2021 Chevy Trailblazer vs 2021 Chevy Trax vs 2021 Buick Encore GX | Best GM small SUV?

General Motors makes a lot of small SUVs--and naturally, people cross-shop them. So if you're in the market for any of these vehicles, this video aims to clear up the differences between the three. I pitted the 2021 Chevy Trailblazer LT against the 2021 Buick Encore GX Select and the 2021 Chevy Trax LT.
I evaluate each SUV in seven different categories and declare an advantage to a particular SUV in each of those categories so you can more accurately see which vehicle is best for your lifestyle:
1. Value (Price and features of each vehicle)
2. Safety (Both active safety features and passive IIHS results)
3. Power-train and performance (Engine, transmission, 0-60 time)
4. Fuel Economy (EPA rated fuel efficiency)
5. Reliability (Rated by Consumer Reports)
6. Functionality (How well the SUV performs intended function)
7. Styling (How each SUV looks, from my point of view)
Here is the comparison break-down:
00:00 Introduction
0:59 Value (Encore GX)
3:15 Value (Trailblazer)
5:11 Value (Trax)
7:59 Safety
9:42 Powertrain
11:18 Fuel Economy
12:13 Reliability
12:53 Function
14:58 Styling
19:46 Conclusion

[@crossbones8956]

Great comparison, but for my money and lifestyle, I went with the Buick. Mine has the sport package with the red accents, and the black flake paint, and I think that package really sets it apart from the Trailblazer. Also, I get the Buick was a better driving experience with the leather wrapped steering wheel, shifter dash, etc, and was much quieter. I wasn’t to thrilled on the fake carbon fiber on the dash, but it’s not too much and it blends in enough. I liked the look of the two tone Trailblazer, but thee were no deals at the dealership I went to on the vehicles that had that color scheme. Either way, the blacked out Buick with the leather and the cold weather package was the way for me.

[@Allcarseveryday]

Sounds like you got the GX ST--smart choice! Glad you enjoyed the comparison.

[@417rogers]

agree and same boat Just picked up the EncoreGX ST for my daughter after considering the Trail Blazer. Buick is super quite and with the 9 spd trans (AWD) it is fun to drive. PLus the safety rating is very impressive. Enjoy your GX. btw Buick should of changed the Encore name for the Encore GX as it's a totally different car on different frame. My dealer agreed and stated they only refer to it as "GX".

[@mmckinley345]

thank you you helped a lot in my car buying purchase. Can't wait to see you on Car and Driver

[@franmorr1966]

Very thorough review! Thank you.

[@reedalexander4449]

Very well done and thorough comparison. You are one of the best in the industry providing such a thorough and comprehensive analysis of these vehicles

[@Allcarseveryday]

Glad you enjoyed the video!

[@one2oblivion]

great vid. very thorough

[@DriveAndBeDriven]

Nice work, man! Your comparison tests are so detailed! Very very well done. Keep up the excellent work!!! When I saw the 2021 Trailblazer RS in person, I was pleased with its tasteful styling and rather spacious cabin. All three seem like solid contenders for different people with different needs/budgets. Once again, nice work! 👍🏼

[@Allcarseveryday]

Thank you, I appreciate that! Got some fun stuff in the works 🤫

[@DriveAndBeDriven]

@@Allcarseveryday, Awesome! Can't wait!!!

[@sintezmaniac]

Good job,thanks

[@rejeanstuart2951]

We replaced a very reliable Encore with the Encore GX. Price was a factor as was all the standard safety apps the dealer was giving more rebates on the Buick and the Essence model was less expensive then the mid level Chevy. The GX also had the panoramic sun roof which the Chevy didn't have. The front of the Buick looks well designed, where the Chevy looks like they forgot to put headlights on it and then just added them later. Its a great upgrade on the Encore and my wife (who drives it) really likes how quiet it is. Keep the reviews coming.

[@carlycruise]

Looking to buy, do you still feel this way?

