The 2024 Chevrolet Trax and Chevrolet Trailblazer both earned Chevrolet’s spotlight this year as each received notable upgrades. The 2024 Trax makes the most of its moment and has become larger - to the point where it is far better suited for the North American market than before - and is impressively detailed inside. Most notably, the Trax remains impressively inexpensive. The Trailblazer also receives an upgraded interior and offers several notable key advantages in terms of performance and capability. Those offerings, however, don’t come cheap. So which one is better for your needs? Let’s take a look at how they compare.
Chevy Trax vs. Trailblazer Price
The 2024 Chevrolet Trax's base price of $21,495 brings a high sense of value. Most will want to upgrade to a mid-level trim, however, even the top trim tops out at $24,995. The Activ trim includes proximity entry, heated synthetic leather seats with a power seat, and dual-zone climate control. It also features a dashboard with impressive details, including a digital gauge cluster and an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen, which create a high-tech cockpit that one might not expect at this price.
The Trailblazer essentially starts where the Trax leaves off. The Trailblazer's base prices range from $24,395 and $29,995. The Trailblazer’s interior features soft-touch surfaces and contrast stitching which bring a more premium feel and its available powertrain upgrades may be more valuable to some than others. Its pricing is more in line with some of the competition's entry
Chevy Trax vs. Trailblazer Size
The new Trax is 178 inches long and 71.8 inches wide. That is about 4.5 inches longer and 0.6 inches wider than the Trailblazer (174.1 and 71.2 inches, respectively). In fact, the less-expensive Trax is only an inch shorter than the all-new Honda HR-V. Both crossovers use their space wisely for passenger and cargo areas.
Chevy Trax vs. Trailblazer Performance
This category may be the most significant reason to choose the Trailblazer over the Trax (neglecting styling personal preferences). The 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine is standard on both models and delivers 137 and 162 pound-feet of torque. It’s not sporty by any means but the Trax is at least fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission which is generally preferred over a continuously variable unit as is fitted to the Trailblazer.
Most notably, Trailblazer offers an all-wheel drive system for $1,600 which also swaps in a nine-speed automatic transmission. However, the Trailblazer will also require you to order the upgraded engine for $395. In a world of zippy electric vehicles and pick-up trucks with powerful engines, the added boost is desired.
The base powertrains in either model return an EPA-estimated 30 miles per gallon combined while the Trailblazer’s optional larger engine actually earns 31 MPG and will save about $50 annually per EPA estimates. The all-wheel drive Trailblazer returns just 27 MPG combined.
The Trailblazer is also the only one to be rated for towing, although its 1,000-pound limit will be easily approached by most loaded trailers.
Chevy Trax vs. Trailblazer Passenger & Cargo Space
The Trax and the Trailblazer once again, offer similar outputs. Both can seat four comfortably and can easily swallow several large suitcases without much thought of Tetris/ how to configure different shapes. The Trax offers rear passengers 38.7 inches of legroom and 38.1 inches of headroom; figures that are slightly eclipsed by the Trailblazer, with 39 inches of legroom and 38.4 inches of headroom.
The Trax’s cargo space behind the rear seats measures marginally better at 25.6 cubic feet versus the Trailblazer’s 25.3 cubic feet. With the seats folded, the Trax offers 54.1 cubic feet and the Trailblazers provides essentially the same amount of space with a 54.3 cubic-foot value.
Trax vs. Trailblazer: Which Chevy Is Better?
The Trax provides the simplicity that allows it to be impressively affordable and a better overall value. It focuses on today’s “basic” wants, such as an appealing design - on the inside and out, the current tech, and a roomy cabin that doesn’t require apologies to those in the back seat. Its powertrain will provide enough power for most, however, and if all-wheel-drive is on a list of gotta-haves, only the Trailblazer will do.