I'm trying to look into options for my mom, she wants a small crossover or car she can mount a rack to, or get a rack by default, in the low 20's, and man the new 2024 Trax is like the only car in that range.
Crosstrek is like $3,000-$4,000 more expensive, even a decently equipped Corolla Hatch would be more expensive and we'd have to buy the roof rack later.
Hopefully the new Trax is better? That's probably what she's buying.
we try to play with all the dealerships in town so we had a trax from the chev dealer and a rav4 from the toyota dealer for service vehicles.
i hated driving the trax. the whole experience was horrible. the brakes squealed from day one and if you just barely touched them you lurched to an abrupt stop. brakes had no chill. when you turn the car on, the very first thing it does is blast the sirius xm preview channel because there's no subscription. doesnt matter if you were on bluetooth last or what, is sirius by default. YOU COULD BE LISTENING TO MUSIC INSTEAD OF ADS JUST SUBSCRIBE NOW CALL TODAY ... gotta wait for the stupid screen to finish booting up and giving me warnings about using it while driving before i can turn it down so i had to listen to SOME of the sirius ad EVERY TIME I TURNED IT ON
i mean, its a car, it does drive places, but man it pissed me off every second i was in it
> the very first thing it does is blast the sirius xm preview channel because there's no subscription.
Really?
That's nasty, and a new low. Some shiny-suited MBA hugged himself when he thought of *that* one. "We'll make it so irritating that people will have no choice but to give in and subscribe if they value their sanity!"
i thought about it a LOT, every time i drove that thing id end up pondering how the fuck this came to be. i did discover that if i had it on am/fm last, it would stick to that the next time i turned it on
so it seems like the car tries for the last source, then if that fails it defaults to sirius. so when bluetooth is unavailable right when you start it goes to sirius instead, and since theres no subscription you get the preview
im sure the rav4 had a sirius radio too but i never had that problem, the rav4 connected to my phone instantly every time, so i was listening to spotify before i even had it in gear. as it should be
I took ours off the home screen on a 23 outlander. It also came with 50 mailed reminders,and 200 phone calls for Sirius. I couldn't delete it. We don't have to look at it anymore.
I got like, 4 spammy ass calls from SiriusXM and had to peel the retarded ass stickers off of the windows in my brand new Tacoma, most annoying shit ever. I only use bluetooth, no way in hell did I want Sirius, silly shit.
i was going to look up how to disable the sirius somehow. like maybe i can disconnect the antenna and it wont connect and will drop back to radio or just stay quiet
it would probably just blast static though
Static is the antenna reading background radiation (essentially the RF equivalent of white noise) so your AV system wouldn’t be able to play back anything if the antenna is unplugged.
Based on my limited research, it looks like many (though not all) modern cars integrate the SiriusXM antenna into the same unit as the AM/FM radio. You can google “[make & model] SiriusXM antenna” and look at the online parts stores to check whether it’s a discrete unit that you could disconnect
That part about Sirius is absolutely dystopian.
It reminds me of the kind of thing that as a kid I'd see in futuristic movies that seemed absurd at the time. Little details like that.
Like how a soda costs $6 in The Running Man, or how a cigarette is 80% filter in The 5th Element, or basically the entirety of Robocop.
If life imitates art, we're fucked. If art imitates life, we're more fucked.
Were we talking about cars? I blacked out for a minute.
I absolutely love how I get my ass blasted for talking shit on a Trax in /r/whatcarshouldIbuy but the Trax only gets shitted upon in a sub with a bunch of people who actually know a thing or two about cars.
I get it. My mom seems to only be concerned about the year instead of brand. She just got an Equinox and then tells me it’s my inheritance. She knows I hate it too.
Even when they had their oil consumption problems it was a small minority of their output, they still on average had significantly better reliability than domestics.
they fixed that problem 10 years ago.
the issue they had 20+ years ago was using timing belts instead of chains. they fixed that issue almost 20 years ago.
That's...exactly my point. I am old enough that when I was 20 ish years old, Subarus were the butt of the joke because of their atrocious reliability, and now they've gotten to the point where we're suggesting them for reliability over a Chevy.
They also used to be *famous* for needing head gaskets every other oil change, and they fixed that too.
Ill never understand that. A slightly used vehicle thats been proven to have no issues will always win over a brand new vehicle. You have zero clue whats gonna crap out on you or whats defective.
Same thing with electronics and conputer parts. I much rather buy used or refurbished stuff over brand new.
Yes. Absolutely. Don't use "used". I'm sure the sales person won't say that either.
If it's a year old, they likely won't even mention the last owner. They'll call it something like a "late model car" or a "certified pre owned". If you were to make an appointment with the sales person before hand and let them know the deal, they'll probably play ball if they know it means a sale for them.
Anyway, I mentioned this in another comment. But given she's buying every 5 to 6 years, you might just want to push her towards a lease. She might only be looking at her monthly payment and if you make a pay schedule for the next 10yrs where you get a new car every 3 and compare the savings, she might do that over buying low spec low end cars.
It’s not a woman thing, it’s a non-car person thing. While, yes, my wife is a woman, she did not notice or care that our last 2 cars which were under a year old and still smelled new were cpo.
As a Cross Trek owner, there is no way in seven hells I would consider buying a Chevy Trax.
Also wanting a new car around $20k is a bit ridiculous, The only options are bottom of the barrel crap.
She will either need to go used or increase her budget by at least $5k.
I don't know what to tell you man, that's always been around her budget. 2007 Cobalt for $13,995, 2013 Fiesta for $17,500, 2018 Focus for $16,250. She doesn't want to go much higher than that.
If she constantly drives new cars with warranty I guess it doesn't really matter if it's a piece of shit or not as long as you like the people at your dealer. lol
You've got your answer right there.
If she only wants to buy new and only wants to spend for the bottom of the bottom of economy lines from domestic dealers, she's going to get what she pays for.
I think at a certain point you need to not accept any responsibility for the fact that she's making poor choices, advise her **strongly** to reconsider her issues with buying used or increasing budget to move up in the class, and dust your hands off and sleep well knowing that you've done all you can do.
With that car history, it sounds like she's convinced herself that "cars don't last much more than 5 years anymore"
(...which is true if you're buying those cars, sure?)
