Get the free Car Buyer’s Cheat Sheet, 7 things to know before you sign anything. The numbers that matter, in plain English, on one page.
Join the Driveonomics email list. Occasional useful updates, no spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Cost example updated October 26, 2026
Start with the price you will actually pay
For a representative example, use a 2026 Chevrolet Trax LT at $24,995 MSRP, including the $1,795 destination freight charge (KBB and Edmunds agree on the LT figure). That is the value sweet spot: KBB calls the LT by far the best-selling Trax trim, and it carries the larger 11-inch touchscreen and 8-inch digital gauge cluster over the base LS. Every Trax shares one powertrain, a 1.2-liter turbo three-cylinder, 137 horsepower, 6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive only, no all-wheel drive, so the trim choice does not change the mpg. Trax trims run from the LS near $23,495 up to the 2RS and ACTIV near $27,195 including destination, so replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering. There is no hybrid or electric Trax.
Here is the bottom line first: over five years, this Trax costs roughly $42,314, or about $705 a month. The loan payment alone is $510 a month, with 10% down ($2,500), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months, this example finances $25,145 and the loan costs about $5,446 in interest over five years. The payment is about 72% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.
Fuel: the Trax sips, and that shows up in the total
The Trax LT is rated 30 mpg combined (28 city, 32 highway, per Edmunds and Chevrolet-quoted figures via Autoblog). At 12,000 miles a year that is 400 gallons annually. At the AAA national average regular price of $4.29 a gallon on October 26, 2026, that is roughly $1,716 a year, $8,580 over five years. Gas prices move, so re-run this line at your local price. The method is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.
Depreciation: three published answers, not one
Depreciation is the value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. iSeeCars' comparison pages put the Trax's five-year value loss at about 47.3%, it keeps roughly 52.7% of its price. On a $24,995 purchase, plan on roughly $13,172 after five years, about $11,823 of depreciation, roughly $197 a month, the largest single cost on this page. That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a forecast. Two other published figures disagree: iSeeCars' own main Trax page says 45% loss, which would mean $11,248 of depreciation, and CarEdge puts retention at 48.06%, which would mean $12,982 of depreciation. The table uses the 47.3% figure and the alternatives are shown here, not hidden. Run a second scenario with resale 10% lower so the decision does not depend on an optimistic used market.
Insurance: mid-range anchor, with a newer-year warning
Published full-coverage averages for the Trax range from about $143 a month to about $202 a month, but the anchor for this example is Trax-specific: Compare.com puts full coverage at $184 a month. This example uses $184 a month, or $11,040 over five years. One warning worth printing: Insurify's all-years Trax average is $183 a month, but its 2024 and 2025 model-year figures run $235 a month, a brand-new 2026 may cost more than the all-years average suggests. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim with matching deductibles (the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance pays) and limits before treating any average as yours.
Trax maintenance costs: the new-car figure, not the all-years average
CarEdge puts the Trax's maintenance cost near $555 a year through the first five years of new ownership ($2,776 over five years as CarEdge prints it; $555 times five is $2,775, a $1 rounding difference). This example uses $2,775. RepairPal puts the Trax near $488 a year, but that is an all-model-years average that includes the older, cheaper-to-fix first generation, so the first-five-years figure is the better fit for a new Trax. Either way, routine service plus a set of tires inside five years at 60,000 miles fits inside the allowance, with a cushion for the wear items that show up as the miles add up.
The full five-year example
Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2026 Chevrolet Trax LT, $24,995 MSRP including destination, 10% down ($2,500), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 30 mpg, $4.29 per gallon regular, $184 per month insurance, $555 per year maintenance, $13,172 resale value after five years.
Depreciation: $11,823 ($24,995 minus $13,172 resale)
Insurance: $11,040 ($184 x 60 months)
Fuel: $8,580 (12,000 / 30 x $4.29 x 5 years)
Maintenance: $2,775 ($555 x 5 years)
Tax, fees and interest: $8,096 ($1,750 sales tax, $900 fees, $5,446 loan interest)
That totals roughly $42,314, or about $705 a month. Notice what that says about the $510 payment: on this vehicle the payment is not the whole story, it is about 72% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.
Formula
The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $24,995 price minus the $13,172 resale value after five years, which is $11,823. Insurance is $184 a month times 60 months, which is $11,040. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 30 miles per gallon, times $4.29 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $8,580. Maintenance is $555 a year times 5 years, which is $2,775. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $24,995, which is $1,750, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $5,446 of loan interest, which is $8,096.
Added together, $11,823 plus $11,040 plus $8,580 plus $2,775 plus $8,096 comes to roughly $42,314, or about $705 a month. The amount financed is the $24,995 price plus $1,750 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $2,500 down payment, which is $25,145. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $25,145 is $510 a month, and the loan costs about $5,446 in interest over five years.
