The 2021 Ford EcoSport is a sporty, small SUV that is designed to move easily in and out of traffic and into tight spaces. Attractively priced, it provides you with a stylish interior and intelligent technology, as well as an available 4WD that is perfect for your off-road terrains and sporty performance. The 2021 Chevy Trax is stylish and performs well around town. Let’s compare the two.
Design
The 2021 Ford EcoSport features style inside and out, with comfortable and spacious seating on all trims. Its exterior is available with LED lighting and halogen projector headlamps, a unique rear swing gate, a power moonroof with sunshade, and you can have the choice of 10 exterior colors. It offers one of the largest cargo capacities in the class, with 20.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 50 cubic feet with the 60/40 split-folding rear seats folded down. It seats up to five people, but four averaged-size adults fit more comfortably. Cloth upholstery, four-way manually adjustable driver’s seat, tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and height-adjustable front seats are standard. Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, leather-trimmed seats, and ambient lights are options.
The 2021 Chevrolet Trax features an attractive interior with many soft-touch surfaces, and a surprisingly spacious interior for a compact vehicle. It seats five comfortably and has plenty of rear-seat space, even for adult passengers. It comes with cloth upholstery, a four-way adjustable driver’s seat, and a two-way adjustable passenger seat. Heated front seats, synthetic leather upholstery, deluxe cloth upholstery, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel are available. You'll get 18.7 cubic feet of space behind the back seat of the Trax. The second-row folds down almost completely flat to open up a maximum of 48.4 cubic feet. With the front seat folded flat, there is room for items up to eight feet long, making room for all your gear.
Safety and Technology
The EcoSport features few standard and available advanced safety features that are included with Ford Co-Pilot 360 to help you feel confident on the road. Standard features include a rearview camera, Hill Start Assist (helps you switch from brake to gas without rolling backward), and Ford MyKey (adds seat belt reminders and sets limits on speed and audio volume.). Blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, rear parking sensors, reverse sensing system, and rain-sensing windshield wipers are available. EcoSport comes with a 4.2-inch display, two USB ports, a Wi-Fi hot spot, Bluetooth, six-speaker audio system, and two USB ports. It has an optional SYNC 3 user-friendly infotainment system and an 8.0-inch LCD touchscreen, but in higher models it comes standard along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A Convenience Package includes navigation, a seven-speaker audio system, and a 110-volt household-style power outlet.
Trax comes standard with a rearview camera and ten standard airbags. Optional driver assistance features include forward collision warning, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. All Trax models come with Chevrolet’s user-friendly Infotainment 3 System and a 7-inch touch screen that has clear graphics and an intuitive menu structure. It also includes standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration, along with a Wi-Fi hot spot, satellite radio, Bluetooth, six speakers, voice command, two USB ports, and remote keyless entry. An optional sunroof, and a seven-speaker Bose premium stereo is available. The 2021 Chevy Trax comes in two trims: LS and LT, with a starting price of $21,400 for the LS trim and $23,200 for the LT trim.
Performance and Price
Ford’s power in its EcoSport is a little underpowered, with its first two trims coming with a 123-horsepower turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine and 125 pound-feet of torque, but it is one of the easiest small SUVs to maneuver around town and through tight spaces. The SES and Titanium trim come with a 166-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that comes with Ford’s intelligent 4WD. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available on every trim. A six-speed automatic transmission comes on both engines. The EcoSport is offered in four trims: S, SE, Titanium, and SES, with pricing starting at $19,995 for the S trim and ranging to $27,575 for the SES trim.
The Chevrolet Trax is easy to drive and has just enough pep to get up and go, and maneuver in and out of tight spaces. All models on the Chevrolet Trax feature a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission that makes 138 horsepower. Front-wheel drive is standard and an all-wheel drive system is available to help when road conditions are less than ideal. Trax offers an impressive 26/31 mpg on the city and highway. The 2021 Chevy Trax comes in two trims: LS and LT, with a starting price of $21,400 for the LS trim and $23,200 for the LT trim.
Conclusion
The 2021 Ford EcoSport and 2021 Chevrolet Trax are sporty subcompact SUVs that are easy to maneuver and get in and out of tight spaces. They are affordable and offer plenty of cargo space for a small SUV; also featuring an easy-to-use infotainment system, though EcoSport’s is optional. If you’d like a stronger engine in a subcompact SUV, you will need to look at EcoSport's higher trims.