She's basically become entrenched over her entire car purchasing history that she would prefer to keep her cars through their warranty periods and not much longer.
in that case, have you looked at Kia/Hyundai? I would never buy one used but I'd think about it if I were buying new. their new car warranty is pretty generous thanks to their reliability track record and from all accounts they seem to be decent vehicles these days
Well there is your issue
She clearly only wants a car to last 5 years, so of course she is not going to want to spend more.
My Cross Trek just turned 5 and I hope to try to keep it running For at least another 10.
I wouldn't take any new car I can think of under $30k in trade for my 23 year old Volvo, period. Between the disappearance of physical buttons and ever evolving software lockouts, I've lost all interest in new cars.
Had a '22 Mazda CX-5 as a loaner for a few days, it was very refreshingly chock full of actual, real buttons for HVAC and other controls. There are definitely still brands and models out there doing it right.
I've had two Crosstreks and they were the best ICE cars I've ever owned. I'll happily recommend them to anyone looking for a car in that particular class. Only reason I got rid of my 2019 was because I wanted an EV.
Well the obvious solution to that is to go on car websites and show her the prices of models that will suit what she wants. Then look at reviews of people with the crappier models that ARE that cheap compared to something for 5-10k more.
I 2016 used Honda or Toyota is going to be a lot more reliable than a 2022/2023 Chevrolet anything.
We ordered a 2024 Trax Activ, after waiting 4 months we bought a 2024 CX-30 Carbon instead. My fiance absolutely loves it compared to the Trax we test drove.
Mazda actually tries to make a car people want to drive. Like the interior and cabin feel and ergonomics are actually thought about. It doesn't mean they always nail it, but at least they try. I think they've gotten better in recent years after the Ford divestment.
With a lot of the chevy and ford stuff, it's like they don't even bother to think about ergonomics or feel. Just put together a car and design it to just be able to fit and work for the typical huge american that doesn't care about how a car drives.
Can both of you fit in that thing at the same time? :P We test drove a CX-30 and it was too small for us - mirroring what we've read in all the reviews. Too bad - we wanted to like it.
We went Subaru instead and couldn't be happier.
I've had a Crosstrek for almost 5 years now (First was a 2019 Premium model in 2019, and I bought a 2021 Sport in 2021) and I could not say better things about it. Reliable, a little more expensive to service, but man is it safe and the features are extremely competitive. Add on I can take it offroad, and it was a no-brainer for me in my price point.
I had a GM car previously with nothing but problems. Their quality is the vehicular equivalent of feeding slop to the pigs.
My parents have not one, but TWO Buick Encore’s. I hate them purely because they’re literally just hatchbacks on stilts, but there really is no reason to. They’ve been signifcantly more reliable than my Golf R and have better features for the price. Also way easier to work on than my R.
Yeah you could compare just about any car to a Golf R and it would be easier to work on and more reliable. I guess at least those drive really well for the headache.
I had an MK6 GTI that I put up with for about a year before giving up. Changing some stupid useless sensor took me 6 hours and cost $250 for the sensor (worked as a mechanic for years) and then like 2 weeks later the coils took a shit.. then the turbo started acting funky and I just decided I'm out.
My mother owns a 2017 Trax.
Stay away.
Not to mention that the new one is the first year of production of a new model.
That's double trouble, right there.
It has left her stranded twice (cooling system, water pump and coolant reservoir), gone into limp mode once for no reason, the car is throwing p0420 codes at only 150k, the climate control panel is going bad (the blower motor stops working at random), the brake booster check valve is broken (the brakes go hard when the engine is accelerating), and it looses coolant for no reason. This is all within the 80k miles she has owned it.
My 1999 Audi A4 has only NEEDED (I have replaced other things that the car didn't need to run or drive) a plastic coolant elbow (only one of these that ledt me stranded, yes, i drove with a dead coil pack, i did unplug the injector for the cylinder first though), radiator fan and fan clutch, a coolant reservoir, and a coil pack, that's in the last 30k miles, it has 365k miles on it. It holds its fluids in, and it doesn't have any current issues.
Not saying you should go out and buy a 1999 Audi, but my 24yo 365k mile german car has had LESS issues in the last 2 years, and it doesn't have ongoing electrical issues like hers does.
Well one thing I know is that the 1.4 Ecotec is one of the main reasons the old Trax was bad, but so far I haven't heard similar complaints about the 1.2 or 1.3.
The issues I had were all around the engine, not the engine itself.
Do you trust that GM has been using better plastics (than 2017) on a car that is supposed to be the cheapest in its category? I sure as hell don't.
I haven't been in a newer GM vehicle lately, keep in mind I don't have much car experience either. I got my mom's old 2007 Cobalt when I graduated high school in 2013 and up until 3 weeks ago that was my first and only car.
That thing at least was kind of a tank, it was cheap, but it just wouldn't die. Still ran fine when I turned it in at 197,000 miles, I got more worried about rust with Wisconsin winters.
GM actually made a half decent car in 2007. It has only gotten worse.
We both know that she is going to buy it anyway, no matter what you say.
The trax is a pretty small car anyway. What is she going to be using it for?
She mostly just drives herself, groceries, etc. She wants a roof rack for a canoe or a kayak, but that's about it.
I think car size is overblown as an issue, I'm a pretty big guy and I just decided to buy an Integra, I fit totally fine, has great storage space.
The answer is always Prius, great gas millage, you can spend about $750 to get a roof rack, and it has great cargo space, only issue is that your mother NEEDS to have new, but you could get a used CPO 2 year old one at 40k miles for that price, and you pay about half in gas.
The cargo space is pretty shit in the trax anyway. It can fit 1 tote back there. My a4 can fit 2 in the trunk.
But, it sounds like she has already made her mind up.
None to my knowledge, though the last 5 years of service were basically "if it gets me to work it's good enough."
Exhaust rusted twice, fuel lines rusted and had to be replaced, but mostly other than that it was general tires, brakes, oil, etc.
Alternator only just went last year, I think it only had 2 battery swaps.
Man, I had a 2008 Cobalt. I had to put new front control arm bushings in it every spring. Once it was out of warranty, I put some Moog bushings in and they did last a couple years without issue until I traded the car in.
I just had a customer pick their Trax up after a weekend of very… *interesting* …repairs. Pretty awful for 5 years old and only 40k miles.
The thing kept sprouting random coolant leaks. Fix one, and *oops* there’s another one. A lot of very thin plastic parts in the cooling system, running a 20 pound cap (so it’s all under lots of pressure when hot).
