2018 Chevrolet Trax

2018 is the first carry-over year after the 2017 refresh of the first-generation Trax; every trim uses the same 138 hp 1.4L turbo four, the weakest engine in the segment band.

Modest peak torque, though the turbo delivers it low in the rev range for usable around-town response.

Chevrolet publishes no figure; instrumented tests of the unchanged 138 hp powertrain put it around 9.5 s, slow even for a subcompact crossover.

The small turbo is smooth and adequate around town but sounds buzzy and runs out of breath under hard acceleration and at freeway speeds.

The conventional six-speed automatic shifts smoothly in normal driving but is slow to kick down for passing, accentuating the engine's lack of power.

Chevrolet publishes no US tow rating for the Trax and owner guidance does not recommend trailering; third-party ~1,260 lb figures are not a US manufacturer rating.

On-demand AWD is optional on every trim (LS, LT, Premier), but it is a basic reactive system with no terrain modes or torque vectoring.

A car-based subcompact crossover with modest ground clearance (~6.2 in) and no off-road hardware, trims or drive modes; pavement-oriented.

One engine and one transmission across all trims with no hybrid or electric option; only the FWD/AWD choice varies.

EPA combined rating for the volume FWD configuration is solid for a gas subcompact SUV.

EPA city rating for the FWD Trax.

EPA highway rating for the FWD Trax is strong for the class.

The small 14.0-gallon tank caps range despite decent economy; computed from EPA combined MPG × tank capacity.

EPA's current-price annual fuel cost estimate for the FWD Trax on regular gasoline.

Every trim runs on regular unleaded gasoline, with no premium requirement.

NHTSA rates the 2018 Trax five stars overall in both FWD and AWD form, with five-star frontal, side and side-pole results. 2018 is a carry-over year in the first generation (2015–2022), following the 2017 refresh.

Good ratings in driver-side small overlap, moderate overlap, original side, roof strength and head restraints. It is Acceptable in passenger-side small overlap, where the belt allowed too much forward head and torso excursion, and in the updated side test. With Poor headlights and warning-only front crash prevention, it earned no award.

No 2018 Trax trim offers automatic emergency braking or adaptive cruise. Forward collision alert and lane departure warning come only with the top Premier trim's Driver Confidence II package. Blind-zone and rear cross-traffic alerts are an LT option and standard on the Premier, so the volume LT has no forward-sensing assists.

The 2018 Trax has no automatic braking. The Premier's camera-based forward collision alert warns only, which IIHS rates at its lowest Basic level. There is no pedestrian detection.

Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert are optional on the LT through the Driver Confidence Package and standard on the Premier. They are unavailable on the base LS. Both are alert-only, with no braking and no safe-exit alert.

Lane departure warning is available only on the Premier and alerts without steering. No 2018 Trax offers lane keep assist or lane centering.

Every 2018 Trax has conventional cruise control only. Adaptive cruise and highway assist are not offered on any trim.

Super Cruise was never offered on the Trax, and it has no radar or steering assist, so there is no hands-free option.

The Trax uses halogen reflector headlamps with LED DRLs and no automatic high beams. The first-generation lamps were rated Poor in IIHS's small-SUV headlight evaluation, with inadequate low-beam reach on every curve test.

The tall, upright cabin gives good forward and side sightlines. Thick rear pillars and a small rear window limit the view out the back. A rear camera is standard, rear park assist comes on the Premier or the LT package, and there is no surround-view camera.

IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Acceptable. Both outboard positions have full LATCH, but the lower anchors sit too deep in the seat. The center seat has a tether only, and the narrow rear bench realistically fits two car seats.

The 2018 Trax seats five in two rows on the LS, LT and Premier. 2018 is a carry-over year in the 2015-on first generation (refreshed for 2017); the only changes were a Redline Edition package on the LT and a standard sunroof on the Premier.

The tall, upright body gives generous front headroom for a subcompact.

Front legroom is short for the class, and the narrow cabin leaves taller drivers feeling hemmed in.

The boxy roofline gives good rear headroom, which is the rear seat's one real strength.

Rear legroom is adequate but tight for adults, and the narrow bench makes three across a squeeze.

It is a two-row subcompact crossover with no third row.

Cargo space behind the rear seat is small even for a subcompact SUV and trails the HR-V.

Maximum cargo room falls below the SUV band floor. The fold-flat front passenger seat helps with long items.

It has several useful touches for its size, including upper dash bins, a fold-flat front passenger seat and a 120V outlet on upper trims. The center console storage is small.

The front seats are reasonably comfortable, and the Premier adds heated leatherette seats with a power driver's seat. The volume LT has manual cloth seats with limited adjustment, and the narrow rear bench limits comfort for adults.

