Robby-
I'd be interested in your review thoughts of the Trax powered by the 1.4L. I'd like to go bigger with the next car, but it seems like that car could be under powered with a Cruze engine. Maybe I'm wrong, as I've never driven one, but I did spend some time in the seat at the 2016 Auto Show.
Thanks for sticking around!
When I read the thread, I was thinking your sons Mopar love, was contagious!

He's got to be loving cheap gas prices, if he's actually driving it, vs. potential collector condition.
Both my sons and I are certifiable car nuts.
Son with the Hellcat also has a ZO6 Vette and several drag bikes, as well as the Silverado diesel work trucks (intentionally plural) and his wife has the family truckster....a 2016 GMC Denalli EXT.
Younger son owns a tuner shop specializing in Honda (I blame his mother) and has a fleet of rice burners......some wickedly fast ones.
I have a SRT8 Magnum, along side a 2002 B4C Camaro, along side a T'Bird Super Coupe, along side a couple of Miatas and several other more mainstream rides.....along with nine bikes.
Hence my nick, Peter Pan......I'm growing old but will never grow up.
Fuel prices?.....you put it the perspective of it costs X in fuel to have fun with your toys.
Regarding the TRAX.....I've only got 70 miles showing so I'm being rather conservative, however, the around town average is 19.3 mph and 27.6 MPG......truthfully, already better than expected.
Based strictly off the 62 miles I've put on it, the stoplight performance is about the same as my 2012 eco automatic.
This makes sense.....the gearing is the same and it is less than 200 lbs. heavier.
I don't know how the results would be if it was AWD and frankly, IMO, that is just too many things for this little engine to contend with.
I did drive a AWD for grins though and it did not feel labored.......no highway driving though.....for either that one or mine at this point.
Having driven FWD daily drivers with winter specific tire/wheel setups I can see no need for AWD......the tire setup is spectacular and, as a bonus, the wheels are the same mounting as the Cruze......got that covered.
As mileage accrues, I should have a good idea how fuel economy compares and I will report same.
For me, first notables are: Cruze DIC information content is superior....much more info.....Cruze is more stable, meaning the TRAX requires a bit more frequent steering corrections.
Surprising to me, the TRAX is quieter......and I was always impressed with how quiet the Cruze was.
This thing has the latest wiz bang B/S gadgetry that comes with each new year.....specifically the radio......probably burned a gallon of fuel jerking around the various settings........sure can tell the younger crowd designs things now........so natural for them, so unnatural for those of us over 60.
I was young when 8 tracks came out.....that was high tech!......I put one in my 63 Fairlane...yea baby.
Then, phased out for cassettes......awesome stuff I thought......can't get much better.
Then that got phased out for disc's......getting a little techy here, but I adapted.....two cars with 12 disc changers, how much better can it be.
Well, buy a new car, in this case, a Trax and you get.......no 8 track, no cassette, no disc.......now if I want to listen to a book if I'm on the road it has to be put on a Zip drive..........I give up, technology wins......Zip this!.......back to listening to the news, or travel in relative silence.
So, evidently, we've come full circle.....car had a optional radio when I started driving.....now it is standard, but still just a radio.....with no knobs to boot.
Now I gotta look at my fingerprints on the screen........progress?
What auto show were you at? Chicago?......no location in your sig.
Rob