Compare the2024 Mazda CX-5VS 2024 Chevrolet Trax

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mazda CX-5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Trax doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The CX-5 has standard Whiplash-Reducing Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Trax doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The CX-5 Turbo Signature has standard Smart Brake Support-Rear that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Trax doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The CX-5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Trax doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature has a standard 360° Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Trax only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The CX-5 has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Trax’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the CX-5 has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Trax.

The CX-5 Turbo Signature’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trax doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the CX-5 and the Trax have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The Mazda CX-5 weighs 714 to 787 pounds more than the Chevrolet Trax. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

Warranty

The CX-5’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Trax’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the CX-5’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Trax’s camshafts. If the Trax’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

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 CX-5’s reliability 15 points higher than the Trax.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Mazda vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mazda 13 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The CX-5’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 50 more horsepower (187 vs. 137) and 23 lbs.-ft. more torque (185 vs. 162) than the Trax’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The CX-5’s optional 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 119 more horsepower (256 vs. 137) and 158 lbs.-ft. more torque (320 vs. 162) than the Trax’s 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mazda CX-5 is faster than the Chevrolet Trax:

	CX-5 4 cyl.	CX-5 turbo 4 cyl.	Trax
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	6.1 sec	8.8 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	23.6 sec	16.9 sec	30.5 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	8.4 sec	6.6 sec	9.5 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.8 sec	3.2 sec	4.8 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	5.5 sec	4.6 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter Mile	16.2 sec	14.7 sec	16.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	85 MPH	94 MPH	81 MPH
Top Speed	124 MPH	130 MPH	115 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the CX-5 (except Turbo)’s fuel efficiency. The Trax doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The CX-5 has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Trax (15.3 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The CX-5 has a standard locking fuel door. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Trax. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the CX-5 Turbo’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Trax:

	CX-5 Turbo	Trax
Front Rotors	12.6 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	11.9 inches	11.3 inches

The CX-5 stops much shorter than the Trax:

	CX-5	Trax
70 to 0 MPH	167 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Mazda CX-5 has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trax has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The CX-5 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the CX-5 flat and controlled during cornering. The Trax’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The CX-5 has engine speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Trax doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the CX-5 is 1.4 inches wider in the front and .5 inches wider in the rear than on the Trax.

The CX-5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57% to 43%) than the Trax’s (61% to 39%). This gives the CX-5 more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the CX-5’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Trax’s (36 feet vs. 38 feet).

Passenger Space

The CX-5 has 3.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Trax (103.6 vs. 99.8).

The CX-5 has .1 inches more front headroom, 3.1 inches more front hip room, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom, 10 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trax.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the CX-5’s rear seats recline. The Trax’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trax with its rear seat up (30 vs. 25.6 cubic feet). The CX-5 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trax with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 54.1 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the CX-5’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Trax doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the CX-5 Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Trax doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Towing

The CX-5 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Trax has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the CX-5 Preferred/Carbon/Premium/Turbo, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position. The Trax doesn’t offer memory seats.

The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Trax doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The CX-5’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Trax’s power windows’ switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The CX-5 has a standard Advanced Keyless Entry and Start that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access costs extra on the Trax.

The CX-5’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Trax’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the CX-5 Premium/Turbo has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Trax doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The CX-5’s optional rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trax doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

The CX-5 has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Trax. The CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Trax.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the CX-5 Premium Plus/Turbo keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Trax doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The CX-5 has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Trax doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Trax doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the CX-5 and the Trax offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the CX-5 Select/Preferred/Carbon Edition/Premium/Turbo has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Trax doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

With standard voice command, the CX-5 offers the driver hands free control of the radio and the navigation computer by simply speaking. The Trax doesn’t offer a voice control system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Mazda CX-5, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Trax isn't recommended.

The Mazda CX-5 outsold the Chevrolet Trax by 41% during 2023.