The short wheelbase makes the ride choppy over broken pavement. The LS and LT's 16-inch wheels ride acceptably, while the Premier's and the new Redline's 18-inch wheels let in more impact harshness.

There is a fair amount of road noise, especially on 18-inch wheels, and the 1.4T sounds coarse under load, so the cabin is louder than most rivals'.

Every trim has single-zone manual climate control. Heated front seats come only on the Premier, and no trim offers automatic climate, a heated wheel or ventilated seats. Remote start is available.

2018 is the fourth US model year of the first generation, with a mild content update (revised 7-inch MyLink radio, new Redline Edition). The entry LS FWD cost $21,995 delivered, below the floor of the SUV band.

The LT is the mainstream retail trim. At $23,895 delivered it sits below the $27,000 floor of the SUV band.

No 2018-specific cost-to-own figure was retrievable. This figure blends nameplate estimates for the unchanged first-generation 1.4L turbo and six-speed automatic, the same drivetrain used from 2015 to 2022.

KBB flags low resale versus rivals as the Trax's main financial weakness. However, the 2018 model's five-year point fell in 2023, while used prices were still inflated by the shortage. That lifts the result a few points above the nameplate's normal ~48% and above the 2019 model's 2024 figure.

GM's 3-year/36,000-mile coverage is the industry minimum and the bottom of the band. The Hyundai Kona and Kia Soul offer 5 years/60,000 miles.

Powertrain coverage of 5 years/60,000 miles is the floor of the band and half the 10-year/100,000-mile term Hyundai and Kia give their subcompact crossovers.

For MY2018 and earlier, Chevrolet Complete Care covered scheduled oil changes and tire rotations for 2 years/24,000 miles (up to four visits). GM cut this to a single visit starting with MY2019. It also included 5 years/60,000 miles of roadside assistance and courtesy transportation, plus OnStar and 4G LTE Wi-Fi trials.

$23,895 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (51% retained, or about $12,186) leaves about $11,709 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,000 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $17,709 in total.

The 2018 Trax is a carry-over year of the first generation (2015–2022 in the US), one year after the 2017 refresh. J.D. Power's predicted reliability was slightly above average, but U.S. News and Consumer Reports place the first-gen Trax around or below the subcompact-class average, so the picture is mixed.

Chevrolet sat near the industry average in J.D. Power dependability studies in the late 2010s, then moved into the upper half of mass-market brands in the 2024–2025 VDS without reaching the top tier.

The 2018 model year is covered by two separate, large recalls for the same structural defect: improperly welded front lower control arms that can partially separate. Having the same suspension fault recalled twice is a repeated safety-relevant pattern, which scores lower than the 2019 model year's record.

The 2018 Trax uses GM's long-running 1.4L turbo four (138 hp / 148 lb-ft) with a six-speed automatic. It is a widely used engine family with many high-mileage examples, but it has a known list of age-related faults (turbo and PCV/valve-cover leaks, coolant loss, oil consumption past ~100k miles). The history is mixed, with no catastrophic failure pattern.

The 2017 interior refresh carried into 2018, but the cabin is still dominated by hard plastics on the dash and doors. Reviewers rated it behind the HR-V, CX-3 and Kona for perceived quality.

A mature Korea-built design with few widespread assembly complaints. However, two separate control-arm weld recalls covering 2018 builds show a supplier/manufacturing quality lapse, and electrical problems are a common owner complaint.

Chevrolet's roughly 2,800 US franchised dealers make its service network one of the densest in the country. Its service satisfaction is good but not leading among mass-market brands.

The long first-gen production run and a 1.4T engine shared with the Cruze, Sonic and Encore make parts cheap and plentiful, with a deep aftermarket. Routine running costs are below average.

Every 2018 trim uses the same 7-inch Chevrolet MyLink touchscreen. No larger screen and no embedded navigation unit were offered.

MyLink is simple and reasonably responsive, and physical climate knobs remain. The small screen and dated graphics trail newer rivals.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on every trim but work over a USB cable only. The first-generation Trax never offered wireless projection.

No 2018 trim offers built-in navigation. Voice control is basic phone-assistant passthrough, and OnStar turn-by-turn requires a subscription.

The base system is a six-speaker stereo, and a seven-speaker Bose system is available on the Premier. The upgrade is modest.

It has analog gauges with a small driver information display. No digital or configurable cluster is available.

The Trax predates GM's Vehicle Intelligence Platform and gets no meaningful over-the-air updates. Software updates are done at the dealer.

