The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is small, but mighty—it’s an economical SUV that feels grown up.
Once upon a time in the early 2010s, a subcompact crossover emigrated from South Korea to fill in a space the big General Motors was desperate to fill, having just barely survived its potential demise at the hands of the Great Recession. This little crossover first donned the Buick Tri-Shield as the Encore, and Buick fans loved what they saw. GM noticed, too, deciding its bread-and-butter, as-American-as-apple-pie-and-baseball Chevrolet brand needed this Korean to step up to the plate to hit another home run.
This decision gave North American consumers the first-generation Chevrolet Trax, whose sales in the United States peaked in 2019 at 117,000 before tumbling all the way down to just 22,000 examples in 2022 when it was discontinued. By the summer of 2023, though, a newer, bigger Trax would emerge from the training facility for the 2024 model year, ready to hit a few dingers once again.
Recently, I reviewed the 2025 model year, specifically the 2RS trim, costing $24,500 MSRP ($27,085 as tested), and draped in Crimson Metallic around my Old Dominion home in Southwestern Virginia. Important things were left unchanged, and finally, many things were improved.
This story is 100% human-researched and -written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Great News! The 2025 Chevrolet Trax is No Longer Dowdy!
For those who haven’t given much thought to the Chevrolet Trax, the little egg that was is now an attractive compact crossover, receiving its new looks from its siblings like the Equinox, Trailblazer, and Traverse. Not to mention it’s a much bigger machine than before (and a bit shorter, too).
Compared to the previous egg, the sleeker and sexier Trax is now four inches shorter, two inches wider, and a whole foot longer. The result is a crossover that’ll look great at the park and the high-end outlet shopping mall, without compromising cargo space for a kid or two.
READ MORE: 2024 Chevrolet Trax: This Could Possibly Be Your Ideal First (or Last) Car
The Trax is Still Incredibly Affordable
Just like in its first model year, the second-generation Chevrolet Trax is the entry-level crossover for the Bowtie’d brand. It’s also the entry-level vehicle of the 2025 Chevrolet lineup, period. Here’s how much you can look forward to spending when you head into the showroom before the $1,095 destination charge:
LS: $20,500
1RS: $22,500
LT: $22,700
2RS: $24,500; $27,085 as-tested, including destination
ACTIV: $24,500
Even at the top-of-the-line, the Chevrolet Trax is a bargain. It’s one of the few cars you can buy right now for under $25,000 MSRP. At that price range, it competes with other small crossover SUVs, like the Hyundai Kona, Subaru Crosstrek, VW Taos, Toyota Corolla Cross, and Mazda CX-30.
READ MORE: The Chevrolet Equinox EV Impressed Me So Much, I Bought It After Reviewing It
Trust Me—You Won’t Miss That Fourth Cylinder
No matter the trim level, the 2025 Chevrolet Trax comes with one powertrain combination: an ECOTEC 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder linked to the front pair of wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. Yes, just three cylinders to move you and yours around town and, on occasion, to the airport parking lot.
That engine pumps out a small stable of 137 horsepower with a combined torque output of 167 lb-ft, which doesn’t sound like a lot compared to, say, the 1,250 electric demon horsies and their combined thunder of 828 lb-ft of torque to all corners of the 2026 Corvette ZR1X, but that’s plenty enough to work with for the everyday.
Chevrolet Traded Mileage for Power
Three cylinders should mean pretty good fuel economy, right? If only. Adding a turbo doesn’t help here, either. Fuel efficiency comes out to a combined EPA estimate of 30 mpg (28 mpg in-town, 32 mpg on the highway).
As most of my driving was in town for short periods (I take Mom to work every weekday morning, as the local dial-a-ride doesn’t start at 5 am), I managed to put down just 24 mpg over 127 miles of driving during the week this red baron was with me. At least those turbohorsies need only regular 87 to keep on truckin’; they can also drink from the E85 trough, though that will ding the overall mileage more than non-corn-flavored gasoline.
Add in the 13.2-gallon tank to the equation, and the answer is that while you might’ve saved at the dealership, those savings are going to your favorite gas brand more often than not.
