Yahoo Autos 2024 Chevrolet Trax Long-Term Intro: Utility Player
10,000-Mile Update
Record-setting baseball pitcher Tom Seaver adhered to a philosophy that served him well in his 20 seasons of award-winning professional play: "If you dwell on statistics, you get shortsighted; if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end." That seems to be the same approach our long-term 2024 Chevrolet Trax is taking as it looks to post a respectable cumulative score after cycling through the lineup of Car and Driver editors.
A frequent choice for road games, the Trax has accumulated more than 12,000 miles in just four months. That's impressive, even for our office of intrepid road trippers. Consistency remains its chief characteristic, as it delivers calm, efficient transportation without breaking a sweat. We're still averaging 28 mpg, the Trax still feels tight, and it's needed only routine scheduled maintenance with a single recall.
Testing director Dave VanderWerp took the Trax across international borders in July, venturing up Canada's Bruce Peninsula, a natural isthmus with Lake Huron to the west and the resultant Georgian Bay to the east. The Trax returned 38 mpg on this portion of the trip, thanks to 50-mph speed limits and plenty of traffic. On their return, the VanderWerp family sidestepped the usual Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron or the Detroit bridge and tunnel border crossings, instead taking the Wadpole-Algonac Ferry across the St. Clair River for the princely sum of $12 per car.
August saw numerous trips to northern Michigan and Wisconsin, with side sorties to Indiana and Illinois thrown in for good measure. Associate news editor and native Badger Jack Fitzgerald aimed the Trax for the Wisconsin Dells region, the unofficial Midwest epicenter of recreational go-karting (we see you, Trojan Horse and Big Chief!). Fitzgerald joined the chorus of drivers commenting on the Chevy's quiet interior and well-cultivated blend of ride quality and handling.
In late August, Cheesehead summer was briefly interrupted by a 7500-mile scheduled maintenance service consisting of a routine oil and filter change, tire rotation, and series of inspections. The dealer also performed a recall (A242435780) to address an engine-spark-timing issue that could develop after certain auto stop/start events. All the work was included under Chevrolet's complimentary service plan, which covers the first round of owners' scheduled maintenance.
Fitzgerald made a return trip to Wisconsin in late August, this time with fellow associate news editor Caleb Miller in tow to catch the return of IndyCar racing to the storied Milwaukee Mile oval racetrack in the confines of Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis. Miller noted that the infotainment seemed to be a little slower than he initially thought, especially the steering-wheel volume control, a quirk also observed by your author.
But infotainment response times weren't Fitzgerald's biggest issue. His logbook entry includes a disgruntled screed: "Who signed off on this [canine excrement] turning radius?" For the record, the Trax requires 2.7 turns lock-to-lock and has a reported turning radius of 37.4 feet with 17-inch wheels and 38.0 feet with the 18-inchers on our car. By comparison, the Mazda CX-30 clocks in at 34.8 feet, and the Volkswagen Taos at 35.1 feet. So, empirical data supports Fitzgerald's angst.
Just as the Trax was passing the 10,000-mile mark, senior editor Greg Fink figured a trip back to Canada was in order. Although he was impressed by the ample interior room for packing cargo to deliver to a relative, he echoed past sentiments about the hard door cards and lack of armrest cushioning. Fink, who was accompanied by his wife and young child, also mentioned that the child-seat LATCH points are "buried deep in the cushion."
The Trax seems to have the sweet spot in the style department, at least in the court of public opinion. Specifically, the Cacti Green exterior finish routinely draws appreciative compliments, including from a fellow Costco shopper who emphatically announced "I like the color" with a thumbs-up.
If there is a persistent gripe about the Trax, it's the lazy high-speed passing performance. Then again, we're talking about a powertrain consisting of a 137-hp turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder mated to six-speed automatic transmission. It's not like it's lazy, coarse, or straining; it's just working within its means. Viewed through the lens of the overall package and considering its sub-$27,000 price, it's a fair trade-off.
While our 2024 Chevrolet Trax is—barring some sweeping MLB rule changes—unlikely to take home three Cy Young Awards or notch a World Series win like Tom "The Franchise" Seaver, it's certainly playing the long game in pursuit of a respectable average. That said, winter is coming, and it'll be interesting to see how snow and ice might change the stakes.
Months in Fleet: 4 months Current Mileage: 12,445 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 28 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 13.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 330 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
Introduction
It's easy to make a disappointing cheap car. The backlot of automotive history is piled high with them alongside the hopes of countless consumers. The trick is making a cheap car that exceeds expectations. We're not talking buttery-soft leather upholstery and high-revving engines here, but rather an attractive, efficient, functional vehicle that doesn't fill you with existential dread each time you make your monthly payment. Specifically, we're talking about the 2024 Chevrolet Trax Activ—a $25K, fully loaded subcompact SUV with an upbeat attitude that transcends its humble window sticker.