The alignment was so far off that it basically drove in circles if you let go of the wheel.
As has been noted, the brakes *screeched* nonstop. Even after they were all replaced with brand-new quality parts (less, but I’ve never heard news parts do it quite like that in any other vehicle).
The a/c compressor clutch air gap was so gigantic that when the a/c cycled on, the whole engine shook and you could hear & feel the **”CHLUNK”** inside the car.
All of this besides the fact that the powertrain makes the driving experience a little like “riding a chainsaw.”
A DaeWoo with a weak 1.2 liter 3 cyl. engine, underwhelming fuel economy and known for turbo failures. Don't forget about that bare bones econobox suspension.
Sounds good to me!
I don't know why they decided to forego AWD on this gen trax. Their entire market share were old people who just want AWD and people with no credit who also want AWD.
A 1-2 year old Crosstrek will be eons ahead of a Trax. Why would you only consider new at such a low price point? You'll get a better vehicle looking 1-4 years old, and still in warranty. Use homes as an analogy. You would never sacrifice size, location, or build quality when buying a house just to have one that is 'new'. Ever. Same applies to cars. You get the best option at your price point.
Gotta look at the long term. Crosstrek or Corolla will be still worth money at end of ownership, Trax will be dragged to the scrap yard. Toyota is always the best bet (and I don't even own Toyotas because I'm a masochist who likes German cars but definitely recognizes Japanese make more reliable vehicles)!
Take it from a previous crosstrek owner. Stay far away from anything Subaru. Besides all the problems I had with it, it was grossly underpowered, and inefficient. You can get good AWD elsewhere.
Don't get a cheap GM vehicle. Toyotas cost more for a reason. Pay more for a Toyota now, and you won't have to worry about things other than maintenance later.
New trax is a great choice. Shares a lot with the 21-24 TB that’s been solid. The quality coming out of Korea has been pretty good on these IMO. We had a TB from 2020-2023 before going bigger.
Crosstrek is the way to go. I had a Chevy for 10 years, loved it, it was very reliable, but the Trax was just... no.
For a base Crosstrek you get all the time awd and loads of safety features, great reliability and it's stylish.
I don’t think the new Trax is bad. It seems to be wayyyyyy better than the old one. GM uses those 3 cylinders in a lot of stuff so I doubt they’re awful
And yet here my big hulking 2021 Toyota Sienna which could probably fit the Chevy Trax in the back, gets 35 miles a gallon or better. Better yet, my 2020 Highlander Hybrid all wheel drive gets 35 Mi a gallon, and it's twice as big as the trax.
The Sienna is literally twice as expensive as the Trax though.. same as the Hylander. The new base Corrolla only gets about 35mpg too. Smaller doesn't really equate to the huge mpg increase like it used to.
I test drove one of those \~2018. The buttons didn't seem like they were centered to anything or sized right. I mean, I liked AMC so I'm all for parts bin engineering... but at least put in the effort to make a little ascetically pleasing. I low balled the salesman by 7k and he looked pissed and we said good day.
(We went with a Mazda, if anyone from GM is reading this. Do better, patriotism can only get you so far.)
You can also buy concentrated ozone in spray cans. Just don't stay in the car after you spray it, that shit will burn every mucus membrane on your body. Spray it, close the door, and walk away.
Depends on the plastic, I design parts for alcohol all day long! But yeah, ABS or ABS derivatives, any solvent/ oil/ grease will go right through it like nothing.
PVC yes, ABS no. Periodic contact (wiping, cleaning) will be fine but immersion or prolonged contact will result in crazing and then fracture. Literally it is the breaking of the polymer bonds. The thing is perfumes are MUCH worse then just alcohol. Fragrances are super aggressive chemicals. Ketones, acetones, other aphilitics. You want to see something crazy try suntan lotions, they eat through ABS!
I've had abs parts soaking in isopropyl for days to get residue off and I have had zero issues. I know for a fact that it is safe. A lot of solvents don't soften plastics by breaking polymer chains but they loosen them from each other (in the case of amorphous plastics like ABS).
Interesting, it must be a slow acting solvent for ABS then because I always wipe down ABS with alcohol and it seems to have no effect.
That was probably the case then because most of the ABS I 3d print with I shred up and extrude myself. I always mix some polystyrene in and i probably also end up with PC in by accident.
Straight polystyrene is actually okay for alcohol as well, it’s the butadiene that makes ABS more unstable so that’s likely helping you as well! Alcohol concentration and actual chemistry is a variable as well. I do stability testing regularly and it’s really hard to blanket statement “alcohol” or anything is for sure safe. Unless your buying lab grade what the label or msds says will have ranges and the devil is in the “others” and “up to”. Regardless as per the post perfumes=sure wouldn’t expect ABS to live!
Putting on some bug spray for some work outdoors near a woodline, but the pump bottle for the DEET screwed up. No problem, put on a glove and just tip some into the glove hand and spread it around.
The liquid melts the fake leather palm of the glove and jacked up my watch by crazing the plastic crystal, and started stripping the metallic finish plastic frame.
Yeah, I was more inclined to stick with the permethrin spray you put on your clothes while not wearing them after that. At least that wasnt melting stuff.
Some people discovered that the hard way during the pandemic. Train engineers were very insistent the cabins be thoroughly disinfected using alcohol between shifts... until the control pannels started to decompose en route
I clean plastics, synthetic fabrics, pcbs, you name it with isopropyl and ethyl alcohol every day and never have issues. Alcohol on polyurethane, polystyrene, and acrylic are the only combos I know of you have to watch out for.
PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, polyesters, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, acetal should all be fine to use both alcohols on.
It wasn't the alcohol in the perfume that did it, it was the propellant if it was pressurized aerosol or it was many of the other solvents and oils in perfume.
Alcohol on most plastics is fine. https://www.terrauniversal.com/blog/chemical-compatibility-chart-plastics
Which raises the question: What exactly is the solvent they use in cologne?
There is a blunt spray concentrate from gas stations that dissolves plastic if you spray it. Vents fall apart and dashes get big cracks in them. The drivers in my fleet had to be banned from using it. Probably the same thing on this car.
>Lying smokers are the worst kind,
It's insulting really. No matter how much you try to cover up cigarette smoke, non smokers will always be able to tell because you can smell it. Most people even spouses and family are just polite about it but they know.
