Best Used Chevrolet Models for College of Southern Idaho Students

A used Chevy isn’t just the same car with fewer miles on it. Take the 2016 Trax and the 2022 Trax. They share a name and almost nothing else. For a CSI student who needs a dependable daily driver to cross Twin Falls on a student budget, the right year matters as much as the right model. NHTSA data and a generation-level look at each model tell you where the value actually sits.

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Which Trax and Equinox Years Are the Sweet Spot?

For the Trax, the 2020-2022 window is the pick, and for the Equinox, 2021-2022 earns the nod, though every one of those model years still deserves a VIN check before you sign, because a clean generation on paper can still hide an open recall on the specific car parked in front of you. Both ranges earn their ranking from NHTSA complaint volume and documented recall severity, not from a magazine’s broad impression.

For a CSI commuter who lives off-campus (and that’s roughly nine out of ten students), the Trax 2020-2022 is the practical starting point. The EPA rates the 2022 Trax at 24 city and 32 highway mpg. Step up a generation and the numbers climb. The EPA rates the 2024 and 2025 Trax at 28 city and 32 highway, 30 combined. Those years are newer, and their used prices reflect it.

Which Years Should You Watch Out For?

A handful of model years land on the watch list because of documented patterns in the federal complaint and recall data, and once you know which ones, you can walk past a cheap-looking car that is cheap for a reason while still grabbing a sound one only a model year or two away. None of these are vague warnings.

Trax 2015-2017: NHTSA data shows more than 100 complaints a year across this span, with suspension and A/C system failures leading the count. NHTSA recall 19V652000 covers 2015-2018 Trax vehicles for a front suspension lower ball joint weld issue. NHTSA recall 18V774000 covers certain 2019 Trax (and earlier) vehicles for airbag control modules left in manufacturing mode, which prevents deployment. A 2015 or 2016 Trax can look cheap for a reason.

Trax 2024 (redesigned first year): The 2024 redesign brought a bigger cabin and a 30-mpg combined EPA rating, both genuinely useful. First-year redesigns tend to carry bugs the second year irons out, and the NHTSA complaint data backs that up (169 complaints filed on the 2024 model, versus 61 for 2025). Shopping the new-gen Trax used, you’ll want 2025 as the cleaner pick.

Equinox 2018-2020: NHTSA recall 20V668000 covers 2018-2020 Equinox vehicles for a start-stop transmission accumulator where bolts may be missing. The 2020 Equinox also carries 299 NHTSA complaints (per federal records as of August 2026), with brake system failures clustering between 48,000 and 100,000 miles.

Equinox 2021-2022 (watch one specific recall): These are still our Equinox sweet-spot years, but keep one item on your radar. NHTSA recall 23V013000 covers certain 2021-2022 Equinox vehicles for a fuel pump control module that may not provide consistent fuel, causing an engine stall. If the recall hasn’t been performed on the used 2021 or 2022 Equinox you’re looking at, check that first. Once confirmed open, it’s a dealer fix at no charge.

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Pros and Cons: Used Trax vs. Used Equinox for a CSI Student

Which Year Fits Which CSI Student?

Matching a year to a student comes down to how you actually use the car, because the lowest-complaint Trax and the roomiest Equinox solve different problems, and the right buy is the one that fits your commute, your cargo, and your budget on a given week. Not every student needs the same vehicle.

You want the lowest ownership cost and park on or near campus: A 2020-2022 Trax (first generation, final years) fits. It’s compact, the EPA rates the 2022 at 32 mpg highway, and the 2022 specifically posted only 9 NHTSA complaints on record. One of the lowest counts in the entire Trax lineup’s history. It won’t win a cargo contest, but for a solo commuter running between a Twin Falls apartment and campus, it does the job with minimal drama.

You occasionally haul gear, or share rides with other students on longer trips: Step up to a 2021 Equinox. The EPA rates the FWD 1.5L at 26 city and 31 highway mpg. You’ll get 30 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. Per NHTSA data, the 2021 Equinox earned a 5.0-star crash safety rating with only 94 complaints on record (a significantly lighter complaint load than the 2020’s 299). Just confirm the fuel pump module recall (NHTSA 23V013000) has been completed before you finalize.

You work a part-time job in ag, construction, or trades alongside your classes: The 2019-2022 Colorado makes real sense. CSI’s agriculture and technical programs are a big part of what the college does, and a student who hauls tools or equipment on weekends needs a bed, not just a hatch. This truck handles the county roads outside town without complaint and holds its own through a Magic Valley winter. Its fuel economy trails both crossovers. No way around that.

You’re looking at a 2024 or 2025 Trax used: You’ll find a noticeably bigger interior (the redesign grew the cabin substantially) and the EPA’s 30-mpg combined rating. Just know that the 2025 is the cleaner choice between those two years. The 2024’s first-year launch carried the highest complaint count of any Trax year in NHTSA’s database.

Whatever model year lands in your budget, bring the VIN to our service team. We’ll tell you whether any open recalls are on it, and if they are, we’ll fix them.

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