2025 Chevrolet Trax ACTIV Review: Entry Level SUV Starts Under $22K!

The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is a comfortable small SUV for four adults and shines for commuting and shorter-range road trips. It is a good value for the money considering the features and roomy interior. As the least expensive vehicle sold by Chevrolet, it is a good way to transition from a small sedan to an SUV.

Chevrolet offers an SUV in every size from small to very large, propelled by gasoline, diesel, or electricity. The 2025 Trax comes in at the small end of their SUV spectrum and is the least expensive vehicle sold by Chevrolet. In increasing order of size, their SUV line-up is the Trax, Trailblazer, Equinox, Blazer, Traverse, Tahoe, and Suburban. The point is that Chevrolet does not want you to look elsewhere when going bigger as your family is growing, or when all the kids have moved out, and smaller becomes better once again.

Drivetrain

The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is powered by a turbocharged 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. The three-lunger puts out 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft. of torque with peak power at 2,500 rpm, and goes from 0 to 60 mph in about 9 seconds.

The Trax is EPA rated at 28 City / 32 Highway / 30 Combined miles per gallon. In 189 miles of mostly in-town driving, I averaged 28.8 mpg, with the best I achieved over a pure 50-mile highway run at 65 mph was 33.2 mpg.

Hitting The Road

The Trax Activ weighs in at a relatively trim 2,983 pounds, which is a good thing, as the small engine displacement means momentum is everything. The 1.2-liter turbocharged engine needed to be pushed hard to get up to speed for freeway merging or climbing a hill. Once in sixth gear cruising at freeway speeds, and it came time to pass, there was a lack of torque. Coupled with two seconds of lag before the turbo kicks in, plus waiting for the transmission to drop down a gear or two, requires planning before passing.

The remedy for this and to squeeze out as much oomph as possible is to use the manual shift mode. When needing to hold a gear or accelerate harder, simply press the button on the left side of the gear shifter and then pull back to drop into a lower gear. It worked remarkably well and became my go-to for steady acceleration. With this said, the Trax is not a sporty SUV, and Chevrolet does not market it as such.

The suspension, which could have been firmer, made for an overall smooth highway ride. Certain road imperfections challenged the Trax, with jolts being felt, and body roll, if not pushed too hard around a corner, was acceptable. Wind noise was nearly non-existent, with the power windows and the power glass sliding sunroof ($895 option) closed. When the sunroof was open, there was a buffeting “thud, thud, thud” sound that went away when opening one of the windows about an inch. This isn’t unique to the Chevrolet Trax, but it is something designers should make sure doesn’t happen.

The electric-assisted power steering was light, which is fine as the Trax is happiest when tooling around the city. The Goodyear Assurance 225/55 all-season tires on 18-inch gloss black aluminum wheels provided good maneuverability and grip. Stopping was straight from power-assisted ventilated front disc and rear drum brakes, electronic brake force distribution, cornering brake control, brake assist, with a 4-wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and Stability and Traction Control.

Small SUV – Roomy Interior

There are five Trax trim levels of LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS, and Activ. Our Trax Activ had comfortable seating for four with good rear head and leg room. The rear 60:40 seats fold to a near-flat position. Storage is ample with the rear seat up, but expands to 54.1 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded nearly flat. Access to the storage area is through a manual lift gate with a convenient low lift-over load height leading to a flat floor. A combination of hard and soft plastic on the dash and door panel surfaces, with materials that were of an expected level for an affordable car.

Chevrolet says the Trax has a thoughtfully designed interior, maximizing comfort. For the most part, I agree. The interior of the Trax I tested was black with gray insets on the seats and door panels, with tasteful brushed aluminum accents. The seats were covered in EcoTex, a synthetic leather-like material designed to be durable, stain-resistant, and easy to clean. The heated front seats provided good support, with the driver’s being 8-way power adjustable and the passenger 4-way manual. The padded center armrest opened for storage.

Driving Experience: Tech and Entertainment

The multimedia screen is angled toward the driver, with the Trax having all the connected car technology we have come to expect. The 11-inch color touch screen handled the HD rear vision camera and the six-speaker sound system with AM/FM/HD, SiriusXM. Other features include USB-C and A ports, OnStar voice recognition, Bluetooth streaming audio, hands-free telephone, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A Wi-Fi Hotspot is available with a separate AT&T service and data plan.

A note regarding OnStar: a simple push of a button connects you with a friendly GM representative to handle emergencies, directions, and general assistance to make your driving experience safer and more enjoyable. This is one area where GM has been the industry leader, and after the introductory service plan expires, it is well worth renewing.

The Trax dash layout is simple and straightforward, featuring a tachometer and speedometer as part of the 8-inch driver information center. All controls are within easy reach of the driver, including wheels, knobs, and switches for the radio and climate controls. But…

The climate control wheels are large enough to use when wearing gloves, but the radio only had a volume knob, no channel knob. The screen is where the main touch controls are found, with the leather-wrapped steering wheel-mounted audio and telephone controls as back-up for convenience or if the screen decides not to cooperate with your touch command. The system worked well during our time with the Trax, but are both volume and channel selection knobs really too much to ask for?

Safety and Convenience

The 2025 Trax has a 5-Star NHTSA government rating and comes with safety and convenience features, including 10 airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, forward collision alert with emergency braking, and lane keep assist. As part of the Driver Confidence Package (a $795 option), rear cross-traffic alert, lane change, and side blind zone alert, adaptive cruise control, and rear park assist.

Pricing and Warranties

These 2025 base prices include the $1,095 Destination charge.

LS $21,595
1RS $23,595
LT $23,795
2RS $25,595
ACTIV $25,595

Observations: 2025 Chevrolet Trax Activ

The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is in the very competitive small SUV / crossover category, including the Honda HR-V, Hyundai Kona and Tucson, Toyota Corolla Cross, Kia Soul, Jeep Renegade, Mazda CX-5, and Nissan Kicks. To stand out from this crowded field, the Trax holds its own by offering a roomy interior with ample storage space, good technology offerings, and low-30s highway fuel economy. What will get consumers’ attention is the low price of the LS trim at under $22,000.

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About the Author

John Faulkner is the Road Test Editor and Senior Writer at Clean Fleet Report. He has more than 30 years’ experience in branding, launching, and marketing automobiles. He has worked with General Motors (all Divisions), Chrysler (Dodge, Jeep, Eagle), Ford, Lincoln-Mercury, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota on consumer events, vehicle launches, and sales training programs. His interest in automobiles is broad and deep, beginning as a child riding in the back seat of his parents’ 1950 Studebaker. He is a journalist member of the Motor Press Guild and Western Automotive Journalists.