2026 Chevrolet Trax vs 2026 Lexus TX

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax emerged as a more appealing option for those who missed the car-like proportions of the discontinued Cruze and Sonic. It shared its design with the Buick Envista, offering a blend of car-like aesthetics and SUV styling elements. The Trax's design was characterized by Blazer-like headlights, a wide grille, and a tall front end, giving it a distinctive personality. Its chunky wheel arches and pronounced door ribs added definition, while the laid-back windshield and upward arc of the rear side windows contributed to a sleeker appearance. Despite its small size, the Trax exuded SUV toughness with its wide stance and imposing grille.

In Canada, the 2026 Trax lineup excluded the base LS trim, leaving the 1RS, LT, 2RS, and Activ trim levels. Wheel sizes ranged from 17-inch to 19-inch alloys, with Activ models featuring black-painted 18-inch wheels and a black grille with chrome accents. Inside, the Trax's interior was marked by economical materials, but its design details were a cut above. Large, round air vents and contrasting trim helped distract from the rubbery feel of most surfaces. The layout of the instrument cluster and touchscreen was reminiscent of a Corvette, and the LT test car's grey door panels and dashboard trim, along with blue accents, added a touch of style. Cloth upholstery was standard with the 1RS, while other trims offered suede-like Evotex or a combination of materials.

The 2026 Lexus TX offered a range of packages tailored to different powertrains. The TX 350 came with the Luxury package by default, with options for Ultra Luxury, Executive, and F Sport 3 packages. The 500h hybrid started with the F Sport Performance 2 package and could be upgraded with the F Sport 3 package. Higher packages also offered towing capability. The TX featured a large grille, retaining some of the older "spindle grille" shape, complemented by sharp bi-LED headlights. The rear LED lighting spanned the vehicle's width, topped off by a small roof spoiler. Roof rails were available for added storage options.

Inside, the TX offered three interior colour options: standard grey, light grey Birch, and dark brown Peppercorn. Ambient lighting added warmth to the cabin, and suede trim adorned the glovebox. However, the overall material quality fell short of luxury car standards, with basic plastic scattered throughout. The redesigned door handles, which reacted to pressure rather than pulling out, were a unique feature, but some might have preferred more attention to detail in the cabin. The TX's interior was spacious, with a third row that accommodated full-sized adults comfortably. The front seats were roomy but could have used more thigh support. The TX boasted excellent cargo space, with 572 litres available with all seats in place, expanding to 2,747 litres with all rear seats folded.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax was powered by a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. It featured a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive (FWD), with no all-wheel drive (AWD) option to keep costs down. Despite its small engine, the Trax delivered 16 more horsepower and 49 more pound-feet of torque than the naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine in the Hyundai Venue. The turbocharged engine provided confident acceleration, with minimal turbo lag and a smooth power delivery. The conventional geared automatic transmission contributed to its drivability, offering less delay between engine revving and power application compared to a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

While performance wasn't the Trax's primary focus, it felt poised on twisty roads, offering a stable and car-like driving experience. However, it exhibited significant body roll and limited grip. The electric power steering was responsive, though not as communicative as older hydraulic systems. The suspension effectively absorbed bumps, providing a comfortable ride, and active noise cancellation helped reduce cabin noise. Despite some tire noise and engine drone, the Trax offered a refined driving experience.

The 2026 Lexus TX 350 featured a 275-horsepower 2.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, while the TX 500h hybrid boosted output to 366 horsepower. The gas model came with an eight-speed automatic transmission, while the hybrid used a six-speed automatic. The TX 350 had electronically controlled full-time AWD, while the TX 500h featured Lexus's Direct4 AWD system, distributing torque to each axle on demand. The TX offered Normal, Eco, and Sport drive modes, with Sport mode enhancing throttle sensitivity for a more immediate response. The 500h included adaptive suspension and rear steering for improved handling.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax offered competitive interior space compared to other small crossovers. Headroom was similar to the Hyundai Kona and Subaru Crosstrek, while rear-seat passengers enjoyed an additional 5.5 cm of legroom compared to the Subaru. The Trax provided 725 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, comparable to a Honda Civic hatchback. With the rear seats folded, cargo space expanded to 1,532 litres. The Trax's tall seating position facilitated easy ingress and egress, and forward visibility was impressive. However, the view out the rear window was less clear, compensated by large exterior mirrors.

