2026 Chevrolet Trax: Douglaston Buyers Guide
Quick Answer: The 2026 Chevrolet Trax at a Glance
The 2026 Chevrolet Trax comes in five trims: LS (MSRP from $21,700), 1RS and LT (both from $23,200), and 2RS and ACTIV (both from $25,400). Every trim shares the same powertrain: a 137-horsepower turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder, a 6-speed automatic, and front-wheel drive (there's no all-wheel-drive Trax). EPA ratings run 28 city / 31 highway / 29 combined mpg. Chevy Safety Assist — forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and a rear camera — is standard on all five trims, and so is wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™. The 2026 Trax is in stock now at East Hills Chevrolet.
An affordable SUV for a Douglaston driveway
Douglaston sits at the far northeastern edge of Queens, tucked against Little Neck Bay and the Nassau County line, where Northern Boulevard curves past the LIRR station and the Cross Island Parkway feeds the daily commute toward the Throgs Neck and the Long Island Expressway. It's a neighborhood of driveways and garages more than street parking, which changes the math on what an SUV needs to be: not the smallest thing that fits, but the most useful thing that doesn't feel like overkill for a run to the Douglaston Long Island Rail Road station or up Northern Boulevard to the shops in Little Neck.
That's the gap the Trax fills. It's Chevrolet's smallest, least expensive SUV, and for 2026 the whole lineup got a mid-cycle refresh: sharper front-end styling, a bigger available touchscreen, and a driver-assistance suite that used to live on far pricier vehicles. At East Hills Chevrolet, located at 240-02 Northern Boulevard, the Trax is one of the most-asked-about new vehicles on the lot — below is the full 2026 lineup, what each trim actually includes, and what real Trax buyers here have said about the experience.
What every 2026 Trax comes with
Every trim, from the $21,700 LS up to the $25,400 2RS and ACTIV, shares the same mechanical foundation. Here's what's standard across the board:
- Powertrain: a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder rated at 137 hp and 162 lb-ft, paired with a 6-speed automatic. Front-wheel drive is the only configuration Chevrolet offers on this generation of Trax — there is no all-wheel-drive option, on any trim, including ACTIV
- Efficiency: EPA-rated 28 city / 31 highway / 29 combined mpg, running on regular unleaded
- Safety: Chevy Safety Assist standard on every trim — forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, automatic high beams, a following-distance indicator, and a rear vision camera
- Connectivity: wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android Auto™ standard on every trim, no cable required, plus an available Wi-Fi hotspot
- Displays: an 8-inch touchscreen on LS and 1RS; LT, 2RS, and ACTIV step up to an 11-inch HD touchscreen paired with an 8-inch driver information display
Chevrolet split the lineup into two personalities for 2026: 1RS and 2RS lean sporty, with blacked-out trim and red accents, while ACTIV leans outdoorsy, with silver roof rails and rugged-look cladding. LS and LT are the value-and-features picks in between.
Pick your 2026 Trax
Trax LS
from $21,700 MSRP
The base that isn't stripped: Chevy Safety Assist, wireless CarPlay, and an 8-inch touchscreen, standard.
Trax 1RS
from $23,200 MSRP
LS equipment with RS styling — black exterior accents and badging for a sportier look, same price tier as LT.
Trax LT
from $23,200 MSRP
The real equipment step up: 11-inch HD touchscreen, driver info display, and 6-speaker audio.
Trax 2RS
from $25,400 MSRP
The sport flagship: 19-inch gloss-black wheels, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise.
Trax ACTIV
from $25,400 MSRP
The outdoor-styled counterpart to 2RS: silver roof rails, rugged cladding, and the same driver-assist upgrades.
2026 Chevrolet Trax LS: MSRP from $21,700
LS is the entry point, and it isn't a penalty box: Chevy Safety Assist, an 8-inch touchscreen, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and remote keyless entry all come standard. For a Douglaston household that wants a second car or a first car for a new driver without a long options list to sort through, LS is the straightforward answer. Full breakdown in the 2026 Trax LS guide.
2026 Chevrolet Trax 1RS: MSRP from $23,200
1RS takes the LS equipment level and layers on RS styling: black exterior accents and RS badging, without changing the mechanical package underneath. It shares its $23,200 starting price with LT, but the two trims are not equivalent — 1RS is about the look, LT is about the equipment. See the 2026 Trax 1RS guide for the full comparison.
2026 Chevrolet Trax LT: MSRP from $23,200
LT is the trim that actually adds equipment: the 11-inch HD touchscreen, the 8-inch driver information display, and 6-speaker audio all arrive here for the first time in the lineup. It's the trim we point most Douglaston shoppers toward when they want more screen and more feature content without stepping up to the driver-assist bundle on 2RS or ACTIV. Details in the 2026 Trax LT guide.
2026 Chevrolet Trax 2RS: MSRP from $25,400
2RS is the sport flagship: 19-inch gloss-black wheels (the largest Trax offers), a gloss-black grille and mirror caps, black roof rails, and red accent stitching inside. It's also where blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise control become available — useful hardware for the merge onto the Cross Island Parkway. Full writeup in the 2026 Trax 2RS guide.
