2025 Chevrolet Trax Review

Chevy's smallest SUV is well rounded, value-packed, quite stylish, and a must-drive.

James Riswick | 

Aug 21, 2025 | 7 min read

James Riswick

Aside from new paint colors, the Trax is largely unchanged for 2025. That really isn't a problem, as Chevrolet checked so many boxes when it completely redesigned the Trax for 2024. Among those boxes checked are a surprisingly strong engine, eye-catching design, user-friendly tech, plenty of space for a variety of buyers, and a comprehensive amount of desirable equipment available for well under $30,000. The description that best fits the 2025 Trax is "well rounded."

James Riswick

About the 2025 Chevrolet Trax Activ Review Vehicle

The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is available in LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS, and Activ trim levels. Starting prices are tightly grouped in the low-to-mid-$20,000s, with the top two trim levels being equally priced and mainly differing in terms of style. Chevrolet builds the Trax in South Korea.

For this Trax review, I test-drove the Activ in Southern California. A Sunroof Package (which gets you the obvious benefit plus a wireless charging pad) and a Driver Confidence Package (blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, and adaptive cruise control) brought the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $27,085, including the $1,095 destination charge. Chevrolet provided the vehicle for this Trax review.

James Riswick

The 2025 Trax Looks Sharp on a Budget

The 2025 Chevrolet Trax's design is consistent with Chevy's more expensive models, which is a great thing. It just looks cool. Chevrolet also does a nice job of disguising all the hard, black plastic in the Trax's interior. The obvious exceptions are the unyielding, unpadded door armrests (ouch) and the cupholders that let whatever's inside slide around.

For the price, though, this interior quality is tolerable, especially because there's abundant passenger space to help make up for it. The firm, supportive driver's seat moves incredibly far back, and yet I, at 6-foot-3, could still sit behind my own driving position.

James Riswick

The relatively large gap between rows also allowed plenty of room for my 5-year-old son's feet to dangle in his child seat while maintaining plenty of front-passenger legroom. Indeed, among all the subcompact SUVs I've tested (nearly all of them), only the Volkswagen Taos managed to best the Trax in terms of its friendliness for accepting a car seat.

Cargo space is less impressive but still good. On paper, its volume of 25.6 cubic-feet is virtually identical to the Hyundai Kona (25.5 cu-ft), and in between the Honda HR-V (24.4 cu-ft) and Taos (27.9 cu-ft). It's also a bit better than Chevrolet's own Trailblazer (25.3 cu-ft). It performed similarly midpack in my real-world testing. It fit three roll-aboard bags, two medium check-in bags, and a duffel bag. Its performance was indeed better than the Trailblazer.

In terms of small-item storage, I found that a 40-ounce jumbo cup was secure but a slimmer water bottle wobbled around. Yet the door-panel bottle holders could just barely accommodate the latter. The cellphone holder in between the front cupholders is an interesting touch, and the wireless charging pad is like a submerged ramp that secured my phone without roasting it. The bin behind the shifter is too small, lined in hard plastic, and a bit useless.

James Riswick

Basic Safety Tech and Strong Infotainment in the 2025 Trax

My 2025 Chevrolet Trax test vehicle's 11.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system couldn't be easier to use. There aren't that many features to control, to be fair, but the interface is logically laid out with permanently docked menu icons on the left side, big thumbnails, and a traditional radio design that presents song information alongside the list of easily programmed radio presets. The climate controls are also separate from the touchscreen, which is always a good thing.

James Riswick

The Trax comes standard with forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking. The former had a false alarm (one I deemed understandable), enabling me to see that the big red "BRAKE" warning that blares in the instrument panel is attention-grabbing. The lane-keeping assist worked well on the highway, but it was too intrusive on a winding rural road and got confused when a lane split in two. It's a tad rudimentary. The Activ's optional blind-spot warning system worked well.

The available adaptive cruise control also capably maintained an appropriate distance to cars ahead, though it lacks lane-centering assistance. It was a bit slow to get back up to speed, but that's understandable given the engine.

James Riswick

The Chevrolet Trax Is Surprisingly Fun and Feels Quicker Than It Is

A 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine powers the Trax, producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. That sounds underwhelming, and I'd wager its zero-to-60-mph time would be on the slow side. Still, when you drive the Trax, it's punchy off the line, responds quickly to accelerator inputs, and comes with a characterful little growl. It's like a little dog eagerly running up a hill. As speeds rise, its meager horsepower becomes evident (passing power isn't great), but around town, it's spunky.

A six-speed automatic transmission aids this little engine that could. Downshifts are notably quick, which is good, as small engines tend to require lots of downshifting. Transmissions with more gears can feel flummoxed by having so many choices. The Trax's automatic also avoids the depressing drone and yo-yoing engine revs I've experienced with continuously variable transmissions, such as the ones in the Honda HR-V, Subaru Crosstrek, and front-wheel-drive Chevrolet Trailblazer.

I noted "front-wheel-drive" with the Trailblazer because it's also available with a nine-speed automatic (which, to prove my point above, I found to be less responsive than the Trax's six-speed). To get the nine-speed, you must also opt for all-wheel drive (AWD). The Trax is front-drive only, which is one of its primary cons. I'd argue front-wheel drive should be more than fine in most instances, especially with winter tires, but the fact remains that many people want AWD, and you can't get it in the Trax.

James Riswick

Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 30 mpg in combined city and highway driving. I managed 27.9 mpg on my 75-mile test route (the mountain road portion tends to affect less powerful engines adversely), with 33.2 mpg observed on the highway portion.

Beyond the powertrain, the Trax is surprisingly fun to drive and an outlier in Chevy's gas-powered SUV lineup. I've found the Trailblazer, Equinox, and Traverse to be forgettable at best and numb marshmallows at worst when driven on a winding road. Not the Trax. Its suspension is composed and compliant. The steering is precise, consistently weighted, and responsive on center. For a little SUV, it feels light and agile, and proves competent when chucked into corners.

In terms of ride quality, no one would accuse the Trax of being plush, but it's also perfectly comfortable and — in my experience — not typical of a car in its price range. I would say, however, that going with the Activ and its 18-inch wheels is a better call than the 2RS and its 19s that produce firmer reactions to sharp bumps. Interior highway noise was also acceptable for the segment.

James Riswick

Is the 2025 Chevrolet Trax a Good SUV?

The Trax is a great SUV. It's inexpensive, yet it hides seemingly low-cost elements behind compelling design and clever engineering. If anything, this well-rounded small SUV seems like it should cost more than it does.

James Riswick

James Riswick has been testing cars and writing about them for more than 20 years. He was the senior reviews editor for Autoblog and previously served multiple editor roles at Edmunds. He has also contributed to Autotrader, Car and Driver, Hagerty, J.D. Power, and Autoguide Magazine. He has been interested in cars forever; his mom took him to the Toronto Auto Show when he was 18 months old and he has attended at least one every year since (OK, except in 2020). When he's not testing the latest cars, he has a babied 1998 BMW Z3 in James Bond blue, a 2013 Mercedes-Benz E350 Wagon, and a 2023 Kia Niro EV.