Used 2019 Chevrolet Trax

Although the 2019 Chevrolet Trax is classified as a small SUV, it’s easier to think of it as a subcompact-crossover SUV. It’s in the same category as the Honda HR-V and the Toyota C-HR. When all-wheel drive is optioned, the Trax is fine for the weekend ski trip or reaching a somewhat remote hiking spot (6.2 inches of ground clearance isn’t particularly impressive). But just like a mountain bike is great for the rough terrain of pot-holed city streets, the Trax excels as an urban runabout. It has relatively generous interior space while still being small enough to make parking easy, a slightly raised driving position for good outward vision, offers advanced safety features, and comes with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

At the core of the 2019 Trax is a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine providing a reasonable amount of push. This combines with perfectly acceptable steering, acceleration and braking, predictable driving manners, tight turning circle, and a small overall size to make the Trax workable for a variety of situations. Commuting, zipping around the city, shopping at the mall, or taking a long weekend break, this small crossover SUV provides comfortable and supportive front seats, as well as useful technology such as smartphone integration. The cabin isn’t particularly quiet on highway stretches, but it’s bearable.

The cabin of the new Trax isn’t at the top of the subcompact-crossover-SUV class in terms of overall aesthetics, but it’s still an agreeable and welcoming place. By providing more space for rear passengers and cargo than several rivals, the Trax puts an emphasis on practicality. Even so, soft-touch plastics are deployed, the shapes in general are attractive as well as functional, and the digital/analog instrument cluster is reassuringly modern. Maximum cargo space is 48.4 cubic feet and the front-passenger seat folds flat for greater versatility.

The 2019 Trax has a wide, confident stance to complement its overall Chevrolet family styling. LED lighting is available, making the Trax even more contemporary. The profile is well-proportioned with a character line that runs from the top of the front wheel up to the top of the large taillights. Those units are set either side of a sculpted tailgate. The basic LS trim has black side-mirror caps, while the top Premier trim sports chrome accents. In contrast to the steel wheels of the LS, the Premier comes with 18-inch alloys, along with several more upgrades.

APPLE CARPLAY AND ANDROID AUTO
If you’ve ever wondered: “Why can’t my car’s infotainment system work like my smartphone?”, well now it can. Through the Chevy Trax’s MyLink setup with its 7-inch touch screen, smartphone integration enables the use of navigation apps, music and text messaging. All in a safe and easily accessible format.

4G LTE WI-FI
An integrated 4G LTE Wi-Fi system brings fast access to the Internet using occupants’ phones, tablets or laptops (up to seven devices). Naturally, the Trax has to be in an area where it can get a signal for this feature to work.

At the base LS trim level, the 2019 Chevrolet Trax still has plenty of features. A 7-inch infotainment touch screen, for example, plus a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, a pair of USB ports, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone connectivity, and no less than 10 airbags. The OnStar system comes with a 5-year subscription to basic services, automatic crash response, turn-by-turn navigation, and one month’s free trial (or three gigabytes, whichever comes sooner) of Wi-Fi.

Many of the desirable extras that come standard in the Premier trim are available as options lower down the pecking order (but not necessarily as far down as the LS). These include blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, Bose audio upgrade, power-adjustable driver’s seat, keyless entry/ignition, simulated leather upholstery, heated seats, and rear parking sensors. All-wheel drive is optional for all versions of the 2019 Trax.

The Chevy Trax is propelled by a turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. This is linked to a 6-speed automatic transmission. It’s a well-balanced pairing that brings decent power, satisfying responses and useful fuel economy. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is the default arrangement, while all-wheel drive (AWD) is also available, which is not always the case in this class of vehicle.

1.4-liter turbocharged inline-4
138 horsepower @ 4,900 rpm
148 lb-ft of torque @ 1,850 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 25/33 mpg (FWD), 24/30 mpg (AWD)