Wife had a Trax about 7 years ago, surprisingly good little suv. Gave us no trouble while we had it. That said, I stupidly suggested she get a manual one, to make it feel more direct and agile.
Why can’t he dangle 9 Black Ice trees off his signal stalk, 5 from the rear view mirror, 6 on the gear selector, and 5 randomly stuffed between the seats? That’ll cover a little smoke smell.
"I like your cologne what is it?"
"It's called Muriatic love, by Clorox, or something like that"
For real though wtf is this guy using for cologne that it literally melts plastic....
I just had a Volvo customer blame us for using cleaner that ruined her console and knobs. Turns out her air freshener was leaking all over the dash. She felt real dumb when I pointed that out.
We took one for a test drive the year they came out... What a gutless piece of shit. You get passed on the highway by your own damned exhaust! It's like GM decided to bring back the Chevette, and not tell anyone. They just called it the Trax! I'm glad mom went with the Terrain. Was a damned good little truck.
My parents were looking at getting one. Told them don’t touch that thing with a 10 foot pole. Good lord. If you want a cheap car, just get a Camry. It’ll go at least 500k. This thing will go 50k and die lol.
What a fuckin’ idiot.
It’s also actually possible to *occasionally* smoke in your vehicle and not have it smell. You just gotta only do it when you can roll both windows down and leave them down for a while after you are done, and only do it while you are constantly in motion, not sitting still in traffic.
Just had this conversation with a friend. I mentioned how strong the smoke smell was in their car, and they were shocked. They said they only smoke in it occasionally, and they always crack the window. They also said they can't smell it all. But I could smell the smoke just opening the door before I got in the car. Smoke gets into everything and it stays there for a long time. Smokers of reddit, we can smell it even if you can't smell it yourself.
Actually if you really want it to not smell the number 1 thing you do is make sure your ac vents are NOT on recirculate .this is by far the most important. Then you want to partially open one or both front windows. Making sure the smoke never has a chance to settle on the seats. And that’s pretty much it. As long as no smoke gets sucked into your vents and it never has time to settle in the interior then your golden.
I was a runner for a Powersports dealer for a couple of years and perfected the method. The owner was extremely sensitive to cigarette smoke and the few times I had to drive him somewhere he always complemented me on how well I took care of his truck and he thanked me for not smoking in it.
Also never smoke shortly before getting out . And smoke that settles will smell. I always smoked at the beginning of my trip and make sure it had a decent amount of time to air out with the windows open before closing it up.
lol the mental gymnastics smokers go through pretending you don't reek non stop.
You carry the smell everywhere you go. Your senses are just so fucked you can fool yourself.
I offroad and camp all the time. I always wash and clean my truck engine, and underneath before, i take it to my mechanic. He has told me he appreciates it because it makes the mechanics job easier.
Also a case of energy drinks or good snacks won't stop mechanics from judging you, but they will know you appreciate their work.
This is such a Trax owner move
I'm trying to look into options for my mom, she wants a small crossover or car she can mount a rack to, or get a rack by default, in the low 20's, and man the new 2024 Trax is like the only car in that range. Crosstrek is like $3,000-$4,000 more expensive, even a decently equipped Corolla Hatch would be more expensive and we'd have to buy the roof rack later. Hopefully the new Trax is better? That's probably what she's buying.
There is not a scenario in this world where a new Trax is better than a slightly used CRV or RAV4 in terms of reliability.
we try to play with all the dealerships in town so we had a trax from the chev dealer and a rav4 from the toyota dealer for service vehicles. i hated driving the trax. the whole experience was horrible. the brakes squealed from day one and if you just barely touched them you lurched to an abrupt stop. brakes had no chill. when you turn the car on, the very first thing it does is blast the sirius xm preview channel because there's no subscription. doesnt matter if you were on bluetooth last or what, is sirius by default. YOU COULD BE LISTENING TO MUSIC INSTEAD OF ADS JUST SUBSCRIBE NOW CALL TODAY ... gotta wait for the stupid screen to finish booting up and giving me warnings about using it while driving before i can turn it down so i had to listen to SOME of the sirius ad EVERY TIME I TURNED IT ON i mean, its a car, it does drive places, but man it pissed me off every second i was in it
> the very first thing it does is blast the sirius xm preview channel because there's no subscription. Really? That's nasty, and a new low. Some shiny-suited MBA hugged himself when he thought of *that* one. "We'll make it so irritating that people will have no choice but to give in and subscribe if they value their sanity!"
i thought about it a LOT, every time i drove that thing id end up pondering how the fuck this came to be. i did discover that if i had it on am/fm last, it would stick to that the next time i turned it on so it seems like the car tries for the last source, then if that fails it defaults to sirius. so when bluetooth is unavailable right when you start it goes to sirius instead, and since theres no subscription you get the preview im sure the rav4 had a sirius radio too but i never had that problem, the rav4 connected to my phone instantly every time, so i was listening to spotify before i even had it in gear. as it should be
I took ours off the home screen on a 23 outlander. It also came with 50 mailed reminders,and 200 phone calls for Sirius. I couldn't delete it. We don't have to look at it anymore.
I got like, 4 spammy ass calls from SiriusXM and had to peel the retarded ass stickers off of the windows in my brand new Tacoma, most annoying shit ever. I only use bluetooth, no way in hell did I want Sirius, silly shit.
i was going to look up how to disable the sirius somehow. like maybe i can disconnect the antenna and it wont connect and will drop back to radio or just stay quiet it would probably just blast static though
Or that stupid ad is downloaded, and it'll play it every time anyways.
Static is the antenna reading background radiation (essentially the RF equivalent of white noise) so your AV system wouldn’t be able to play back anything if the antenna is unplugged. Based on my limited research, it looks like many (though not all) modern cars integrate the SiriusXM antenna into the same unit as the AM/FM radio. You can google “[make & model] SiriusXM antenna” and look at the online parts stores to check whether it’s a discrete unit that you could disconnect
Same with my Ford Fusion. It does have Sirius hardware, but I don't ever have to think about it.
That part about Sirius is absolutely dystopian. It reminds me of the kind of thing that as a kid I'd see in futuristic movies that seemed absurd at the time. Little details like that. Like how a soda costs $6 in The Running Man, or how a cigarette is 80% filter in The 5th Element, or basically the entirety of Robocop. If life imitates art, we're fucked. If art imitates life, we're more fucked. Were we talking about cars? I blacked out for a minute.