[@zaxxon25]

Purchased a 2020 Encore GX for my mother, with the GM rebates it's actually quite a value at the price point. Went AWD to get the 9 speed transmission and the 1.3T, I had significant doubts about the power but it can get up at a reasonable clip and the AWD can be disabled easily. At the Select level it's also worth it to upgrade to the power tailgate, can't imagine leaving that off. Hers was also optioned with the panoramic roof and ST package, nice features but not really necessary. Looking forward to taking a road trip with it soon, the gas mileage and interior comfort/sound deadening should make it ideal.

[@shannonk.6528]

Great reviews and thank you for posting. I am deciding between the Encore GX, the Trailblazer and the Renegade. Love the look of the R/S trim on the Trailblazer but Buick so so very reliable.

[@RafaelPernia]

Please consider non american brands. Try the hyundai venue. Much better car, much more safety features, less price, fells less cheap inside, longer warranty.

[@RafaelPernia]

Trax and Trailblazer have a 1.4 engine. Some trax have 1.3 engine. The venue has a 1.6 engine, not a turbo, which means slightly less HP but in the long run, a much more reliable engine. Small turbo engines are exposed to a huge amount of pressure which makes them fail earlier.

[@Allcarseveryday]

Glad you liked it!

[@ELP1125]

@@RafaelPernia well Buick is branded as an American brand, but they are made in China. And Asian car manufacturers do top the charts in reliability.

[@speaseoffice]

I'm sure someone already said this, but I'll say it anyways: The Trax/Encore WILL NOT be getting "updated" I have had this confirmed to me by two GM dealers one of which I purchased my Encore GX from. The Trailblazer and Encore GX are the "updated" Trax and Encore respectively. They pretty much only sold them alongside the TB and GX for their first 2 model years, to sell off the surplus of sheet metal/powertrains they had left to manufacture those 2 vehicles hence why they paired down the trim level offerings to only 2 each for the Trax and Encore. This is why the "new" ones got new names too, because they wanted them clearly separated from the clearly cheaper built Trax and Encores. This is another reason why ALL of the GX's and TB's got the safety equipment they did standard, and why some of those safety options regardless of optioned packages weren't available for the Trax/Encore AT ALL. The only thing I do possibly see happening is that once the Encore and Trax are finally discontinued at the end of this year, is that Buick will drop 'GX' from the Encore GX for the 2022/23 M/Y and it'll simply be known as the Encore and Trailblazer. And honestly I don't even see that happening mainly due to the fact, the Trax and Encore, are clearly the CUV equivalent of a Ford Fiesta/Chevy Sonic, while the encore GX/Trailblazer would have been for the people who could have afforded a mid-size sedan (when they were still being made ofc). You are exactly right. The Encore and Trax are A LOT cheaper real world even if GM doesn't show it online. They might say they cost more online but I guarantee you, you won't pay a dime more than $22K for a fully loaded Encore muchless a Trax, while it'll cost you around $27-28K for a mostly fully loaded Encore GX (minus maybe like the Auto-parking and camera rear mirror). Regardless of my whole long rant, doesn't matter what you want, if you're shopping a GM product at all, it's unlikely you'll pay sticker. They always have at least decent incentives. Sticker on my GX was $32,900 for an FWD Essence with the Experience Buick package so I got the chrome accented 18" rims and Panoramic Moonroof, and only paid $26,800 for it and they threw in the OEM all weather mats. Just shop around people, if these are the cars you're wanting.

[@speaseoffice]

Also in addition to this, you can get the 1.3 engine upgrade for $395 on any FWD version of those 2 newer models as well, doesn't have to be the all wheel drive. The only difference between the AWD is you get the 9 speed transmission versus the CVT, if you get the 1.3 FWD you still get the CVT like you would with the 1.2 but arguably the better transmission (even though I hate CVT's on paper, at least GM has basically the longest experience making them since the late 90s) People have already complained like mad about GM's 9 speed, yet many of their modern cars have CVT transmissions that you don't hear a thing going wrong with. Yet Toyota, Nissan, and Honda have the crap CVTs and better traditional autos (kind of mesmerizing). I'd say if you want to keep this car long term however and don't need the AWD, finding one with the 1.3 upgrade on the FWD model is the absolute way to go. You get the added power and fuel economy while keeping the (likely) more reliable GM CVT vs having the problematic 9 speed and also having to keep your AWD transfer case serviced every so many years (and yes the 1.3 even though bigger is better on fuel because it has more fuel saving tech baked into it)

[@AG-fv4wd]

Can we get an updated version of the 2024 models?