The myChevrolet app with OnStar handles remote lock/unlock, remote start where fitted, vehicle locate and diagnostics. Most functions need a subscription, and there is no digital key.

There are only a couple of USB-A ports, no wireless charging on any trim and no rear USB. A 120V outlet is fitted on upper trims.

The LS and volume LT use a traditional key with a remote fob. Keyless access with push-button start is available (standard on the Premier), and remote start is offered. There is no phone-as-key or hands-free liftgate.

A rear camera is standard. Rear park assist, blind-zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert are an LT option and standard on the Premier. Surround view is not offered.

No 2018 Trax offers a head-up display.

The high roof and upright doors make car-seat loading easy. The narrow rear bench, 35.7 in of rear legroom and 18.7 cu ft of cargo space leave little room for a stroller plus groceries.

It earns five NHTSA stars overall, but no trim offers automatic emergency braking. Forward collision alert and lane departure warning are Premier-only warnings, and blind-zone alert is an LT option.

The tight rear bench, lack of rear vents and rear USB, road noise and small cargo hold make it a poor multi-hour family car.

Quick steering, a compact footprint and a high seating position make it easy in town. The 138-hp engine and choppy ride add fatigue once traffic speeds up.

The 1.4T returns 28 mpg combined (FWD) on regular fuel, and consumables are cheap, though economy trails the HR-V and Kicks.

At about 168 in long, with a turning circle of roughly 36 ft and quick steering, it is easy to thread through the city. Rear park assist is optional on the LT.

It is not rated to tow, and its small cargo area and 138-hp engine make it unfit for real work.

The mature Gamma II platform and 1.4T are cheap to fix, but the powertrain is lightly built and the interior plastics are budget-grade. It is not a work tool.

A 120V outlet on upper trims and a fold-flat front passenger seat are its only work-oriented provisions, and there is no upfit ecosystem.

It is a weak highway companion: noisy and choppy, with an engine that struggles to pass, and no adaptive cruise or lane assist. The 14-gallon tank gives unremarkable range.

Optional AWD and roof rails (LT and up) help on gravel and in snow, but ground clearance is only about 6.2 in and it is not rated to tow.

The 60/40 folding rear seat and fold-flat front passenger seat let it carry long items, but total volume is small and there is no factory hitch.

It is nimble and stable at city speeds, but the tall, short-wheelbase body leans and feels unsettled on curvy roads and at highway speed.

The steering is quick and precise but numb, with little feedback at highway speed.

Four-wheel disc brakes give adequate, predictable stops for a light subcompact. Reviewers raise no braking complaints, and no instrumented figures were found.

The 138-hp 1.4T and six-speed automatic are smooth in town but struggle with passengers aboard or when quick acceleration is needed.

The small turbo four sounds coarse and drones when worked hard.

The compact footprint gives a tight turning circle for an SUV. Published figures vary by source, and the 36.6 ft diameter is double the listed 18.3 ft radius.

The tall seating position and big glass give good sightlines and easy entry. The volume LT's manual seat has limited adjustment.

It is an appliance-like runabout. City nimbleness is its only playful trait, and the weak engine and choppy chassis leave little else to enjoy.

Every 2018 Trax has a revised 7-inch MyLink touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and a rear camera. Driver aids are limited to forward-collision and lane-departure warnings, standard only on the Premier, and no trim offers automatic emergency braking.

Sticker prices of $21,995–$29,795 delivered undercut most of the segment, and year-end incentives of about $3,500 cut transaction prices further. Weak acceleration, a plain cabin and thin safety tech keep its value fair rather than standout.

Three trims (LS, LT, Premier), each available in FWD or AWD, span about $8,000, and the new Redline Edition package added some choice. The lineup is reasonable, though there is only one engine.

US sales rose to roughly 92,000 units in 2018, up from about 79,000 in 2017. That made the Trax a solid, growing mid-to-upper-pack subcompact seller, helped along by incentives and fleet volume.

Chevrolet is a neutral mainstream badge. The Trax was seen mostly as a budget and rental-fleet crossover, and its weak resale reflects that image.

Large nationwide incentives open to all buyers were routine on the 2018 Trax, such as $3,500 off in December 2018. For a buyer, they were among the better deals in the segment.

2018 was the fourth US model year of a generation launched in 2013 globally (US MY2015), one year after the 2017 facelift, and it got a revised infotainment unit. The platform was already aging next to newer rivals such as the Kona and C-HR.

Reviewers credited the Trax's roominess, efficiency and easy tech but criticized its weak engine and cheap cabin. KBB ranked it only #9 among 2018 subcompact SUVs, and it won no major awards or comparison tests.