When writing car comparisons, I usually discover that the two subject models are startlingly similar in size, carrying capacity, horsepower, and price. Not so in this detailed comparison of the 2025 Chevrolet Trax and the 2025 Mazda CX-30. They are both small SUVs, but they are as different as salt and pepper in many ways.
Pushing that analogy further, you could look at the Chevy Trax as salt and the Mazda CX-30 as pepper. The Trax is solidly utilitarian. It offers adequate, if unexciting, horsepower, front-wheel drive (FWD), a comfortable but modest interior, solid infotainment and safety tech, and plenty of cargo space. Beyond that, it boasts one of the lowest purchase prices of any new model on U.S. roads today. It's not especially fancy, but it is a solid choice—just like sprinkling a little salt on your scrambled eggs.
Then there’s the Mazda CX-30, which takes the part of pepper in this equation. Though it plays in the same sandbox as the Trax, it is frankly spicier and hotter than the Trax. Even its base trim provides significantly more horsepower than the Chevy, and it also offers the option of a turbocharged engine that kicks up the heat to “hot hatchback” levels, almost doubling the power the Trax provides.
The CX-30’s interior is subjectively more upscale than the Trax, and as buyers climb the trims, the interior ambiance increases to near-luxury levels. On the other hand, the CX-30 is markedly smaller than the Trax, providing significantly less cargo space, and it is typically more expensive—and spicier—than the Chevrolet.
So, this is one of those rare vehicle comparisons in which the two models are, in many ways, more different than they are alike. Based on that, you will probably find that one or the other meets your requirements while the other doesn't.
2024 Chevrolet Trax Activ
Photo: Ron Sessions
Chevrolet offers potential buyers five trim levels for the 2025 Chevrolet Trax: LS, 1RS, LT, 2RS, and Activ. All come standard with FWD, and there is no option for all-wheel drive (AWD) on any of them. The entry-level LS has a starting price of $20,500, while both the Activ and 2RS trims have a base price of $24,500. Prices do not include the $1,095 destination charge.
For the first year or up to 12,000 miles, the 2025 Trax includes complimentary scheduled maintenance, as well as five years or 60,000 miles of free roadside assistance. Buyers also gain access to OnStar Basics connected services, which offer remote functions, navigation, and automated crash response. The standard Teen Driver feature allows for driving report cards and vehicle monitoring.
The 2025 Mazda CX-30 offers even more variety—eight trims in all: 2.5 S, 2.5 S Select Sport, 2.5 S Preferred, 2.5 S Carbon Edition, 2.5 S Premium, 2.5 Carbon Turbo, 2.5 Turbo Premium, and 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus. In contrast to the FWD-only Trax, AWD is standard on all 2025 CX-30 trims. The least expensive—the 2.5 S—has a base price of $24,995. At the other end of the scale, the 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus has a suggested starting price of $36,950. Prices do not include the $1,420 destination charge.
The 2025 CX-30 comes with complimentary roadside assistance for three years or 36,000 miles, but it does not offer free scheduled maintenance. The CX-30 provides one year of complimentary Mazda Connected Services. Included are remote engine start/stop, vehicle finder, vehicle health reports, and automatic 911 emergency calls. A Wi-Fi hotspot free trial runs for three months or two gigabytes of data.
Advantage: Neither
Why? The Trax features significantly lower prices, while the CX-30 has a much wider variety of offerings and provides more driving fun.
2025 Mazda CX-30
The Chevrolet Trax ranks third in the Small SUV segment in the JD Power 2024 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), which assesses owner-reported problems during the third year of ownership.
The Trax does not rank among the top three models in its segment in the JD Power 2024 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS), which tracks problems experienced by owners during the first 90 days.
The 2025 Chevrolet Trax offers a standard three-year, 36,000-mile warranty and a powertrain warranty of five years or 60,000 miles.
The Mazda CX-30 does not rank among the top three models in the Small SUV segment in either the 2024 VDS or the 2024 IQS. Its warranty coverage matches the Trax.
Advantage: Chevrolet Trax
Why? The Trax is among the top three models in its segment in vehicle dependability.
2024 Chevrolet Trax Activ
Photo: Ron Sessions
The 2025 Chevrolet Trax features a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Chevy matches this compact engine with a conventional six-speed automatic transmission, which provides a more lively driving experience compared to many rivals that utilize continuously variable transmissions. However, those looking for AWD for challenging weather conditions will not find it in the FWD-only Trax.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says the 2025 Trax offers an estimated fuel economy of 30 mpg in combined driving conditions when using regular gasoline.
The 2025 Mazda CX-30 offers consumers two engine choices. The base engine— standard in the 2.5 S trims—is a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that delivers 191 hp and 186 pound-feet of torque. The up-level engine is a turbocharged version of the 2.5-liter that produces 250 hp and 320 pound-feet of torque when using premium fuel. Mazda couples both engines to a six-speed automatic transmission, and, as mentioned, all 2025 U.S.-spec CX-30s feature AWD.
The EPA rates the fuel efficiency of the 2025 CX-30 with the base 2.5-liter engine at 29 mpg in combined urban and highway driving. Meanwhile, the more powerful, turbo-equipped 2.5-liter CX-30s get a 25-mpg combined rating.
Advantage: Mazda CX-30
Why? Despite the Trax’s slight fuel-economy advantage, the Mazda CX-30 offers more powerful engines and standard AWD that make it the clear winner in this category.
2025 Mazda CX-30
At this point, it is reasonable for any consumer to expect a brand-new vehicle to include the following safety features:
So, how do the Trax and CX-30 stack up? Let's take a look.
