The Trax
So now that we know a little more about the tech inside the Trax, let’s look a little at the vehicle itself. The Trax is an crossover SUV that is a lot like a small car that sits up higher. GM lists the Nissan Juke and the Mitcubishi Outlander as the direct competition to the Trax but It also reminds me a lto of the ford escape. Officially they consider the Escape to compete with the Chevy Equinox though. The Trax is slightly smaller than the Escape but closer in size than the Escape is to the Equinox. The few inches less on the wheelbase and on the width put the Trax as a sub-compact. The Trax is new for 2015 here in the states but they have been making it for a few years in other countries. The Buick Encore that shares the same platform (Gamma II) has been here in the states though. Our specific test car has basically every option including the LTZ package and All-Wheel Drive. That said it only has one motor and transmission option. You get 1.4 liter turbocharged Ecotec with 138 horsepower and a six speed automatic transmission. Our LTZ package upgrades things like our stereo to a 7 speaker Bose setup with a sub, 18 inch wheels, a power driver’s seat, remote start, leather seats, and rear parking assist. It was a happy coincidence that they happened to send the Trax in an orange. They start at $20,120 but our specific test vehicle has an MSRP of $26,530.
Seeing as how we were traveling when giving the Trax a one over I was especially concerned with how much space would be inside. Sure it was just my wife and I but it’s amazing how much stuff you can manage to bring along with you when traveling and that gets even worse when coming home. While the Trax is in no way a large vehicle I was impressed with just the number of hiding spots that GM managed to slip into the design. The total count for all of those hiding spots and cubby holes is an impressive fifteen. There is even a hidden drawer under the passenger seat that is perfect to hiding valuables when you are away from your car. Along with the glove box you get a second glove box up top but that one has a USB port and an audio connection to the stereo. The back seat area is small but they did their best to still make room by notching the backs of the front seats with knee shapes to get a little more legroom. For actual storage there is also the cargo area in the back. If you need space you can drop the rear seats down and if you need even more than that you can also drop the front seat down to fit something nearly the length of the Trax while still closing the rear hatch.
That rear cargo space was just barely enough room to fit our main bags and a few small things tucked around them. Everything else we took with us for the trip had to go into the back seat. Our cooler took up the main portion of the back seat then my laptop bag and snacks took up the space behind each front seat. We could still fit a third person with what we traveled with or a fourth if we dropped the cooler but those two people better pack light!
Other features inside the Trax include the sharp two color leather seats in the front and back, cruise and stereo controls on the wheel, power windows, and a digital dash. I like some of the small details as well like the brushed aluminum Chevrolet panels in the door jams as well.
They also slipped in an AC adapter on the back of the center console. As someone who basically keeps a DC to AC inverter with me in the car I can’t tell you how nice it would be to have this built in. You can charge up your laptop and other electronic devices without having to fuss with having a USB charger and a DC to USB adapter for everything. I do with they included one or two USB plugs back here or in the center console somewhere. With everyone keeping a phone on them it would be nice to have more than one plug, especially considering the USB plug is up in the top glove box where it is hard to reach for the driver.