[@tonya7610]

Buick wins. And I’m a Chevy guy

[@simmran1]

I believe the Buick Encore GX and Trailblazer have 1.3L turbo 3 cyl. as opposed to stated 4 cyl.

[@kingkota2302]

He probably made the mistake as previous years of encore had a 4 cylinder sadly I thinks it's replacing the regular encore which is still being produced with the 4 cylinder which is quite nice. I just got a 2015 model this month.

[@cartersmrke6754]

Correct, also the Trax is still the entry level suv for chev, as the regular encore is still the entry level before the encore gx for buick

[@tonycorby4094]

What about the 120v outlet in the back of the trax?

[@jasonbutt645]

I like the base trax and encore

[@CaliWaliDoDaDay]

Well done man! I was at a Chevy dealer yesterday and Toyota at first just to see what my 6’3 frame fits in yet is low enough for my roommate to get in and ride comfortably with her challenges. We/she bought last November a 2021 RAV4 which like most I fit in ok but is to high for her to safely get in (RATS I like the Toyota just for quality sakes) Mentioning Toyota I hope to lean her toward the Prius Limited if anything for entry height and space for a manual wheelchair and whatever room we need for shopping. Once again WELL FREAKING DONE! I have watched so many guys/gals that review vehicles and your presentation was right to it. I know not everyone needs specs on legroom for the driver and also can vary depending on how heavy/overweight a person is. I see clearly that any extra backyard I have the less legroom I have. 😆 Funny but true.

[@Allcarseveryday]

Glad you liked it! Important to test the cars like you did-unfortunately I wasn’t blessed with the height gene so I suppose that won’t be an issue for me any time soon 😪

[@CaliWaliDoDaDay]

No NO No Man! You were blessed no to be cursed with the height gene 🤣 I and many like me were cheated out of driving the coolest and fun to drive/ride cars, bikes, motorcycles, side X sides, and ..... well you get it! Meanwhile big deal I can change a lightbulb in an 8’ ceiling without a step ladder and don’t forget that occasional lady in the isles at the store wanting the item on the top shelf. 🤣 That cool though as if I really want it my brother can fabricate some brackets that give me a little extra. So that said I will be looking to see what you have to say about the Trail Blazer but so far the extra money might go to the Toyota Prius Limited

[@Allcarseveryday]

@@CaliWaliDoDaDay Grass is always greener on the other side 😂🤷‍♂️But both good options ultimately doesn't seem to be a wrong choice between those two!

[@CaliWaliDoDaDay]

@@Allcarseveryday ya know what had all kinds of legroom was that awesome blue and black trim Blazer on the showroom floor. When it’s time I will be looking at that pretty hard.

[@jamieeisenhower1560]

What about the trial Blazer small overlap crash rating

[@henryharris7926]

But there's something about Buick that make their cars more smooth inside and out. Even on the highway it maybe a little more expensive but I think it's worth it if you're looking for luxury.

