2026 Chevrolet Trax vs 2026 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The Trax is the cheapest new car Chevy sells in the United States. It takes the place of compact sedans and hatchbacks in the Bowtie brand’s lineup, while competing with entry-level crossover SUVs such as the Hyundai Venue and the Nissan Kicks. The current Trax was introduced for the 2024 model year, and for 2026 the only changes are two new exterior color options. White Sands is available with Activ and RS models, while Apex Red is available with RS, LS, and LT models.

Verdict: Blending elements of compact cars and crossover SUVs, the Trax hits a sweet spot of utility and affordability. It’s also pleasant to drive and offers impressive infotainment tech, but a lack of solid safety ratings and the unavailability of all-wheel drive are the tradeoffs.

A base-model Range Rover Sport costs about the same as a mid-tier trim of any other midsize luxury SUV. Land Rover plays in the big leagues, which require a minimum of $85,000 or a lease payment approaching $2,000 per month. Even with such immense outlays, the Range Rover Sport is Land Rover's second most-popular model in the U.S. and far surpasses the Velar, the Evoque, and the Discovery. This is the lens from which we evaluate the Range Rover Sport. The particular 2026 model we tested—the SV Carbon—is also the fastest, most extreme vehicle the company has ever made, providing further context for its roughly $200,000 MSRP. At that price, the choices narrow to a new Porsche Cayenne Turbo, or a lightly-used Aston Martin DBX or Lamborghini Urus.

Verdict: Anywhere it goes, the Range Rover Sport is at the top of its class.