The Interior is Simple But Doesn’t Feel Cheap
The 2025 Chevrolet Trax’s interior begins with a driver-focused dash housing a 3.5-inch to 8-inch driver display center (depending on trim level), paired with an 8- to 11-inch center touchscreen display (also depending on the trim chosen). There’s even a flat-bottom steering wheel for the sportier 1RS and 2RS trims, similar to the ones found behind Chevy’s (and, really, GM’s) halo car, the Corvette.
Behind all of that is seating for five in either cloth or EVOTEX synthetic leather, further emphasizing the Trax’s place as the entry-level machine for Chevy’s 2025 lineup. The LS and LT trims have available heated front seats via the LS Convenience and LT Convenience packages, while all remaining trims come with such things as standard equipment plus a heated steering wheel (the LT Convenience package offers the heated wheel, while the LS version does not).
Head and legroom for all five occupants are quite good (moving up in size does matter here). Finding room for the car seats won’t be the main concern for the rear seats, but finding the LATCH connectors, as the lower anchors can be difficult to locate.
Standard Safety Features are Impressive, But a Little Lacking
For what you do pay for, the 2025 Chevrolet Trax won’t penalize you for your choices when it comes to safety. For the youngest drivers in the family, you can keep tabs on how they drive with GM’s Teen Driver system, designed to encourage better driving habits by sending report cards to you, and activating specific safety features when a Teen Driver-enabled key fob is used.
As far as safety goes, the standard list is good, featuring items like forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, and forward automatic emergency braking. However, you’ll need to pay a bit more to have blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, both of which should really be moved over to the standard side of things. Perhaps having those features (as well as adaptive cruise control) on the available side is another way Chevy’s keeping costs low for their entry-level crossover, though.
The bang for your buck continues with the 2025 Chevrolet Trax on the tech side of things. The base LS alone offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM, and a Wi-Fi hotspot as standard equipment. If you want wireless device charging, though, you’ll also have to get a sunroof via the $895 Sunroof Package, available on the LT through ACTIV trim levels. No name-brand stereo systems to wonder about here, just the number of speakers to fill the cabin with your favorite songs and podcasts.
The LS and 1RS offer four speakers, while the rest of the lineup throw on two more. There is a volume knob for the radio, but channel selection is held within the center touchscreen. The HVAC system remains in the physical realm with big knobs for temperature and fan speed. There are a pair of USB ports to charge your devices up front, and two more for the rear occupants.
READ MORE: 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV First Drive: There’s A Lot to Love In This Compact Electric SUV
The 2025 Model Offers More Room for Your Groceries, Too
Back when the Chevrolet Trax was an egg, its backside featured 18.7 cubic feet of space for your groceries, and up to 48.4 cubic feet for bigger items like a flat-panel TV. Now that things are longer and wider overall, the 2025 version of this crossover has more room for those groceries and big items. With the rear 60/40-split bench up, there’s 25.6 cubic feet to work with now.
Put those seat backs down, and that space increases to an outstanding 54.1 cubic feet. The low loading floor makes loading all of those groceries easier, too.
READ MORE: The 2024 Chevrolet Traverse Redesign: Why This Family SUV Is the Best Yet
The Trax Left Quite an Impression on Me
All I knew of the Chevrolet Trax before meeting it for the first time back in 2023 was that it existed. After spending a week with the crossover in 2025, I can say I wouldn’t mind spending more time with it in the future, even if I never own one myself. The Trax delivers an uneventful, though comfortable, driving experience. It handles well around the curvy mountain roads near my home, can pass big rigs fairly easily on the open road, and can handle all of life’s errands in town.
My mom had a bit of trouble getting into her seat due to the raised platform built into the floorpan the front seats ride upon (she’s 5 foot 3, carries a bit of weight on her frame, and is in her mid-60s; make of all that what you will), but she found her seat to be okay.
With its good looks, everyday capability, and low cost of entry, though, the Trax is worth giving more than a passing glance, whether you’re shopping for yourself or your young driver’s first vehicle.
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