2026 Chevrolet Trax ACTIV: MSRP from $25,400
ACTIV is Chevrolet's outdoor-styled answer to 2RS at the identical $25,400 starting price: silver roof rails, all-terrain-look black cladding on the wheel wells and lower body, and orange interior stitching. It shares the same blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and adaptive cruise upgrades as 2RS — the difference is styling, not capability, since ACTIV is front-wheel drive like every other Trax. Read the 2026 Trax ACTIV guide.
What Trax buyers say about East Hills Chevrolet
East Hills Chevrolet is a CARFAX Top-Rated Dealer five years running, and the Trax shows up constantly in the dealership's Google reviews. Jisoo Y. wrote: "Got my 2026 Trax yesterday! Joe was our salesman and he was great. Probably one of the smoothest & quickest sale ever. This is my 2nd time purchasing from here and will return!" Multani S. described buying his wife's first new car this way: "Got my wife her first new car. Her brand new Trax from the best salesperson EP. Do ask for him. He is the best." And John L. wrote: "Evan Bogard was an amazing help throughout the whole process front start to finish purchasing my new Trax from [East Hills Chevrolet]... If you want an amazing deal go see Evan."
Chris C., who leased a 2025 Trax 1RS, put it this way: "I am very happy that I did. The car is awesome! I wish I went to this dealership from the beginning. My Sales Expert, Saeed, was a pleasure to work with from the start." That's the kind of experience East Hills Chevrolet aims to repeat with every 2026 Trax that leaves the Northern Boulevard lot.
Frequently asked questions: 2026 Chevrolet Trax
Is the 2026 Chevy Trax a good car?
For what it costs, yes. It's one of the least expensive new SUVs sold in the U.S., it comes with a full driver-assistance suite standard on every trim, and it returns 29 mpg combined without a hybrid powertrain to maintain. The tradeoffs are the ones you'd expect at this price: modest power (137 hp) and no all-wheel-drive option, which matters more on some Long Island winter mornings than others.
What should I pay for a 2026 Chevy Trax?
Start from the trim's MSRP — $21,700 for LS up to $25,400 for 2RS and ACTIV — and add the $1,795 destination charge plus NYC's 8.875% sales tax, title, and registration. The 2026 Trax pricing & leasing guide walks through the full out-the-door math and East Hills Chevrolet' current offers.
What's the difference between Trax 1RS and 2RS?
1RS is the RS styling package layered on the base LS equipment level (8-inch touchscreen, no driver info display) at $23,200. 2RS is the higher trim at $25,400 that pairs RS styling with the 11-inch touchscreen, driver info display, and the blind-spot monitoring / rear cross-traffic alert / adaptive cruise bundle. They look similar; only 2RS carries the full feature set.
What's the difference between Trax ACTIV and 2RS?
Styling, mainly. Both start at $25,400 and both get the 11-inch touchscreen and the driver-assist bundle (blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise). 2RS wears blacked-out sport styling with 19-inch wheels; ACTIV wears silver roof rails and rugged-look black cladding. Neither offers all-wheel drive — both are front-wheel drive, like every 2026 Trax.
Where is the 2026 Chevy Trax made?
Chevrolet builds the current-generation Trax in South Korea for the U.S. market.
Which Chevy Trax trim is best for a Douglaston commute?
For most drivers here, LT is the practical middle: the 11-inch touchscreen and driver info display without paying for the RS or ACTIV styling package. Drivers who lean on adaptive cruise for the Cross Island Parkway or the LIE should look at 2RS or ACTIV instead, since that hardware isn't available below them.
Why buy a 2026 Trax from East Hills Chevrolet?
Because the whole ownership loop is in one place at 240-02 Northern Boulevard: new and CarBravo certified pre-owned sales, financing across all credit tiers, a certified service department running GM Genuine and ACDelco parts, and a parts counter. East Hills Chevrolet has been a CARFAX Top-Rated Dealer for five consecutive years, and the team lives and works locally in Douglaston. Once you own the Trax, the Trax service & repair guide covers what to expect from routine maintenance here.
See the 2026 Chevrolet Trax at East Hills Chevrolet
Five trims, one dependable 1.2-liter turbo, and a starting price under $22,000 before incentives: the 2026 Trax is built for exactly the kind of second-car, first-car, and budget-conscious shopping East Hills Chevrolet sees every week. Browse current Trax inventory, read the pricing & leasing guide, apply for financing online, value your trade, or schedule service, all at 240-02 Northern Boulevard in Douglaston. Already own a Trax? Start with the Trax Service & Repair guide.
MSRP figures exclude the $1,795 destination freight charge along with taxes, title, registration, license fees, and any dealer-installed options; the dealer sets the actual selling price. Fuel-economy numbers are EPA estimates, and real-world mileage varies with conditions, configuration, and driving habits. Equipment and package availability can shift with production timing; confirm current specifications and pricing with East Hills Chevrolet before purchase. No driver-assistance system replaces an attentive driver; consult the owner's manual for each system's limits. Inventory changes daily. Customer quotes on this page are excerpts from public Google reviews of East Hills Chevrolet.