I was sold on getting a Buick Encore, but this car was sitting on the used lot, and I just had to drive it before I committed to the Encore. I was so happy because 1. It drove the same,2. had almost exactly the same features 3.was 5k cheaper. I bought it and it has served me well! I am on the road A LOT for work and it has made my constant driving way more fun,…
5.0
The Chev Trax appears be a “perfect car” for me.
by Pat | on Tuesday, December 22, 2020
The Chev Trax appears to be a “perfect car” for me so at this time so I am going to give it 5 stars. I plan to update my review as time passes.
At first, I was going to stay away from it because I read a review (2019) from Consumer Reports not recommending to purchase a Trax but they recommended to purchase an Encore (shared platform). After looking into the “engineering details” myself and taking a test drive I did not agree with the review and purchased a new 2019 Trax AWD LT on (10/19) for 19K.
I suggest if you are interested in the Trax for whatever reason but are concerned about “professional reviews” look in the data yourself and take a test drive. A number of really good cars are in this category.
I listed the data I collected below in my purchase decision and I really liked the test drive of the Trax (city, highway, brakes, parking, view, riding level, etc.).
NHTSA for crash data (no car does better in category 5 overall (5 front, 5 side,4 rollover))
Stopping distance and 0 to 60 all cars in the category are similar. Consumer Reports has all this data or google search.
Repair Pal for reliability
Trax listed as very good. I was looking for data-driven reliability and this was the only location I could find with data based on actual repair costs. The Trax is in line with other vehicles in its category.
Market Acceptance and Stable Platform (google search)
The combined sales of the Trax and Encore (shared platform) has increased from near 51,000 in 2014 to near 220000 in 2019 in the US. I am not aware of any platform that has more sales in the US. The Trax has market acceptance with increased sales. I like a vehicle with a stable platform that has been on the market for say 6 years, possibly fewer surprises.
EPA for gas mileage
All the cars are not that far apart, cars with CVT transmissions do help but cost more. I did a test drive of a car using CVT and I did like the feel of the CVT. I have read mixed reviews on CVT maintenance issues. Make sure you compare similar transmissions (manual, automatic, or CVT) and if AWD or FWD.
Kelly Blue Book for trade-in values
This does depend on the actual price paid new. I try to drive a new car for over 10 years I am not sure in the end how much this going to add to the cost of ownership for me. I donated a car I purchased new to a charity that I had for near 14 years their plan was to keep it running for a number of more years. If for any reason the car is only owned for a smaller number of years this can be a factor.…
5.0
It's the cheapest price for this kind of vehicle
by Randy | on Saturday, October 19, 2019
I've seen other models from other manufacturers that want about $10,000 more. This is a small SUV. But it has a responsive engine. The handling is good. It's kinda of a "stiff" ride though. Perhaps it's the cheap tires it comes with. But all in all it's a good little SUV for a price of an entry level car. The gas mileage is good too. (not great, like a small car) But about the same as a Nissan Sentra, costing more.…
3.5