Chevrolet Trax takes on the Honda HR-V

The 2024 Trax has been thoroughly redesigned from its predecessor, and it is hard to imagine that they both have the same name. The 2nd generation Trax is stylish inside and out with a solid package of standard and available features. It even earned, as Chevrolet of Spring Valley is proud to repeat, Cars.com’s 2024 Best Car of the Year award. The Trax’s raised status prompted Edmunds.com to compare it with an established category leader, the Honda HR-V.

An ongoing sales leader for the category, the HR-V, which stands for “Hi-rider Revolutionary Vehicle,” also recently entered its own 2nd generation, at least in the United States (the first generation wasn’t sold here), and also has an entirely different appearance from its predecessor. The HR-V’s base MSRP of $24,600 is about $4,200 over the $20,400 base MSRP of the Trax. That is a 20% difference, and Edmunds set out to determine if that or any price gap is warranted.

Drivetrain

The 2nd generation HR-V engine grew to 2.0 liters from its 1.5-liter predecessor. The inline-4 produces 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a continuously variable transmission. The Trax engine is noticeably smaller but turbocharged, with the 1.2-liter inline-3 producing 137 horsepower but trouncing the Honda with 162 lb-ft of torque. In typical turbocharged fashion, the Trax engine hits its peak torque at 2,500 rpm compared to 4,200 for the Honda, making it more easily accessible. The Trax also features a conventionally behaving 6-speed automatic. Edmunds’ testing showed the horsepower versus torque advantages working in the Trax’s favor, where it had a 9.1 second time from 0 to 60, compared to over 10 seconds for the HR-V.

The HR-V has standard front-wheel drive (FWD) with all-wheel drive as an option on all grades. The Trax is FWD only. Fans of AWD can look to the Chevrolet Trailblazer as an AWD alternative or consider winter tires for the snow, which you really should do, even for an AWD model anyway. The FWD HR-V and Trax both get an EPA-estimated 32 mpg on the highway. The Trax has an advantage in city driving with 28 to the Honda’s 26, leading to a higher combined figure of 30 to the HR-V’s 28. 

Ride and Handling

Edmunds described both models’ ride and handling similarly, where they smoothed out bumps adequately and changed direction quickly and predictably. The Honda was quieter regarding wind and road noise, but the Trax had notably more comfortable seats. This trade-off probably works in the Trax’s favor as you can easily turn up the audio system volume, but it is hard to improve seat comfort.

Cabin and Cargo Space

The Trax has two more inches of wheelbase, which leads to an inch more rear legroom. The front headroom and legroom on both vehicles are nearly identical. Trax has an additional inch of shoulder room in the front, while the HR-V has an inch more in the rear. A similar trade-off occurs with cargo space, with the Trax having a class-leading 25.6 cubic feet behind the 2nd-row seat compared to 24.4 for the HR-V. Fold the seats down, and the Trax offers 54.1 cubic feet to the 55.1 in the HR-V. 

Features

Both models are described as having class-leading interior designs, which seem to come from a more expensive category. The Trax has a base touchscreen size of 8 inches, 11 inches in trims above the base model. The HR-V is smaller on both counts, starting with a 7-inch screen with a 9-inch screen on higher grades. A big plus for the Trax is standard wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you don’t have to connect and disconnect your phone every time you get in and out. The HR-V has this, but only on the top model. 

Conclusion

Edmund.com sums up their comparison this way: “The Chevy Trax is a compelling small crossover that goes big on interior quality, space, and value. Honda’s HR-V does little wrong, but it’s been upstaged in this contest. The Trax is the better buy.”

If you are in the market for a small, versatile, stylish SUV, Edmunds has already done the comparison for you, so visit Chevrolet of Spring Valley and take a close look at the Trax for yourself.