Compare the2022 Chevrolet TraxVS 2022 Kia Sportage

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Chevrolet Trax has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sportage doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Trax has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Sportage doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Trax and the Sportage have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Kia Sportage:

	Trax	Sportage
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	122	207
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	72 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	207	222
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.6 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	42%
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	151 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Kia Sportage:

	Trax	Sportage
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	87
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.7 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	239
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	56 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	707 lbs.	873 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Chevrolet Trax is safer than the Sportage:

	Trax	Sportage
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	188	209
Neck Tension	223 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	8 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	848 lbs.	1874 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	126	302
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	2.2 in
Shoulder Force	201 lbs.	379 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.34 in	2.13 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	14 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The Trax’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Sportage’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

There are almost 4 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trax’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Trax’s reliability 34 points higher than the Sportage.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Trax higher (7 out of 10) than the Kia Sportage (5 to 7). This means the Trax produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Sportage every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Trax stops shorter than the Sportage:

	Trax	Sportage
70 to 0 MPH	166 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	118 feet	Motor Trend

Chassis

The Trax is 8.8 inches shorter than the Sportage, making the Trax easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The front step up height for the Trax is 1.7 inches lower than the Sportage (16.8” vs. 18.5”). The Trax’s rear step up height is 2.6 inches lower than the Sportage’s (16.8” vs. 19.4”).

Ergonomics

The Trax’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Sportage’s standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Trax LT has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Sportage doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Trax is less expensive to operate than the Sportage because it costs $154 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Trax than the Sportage, including $128 less for fuel injection, $19 less for front struts and $477 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Trax will be $1316 to $8328 less than for the Kia Sportage.

Recommendations

The Chevrolet Trax outsold the Kia Sportage by 26% during 2020.