnail tripped me up.

New Trax seems like a great vehicle but I'd consider a Prius, Seltos, Corolla Cross, or even a Soul before it :)

I am a very big fan of the Trax. I have two reservations that would keep me from buying it though. The first being a untried and true turbo three cylinder the second being the lack of a warranty. GM does not warrant their cars to be anything more than a lease vehicle.

thought that was a Dodge Hornet in the thumbnail

Why not? If the reliability is good, I think it’s a good choice! I prefer the Active front end too, it doesn’t have the chrome downward mustache! And good luck finding a Prius under $30 grand, all the dealerships here have $5 grand markup on the new Prius.😂