[@joewanders]

I have a 2018 trax has power driving seat projector head lights the doors open as long as I have the key fob in the pocket and average 26 miles per gallon in the city I test drove the trail blazer and it seemed slower then my trax

[@gamergeek8933]

I like the trailblazer but unless you are going for the activ trim which is for light offroading it seems like the buick is the car to go after. I have owned a few buicks and the sound deadening is straight up amazing. In my verano I seriously thought there was a running joke to pretend like you were talking to me from outside the car. Then one day I had the sunroof open and realized that when closed there was literally no sound coming in. I was shocked. I have not driven the GX but from reviews I have seen this seems to be the same case. That alone would be enough value for the price difference plus you get heated mirrors. If you live up north you know heated mirrors are a must have. Gotta get that ice off and you don't wanna break the motors forcing the mirror around trying to scrape it. I do think they should include full leather on the base model buicks. It is supposed to be a premium brand but comes with bs cloth seats (with leather trim). At a minimum they could use the fake leather that other brands are switching too and then real leather on higher trims. I agree with others that no company should name 2 cars that are different the same name. It is confusing and annoying. Ford also did this with the bronco.

[@gamergeek8933]

Also build quality on buicks is higher and they break down less. We can see this from the different award companies that track that stuff.

[@thedelightfullytacky]

Trax in this review is an LS, not LT. LT has push button start.

[@mjthethird1]

Yup and the LT Trax has Halogen projector headlights and LED taillights

[@OddTimeMan]

That Trax is not an LT, it's a base model LS.

[@ethanconnor-hodges1899]

We looked at the Trailblazer but the 3 cyl engine turned me away.

[@theshadowswithin9896]

Wife went from an Acura RLX to a Chevy Trax and I will say, I am completely glad it lacks all of that safety garbage. The reason the Acura went is because it was having electrical issues and would set off all of the safety features (forward collision warning, all wheel steering, etc.) And throw it into limp mode (limiting speed to under 50mph and throwing the corrected steering off-center). It would happen completely at random and more often than not. Never again will I buy into those features.

[@Allcarseveryday]

There is value for some people in ridding themselves of all the gadgets and gizmos of modern cars! To be fair, it sounds like you had a lemon though. Most vehicles' active safety systems don't send them into limp mode. I think a more traditional critique is that the systems are overactive, and people always have to turn them off because they're annoying. Hopefully as technology progresses they'll get better!

[@tonya7610]

The trailblazer and the Buick are slightly different than being with this much much more quiet

[@jasonbutt6049]

I Like The Trax.

[@Dinmendez]

Buick is better

[@akojamal1423]

👍🌺♥️🌹

[@tomy5868]

ask a mechanic...buy the Buick.

[@Kuessemir]

3-cylinder = NO

[@davideast9332]

Your review shows a very unsophisticated opinion. The Buick is hands down the quietest, with special attention given to an acoustically laminated windshield and other noise reduction features, that literally eliminate wind noise. It's quiet. The bottom line, the Buick is a Buick and the Chevy is a Chevy. They are in different leagues. As the owner of a 2015 Encore and a 2018 Encore, I speak from experience. Buick knows luxury. It's definitely NOT a Chevy.

[@Allcarseveryday]

While you are correct about the noise reduction features, this is one of the few core differences between the two products. Buick is not a luxury brand, it is a premium brand--which means that it often does not have bespoke platforms and borrows from the corporate parts bin in production. The GX is a step in the right direction, but as for the normal Encore and Trax--they are truly nearly identical in most objective aspects. Even the GX shares many components with the Trailblazer, down to the most important part, the powertrain. That's not to say someone couldn't justify spending more on one of the Buicks, but it is the facts of the matter--not an 'opinion'.

[@amgineco]

But the Chevy TrailBlazer LOOKS so SPORTY..

[@Brian-oz5nm]

the whole review was wrong! very bad review

[@user-iy3ct1ci3o]

Dear followers!! Don't let the beautiful pictures confuse you . Anyone who buys a new car from GENERAL Motors the chance you threw your money into the trash is very large. In this company there is no customer service, the company's management does not care at all, if you have a problem or a malfunction, you can only pray to God there is a chance that the help will come faster. GM is a very dangerous company, be careful and keep your money safe.!!!Share so more people don't get screwed.

[@chairodriguez1137]

Do you comment this on all Chevy videos. Seriously stop! 🙄

[@tonya7610]

I can’t get past the black socks in the beginning of the video obviously your mother did not dress you this morning