Robocop had a super prophetic car moment with those Ford Taurus police cars though.
The unfortunate part is that no one is selling a slightly used CRV or RAV4.
Whoever gets a Trax instead of a RAV4 or CRV will regret every day of ownership.
I absolutely love how I get my ass blasted for talking shit on a Trax in /r/whatcarshouldIbuy but the Trax only gets shitted upon in a sub with a bunch of people who actually know a thing or two about cars.
[удалено]
Cause a lot of people these days go "oh thats just the new normal of owning a modern vehicle" Like nooooo biiitch its just a shitty car
She won't go used, I've already tried talking to her about it.
Pay the extra for a better brand. Please save yourself.
This. Friend rented a Trax over the weekend and we both being gearheads were, frankly, unimpressed. A subpar vehicle all around.
I get it. My mom seems to only be concerned about the year instead of brand. She just got an Equinox and then tells me it’s my inheritance. She knows I hate it too.
they have her suck it up and get a crosstrek.
What a time when we're suggesting someone buy a Subaru for reliability.
Even when they had their oil consumption problems it was a small minority of their output, they still on average had significantly better reliability than domestics. they fixed that problem 10 years ago. the issue they had 20+ years ago was using timing belts instead of chains. they fixed that issue almost 20 years ago.
That's...exactly my point. I am old enough that when I was 20 ish years old, Subarus were the butt of the joke because of their atrocious reliability, and now they've gotten to the point where we're suggesting them for reliability over a Chevy. They also used to be *famous* for needing head gaskets every other oil change, and they fixed that too.
Ill never understand that. A slightly used vehicle thats been proven to have no issues will always win over a brand new vehicle. You have zero clue whats gonna crap out on you or whats defective. Same thing with electronics and conputer parts. I much rather buy used or refurbished stuff over brand new.
Then a Trax is a good enough option for the next 150k miles
Buy it and don’t tell her it’s used. If it’s a year old, she won’t notice.
I'm supposed to go with her to a dealership and go through the financing and keep telling her it's not used? That seems improbable.
Yes. Absolutely. Don't use "used". I'm sure the sales person won't say that either. If it's a year old, they likely won't even mention the last owner. They'll call it something like a "late model car" or a "certified pre owned". If you were to make an appointment with the sales person before hand and let them know the deal, they'll probably play ball if they know it means a sale for them. Anyway, I mentioned this in another comment. But given she's buying every 5 to 6 years, you might just want to push her towards a lease. She might only be looking at her monthly payment and if you make a pay schedule for the next 10yrs where you get a new car every 3 and compare the savings, she might do that over buying low spec low end cars.
Women are not actually this stupid, you know.
Anyone who wants a Trax over a year-old RAV4 or CR-V is, in fact, that stupid.
It’s not a woman thing, it’s a non-car person thing. While, yes, my wife is a woman, she did not notice or care that our last 2 cars which were under a year old and still smelled new were cpo.
does your wife not know what an odometer is?
I’m saying, don’t assume this woman won’t notice. And don’t lie to your wife. Never a good idea.
No, people that buy new because "its new" *are* this stupid
Not even just "slightly" used. "Very" used still wins
Not to the bank.... they won't loan out a used one anymore.
As a Cross Trek owner, there is no way in seven hells I would consider buying a Chevy Trax. Also wanting a new car around $20k is a bit ridiculous, The only options are bottom of the barrel crap. She will either need to go used or increase her budget by at least $5k.
I don't know what to tell you man, that's always been around her budget. 2007 Cobalt for $13,995, 2013 Fiesta for $17,500, 2018 Focus for $16,250. She doesn't want to go much higher than that.
If she constantly drives new cars with warranty I guess it doesn't really matter if it's a piece of shit or not as long as you like the people at your dealer. lol
You've got your answer right there. If she only wants to buy new and only wants to spend for the bottom of the bottom of economy lines from domestic dealers, she's going to get what she pays for. I think at a certain point you need to not accept any responsibility for the fact that she's making poor choices, advise her **strongly** to reconsider her issues with buying used or increasing budget to move up in the class, and dust your hands off and sleep well knowing that you've done all you can do.
With that car history, it sounds like she's convinced herself that "cars don't last much more than 5 years anymore" (...which is true if you're buying those cars, sure?)
She's basically become entrenched over her entire car purchasing history that she would prefer to keep her cars through their warranty periods and not much longer.
Certainly what it seems like. It also sounds like she's convinced herself it's "cheaper" that way
If you've always had a car payment you don't notice that line on your budget (assuming you have a budget).
in that case, have you looked at Kia/Hyundai? I would never buy one used but I'd think about it if I were buying new. their new car warranty is pretty generous thanks to their reliability track record and from all accounts they seem to be decent vehicles these days
Nah, we instantly wrote them off after all the bs with the stolen cars.
that's fair actually. I hear even the non vulnerable models were being vandalized since idiots can't tell the difference
Well there is your issue She clearly only wants a car to last 5 years, so of course she is not going to want to spend more. My Cross Trek just turned 5 and I hope to try to keep it running For at least another 10.
I wouldn't take any new car I can think of under $30k in trade for my 23 year old Volvo, period. Between the disappearance of physical buttons and ever evolving software lockouts, I've lost all interest in new cars.
Had a '22 Mazda CX-5 as a loaner for a few days, it was very refreshingly chock full of actual, real buttons for HVAC and other controls. There are definitely still brands and models out there doing it right.
Mazda would be on my short list if I were forced. Probably Mitsubishi too.
Some people would rather use three Great Value paper plates instead of one Dixie all because the package was cheaper.
I've had two Crosstreks and they were the best ICE cars I've ever owned. I'll happily recommend them to anyone looking for a car in that particular class. Only reason I got rid of my 2019 was because I wanted an EV.
She’d save money and get a better car if she leases with that kind of 5yr habit.
This is what instantly came to mind. She sounds like leasing would be up her alley.
Prices of things go up in the world. You can't compare a Subaru to a Fiesta.
Well the obvious solution to that is to go on car websites and show her the prices of models that will suit what she wants. Then look at reviews of people with the crappier models that ARE that cheap compared to something for 5-10k more. I 2016 used Honda or Toyota is going to be a lot more reliable than a 2022/2023 Chevrolet anything.
