2026 Chevrolet Trax vs 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax emerged as a more appealing option for those seeking an affordable vehicle after Chevy streamlined its lineup, eliminating models like the Cruze and Sonic. This second-generation Trax adopted a more car-like design, sharing its proportions with the Buick Envista, while maintaining enough SUV styling elements to satisfy marketing demands. The result was a small vehicle with a lot of personality, featuring Blazer-like headlights, a wide grille, and a tall front end. The sides were defined by chunky wheel arches and a pronounced rib in the doors, while a laid-back windshield and upward arc of the rear side windows gave it a sleeker appearance. The Trax's wide stance and imposing grille added a touch of SUV toughness to its overall look.

Inside, the Trax's entry-level status was evident with its rubbery surfaces, but the design details were a cut above. Large, round air vents and contrasting trim helped distract from the economical materials, and the layout of the instrument cluster and touchscreen was reminiscent of a Corvette. The interior was mostly basic black, but the LT test car's gray door panels and dashboard trim, along with blue accents, added a touch of flair. Cloth upholstery was standard on the LS and 1RS trims, while other trim levels featured suede-like Evotex or a combination of the two.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, on the other hand, offered a more conservative and familiar design, drawing inspiration from the previous-generation RAV4. This approach made sense given the RAV4's popularity, resulting in a vehicle that looked and felt like a larger RAV4 with seating for up to eight and ample cargo space. The interior emphasized function over form, with a layer of luxury in the Platinum trim. Glossy hard plastic and unlined storage surfaces explained the impressive value of the base Grand Highlander LE. The controls were logically laid out, with matte black surfaces and white iconography, and the climate system was simple to use with large temperature-adjustment knobs. However, the infotainment interface had a tiny volume knob and lacked a tuning knob, which could be frustrating for some users.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax was equipped with a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive, provided a confident driving experience. Despite having one less cylinder than the norm, the Trax offered more power than the naturally-aspirated 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine in the Hyundai Venue. The Trax accelerated eagerly from stops and maintained its performance at higher speeds, with no discernible turbo lag. The conventional geared automatic transmission contributed to its drivability, offering less delay between engine revving and power application compared to a CVT.

The Trax felt poised on twisty roads, with a stable and car-like demeanor, although it exhibited significant body roll and limited grip. The electric power steering was responsive, allowing drivers to take advantage of the Trax's small size. The suspension was competent, providing a comfortable ride by blunting the worst bumps. Active noise cancellation helped close the refinement gap with the Buick Envista, though some tire noise and engine drone were still evident.

In contrast, the 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max focused on performance with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and electronic full-time AWD with two electric motors, producing 362 net horsepower. This setup allowed the Grand Highlander to accelerate quickly, with the traditional six-speed automatic transmission avoiding the droning common in CVTs. The Hybrid Max offered a fuel economy of 27 mpg, compared to the Grand Highlander Hybrid's 36 mpg, but it could tow up to 5,000 pounds.

During testing, the Hybrid Max averaged 23.3 mpg on a mountainous evaluation loop, with an expected 24-25 mpg in typical driving conditions. The powertrain's rewarding acceleration made merging onto freeways and maneuvering in traffic easy. The Grand Highlander provided a soft, isolating ride, absorbing speed humps and bumps, though undulations in the road could cause vertical bounding and lateral rocking. Handling was secure up to a modest point, with early tire scrub and squeal, but it felt confidence-inspiring at a slower pace. Outward visibility was excellent, aided by front, rear, and top-down cameras, though the front camera's frequent takeover of the infotainment screen was a minor annoyance.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax offered competitive interior space for a pint-sized crossover, with headroom comparable to the Hyundai Kona and Subaru Crosstrek. While the Subaru provided an extra inch of front legroom, the Trax gave rear-seat passengers an additional 2.2 inches of legroom. The Trax's second-row legroom advantage was about four inches compared to the Hyundai Venue and Nissan Kicks. With 25.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 54.1 cubic feet with the seats folded, the Trax compared well with other crossovers of its size. The tall seating position made ingress and egress easy, and forward visibility was impressive, though the rear view was less clear. The front seats were positioned far inboard, allowing for large door pockets but limiting center console storage.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid provided comfortable seating in all three rows, with nearly 100 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. The Platinum-trim test vehicle featured a Portobello interior with leather and artificial suede upholstery, adding an upscale touch. The front and second-row seats offered heating, ventilation, and supportive cushions. However, the long rear doors required ample space to open, making it challenging to buckle a child into a safety seat. The second-row captain's chairs with a removable center console created a pass-through for easy third-row access. The rearmost seats were reasonably comfortable for adults and tall teens, with ample crush space for safety. The Grand Highlander offered 20.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 57.9 cubic feet with the seats folded, and 97.5 cubic feet with the second row down.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, and a four-speaker audio system on the LS base model. Higher trim levels featured an 11-inch touchscreen, an all-digital 8-inch instrument cluster, and a six-speaker sound system. Two USB ports for connectivity were standard, with additional charge-only ports for rear-seat passengers on all but the LS trim. The LT model's digital cluster was easily readable, with a large centered speed readout and other information displayed in concentric circles. The big touchscreen had a sensible layout, though the analog volume knob was hard to reach, posing an ergonomic issue for both the driver and front passenger.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid featured a 7-inch digital driver display with traditional analog gauges in LE and XLE trims, while Limited, Nightshade, and Platinum trims boasted a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel. All models had a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and access to Apple Music and Amazon Music accounts. Toyota Connected Services offered features like a Wi-Fi hotspot, automatic collision notification, and a digital voice assistant. The infotainment system was user-friendly, though the inability to view two main-menu screens simultaneously and the low-contrast font were minor drawbacks. The digital voice assistant responded accurately to commands, and the Platinum test car included a color head-up display, a camera-based digital rear-view mirror, and a JBL premium audio system.

The 2026 Chevrolet Trax came equipped with standard driver-assist features, including automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, and a following distance indicator. Higher trim levels offered adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and rear park assist in option packages. Chevy's Teen Driver monitoring system activated all available safety features and allowed parents to monitor their teens' driving behavior. However, full safety ratings were not yet available, and the Trax received a "Poor" rating in the IIHS's updated moderate overlap front crash test, with low marks for headlights and front-crash prevention tech.

The 2026 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, offering a comprehensive suite of standard safety features and driver-assistance technologies. Proactive Driving Assist (PDA) was also standard, though it could be irritating in certain situations. The Grand Highlander's safety tech operated with accuracy and refinement, though the lane-keep assist system occasionally strayed too close to lane markers. The Grand Highlander earned a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA but fell short of the IIHS's Top Safety Pick rating due to "Acceptable" ratings for headlight performance and small overlap frontal-impact protection.