This isn't our first go-round with the 2024 Trax; it earned a 10Best award for 2024, as well as a spot on our Editors' Choice list. To make sure our admiration of the Trax wasn't just a crush, we ordered one up for a 40,000-mile test.
The Trax is engineered and assembled by GM in Korea, but unlike the first-generation Trax (2015 to 2022 in the U.S.) that was largely devoid of joy, the current version is far more versatile and comfortable, with styling that looks almost dignified. Chevy could've taken the low road and applied boy-racer enhancements in an attempt to project a performance image, but we're glad it didn't.
When it came time to spec our Trax, we quickly realized the price delta between the base LS and the top-tier 2RS and Activ trims was just $3500—that's but a rounding error in the medium and full-size segments. The Activ trim got the nod, however, as the 2RS brings 19-inch wheels with 45-series rubber, whereas the Activ rolls on 18-inchers with 55-series tires. The 19s may look cool, but given the Trax's mission of versatility, we'll gladly stick with the 18s and taller sidewalls for a smoother ride. Plus, the 2RS is basically a cosmetic package with the addition of a flat-bottomed steering wheel; otherwise, the trims share almost all the same content.
Our well-equipped Trax Activ retails for $24,995 before options and features push-button start, remote start, an upgraded six-speaker audio system with an 11.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an 8.0-inch configurable driver-information display. Additional standard Activ content includes a heated steering wheel, an eight-way power driver's seat, a cargo cover, and some unique exterior bits, including a body-color grille insert and black bow-tie emblems. As we said, it's a lot of content for not much money over the base model.
We also added the literally named Sunroof package ($895), which curiously brings wireless device charging along with it, and the Driver Confidence package ($650) that adds adaptive cruise control, lane-change alert with blind-spot detection, and rear cross-traffic alert. (Lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist are standard on the Trax.) Our out-the-door price for our Trax Activ came to $26,540; that's the same price of a base Subaru Crosstrek and $125 more than a base Mazda CX-30. Both of those cars, however, quickly cross the $30K threshold as you add desirable features. The caveat, of course, is the Trax is a front-wheel-drive-only proposition, whereas the Subie and Mazda have standard all-wheel drive. And no amount of money or pleading will get you all-wheel drive in the Trax. (Bow-tie fans who must have all-wheel drive in their subcompact SUV can check out the similarly sized but slightly more expensive Trailblazer.)
Shortly after the Trax arrived, we started piling on the miles. After a few weeks of local lunch and commuter duty, buyers guide director Rich Ceppos loaded up the Trax and pointed its nose toward Wisconsin, logging over 1300 miles during the round-trip adventure. His observations did little to darken our first impressions: "Used to be, if you were driving a cheap Chevy, you couldn't wait to get out of it. Not this one."
We're also universally pleased by the generous amount of head- and legroom the Trax provides, with staffers of both tall and wide statures quickly finding a comfortable driving position, even with the sunroof. Things are less spacious in back, but with the front seats using 80 percent of their rearward travel, there's still sufficient foot- and legroom for most occupants not currently active in NBA or NFL team play.
If there is a soft spot in the Trax's well-rounded personality, it's the 137-hp turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine. It's tuned for around-town duty and, other than a little lag at step-off, succeeds satisfactorily in that role. When called upon for passing maneuvers at highway speeds, however, it takes a beat or two to gather steam while it chats with the six-speed automatic about the possibility of a downshift. So, you'll need to plan ahead when passing on two-lanes or merging onto highways in areas like northern Michigan where the flow of traffic often exceeds 80 mph.
Car and Driver testing confirmed what we already suspected based on our finely tuned seat-of-the-pants-ometers: Hitting 60 mph requires 8.8 seconds and the quarter-mile consumes 16.7 seconds with a trap speed of 82 mph. Jumping from 30 to 50 mph requires 4.3 seconds. None of these numbers are what you'd call exciting, but the powertrain is eager in an endearing junior-varsity kind of way, happily working hard despite posting lackluster numbers.
Grip was limited at 0.83 g, and stopping from 70 mph required 183 feet. Again, the 2RS trim's lower-profile tires might be slightly better here but likely at the expense of ride quality. Is that a trade-off you're willing to make in a subcompact that comes in under $27k??
Based on our previous experience, we had a good baseline for what to expect from the Trax, and our initial impressions remain intact. While it hits few home runs, its batting average is consistent. As technical editor Mike Sutton opined, "Feels solid yet light. Comfortable. Straightforward interface with adequate amenities. Nearly all its shortcomings can be excused by its impressively attainable price."
We'll keep you updated as the delightful Michigan fall turns to the not-so-delightful winter, and we get a chance to see how the front-drive Trax handles the snow.
Months in Fleet: 2 months Current Mileage: 7843 miles
Average Fuel Economy: 28 mpg
Fuel Tank Size: 13.2 gal Observed Fuel Range: 330 miles
Service: $0 Normal Wear: $0 Repair: $0
Damage and Destruction: $0
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