Why You Shouldn't Tow With Your Chevy Trax So Put The Hitch Down And Walk Away

The second-generation Chevrolet Trax, launched for the 2024 model year, earned plenty of praise when it hit the market — including from us. We said it was all the car you need for under $30,000 when it was introduced, and that GM went out of the way to produce an SUV that didn't have to be as good as it was. We praised the well-designed interior with its comfortable seats and ample cargo space and the handsome-yet-small exterior, surpassing other SUVs in our eyes.

Consumer Reports (CR) has even recommended the 2026 Trax to shoppers, noting it had the fifth-highest ranking for predicted reliability in its class of 21 other vehicles — although its overall score was the fifth lowest. Nonetheless, for reliability, the Trax was ahead of 2026 rides like the Honda Civic, Mazda3, and Hyundai Elantra, among others. (Keep in mind here that CR lists the Trax with other "small sedans/hatchbacks" and not small SUVs.)

Despite all of these positives, SUV fans should note a couple of Trax characteristics that may impact a potential purchase decision. First off, the Trax is front-wheel-drive only, with no option for AWD. Additionally, you should not try towing with the Trax. Despite what you may have heard, GM itself does not consider the Trax as capable of towing any weight at all beyond a small dinghy. Hooking up a hitch, then, is a great way to disconnect your Trax from its warranty coverage or damage it in the process.

None of this means you can't get a similarly-sized SUV that is, in fact, rated for towing. With the Trax's length of 178.6 inches as our benchmark, it compares well with subcompact crossover-style SUVs like the Subaru Crosstrek (176.4 inches), Toyota Corolla Cross (176.1 inches), and BMW X1 (177 inches) — and you can hitch up and tow with all of those models.

The Crosstrek comes standard with all-wheel drive in its base trim, which starts at $26,995 before adding $1,420 in destination charges. That model, backed by a 2.5-liter Boxer-style four-cylinder engine making 180 horsepower, has a trailer rating of 1,500 pounds. The Trax, stickered from $21,895 with its destination charge wrapped in, makes do with 137 horses from its turbocharged 1.2-liter motor. The Corolla Cross, meanwhile, is still affordable and efficient, stickered from $25,035 before an extra $1,450 in destination fees. It adds to its benefits with a tow rating of 1,500 pounds while packing a 169-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder mill.

Paying more money can get you more trailering capacity, too, with the X1 being a case in point. The entry point to the X1 lineup, the xDrive28i, will set you back some $43,200 before destination costs, but it will also raise your towing limit to a hefty 3,500 pounds with its 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder featuring 241 horsepower. To put that into context, that's a ton more than you can tow with a Honda CR-V from the next largest SUV size segment.