Love the looks of the 2024 Chevy Trax

Every professional review I've seen lately says the Trax is far better than the Trailblazer.
Well when the Trailblazer came out, the reviews were negative for the 1.2 vs the 1.3. I'm not sure how it can be substantially better when its basically the same car. If I were going to buy one of these, it would be the 1.3 trailblazer with awd and the 9 speed.
 
Well when the Trailblazer came out, the reviews were negative for the 1.2 vs the 1.3. I'm not sure how it can be substantially better when its basically the same car.
How is it the same vehicle?
Different engine, different trans (6 speed auto vs. 9 speed auto).
Trailblazer is also 300lbs heavier according to C&D.
:unsure:
 
Well when the Trailblazer came out, the reviews were negative for the 1.2 vs the 1.3. I'm not sure how it can be substantially better when its basically the same car. If I were going to buy one of these, it would be the 1.3 trailblazer with awd and the 9 speed.

How is it the same vehicle?
Different engine, different trans (6 speed auto vs. 9 speed auto).
Trailblazer is also 300lbs heavier according to C&D.
:unsure:

Exactly, totally different car, different chassis. Here’s the car and driver review of the latest Trailblazer which says the new Trax offers “more space, appealing style, and new features—all for significantly less money.”

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a46167867/2024-chevrolet-trailblazer-rs-awd-test/
 
How is it the same vehicle?
Different engine, different trans (6 speed auto vs. 9 speed auto).
Trailblazer is also 300lbs heavier according to C&D.
:unsure:
How many CUV platforms does Chevy have? Its a gutted version of the trailblazer. It's the same crap from korea/china. The 9 speed only comes with the 1.3.
Surprised to see a 6 speed, was not aware of that. The 1.2 in the trailblazer and the FWD 1.3's all have a CVT.
My dad had the 6 speed in the previous gen trax, that car was a total piece of junk. After 25k miles the transmission felt like it was 200k+ and ready to die. Shifts were atrociously harsh. There's a reason why these are so cheap.
Edit: looks like theyre using the same 6 speed as the previous gen.
 
How many CUV platforms does Chevy have? Its a gutted version of the trailblazer. It's the same crap from korea/china. The 9 speed only comes with the 1.3.
Surprised to see a 6 speed, was not aware of that. The 1.2 in the trailblazer and the FWD 1.3's all have a CVT.
My dad had the 6 speed in the previous gen trax, that car was a total piece of junk. After 25k miles the transmission felt like it was 200k+ and ready to die. Shifts were atrociously harsh. There's a reason why these are so cheap.
Edit: looks like theyre using the same 6 speed as the previous gen.
My bad, it is the same platform, but the Trax's has a 2 inch longer wheelbase... so a revised chassis? I looked at base window stickers for both and I don't see any big differences, except the Trax is $2,000 cheaper, so I don't know where you're getting that it's "a gutted version of the trailblazer." The main difference is the Trailblazer is available with AWD and a more powerful engine as options.
 
How many CUV platforms does Chevy have? Its a gutted version of the trailblazer. It's the same crap from korea/china. The 9 speed only comes with the 1.3.
Surprised to see a 6 speed, was not aware of that. The 1.2 in the trailblazer and the FWD 1.3's all have a CVT.
My dad had the 6 speed in the previous gen trax, that car was a total piece of junk. After 25k miles the transmission felt like it was 200k+ and ready to die. Shifts were atrociously harsh. There's a reason why these are so cheap.
Edit: looks like theyre using the same 6 speed as the previous gen.
IIRC the 6 speed is a variant of the 6 speed GM and Ford designed jointly, so its used in different forms in all kinds of vehicles, most which are larger. Possibly yours had an issue, or maybe the Korean's just can't build them correctly, or perhaps they took a good design and used cheap materials to make it cheaper.

I still would choose a harsh shifting 6 speed over a slipping CVT
 
I just look at GM's recent small 1.4T in the Cruze and it wasn't that great. And IMO GM specs some low end parts on even some fairly high priced vehicles, so what kind of expensive parts are they going to cheap out on in a Trax?
And the fuel economy isn't great for a 4wd SUV, but its 2wd...
It does look pretty good and has a bit of cargo space, so its got some good attributes. If it holds together well, then I guess it will be not a bad vehicle for people who don't drive far, or need awd, and just want a decent looking wagon with raised ride height. If it needs a new turbo at 90k miles then it will another failure.
 
I smell 1990's Geo Metro, 3 cylinders of pure pathetic. That being said, if early indications are true, those Geo's were a long lasting, well built, dream machine in comparison to the new Trax.
The Geo Metro was a small penalty box. The Trax is a far better vehicle.

The move in the industry is towards smaller displacement motors-due to the EPA.
I don't know why on this forum we cant let go of 20 (plus) year old vehicles.....
 
Given I have been looking for something decent for my kid - and my budget keeps going up because everything used I look at is mostly junk - I might end up with these yet.
I purchased my Envista ST (Trax in essence save the more posh interior) and so far I am quite pleased. I traded a 2014 Lacrosse 3.6 producing ~320 hp. I loved the thrust of that engine but grew increasingly disenchanted with its fuel consumption. I always drove with one eye on the gas gauge which tampered my enjoyment of driving it. The large Buick was a superb car for wafting along the interstate but could acquit itself well on more demanding roads. It had great isolation, a well-integrated powertrain, and superb interior fit-and-finish. But I had to let her go to make way for something more efficient. The Envista has a very controlled ride (courtesy of its Watts-link rear-suspension), accurate steering, and a small engine that punches above its displacement to keep me happy on town roads and the highway. The engine emits a distinct "thrum" during acceleration that sounds rather sophisticated. The 3.6 in the Lacrosse was much quieter of course but this 1.2 is comparably smooth at idle and very nearly so during operation. Well done GM. The 6-spd. transmission operates inconspicuously and, taking full advantage of the broad torque output of the engine, feels more natural, I believe, than would a cvt. I have owned quite a number of V6 powered GM products over the years that I have always tuned when possible, but I have adapted quite well to this sedan-like cuv and I don't regret trading the Lacrosse. The Envista is a worthy addition to the Buick brand and I believe the ST trim is the one to get. The Avenir has a somewhat swankier interior but it shares the upgraded suspension with the ST as well as most of the tech. The base Preferred trim is no slouch either and is probably the best value. I strongly encourage anyone in the market for a smallish cuv to test drive either a Trax or Envista as the experience may shock and delight you.
 
Here’s a comment on the specific output of the engine at 116 hp per liter, higher than the Corvette’s LT2 engine. That’s 1.2 HP/ ci.

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I just look at GM's recent small 1.4T in the Cruze and it wasn't that great. And IMO GM specs some low end parts on even some fairly high priced vehicles, so what kind of expensive parts are they going to cheap out on in a Trax?
And the fuel economy isn't great for a 4wd SUV, but its 2wd...
It does look pretty good and has a bit of cargo space, so its got some good attributes. If it holds together well, then I guess it will be not a bad vehicle for people who don't drive far, or need awd, and just want a decent looking wagon with raised ride height. If it needs a new turbo at 90k miles then it will another failure.
Who really needs 4 wheel or AWD? Very few actually. I have driven front wheel drive vehicles for decades in snowy weather. Front wheel drive always got my thru unless I bottomed out due to low clearance in deep snow. In those instances it would have been better to wait for plow trucks.
 
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