Thinking past year five
Small SUVs are often keepers, and that is where the economics can improve: the loan ends at year five, and the depreciation curve (how fast the value drops) flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and the out-of-warranty items a repair cushion exists for. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.
Shopping the Trax against other small SUVs? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side. Cross-shopping an Equinox too? See what a Chevrolet Equinox really costs over 5 years. Cross-shopping a Trailblazer too? See what a Chevrolet Trailblazer really costs over 5 years. And if the value it loses is your biggest worry, the why cars lose value guide explains what drives it.
Calculation transparency
Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.
Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.29 a gallon (AAA national average, October 26, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.
Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.
iSeeCars' own pages disagree on the Trax's five-year value loss: its main Trax page reports 45% while its comparison pages report 47.3%, so the 47.3% figure used here is kept as a planning assumption, not as a current reading.
Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Autoblog 2026 Chevrolet Trax LT price, $23,200 before destination ($24,995 with destination); EPA combined fuel economy, 30 mpg; Compare.com Chevrolet Trax full-coverage average, $184 a month; CarEdge Trax maintenance cost, about $555 a year.
Primary sources: Autoblog, 2026 Chevrolet Trax review and pricing; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; Compare.com, Chevrolet Trax car insurance; CarEdge, Chevrolet Trax cost of ownership. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.
Definitions
Depreciation. The value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. On this page, the $24,995 price minus the $13,172 resale value after five years, which is $11,823.
Resale value. What the car is worth after five years in this example, $13,172. A planning assumption, not a forecast.
APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%.
Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $2,500.
Destination freight charge. The fee to ship the car to the dealer. It is $1,795 on the Trax, included in the $24,995 MSRP; before destination, $23,200.
Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 30 for the Trax LT, 28 in the city and 32 on the highway, per Edmunds.
Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage to others. This example uses $184 a month.
Deductible. The amount you pay out of pocket before insurance pays.
Questions people actually ask
How much does it cost to own a Chevrolet Trax per month?
About $705 a month over five years in the example above, $42,314 total for a 2026 Trax LT. The loan payment alone is $510 a month; insurance, fuel and upkeep make up the rest.
How much does a Chevrolet Trax depreciate in 5 years?
About $11,823 on a $24,995 purchase, using iSeeCars' 47.3% five-year value loss, leaving a resale value near $13,172. Two other published figures disagree: iSeeCars' main Trax page says 45% loss ($11,248 of depreciation), and CarEdge puts retention at 48.06% ($12,982 of depreciation).
What gas mileage does a Chevrolet Trax get?
The Trax LT is rated 30 mpg combined (28 city, 32 highway) per Edmunds. At 12,000 miles a year and the October 26, 2026 AAA national regular average of $4.29 a gallon, fuel runs about $1,716 a year. A second published rating of 29 mpg combined would put five-year fuel at $8,876 instead of $8,580.
How much is insurance for a Chevrolet Trax?
Published full-coverage averages range from about $143 to $202 a month; Compare.com puts it at $184 a month, and this example uses $184 a month, or $11,040 over five years. Note that Insurify's 2024 and 2025 model-year figures run $235 a month, so a new 2026 may cost more than the all-years average. Your quote will depend on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer.
Is a Chevrolet Trax expensive to maintain?
No. CarEdge puts it near $555 a year through the first five years of new ownership, and this example allows $555 a year, or $2,775 over five years. RepairPal's all-model-years average is $488 a year.
Related: Compare the Honda HR-V and the Subaru Crosstrek, see the cheapest cars to own, or browse all models.
Enter the Trax purchase price, insurance quote, your real annual mileage, local fuel price, tire allowance and conservative resale value in the calculator. Then change only the inputs that differ to test a used Trax, a different trim, or a longer ownership horizon.
Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.
Honest gaps and conflicts on this page: the $24,995 example price is the 2026 LT MSRP including the $1,795 destination charge (before destination, $23,200). The 2RS and ACTIV trims are listed at $27,195 by KBB and Edmunds but at $27,495 in one GM Authority price article, a $300 conflict that does not touch the LT figure. The 7% sales tax is the site's standard example assumption, not any state's actual rate. Depreciation sources disagree three ways (iSeeCars comparison pages 47.3% loss, iSeeCars main page 45%, CarEdge 51.94% loss); the table uses 47.3% and all three are shown above. Fuel economy ratings disagree slightly (30 mpg combined per Edmunds and Chevrolet-quoted figures, 29 mpg per a second Autoblog row and JD Power). CarEdge prints $2,776 for five-year maintenance while $555 times five is $2,775; the table uses $2,775. The $4.29 regular price is an October 26, 2026 national snapshot and moves with the market. This example covers only the gas LT; other trims cost different amounts to buy and insure, though fuel economy is the same across trims.