The Trax's interior featured large door pockets for storage, but the front seats' inboard position limited covered centre console storage. Two large cup holders were adequate for beverages, but the wireless device charger struggled to hold phones in place. Heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated side mirrors were standard on the base 1RS model in Canada.

The 2026 Lexus TX offered a spacious interior with three-zone automatic climate control, heated and cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, and a heated steering wheel. Ventilated second-row seats were standard on the TX 500h. The third row was remarkably spacious, with a recline function and ample headroom. Each seat had its own cupholder and USB-C port. A one-touch button on the second-row seat facilitated easy entry into the third row, though folding the second row flat required flipping several levers in a specific order.

The front seats were roomy but lacked thigh support. The heating function remained active through key cycles, and the cupholders accommodated various bottle sizes. Most climate controls were on the screen, but temperature controls were physical dials. The centre console was narrow but deep, with a dual-opening lid that limited access. The TX offered excellent cargo space, with 572 litres available with all seats in place, expanding to 2,747 litres with all rear seats folded. All TX models could tow up to 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) when properly equipped.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax came with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, and a four-speaker audio system on the 1RS base model. Higher trims featured an 11-inch touchscreen, an all-digital 8-inch instrument cluster, and a six-speaker sound system. Two USB ports for connectivity were standard, with additional charge-only ports for rear-seat passengers on all but the 1RS trim. The LT model's digital cluster was easily readable, with a large centred speed readout and concentric circles displaying other information. The big touchscreen had a sensible layout, with icons to the left of large display tiles. An analog volume knob was included, though it was hard to reach for the driver and even more difficult for the passenger due to the screen's driver-oriented angle.

The 2026 Lexus TX featured a 14-inch colour touchscreen that was easy to use and responsive. However, some features lacked polish, such as the inability to manually input satellite radio stations. Steering wheel buttons controlled adaptive cruise control and volume, but they were multi-functional and unlabeled, requiring a digital mirror on the gauge cluster or head-up display to show their current function. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard but occasionally conflicted with the native audio system. Smartphone connectivity was essential, as in-dash navigation required a subscription. Other subscription offerings included a voice assistant, a digital key via the Lexus app, and remote start and lock/unlock.

The back-up camera was clear and featured an available bird’s-eye view. The Advanced Park system could handle parking duties in both parallel and perpendicular spaces. The rear-camera mirror provided an unobstructed view. With seven USB ports and wireless charging, devices stayed charged, and the second row had an available 120-volt/1,500-watt outlet for larger items.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax included standard driver-assist features such as automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear park assist, and a following distance indicator. Adaptive cruise control was available on higher trims. Chevy's Teen Driver monitoring system activated all safety features and allowed parents to monitor their teens' driving behaviour. However, full safety ratings were not available at the time of writing. The IIHS gave the Trax a "Poor" rating in its updated moderate overlap front crash test, though it received a "Good" rating in the small overlap front test.

The 2026 Lexus TX came with Safety System+ 3.0, including forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane tracing assist, lane departure warning with steering assist, traffic sign recognition, and Proactive Driving Assist. The latter applied brakes or steering if the vehicle got too close to another car, pedestrian, or cyclist. Adaptive cruise control worked well once set up, though it was initially confusing. The NHTSA rated both the TX 350 and TX 500h five out of five stars for crash safety. The IIHS gave the TX an "Acceptable" score in its small overlap front crash test on the driver’s side and a "Good" score for the passenger’s side.