2026 Chevrolet Trax Review: Still the Budget Go-To

New cars are expensive. This could be the official catch phrase for anyone looking to purchase a new vehicle in the year 2026. The degree that prices have increased over the past few years is alarming. Cars, trucks, and SUVs that once seemed attainable, no longer are so.

But not everything requires selling a kidney or taking out a second mortgage to purchase. There still are some options on the lower end, prise-wise, of the market. Vehicles like the 2026 Chevrolet Trax. The best news? Not only is the Trax still relatively affordable, it’s also quite good.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax is deceivingly big for its low price point. At a length of 178.6-inches (4,537 mm) it’s longer than the Mazda CX-30, Nissan Kicks, Hyundai Venue, and even Chevrolet’s own Trailblazer. The Trax also is decently wide, at 71.1-inches (1,823 mm) and has a roofline height of 61.4-inches (1,560 mm).

Although the Trax is classified as a crossover, in reality, it’s a small hatchback lifted up, with subtle styling cues like cladding around the wheels to give it more of a SUV look. The Activ trim comes with black 18-inch wheels, a body-color grille insert, black front and rear bowtie emblems, and Activ badge on rear of vehicle. Overall, we like the look of the Trax, especially considering it's market segment.

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

The Chevrolet Trax remains one of the few vehicles on sale in North America with a three-cylinder engine. Measuring 1.2-liters in displacement, the little turbocharged unit is punchier than the numbers might suggest. With 137 horsepower, it’s easy to assume the small Chevy is slow, but it’s not. A sports car it's not either, but the 162 lb ft of torque comes on early and in full force, making the Trax leave from a stop with good authority.

As speed climbs though, and the crossover bangs through its six-speed automatic transmission, weight, aerodynamics, and physics takes its toll. By highway speeds, the Trax doesn’t feel overly swift, but at least it still sounds good. The three-pot has a cool little growl that’s more pleasing to our ears than many four-cylinder engines on the market. When driven normally, Chevrolet claims the vehicle should achieve fuel economy figures of 28 mpg (8.5 L/100 km) city and 32 mpg (7.6 L/100 km) highway, the latter of which is a bit low for the class.

Handling and Drivability:

Despite its SUV appearance, the 2026 Chevrolet Trax remains a front-wheel drive only vehicle. Configured as such, and despite a decent 7.3-inches (186 mm) of ground clearance, it drives like a regular compact car should, just from a higher vantage point. The suspension consists of a MacPherson strut front set-up with a torsion beam rear. The Activ rides on 225/55R18 tires, which happen to be winter units on our tester.

Like the ease of drivability, handling is quite car-like, neither sporty nor overly top heavy. Vehicle responses are above average; a reflection of a curb weight that’s just a hair over 3,000 pounds (1,361 kg).

The ride comfort in the Trax is acceptable, but with a slightly stiffer feel than we remember during our last test drive. For a vehicle raised up so high, we expected a bit of a smoother ride, but the suspension is most likely tuned to limited body-roll and make the Trax drive more car like, which it does.

Inside, there’s plenty of space for adults front and rear. Those up front get 39.6-inches (1.006 mm) of headroom and 41.9-inches (1,065 mm) of legroom. Back seat passengers receive 38.1-inches (967 mm) of headroom and 38.7-inches (983 mm) of legroom. On the downside, there’s no fold down center arm rest for rear seat passengers.

In front of the driver is the upgraded 8-inch digital driver information center that comes standard on the Activ trim. Positioned central on the dashboard is an 11-inch infotainment system. Other standard equipment on the 2026 Chevrolet Trax Activ includes a six-speaker audio system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, remote start, and Wi-Fi spot capability.

Even though the Trax is the Chevy’s entry level model, it comes with the lots of safety equipment as standard kit. Included in the Chevy Safety Assist suite are features like automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, forward collision alert, following distance indicator, and more. For an added costs, more equipment can be added like adaptive cruise control, side blind zone alert with lane change alert, rear cross traffic alert and rear park assist.

Value Dollars and Sense:

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax starts at $23,495 (all prices include destination charges) in the United States. Our Trax Activ tester includes the sunroof package, interior protection package, sport pedal kit, and the engine block heater. Add all that together and pricing comes in at $28,855 as tested. That pricing puts it right on top of the Nissan Kicks SR and Mazda CX-30 2.5 S Select Sport.

In Canada, the Trax starts at $29,199, with our Trax Activ tester ringing in at $34,794.

Final Thoughts:

There are very few vehicles on sale today that can match the 2026 Chevrolet Trax in terms of overall value. Chevy’s small SUV has some short comings, and the materials feel more frugal than premium, but nothing in this class is meant to be luxurious. This is a segment about offering customers space, comfort, and safety in an affordable package. Here, the Trax continues to deliver, while offering impressive technology and a decent driving experience.  

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