



The Mazda has the best on-road dynamics, the Jeep supplies the most credible all-road capability and the Honda's interior provides the best balance between seating comfort and storage space. But the subcompact crossover class is led by Mazda's CX-3, Jeep's Renegade (and its platform mate, the Fiat 500X) and Honda's new HR-V. The Chevrolet Trax does have some good attributes, including relatively roomy seating, a healthy complement of standard features and impressive crash test ratings. Handling and steering are also below par. The ride quality isn't all that great, either, as it can exhibit a fair amount of choppiness on rough roads. Its four-cylinder engine has just enough pep for city driving, but it runs out of steam quickly when you're accelerating at highway speeds. But for tight urban areas where even the smallest cars feel large, the Trax makes more sense.įor general use, though, the 2016 Trax isn't quite as fun as its size might suggest. Those wanting to combine maximum utility along with some towing capability and efficiency would be well served to compare the Trax with Chevy's next-size-up Equinox it provides a significantly larger and more useful footprint for not a significantly higher price point. Between the XS and XXL are the Equinox, Traverse and Tahoe. The 2016 Chevrolet Trax occupies the small end of America's most expansive SUV lineup, beginning here and ending at Chevy's larger-than-life Suburban. The 2016 Chevy Trax takes a more youthful approach to styling than the related Buick Encore. The surprising success of the Encore led Chevrolet to introduce the Trax to American showrooms in 2015. General Motors, however, isn't one of them, having launched Buick's Encore (built atop the same platform as the Trax) in 2013. At a time of lower gas prices, the surging interest in the subcompact crossover segment has surprised quite a few carmakers.
