A subcompact that is always flying under the radar, the 2026 Chevy Trax is an affable, affordable small car that can perform basic everyday life functions, like going from Point Gay to Point See-you-at-Pride – and beyond.
Car and Driver ranks the 2026 Trax as one of its 10 Best cars for the year, taking into account that the vehicle is not perfect, but it does offer a lot for the money.
Keep in mind, this a subcompact car, and a cheap (as in ‘inexpensive’) one at that.
So naturally, there are some frills that just aren’t going to happen, like All-Wheel Drive, powerful acceleration and other Things That Make You Go Hmmmm, like eye-popping interior materials.
Front-Wheel Drive is standard across all trims, and on the base LS, you will have to use a real old-fashioned key (not a key fob) to open the doors and turnover the engine.
What you will get is 28 city / 32 highway for mileage. And each Trax comes with a 1.2-liter turbo that has just 3-cylinders and 137 horses. Again, if you need a good car and not a wallet buster, this is something for your consideration.
The base LS trim is indeed pretty basic when it comes to standard features: Apple CarPlay / Android Auto, emergency braking, lane-keep assist, forward collision alert and something called Active Noise Cancellation, whereby the little creatures of intelligence inside the car are listening to strategically placed microphones so that road, wind and engine noise can be counteracted by playing inverted sound frequencies through the four speakers.
A little Big Brother-esque, sure, but I prefer to think of it as a high-tech Ratatouille helping you get through your drive peacefully. And tastefully.
I tested the 2RS trim, one of the top-tier trims that comes with black exterior accents and red interior accents, as well as 19-inch two-tone machined-face wheels, heated front seats, heated steering wheels (always a joy in winter), 11-inch infotainment screen, 8-inch digital information screen, remote start and 6-speaker audio.
The drive on this one was indeed smooth. I barely noticed any blips, which is what you want in a basic inner-city car. Anymore, the traffic of the city is not as Petula Clark sang in Downtown (yes, I am as old as Fred Flintstone). So, you too will enjoy the peace and quiet just as I and Ratatouille did.
Maximum cargo space is 54 cubic feet when you fold down the backseats, which are 60/40 split seats. Left up, you will have 25 ½ cubic feet for purchases / donations.
As I mentioned, pricing for the base LS starts around $22K US. Pricing for the 2RS trim starts at under $26K US. If you still want a subcompact but something a bit more fancy, I would check out the Chevy Trailblazer, and for something a little bigger, the Chevy Equinox is worth a look.
Indeed, anymore it really is all about Money, Money, Money, and that really is a sad state of affairs, but, well, here we are.
Gasoline in states where many LGT2SBQIA++ live is currently well over five dollars a gallon. This is often because it is taxed more heavily so we can support people in red states who need our help. I will leave it there.
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Sure, I will go along with that. Please vote. You know the assignment.
This column is about cars. And life. And I write about cars and life and how it all comes together in perhaps strange and unusual ways.
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