-Sn!PeR- Posted April 26, 2020 Posted April 26, 2020 Pros Standard 7-inch touchscreen Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Available all-wheel drive Onboard 4G LTE and Wi-Fi Cons Fewer active safety features than most rivals Less spacious than rivals Starting price on the higher end Design and features lag fresher competitors What’s New this Year? Premier trim dropped, leaving just LS and LT Midnight Edition with black accents available for LT Is the 2021 Chevrolet Trax a good car? The Trax is acceptable basic transportation, but its rivals are better. Fresher competitors like the Kia Seltos and Hyundai Kona offer more. Is the Trailblazer replacing the 2021 Trax? For this year at least, the all-new 2021 Trailblazer and Trax will co-exist. The Trailblazer ostensibly slots below the Trax, but is larger, less expensive and has more features. Does the 2021 Chevy Trax have cruise control? Not as standard. It is optional on base LS models and included in the LT. Where is the 2021 Chevrolet Trax made? The Chevrolet Trax is made in Mexico. Overviews When it debuted several years ago, the Trax was a welcome and needed addition to Chevrolet’s crossover-SUV lineup. Its tidy size and value-oriented pricing appealed to those on a budget who didn’t need a giant SUV. Fast forward a few years, and the 2021 Chevrolet Trax faces an uphill battle against fresher and better competitors. Those rivals range from the excellent new Kia Seltos to the ultra-practical Honda HR-V, not to mention the Hyundai Kona and sultry new Mazda CX-30. But the Trax’s fiercest rival may just be within its own family: the all-new 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer. The reborn Chevy Trailblazer is ostensibly meant to slot below the aging Trax, but is actually slightly larger, has more cargo space, comes with more standard safety features, and is more stylish, all for a lower price. The new Trailblazer also offers features not even available in the Trax, including adaptive cruise control and an 8-inch touchscreen. And with the discontinuation of the topline Premier trim, the 2021 Trax does not offer active safety features like forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking that are standard on many rivals. This will likely lead smart Chevy shoppers to gravitate toward fresher models. Still, if you’re dead set on the Trax, it does bring a standard turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, plus tech like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Driving the 2021 Chevrolet Trax As an urban runabout with some brief highway commutes thrown in, the 2021 Chevrolet Trax is adequate. The small SUV doesn’t have the verve and fun-to-drive traits of a Mazda CX-30 or turbocharged Hyundai Kona or Kia Seltos, but it’s acceptable. The Trax’s turbocharged 4-cylinder engine provides a reasonable amount of muscle, although going uphill while fully laden may make you wish for something beefier. Highway stretches are also reminders that Chevy didn’t go crazy with the sound insulation. The Trax uses a 6-speed automatic transmission that, while not the most modern or most efficient, will appeal to drivers who don’t want a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) like that found in the Honda HR-V. The Mazda CX-30, which has more athletic manners, also uses a 6-speed automatic. The new Chevy Trailblazer has moved on to a 9-speed or CVT depending on the engine. However, if you regularly find yourself fighting for a parking spot or squeezing into a small garage, the Trax’s diminutive size plays in its favor. Note that most active driver-assistance systems are no longer available on the 2021 Chevrolet Trax. It never offered adaptive cruise control, and its simplified lineup now excludes features like lane-departure and forward-collision warning that came on the now-deleted Premier trim. Blind-spot monitoring, though, is available as an option. Favorite Features APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO Even the least-expensive 2021 Trax comes with a 7-inch touchscreen display and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration. 4G LTE WI-FI An integrated 4G LTE Wi-Fi system brings fast internet access using passengers’ phones, tablets, or laptops — up to seven devices. After the trial period, a subscription is required. 2021 Chevrolet Trax Interior The Chevrolet Trax has a tidy 2-row/5-passenger cabin. Space is OK up front, but as you can probably guess from the Trax’s small footprint, rear passenger space is limited. If it’s just you and one other person and some gear, cargo room is respectable. There’s up to 48.