While the 2025 Chevrolet Trax is one of the most affordable small crossover SUVs on the market, it still comes equipped with a substantial array of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), both standard and optional. Most of these technologies are part of the standard Chevy Safety Assist package.
The Trax also includes GM’s Teen Driver monitoring system, a rear-seat reminder system, and a following-distance indicator. Additional optional safety features include adaptive cruise control, rear parking assistance, blind-spot warning, and rear cross-traffic warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the 2025 Chevrolet Trax four out of five stars for overall crash protection. Meanwhile, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) did not bestow its Top Safety Pick award on the Trax.
Mazda equips the 2025 CX-30 with the standard i-ActivSense safety feature suite. It includes all the functions listed earlier in this section, plus adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, a driver monitoring system, and a safe-exit assistance system. The top trim features standard rear automatic emergency braking while its adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assistance work in concert to provide driving assistance from a standstill up to highway speeds. Additionally, some trims offer traffic-sign recognition.
The NHTSA gave the 2025 CX-30 a five-star overall safety rating, while the IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick+ for the 2024 calendar year. As of this writing, the Institute has not extended the award to the 2025 calendar year.
Advantage: Mazda CX-30
Why? The CX-30 gets stellar ratings from the NHTSA and IIHS and offers a more well-rounded and comprehensive ADAS package.
2024 Chevrolet Trax
Photo: Ron Sessions
Tailored to appeal to a younger demographic, the 2025 Chevrolet Trax integrates a variety of technological features. The less expensive trims come with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, while the more expensive ones include an 11-inch touchscreen as standard. Both configurations offer support for wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, voice-command functionality, Bluetooth audio streaming for two devices, and a trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio. Additionally, the higher-end variants feature an 8-inch digital driver information display.
Chevrolet provides Trax buyers with a wide selection of OnStar connectivity packages. Owners can take advantage of up to eight years of complimentary OnStar Basics service, which includes real-time vehicle status notifications, on-demand diagnostics, remote control features, and automatic crash response. The Teen Driver monitoring system is standard, and an optional subscription-based Wi-Fi hotspot is also available. Additionally, Chevy equips every 2025 Trax with active noise-cancellation technology.
The 2025 Mazda CX-30 offers buyers of all trims an 8.8-inch infotainment display teamed with a 7-inch driver information display. In the S trims, the infotainment system includes wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Bluetooth connectivity. Alexa Built-in is standard in all but the 2.5 S trim, and the 2.5 S Premium and S Turbo get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a free SiriusXM trial. A series of buttons and a rotary knob on the console control most infotainment functions. A 12-speaker Bose audio system is standard on the S Premium and Turbo Premium trims.
The CX-30's one year of complimentary Mazda Connected Services enables customers to sample connectivity that includes remote engine start/stop, vehicle finder, vehicle health reports, and automatic 911 emergency calls. The CX-30 offers a one-month free trial of its Wi-Fi hotspot and the availability of a wireless device charger.
With the help of Amazon Alexa—a hands-free gadget built into most CX-30 infotainment systems—drivers may keep their eyes on the road while controlling various vehicle functions with spoken commands. With simple voice prompts, occupants can control comfort features like heating, ventilation, and heated seats.
Advantage: Chevrolet Trax
Why? The little Chevy offers larger displays and standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
2025 Mazda CX-30
The 2025 Chevrolet Trax boasts a practical and attractive interior designed to seat up to five passengers comfortably and has a roomy cargo area. All trims feature cloth upholstery, with unique trim elements distinguishing each level.
Higher-end trims provide an eight-way power-adjustable driver seat, while heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are standard on select trims and optional on others. The base LS trim has manual heating and air conditioning controls, but the rest of the trims include standard single-zone automatic climate control.
The 2025 Trax provides 25.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the 60/40 split-folding rear seats, which expands to 54.1 cubic feet when you fold the back seats down. While the Trax's liftgate operates manually, the small SUV provides an optional foldable and detachable cargo organizer to help secure items during transport.
The five-passenger 2025 Mazda CX-30 boasts a very pleasant cabin that looks and feels more upscale than the Trax. At the same time, the CX-30 isn't as big as the Chevy, and that is especially obvious in rear-seat leg room and cargo space. The base CX-30 S has cloth upholstery, but a nice grade of synthetic leather is standard on mid-level trims, and genuine leather graces the top trims. Dual-zone automatic climate control is standard on all but the base 2.5 S.
While the lower trims have manually adjustable front seats, the S Preferred and higher trims feature an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat and heated front seats. A heated steering wheel is available on several of the up-level versions.
The CX-30 provides 20.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seatback in the upright position; with the 60/40 split rear seat folded, it offers 45 cubic feet of space. Low-to-the-ground versus some other small crossovers, the CX-30’s cargo area is easy to access. A power-operated liftgate is widely available.
Advantage: Neither
Why? The Mazda has a more pleasant cabin, but the Chevy offers a lot more space.
If you’d like to learn more about these small SUVs, be sure to read our expert reviews of the Chevrolet Trax and Mazda CX-30. To find out how people like you rate models in this segment, check out our ratings from verified vehicle owners.
Also, please remember that while the information in this article was accurate and valid on February 4, 2025, it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker’s website or your local dealership.
Jack R. Nerad has reviewed cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs for over three decades. He also managed the editorial efforts of MotorTrend, JD Power, and Kelley Blue Book. Jack currently hosts the Sports Byline Network program "America on the Road," available on Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Spotify, Audacy, Amazon Music, and other outlets.
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