Long before social media stretched its tendrils into every corner of society, we Yanks had to put in a ton (or is it “tonne”) of hard work if we wanted to consume any media presented to us in the Queen’s English, whether that meant scouring torrent sites to download videos in glorious 480p, or setting foot into a physical building to purchase overpriced, printed magazines. And it was through this British motoring media where I first heard a car described as “cheap and cheerful.”
Now I get that some ‘Murrican buff books may have used that phrase long before BBC established its American arm and flooded the airwaves with reruns of Top Gear. But, at least during the time of my own automotive awakening; the last thing any American wanted was to be seen driving something both affordable and able to put a smile on your face.
Much of the early car media I consumed was produced during the ascension of the SUV. It was a time when the RAV4 needed brush guards on its lights. When Hummer was marketing its bright-yellow H2 to women with the tagline “Intimidate men.” I abhorred this SUV boom and spent my time poring over the tuner books of the time—each of which contained 200 glossy pages of text proclaiming the single-cam D-series Civic to be a potential Porsche killer.
Even today, with sedans being replaced with crossovers and SUVs, it feels like the words cheap and/or cheerful should be reserved only for stories about imported kei cars. Yet I can’t think of a better way to describe the Chevrolet Trax. It’s a car that puts a smile on my face every time I see it, and with a starting price of just $20,500, it nails the “cheap” part of the equation too. Even the fanciest model, the Chevrolet Trax Activ—which you’re seeing here—offers a helluva lot of bang for an incredibly affordable buck.
Fun colors are back, baby.
Truth be told, this isn’t my first time in a new Chevy Trax. My first go-round in one of these happened right around the time of this latest-generation’s release with a 2RS shod in a vibrantly bold Nitro Yellow Metallic. It was a genuinely fun car in a super-fun color, so I was absolutely delighted when this Cacti Green Trax Activ arrived.
The small crossover market is awash in vehicles sold in black, white, or various shades of silver. Maybe there’s a dark metallic blue color if you’re feeling spicy. But it’s this intentional choice of color that gives the Trax a real personality, that makes it a car you’re stoked to drive, and not just become another appliance-like econobox.
Thankfully the design under the color is eye-pleasing as well. I’ve said before that I’m a fan of Chevrolet’s current design language, and the Trax is no exception. It embraces the fact that it’s essentially a hatchback on stilts, and outside of the requisite black plastic cladding, doesn’t even try to look like a truck. That said, I do prefer the 19-inch machined-face alloy wheels of the 2RS over the 18-inchers you see here.
I guess “cheap” means “nicely equipped” these days.
Back before Her Majesty’s motoring writers dazzled us with clever and insightful turns of phrase, perhaps the most commonly used trope found across American car magazines was some Mad Libs-like construct of “Chevy interior” + “LEGO.” Now, I am a long-time LEGO fan, having written to and received letters from legendary LEGO employee Susan Williams, and I have been reviewing cars long enough to remember GM’s horrid interior plastics. The old GM could only dream about making something as premium and precise as LEGO. Even using “Mega Blocks” as a descriptor would be complimentary rather than pejorative. So maybe it’s best to say those old interiors felt on par with dollar-store “building block construction toys.”
That’s not to say that the Trax Activ feels premium inside, but it feels nicer than its $25,895 price tag would suggest. This is a space that’s well-designed, with ample room front and rear, with subtle textures and accent colors throughout to keep things feeling interesting. The seats are comfortable enough and, in this Activ model, heated with power-adjustment for the driver. Also standard in this Trax Activ is a high-res 8-inch digital gauge cluster and 11-inch touchscreen infotainment display. And with this being a gas-powered Chevy, Apple CarPlay, thankfully, is still included.
Marketed as a small SUV. Drives like a compact.
That above subhead may be the most succinct way to express what it is I like most about the Trax. But then, I’m weird for a “typical” American car buyer in that I absolutely hate large vehicles, and I’m weird for a typical car journalist in that I couldn’t care less about sheer power and speed. There’s a place and time for those things, sure, but when it comes to driving something on the daily, I want something that’s easy to live with. And the Chevrolet Trax is easy to live with.
Its 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine doesn’t excite the way the turbo three-popper of the GR Corolla does, but with 137 horsepower and 167 lb-ft of torque on tap—as well as an automatic transmission with six real gears—the Trax has no problem keeping up with city or highway traffic. Compact exterior dimensions and accurate steering make parking and maneuvering through tight spaces a breeze. And its compliant suspension keeps commutes comfy.
For real, though, I like this thing.
We’ve come a long way from the quaint media landscape described at the top of this article and now live in an algorithmically fed echo chamber that demands things to be bigger. More powerful. More exciting. How can a humble Chevy be good when things like million-dollar Porsches and EVs that can jump exist?
But I find joy in simplicity. Excitement through honesty. And the Chevy Trax is a simple, honest car that’s ready to help you tackle the realities of everyday life. It doesn’t need to hide itself behind promises of greatness or adventure—it just makes the day-to-day stuff feel that much easier. The fact that it’s also nice to drive, nice to look at, and incredibly easy on the wallet means the Trax is one of those cars that can put a smile on your face, too. Now, if only I could find a clear and concise way to express that, I’d have the perfect way to conclude this review.
Like pictures? Of course you do. Check out more of the Chevrolet Trax Activ in the photo gallery below.
