Used 2017 Chevrolet Trax Premier SUV Review

Chevrolet introduced its pint-size crossover SUV, the Trax, to American shoppers in 2015. For people wanting something smaller and less expensive than the Chevy Equinox, the Trax has been a viable alternative on the Chevy dealer lot. But compared to other subcompact crossovers, it has left us underwhelmed. The 2017 Trax gets a major update, so it's a fair question to wonder whether it is now a serious contender or if it is just spinning its wheels in the mud.

The exterior differences between the 2016 and 2017 Trax are immediately obvious. The refreshed car has new grille and headlight designs, both of which look similar to newer Chevy vehicles such as the Spark and Sonic. Inside, the instrument panel has a more traditional and flowing look to it, which we like better than last year's blocky dash. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone app integration are new this year and relegate navigation duties to your phone's default app rather than the last year's BringGo premium app. Several new options are available as well, such as keyless entry and ignition and advanced safety features.

Unfortunately, Chevrolet didn't address all of the Trax's existing deficiencies. The Trax is still a relative underperformer for fuel economy, and its ride quality on rough roads isn't the smoothest. If these are areas of concern, you might be happier with one of the Trax's rivals. The sporty Mazda CX-3 and the roomy Honda HR-V are smart choices, and they deliver excellent fuel economy to boot. The Jeep Renegade brings a bit of off-road ruggedness to the mix, while its corporate cousin, the Fiat 500X, upstages the Trax with its Italian design. Overall, though, the 2017 Trax is more attractive and competitive this year, and it's certainly worth a look if interior space is a priority.

The 2017 Chevrolet Trax comes standard with antilock brakes, traction and stability control, front-seat side airbags, front and rear side curtain airbags, and knee airbags for the driver and front passenger. Also standard is OnStar, which includes automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance, remote door unlocking and stolen vehicle assistance.

Front-wheel-drive models have front disc brakes and rear drum brakes, while all-wheel-drive versions have four-wheel disc brakes. At the Edmunds test track, an LTZ AWD came to a halt from 60 mph in 120 feet, and an LT required 122 feet. Both stopping distances are about average for this class.

A rearview camera is standard on all versions, and additional advanced safety features are standard or optional depending on trim. The Driver Confidence package (standard on Premier and optional for the LT) includes blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Premier's Driver Confidence II package adds forward collision alert and lane departure warning.

In government crash tests, the 2017 Trax received a top five-star rating overall, with five stars for total front-impact safety and five stars for total side crash safety. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Trax its highest possible rating of Good in its small-overlap and moderate-overlap front-impact tests as well as a Good score for the side-impact, roof strength and head restraint (whiplash protection) tests.

The 2017 Chevrolet Trax subcompact crossover is offered in LS, LT and Premier trim levels. Each is available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Standard equipment on the LS includes 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, full power accessories, air-conditioning, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, a driver information display, a 60/40-split folding rear seat, power lumbar adjustment for the driver seat, a fold-flat front passenger seat and a rear cargo cover. Standard electronic features include the Chevrolet MyLink interface with a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone app integration, a rearview camera, Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, OnStar (with 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot) and a six-speaker sound system with two USB ports and an auxiliary audio jack. All-wheel-drive models get alloy wheels.

The LT trim adds alloy wheels, roof rails, upgraded headlights, LED daytime running lights and taillights, silver-colored exterior elements, rear privacy glass, cruise control, remote engine start, heated outside mirrors, a storage drawer under the front passenger seat, upgraded cloth upholstery, a 110-volt household-style power outlet and satellite radio.

The LT is available with several features packages. The Sun and Sound package consists of a seven-speaker Bose audio system and a sunroof. The LT Convenience package adds keyless entry and ignition, a six-way power driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and cloth/leatherette (premium vinyl) upholstery. The Driver Confidence package includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors.

Going with the Premier gets you all the above features except the sunroof (which is available as a stand-alone option). Also included are 18-inch alloy wheels, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, heated front seats and full leatherette (premium vinyl) upholstery.

The Premier is available with the Driver Confidence II package, which adds forward collision and lane departure warning systems.

Every 2017 Chevrolet Trax comes with a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine produces 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. In Edmunds testing, a Trax LTZ (the Premier's previous name) with all-wheel drive accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 10 seconds flat. A front-wheel-drive Trax was quicker at 8.9 seconds. These are average times for a subcompact crossover SUV.

The EPA's estimated fuel economy figures are 28 mpg combined (25 city/33 highway) with front-wheel drive and 27 mpg combined (24 city/30 highway) with all-wheel drive. These are respectable figures for this class of vehicle, but similar to our experience with the Chevrolet Sonic and Cruze (which share this turbocharged 1.4-liter engine), we've found it difficult to achieve the EPA's ratings in real-world driving.