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, and a useful 18.7 cubic feet with them up. But the Trax lags rivals like the HR-V, Seltos and new Trailblazer in total cargo capacity. The Trax has a nifty feature in which the front passenger seat folds flat to accommodate items up to 8 feet long in the interior. Also up front, the Trax has a standard 7-inch touchscreen in the middle of the dash and simple dials to operate climate controls. Cloth seating is standard, with deluxe cloth/leatherette in the LT trim. Full leatherette is optional in the LT. 2021 Chevrolet Trax Exterior From several steps back, the Chevy Trax has a confident SUV stance thanks to its short overhangs. Compared to its new Trailblazer sibling, the Trax is shorter and has a taller profile. Unlike the Trailblazer, you won’t find an available power-operated tailgate. Both the Trax LS and LT trims wear 16-inch aluminum wheels. The higher-trim 2021 Trax LT has heated, body-color side mirrors, and taillights with LED accents. The new Trax Midnight edition based on the LT trim adds 18-inch gloss-black aluminum wheels, front and rear black skidplates, and other darkened aesthetics. 2021 Chevrolet Trax Standard Features For this model year, the Trax is available in just two trims: LS or LT. At its simplest, a base Trax LS includes remote keyless entry, 4-way manual-adjust driver’s seat, single-zone air conditioning, and a compass. The Chevy Trax’s infotainment system bundles a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity and a 6-speaker AM/FM audio system with SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth streaming, and two USB inputs. The higher-trim Trax LT includes cruise control (optional on LS trims), remote vehicle start, cloth/leatherette upholstery, and LED daytime running lights, plus a luggage rack, cargo cover and tinted rear windows. 2021 Chevrolet Trax Options All-wheel drive is optional on either trim. As we mentioned, cruise control is an option on base LS trims, as is remote vehicle start. A 6-way power driver’s seat is also optional on both trims. For added convenience, the LT model can be had with keyless entry and start, and heated front seats. There aren’t many advanced safety options available for the Chevrolet Trax, but you can add the Driver Confidence Package to the LT that bundles blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors. 2021 Chevrolet Trax Engine The only engine available for the 2021 Trax is a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder connected to a 6-speed automatic transmission. With 138 horsepower, it won’t be winning many races, but it’s a respectably fuel-efficient SUV achieving up to 31 mpg. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the default setup, while all-wheel drive (AWD) is available. 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 138 horsepower @ 4,900 rpm 148 lb-ft of torque @ 1,850 rpm EPA city/highway fuel economy: 26/31 mpg (FWD), 24/29 mpg (AWD) How Much Does the 2021 Chevrolet Trax Cost? A new Chevrolet Trax has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price starting at $21,400, plus a destination fee of $995. The higher trim Trax LT begins at $23,200. Adding all-wheel drive to either is an extra $1,500. With options, a loaded Trax can reach around $26,000. The Trax’s starting price is in line with rivals such as the Kia Seltos, Toyota C-HR and Mazda CX-30. Undercutting the Trax are the Hyundai Kona, Honda HR-V, Nissan Kicks, and the Trax’s new brother, the Chevy Trailblazer. We think these rivals represent a better value, since all but the Honda include active safety systems not available in the Trax (the Honda has a full suite on higher trims). The Chevrolet Trax’s resale value is average at best, trailing models like the Honda HR-V and slightly larger Subaru Crosstrek. Which Model is Right for Me? 2021 Chevrolet Trax LSSingle-zone air conditioning 7-inch touchscreen 4G LTE Wi-Fi Apple CarPlay/Android Auto 60/40-split/fold rear seats & folding front-passenger seat 2021 Chevrolet Trax LTCruise control Remote start Cloth/leatherette upholstery LED daytime running lights Tinted rear windows 2021 Chevrolet Trax Safety Technology 10 Airbags This impressive complement of inflatable protection includes rear-seat-mounted thorax, side-curtain, and front-occupant knee airbags. Driver Confidence Package Optional in the LT, this package bundles blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors.
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