Most Americans Have Ignored 1 Cheap Chevy With Great Reliability Ratings
If you’re looking for a cheap Chevy, the automaker produces several reasonably priced SUVs. One model that most Americans have ignored is the 2022 Trax despite its excellent reliability rating. Why isn’t this affordable Chevy SUV more popular, and how is the all-new 2024 Trax selling?
2022 Trax owners rate this cheap Chevy highly for quality and reliability
Starting at only about $21,700, the 2022 Chevrolet Trax packs a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 155 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. It pairs with an electronic six-speed automatic transmission. This combination achieves an EPA-estimated 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg when traveling on the highway for the front-wheel drive version. All-wheel-drive models get 1 mpg less in the city and 2 mpg less on the highway.
J.D. Power gave the 2022 Trax a “great” Quality & Reliability score of 83 out of 100. To calculate that number, the data analytics firm surveyed owners of the 2022 Trax (and hundreds of other vehicles) to determine what they thought of their purchase. Drivers of this affordable Chevy subcompact crossover reported how reliable it is regarding the engine, infotainment system, and other areas. The higher the number a vehicle gets, the better the reliability.
In addition, 2022 Trax owners said they like the engine, the audio system, and the vehicle’s handling. However, they don’t like that the cargo area is small and that the doors are a bit noisy when closing. Also, they aren’t confident this small SUV would protect them in an accident.
Chevy originally planned to discontinue the Trax after the 2022 model year, so the company didn’t produce a 2023 model. However, the automaker changed course and brought back the Trax for the 2024 model year, releasing it this past spring.
Why did sales of the 2022 model tank?
Despite the cheap Chevy SUV’s solid reliability rating, 2022 Trax sales slumped in the first three months of 2023. The crossover sold 2,127 units in January and 2,042 in February. March sales improved slightly but were an unimpressive 2,297.
The poor sales figures are likely because Chevrolet didn’t release a 2023 model, so consumers turned to other new vehicles instead. Also, the 2022 Trax received unfavorable reviews. This publication even called it one of the worst small SUVs.
For instance, the 2022 Trax lacks enough standard safety features, the seats are unsupportive, and it isn’t exciting to drive. However, it has decent fuel economy, available AWD, and built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi.
What do 2024 Chevy Trax sales look like?
The 2024 Trax came out in the spring of 2023, and that’s when it began to gain traction. In April, sales shot up to 7,064, over a 200% increase. May wasn’t quite as good, but it surpassed the previous three months with 6,793. When June ended, it matched April’s sales with 7,064. The total for Q2 this year was a 115% increase over last year.
But those numbers aren’t unsurprising because the 2024 Trax boasts an attractive redesign at an unbeatable low price. It offers a choice of 17-, 18-, or 19-inch wheels and has LED headlights and four-wheel disc brakes. It has a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. That powertrain is nothing to write about, but it gets the job done.
As for the interior, the 2024 Chevy Trax has an 8.0-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, Active Noise Cancellation, push-button start, wireless phone charging, and automatic climate control. There’s also an available 11-inch screen. The starting price for the base model is only $21,495, which is refreshing because the 2022 version was a little over $200 more.
Sales for the 2022 Trax were pretty dismal for the first quarter of this year. However, the 2024 Trax quickly climbed the sales charts, tripling the model’s Q1 sales. The refreshing design of the revived SUV has renewed interest among consumers wanting a value-packed SUV.
