The Chevy Trax Just Got $2,000 Pricier. Here's What's Still Under $25,000

For three years the Chevrolet Trax has been the easy answer to "what's the cheapest decent crossover?" That answer just got more expensive. Chevrolet has dropped the LS and 1RS trims for 2027, which makes the LT the new base model at $23,700 before destination. Add GM's $1,795 freight charge and the cheapest 2027 Trax lands at $25,495, exactly $2,000 above the $23,495 a 2026 LS cost on the same basis.

That matters because the Trax was the volume car in this price band, and because the band itself is emptying out. Kia built its last Soul in October 2025 and skipped the 2026 model year. The Kia Seltos, Buick Envista, and Toyota Corolla Cross all start above $26,000 with destination. As we found in our look at who is cutting prices for 2027 and who isn't, the entry level is where the increases bite hardest, because there is nowhere cheaper to go.

So here is the honest version of the question a reader sent us: if $25,000 including destination is the ceiling, what new crossover can you still buy, and is the Trax worth stretching for?

What $25,000 buys in a small crossover for 2027

Every price below includes the manufacturer's destination charge, because that is the number on the window sticker. Chevrolet's is $1,795, Nissan's is $1,575, and Hyundai's is $1,650. All three automakers have published 2027 pricing, so there are no carryover guesses in the table.

Two notes on the table. Kicks fuel economy figures are Nissan's; the EPA listing for the 2027 model was not yet posted when we checked. And Hyundai's 2027 Venue is a carryover, so its 2026 IIHS results are the current ones; the Institute has not run the Venue through its updated moderate overlap test, the one the Trax failed.

Where the $2,000 went

Chevrolet's price increase is really two moves in one. First, the LS is gone, so the floor moves up to the LT. Second, the LT itself costs $500 more than it did for 2026. The second part is the better deal, because the 2027 LT gets a long list of hardware that was not available on any 2026 Trax at any price.

The 8-inch center screen and analog gauges are replaced by an 11.3-inch display running Google built-in with Gemini and an 11-inch digital cluster, on every trim. Chevrolet's "more than 20" standard driver aids now include adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, intersection automatic emergency braking, front and rear park assist, a rear seat belt indicator, and side bicyclist alert. The LT also gets the new grille, headlights, and full-LED taillights that give the 2027 car its mildly different face. A 2026 LS buyer got none of that for $2,000 less. A 2026 LT buyer paid $24,995 and got an 8-inch screen and no adaptive cruise.

In other words: if you wanted a stripped Trax, it no longer exists. If you were going to buy an LT anyway, you are paying $500 more for a real upgrade.

One caveat that applies to any Trax, old or new: GM is still working through the backup-camera recall covering the Trax, Trailblazer, and Encore GX. Check the VIN before you sign.

The Kicks is the only one with AWD, and the only one with an IIHS award

Nissan published 2027 Kicks pricing back in August, and the base S is up just $390, to $24,365 with destination. That makes it the only one of the three that offers all-wheel drive at all: the S AWD is $25,865, just $370 more than a front-drive Trax LT. AWD also swaps the twist-beam rear axle for a multilink setup, which is unusual at this price.

The 2.0-liter four makes 141 hp, four more than the Trax, but with 22 lb-ft less torque and a CVT instead of a conventional automatic, so it does not feel quicker. Where the Kicks clearly wins is interior tech for the money: a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless phone mirroring is standard even on the S. Adaptive cruise is standard too, under Nissan's Intelligent Cruise Control name; what the S and SV lack is the lane-centering ProPILOT Assist, which Nissan reserves for the $28,565 SR.

Safety is the Kicks' most improved story. The redesigned model initially scored Poor in the IIHS updated moderate overlap test, the same test that trips up the Trax. Nissan changed the rear seat belts in June 2026, the rating went to Good, and in October the IIHS named the 2026-27 Kicks a Top Safety Pick. Only cars built after June 2026 qualify, so check the door-jamb build date on any leftover 2026 on the lot.

The Venue is the real budget pick, with real compromises

If $25,000 is a hard limit, the Hyundai Venue is the car that clears it with room to spare. The SE is $22,400 with destination, and even the better-equipped SEL, with 17-inch wheels, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, a sunroof, heated seats, and push-button start, is $24,675. That is $820 less than the cheapest Trax, for a car with a 10-year powertrain warranty.

What you give up is size and power. The Venue is 19.5 inches shorter than the Trax and nearly 13 inches shorter than the Kicks, with 18.7 cubic feet behind the rear seat against 25.6 and 30.0. Its 121-hp 1.6-liter is the slowest engine here by a wide margin. The base SE still uses an 8-inch screen, and there is no adaptive cruise control on any trim. Hyundai lists SE, SEL, and Limited trims in its 2027 product summary, but the October pricing sheet for the U.S. carries only SE and SEL, so the Limited's status is unclear.

One step up: what another $1,000 to $1,500 buys

If you can stretch past the Trax LT, the field reopens quickly. Kia's all-new 2027 Seltos LX starts at $26,485 with destination and offers AWD. The Buick Envista Preferred, which shares the Trax's platform and engine, is $26,495. Toyota's 2027 Corolla Cross L is $25,535 before destination, and as we reported, its hybrid version lost its base trim and now starts at $31,415. Subaru's Crosstrek, the default choice for standard AWD, starts higher still; our Crosstrek vs. Forester comparison has the current numbers.

Which one should you buy

If you need all-wheel drive, buy the Kicks S AWD. At $25,865 it costs $370 more than a front-drive Trax LT, it has the biggest cargo hold here, and it is the only car on this page with a current IIHS award, provided you get a post-June 2026 build.

If you drive in a snow-free city and the budget is the budget, buy the Venue SEL. It is the smallest and slowest car here, but at $24,675 it is also the only one that delivers blind-spot monitoring, a sunroof, and a 10-year powertrain warranty under $25,000.

If you can spend $25,495 and want the most car, the Trax LT is still the pick, and the 2027 upgrade makes the case stronger, not weaker. It is the longest of the three, the only one with a conventional automatic instead of a CVT, and the only one that pairs Google built-in with an 11-inch digital cluster at the base price. Its weak spots are real: a Poor rating in the updated IIHS moderate overlap test, no AWD, and the shortest warranty. But the $2,000 headline overstates what happened. The Trax you could actually buy for $23,495 was a bare LS with an 8-inch screen, and the one most people bought, the LT, went up $500 and got a lot better. Just don't expect to find one on a dealer lot before spring; until then, the 2026 LT at $24,995 is the Trax to haggle over.