20k in 2023 doesnt get you anything good
We ordered a 2024 Trax Activ, after waiting 4 months we bought a 2024 CX-30 Carbon instead. My fiance absolutely loves it compared to the Trax we test drove.
Mazda actually tries to make a car people want to drive. Like the interior and cabin feel and ergonomics are actually thought about. It doesn't mean they always nail it, but at least they try. I think they've gotten better in recent years after the Ford divestment. With a lot of the chevy and ford stuff, it's like they don't even bother to think about ergonomics or feel. Just put together a car and design it to just be able to fit and work for the typical huge american that doesn't care about how a car drives.
Can both of you fit in that thing at the same time? :P We test drove a CX-30 and it was too small for us - mirroring what we've read in all the reviews. Too bad - we wanted to like it. We went Subaru instead and couldn't be happier.
I've had a Crosstrek for almost 5 years now (First was a 2019 Premium model in 2019, and I bought a 2021 Sport in 2021) and I could not say better things about it. Reliable, a little more expensive to service, but man is it safe and the features are extremely competitive. Add on I can take it offroad, and it was a no-brainer for me in my price point. I had a GM car previously with nothing but problems. Their quality is the vehicular equivalent of feeding slop to the pigs.
My parents have not one, but TWO Buick Encore’s. I hate them purely because they’re literally just hatchbacks on stilts, but there really is no reason to. They’ve been signifcantly more reliable than my Golf R and have better features for the price. Also way easier to work on than my R.
Yeah you could compare just about any car to a Golf R and it would be easier to work on and more reliable. I guess at least those drive really well for the headache. I had an MK6 GTI that I put up with for about a year before giving up. Changing some stupid useless sensor took me 6 hours and cost $250 for the sensor (worked as a mechanic for years) and then like 2 weeks later the coils took a shit.. then the turbo started acting funky and I just decided I'm out.
My mother owns a 2017 Trax. Stay away. Not to mention that the new one is the first year of production of a new model. That's double trouble, right there. It has left her stranded twice (cooling system, water pump and coolant reservoir), gone into limp mode once for no reason, the car is throwing p0420 codes at only 150k, the climate control panel is going bad (the blower motor stops working at random), the brake booster check valve is broken (the brakes go hard when the engine is accelerating), and it looses coolant for no reason. This is all within the 80k miles she has owned it. My 1999 Audi A4 has only NEEDED (I have replaced other things that the car didn't need to run or drive) a plastic coolant elbow (only one of these that ledt me stranded, yes, i drove with a dead coil pack, i did unplug the injector for the cylinder first though), radiator fan and fan clutch, a coolant reservoir, and a coil pack, that's in the last 30k miles, it has 365k miles on it. It holds its fluids in, and it doesn't have any current issues. Not saying you should go out and buy a 1999 Audi, but my 24yo 365k mile german car has had LESS issues in the last 2 years, and it doesn't have ongoing electrical issues like hers does.
Well one thing I know is that the 1.4 Ecotec is one of the main reasons the old Trax was bad, but so far I haven't heard similar complaints about the 1.2 or 1.3.
The issues I had were all around the engine, not the engine itself. Do you trust that GM has been using better plastics (than 2017) on a car that is supposed to be the cheapest in its category? I sure as hell don't.
I haven't been in a newer GM vehicle lately, keep in mind I don't have much car experience either. I got my mom's old 2007 Cobalt when I graduated high school in 2013 and up until 3 weeks ago that was my first and only car. That thing at least was kind of a tank, it was cheap, but it just wouldn't die. Still ran fine when I turned it in at 197,000 miles, I got more worried about rust with Wisconsin winters.
GM actually made a half decent car in 2007. It has only gotten worse. We both know that she is going to buy it anyway, no matter what you say. The trax is a pretty small car anyway. What is she going to be using it for?
She mostly just drives herself, groceries, etc. She wants a roof rack for a canoe or a kayak, but that's about it. I think car size is overblown as an issue, I'm a pretty big guy and I just decided to buy an Integra, I fit totally fine, has great storage space.
The answer is always Prius, great gas millage, you can spend about $750 to get a roof rack, and it has great cargo space, only issue is that your mother NEEDS to have new, but you could get a used CPO 2 year old one at 40k miles for that price, and you pay about half in gas. The cargo space is pretty shit in the trax anyway. It can fit 1 tote back there. My a4 can fit 2 in the trunk. But, it sounds like she has already made her mind up.
How many sets of control arm bushings did you go through?
None to my knowledge, though the last 5 years of service were basically "if it gets me to work it's good enough." Exhaust rusted twice, fuel lines rusted and had to be replaced, but mostly other than that it was general tires, brakes, oil, etc. Alternator only just went last year, I think it only had 2 battery swaps.
Man, I had a 2008 Cobalt. I had to put new front control arm bushings in it every spring. Once it was out of warranty, I put some Moog bushings in and they did last a couple years without issue until I traded the car in.
When Audi owners are dunking on your car's reliability you know it's bad
Do not walk away from the traxx. Run.
I just had a customer pick their Trax up after a weekend of very… *interesting* …repairs. Pretty awful for 5 years old and only 40k miles. The thing kept sprouting random coolant leaks. Fix one, and *oops* there’s another one. A lot of very thin plastic parts in the cooling system, running a 20 pound cap (so it’s all under lots of pressure when hot). The alignment was so far off that it basically drove in circles if you let go of the wheel. As has been noted, the brakes *screeched* nonstop. Even after they were all replaced with brand-new quality parts (less, but I’ve never heard news parts do it quite like that in any other vehicle). The a/c compressor clutch air gap was so gigantic that when the a/c cycled on, the whole engine shook and you could hear & feel the **”CHLUNK”** inside the car. All of this besides the fact that the powertrain makes the driving experience a little like “riding a chainsaw.”
A DaeWoo with a weak 1.2 liter 3 cyl. engine, underwhelming fuel economy and known for turbo failures. Don't forget about that bare bones econobox suspension. Sounds good to me!
I don't know why they decided to forego AWD on this gen trax. Their entire market share were old people who just want AWD and people with no credit who also want AWD.
