2018 CHEVROLET Trax

Just bought and will update as time goes on

Performance: 0 Comfort: 0 Fuel Economy: 0 Fun To Drive: 0 Interior Design: 0 Exterior Design: 0 Build Quality: 0 Reliability: 0 Comfort Rating: 5 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 5 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 5 Technology Rating: 5 Value Rating: 4

Look, I am a large guy and a family man. I fit behind the wheel easily and find the seats comfortable. Leg room in the back seat is tight, but hey... That's where my kids sit. I bought a compact SUV for goodness sake and I know it. To be fair, I just bought this car with 8 miles on it a few days ago and so have been "playing" in it. I am not sure what kind of acceleration people are looking for or why in God's name they think they need to get to 60mph in under 4 seconds. Go get a porche if that's your thing. So, here is my experience and opinion so far. Pros: for a SMALL SUV, this vehicle makes use of every inch. Like I said, I am a big guy, the seat belt fits fine, the seat doesn't hit pressure points that cause me to ache when driving 2+hrs. There is storage cubbies all over the interior, though I do not understand the space between the seats having 4 cup holders and then 2 more in the back seat arm rest. I wish instead of having the four up front, they would have done the two with a combined middle arm rest with storage bin inside that... but hey, you adjust! Tech inside is very nice. The info system is easy to connect to your phone. I have read previous people complaining about losing blue tooth connection, but my phone connects from 50 feet away and doesn't ever drop, to date. The sound system is crisp as is the mic for the calling aspect. The car handles like a dream. You are listening to a past pizza delivery guy. This little bugger has a tight turn radius (able to do a U turn in a 2 lane road without touching the curb). When starting from 0, I can get to 60 mph in under 7 seconds. So again, don't understand the complaining about power in this vehicle. At 60 MPH, I floored the gas and kicked the turbo enine in to hit 70 MPH in under another 3 seconds. Not bad if your looking to pass that semi. The AWD holds the road fine in snow and ice, as this Montana guy can atest. Storgae space? Again, if your trying to haul wood on a regular basis or have need of that pole vault pole all the time... why are you looking at a compact SUV? Get that hummer you had your eye on... There is ample head room for those over 6 ft, like myself. Plenty of room for groceries without folding the seats down. If you need to haul two large beasts, like my mastiff and lab/shep mix, they both fit comfortably with the seats folded down. It is also nice that the front passenger seat can fold as flat as the back seats for even more cargo space (so hey... you could haul some lengths of wood around). The controls for the heat/AC and defrost are easy to reach and super simple to use. I love how this SUV hugs the road... Years ago i used to own the Geo Tracker, and this little thing reminds me of it except not being so top heavy... and looking more stylish. Gee... wonder if the Trax is the upgraded Tracker... HMMM? The last myth I want to shut down is... road noise. This car has as much road noise as a RAV or CRV... I know as I have owned both. It is not as quiet as a Lexus or BMW, but hey... you are laying out $20k, not $40. Now for the Cons: The LS model does NOT come with cruise control. I can drive with my foot on the pedal comfortably for about 4hrs. So if you are going on a long haul? I suggest you upgrade to LT package. Visibility is good in this vehicle. If you want to know what rough rear visibility is, take a drive in a Rogue and do some backing maneuvers using that back window. The reason I am putting visibility in the negative is three fold: 1) I personally prefer having window tinting... but again I believe this is an LT feature; 2) The headlights feel weak to me. Again, as having delivered pizzas... these lights just are not bright enough on the stock to see numbers on mailboxes without driving right up on the mailbox (I will be replacing these very soon) 3: The windsheild wipers that come stock... they are just bad. I mean these are $10 blades, if that. They will remove water ok, probably for about a month... but snow or sleet... it takes a pass or two to clear it (another item that I will be replacing quickly). My average MPG is hitting at about 25, but remember, i live in the mountains and interstate travel has been done, but not serious... so for an AWD, this is not bad for in the city. I will update this in about 6 months.