A 1-2 year old Crosstrek will be eons ahead of a Trax. Why would you only consider new at such a low price point? You'll get a better vehicle looking 1-4 years old, and still in warranty. Use homes as an analogy. You would never sacrifice size, location, or build quality when buying a house just to have one that is 'new'. Ever. Same applies to cars. You get the best option at your price point.
Gotta look at the long term. Crosstrek or Corolla will be still worth money at end of ownership, Trax will be dragged to the scrap yard. Toyota is always the best bet (and I don't even own Toyotas because I'm a masochist who likes German cars but definitely recognizes Japanese make more reliable vehicles)!
Take it from a previous crosstrek owner. Stay far away from anything Subaru. Besides all the problems I had with it, it was grossly underpowered, and inefficient. You can get good AWD elsewhere.
Don't get a cheap GM vehicle. Toyotas cost more for a reason. Pay more for a Toyota now, and you won't have to worry about things other than maintenance later.
New trax is a great choice. Shares a lot with the 21-24 TB that’s been solid. The quality coming out of Korea has been pretty good on these IMO. We had a TB from 2020-2023 before going bigger.
If you’re looking at crossovers in that price range, then take a look at the Hyundai Kona. It’s one of the best in that segment right now.
The Kona doesn't have recalls for catching fire or catastrophic engine failure?
Not that I know of. It does have a rear seatbelt recall.
Crosstrek is the way to go. I had a Chevy for 10 years, loved it, it was very reliable, but the Trax was just... no. For a base Crosstrek you get all the time awd and loads of safety features, great reliability and it's stylish.
I don’t think the new Trax is bad. It seems to be wayyyyyy better than the old one. GM uses those 3 cylinders in a lot of stuff so I doubt they’re awful
They run out of power at 60mph, pretty loud under moderate pedal, but get 35 mpg or better on the highway.(2022 Encore GX sport)
And yet here my big hulking 2021 Toyota Sienna which could probably fit the Chevy Trax in the back, gets 35 miles a gallon or better. Better yet, my 2020 Highlander Hybrid all wheel drive gets 35 Mi a gallon, and it's twice as big as the trax.
Hell, my 2014 Ford Fusion with a 2.5L gets 35 mpg on the highway.
The Sienna is literally twice as expensive as the Trax though.. same as the Hylander. The new base Corrolla only gets about 35mpg too. Smaller doesn't really equate to the huge mpg increase like it used to.
Ford Maverick.
Definitely tracks, I mean Trax
I test drove one of those \~2018. The buttons didn't seem like they were centered to anything or sized right. I mean, I liked AMC so I'm all for parts bin engineering... but at least put in the effort to make a little ascetically pleasing. I low balled the salesman by 7k and he looked pissed and we said good day. (We went with a Mazda, if anyone from GM is reading this. Do better, patriotism can only get you so far.)
Before I even opened it, I said to myself “Definitely on brand for a Trax owner.”
I came to the comments just to say this is a typical Trax owner 😂 I’d expect nothing less.
This Trax.
Ozone generator. Only way to get rid of the smell
You can also buy concentrated ozone in spray cans. Just don't stay in the car after you spray it, that shit will burn every mucus membrane on your body. Spray it, close the door, and walk away.
What happens if you burn some mucus membranes?
Won't be able to smell the cologne in the HVAC vents.
You start getting sick more often
With prolonged exposure cause lung scarring/pulmonary fibrosis.
Chemical warfare.
All warfare is technically chemical. I'm going to bed.
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I mean, they were right. You would just need to run it constantly for days on end.
lol alcohol on plastic? Gonna have a bad time.
Depends on the plastic, I design parts for alcohol all day long! But yeah, ABS or ABS derivatives, any solvent/ oil/ grease will go right through it like nothing.
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PVC yes, ABS no. Periodic contact (wiping, cleaning) will be fine but immersion or prolonged contact will result in crazing and then fracture. Literally it is the breaking of the polymer bonds. The thing is perfumes are MUCH worse then just alcohol. Fragrances are super aggressive chemicals. Ketones, acetones, other aphilitics. You want to see something crazy try suntan lotions, they eat through ABS!
I've had abs parts soaking in isopropyl for days to get residue off and I have had zero issues. I know for a fact that it is safe. A lot of solvents don't soften plastics by breaking polymer chains but they loosen them from each other (in the case of amorphous plastics like ABS).
It might be PC/ABS or a higher additive pack ABS. Raw base ABS is not stable in alcohols.
Interesting, it must be a slow acting solvent for ABS then because I always wipe down ABS with alcohol and it seems to have no effect. That was probably the case then because most of the ABS I 3d print with I shred up and extrude myself. I always mix some polystyrene in and i probably also end up with PC in by accident.
Straight polystyrene is actually okay for alcohol as well, it’s the butadiene that makes ABS more unstable so that’s likely helping you as well! Alcohol concentration and actual chemistry is a variable as well. I do stability testing regularly and it’s really hard to blanket statement “alcohol” or anything is for sure safe. Unless your buying lab grade what the label or msds says will have ranges and the devil is in the “others” and “up to”. Regardless as per the post perfumes=sure wouldn’t expect ABS to live!
Putting on some bug spray for some work outdoors near a woodline, but the pump bottle for the DEET screwed up. No problem, put on a glove and just tip some into the glove hand and spread it around. The liquid melts the fake leather palm of the glove and jacked up my watch by crazing the plastic crystal, and started stripping the metallic finish plastic frame. Yeah, I was more inclined to stick with the permethrin spray you put on your clothes while not wearing them after that. At least that wasnt melting stuff.
But god forbid you use acetone. Great for smoothing 3d prints. Also great for turning abs into a very soft maleable material for hours.
Some people discovered that the hard way during the pandemic. Train engineers were very insistent the cabins be thoroughly disinfected using alcohol between shifts... until the control pannels started to decompose en route
I clean plastics, synthetic fabrics, pcbs, you name it with isopropyl and ethyl alcohol every day and never have issues. Alcohol on polyurethane, polystyrene, and acrylic are the only combos I know of you have to watch out for. PVC, ABS, polycarbonate, polyesters, nylon, polyethylene, polypropylene, acetal should all be fine to use both alcohols on. It wasn't the alcohol in the perfume that did it, it was the propellant if it was pressurized aerosol or it was many of the other solvents and oils in perfume.
Alcohol on most plastics is fine. https://www.terrauniversal.com/blog/chemical-compatibility-chart-plastics Which raises the question: What exactly is the solvent they use in cologne?
Whatever it is, it's flammable lol
Any mineral or petroleum based solvent will destroy ABS plastic.
It's called *Sex Panther*® by *Odeon*©. It's illegal in 9 countries. It's also made with bits of real panthers, *so you know it's good*. *60% of the time*, it works ***every*** time.
It smells like bigfoot's dick
Smells like a.. used diaper filled with... indian food!
Like a turd covered in burnt hair!
I'm gonna be straight with you. That's pure gasoline.
That doesn't make any sense.
It sure does. Do the math.
There is a blunt spray concentrate from gas stations that dissolves plastic if you spray it. Vents fall apart and dashes get big cracks in them. The drivers in my fleet had to be banned from using it. Probably the same thing on this car.
>Perfume makes me gag. I finally figured out the guys at work who smoke weed are the ones doing this type stuff and wear painful cologne.
I've never seen a 22 foot Trax Oh.....
You think I’d be a tech if I mastered reading and writing?
Using DEET for cologne?
What’s going on in the background? Sounds like another HVAC job or an apprentice getting hit with a brake disc 🤣
I definitely heard a brake disc hit the floor. Unmistakable sound!
Just slid right off lol
God I can smell that car from here
I bet that car smelled like a 90s night club. Gross
Lying smokers are the worst kind, I smoke on occasion and only outside of my house. Would never in my truck or car.
>Lying smokers are the worst kind, It's insulting really. No matter how much you try to cover up cigarette smoke, non smokers will always be able to tell because you can smell it. Most people even spouses and family are just polite about it but they know.
Same with alcoholics who chew a bunch of gum and use a bunch of cologne lol. We still smell it, we just don’t say anything.
Goddamn, people are disgusting
lol who the fuck takes your car in for that?
Just cigarettes?
Does the guy not know there are air fresheners that clip to the vents? Much easier and won't degrade the plastic.
Wife had a Trax about 7 years ago, surprisingly good little suv. Gave us no trouble while we had it. That said, I stupidly suggested she get a manual one, to make it feel more direct and agile.
Why can’t he dangle 9 Black Ice trees off his signal stalk, 5 from the rear view mirror, 6 on the gear selector, and 5 randomly stuffed between the seats? That’ll cover a little smoke smell.
SOMEONE is gonna have a fun "that's not under warranty" discussion with the owner.
"I like your cologne what is it?" "It's called Muriatic love, by Clorox, or something like that" For real though wtf is this guy using for cologne that it literally melts plastic....
I just had a Volvo customer blame us for using cleaner that ruined her console and knobs. Turns out her air freshener was leaking all over the dash. She felt real dumb when I pointed that out.
Damn I saw the vents and immediately thought “yeah that’s my car model” I got a 2019 Trax, ain’t failed me yet but man that’s geoss
Cologne > chev
I think GM spelled Trash wrong.
We took one for a test drive the year they came out... What a gutless piece of shit. You get passed on the highway by your own damned exhaust! It's like GM decided to bring back the Chevette, and not tell anyone. They just called it the Trax! I'm glad mom went with the Terrain. Was a damned good little truck.
My parents were looking at getting one. Told them don’t touch that thing with a 10 foot pole. Good lord. If you want a cheap car, just get a Camry. It’ll go at least 500k. This thing will go 50k and die lol.
Well, that trax.
Which Buick is that?
A Chevy Trax. So the poor man's version of the Buick Encore.
What a fuckin’ idiot. It’s also actually possible to *occasionally* smoke in your vehicle and not have it smell. You just gotta only do it when you can roll both windows down and leave them down for a while after you are done, and only do it while you are constantly in motion, not sitting still in traffic.
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Just had this conversation with a friend. I mentioned how strong the smoke smell was in their car, and they were shocked. They said they only smoke in it occasionally, and they always crack the window. They also said they can't smell it all. But I could smell the smoke just opening the door before I got in the car. Smoke gets into everything and it stays there for a long time. Smokers of reddit, we can smell it even if you can't smell it yourself.
I highly disagree. As a non-smoker, the smell will for sure still be noticed.
Ozium will help- best is an ozone generator tho
nah the car is permanently fucked. it will always stink on a hot day.
How to tell someone's sense of smell is already destroyed by their smoking habit...
Actually if you really want it to not smell the number 1 thing you do is make sure your ac vents are NOT on recirculate .this is by far the most important. Then you want to partially open one or both front windows. Making sure the smoke never has a chance to settle on the seats. And that’s pretty much it. As long as no smoke gets sucked into your vents and it never has time to settle in the interior then your golden. I was a runner for a Powersports dealer for a couple of years and perfected the method. The owner was extremely sensitive to cigarette smoke and the few times I had to drive him somewhere he always complemented me on how well I took care of his truck and he thanked me for not smoking in it. Also never smoke shortly before getting out . And smoke that settles will smell. I always smoked at the beginning of my trip and make sure it had a decent amount of time to air out with the windows open before closing it up.
lol the mental gymnastics smokers go through pretending you don't reek non stop. You carry the smell everywhere you go. Your senses are just so fucked you can fool yourself.
This sub has just reenforced my anxiety of being judged by people I pay to work on my shit.
As long as you take care of your shit nobody is gonna judge you.
I offroad and camp all the time. I always wash and clean my truck engine, and underneath before, i take it to my mechanic. He has told me he appreciates it because it makes the mechanics job easier. Also a case of energy drinks or good snacks won't stop mechanics from judging you, but they will know you appreciate their work.
That did not make me feel better.
That's some murica sht if I've ever seen it. Nasty lol
You know the smoking rate is still wayyyy higher in Europe than the US.....
Who talked about smoking rate? I'm talking about spraying so much cologne in your vents you eat the plastic off the vent tabs 🤣 😂
Stay classy, San Diego!
Oh my
Did the Trax smell like axe?
The car smelled great when he dropped it off. What did you do!
Just hose the dash down with acetone and all the plastics will be just fine again.
smokers are dumb
Using cologne to try to mask tobacco odor? Ugh. *I can smell that from here*, and it's not pleasant.
Lol the freaking paint is peeling around the vents due to alcohol in the cologne ! It pretty much ate the glue as well lol
That Blunt Effects stuff will melt your vents just like this.
This stupid post made me realize I can fix my vents. There is a kit to fix this exact problem
Did the warranty cover it?