Chevrolet could sell lots full of the Trax even without a low price, but it gets one anyway. Entry LS models start at $20,500 while the sportier RS and more luxurious LT trims rise from under $24,000.

Styling is just as important as pricing when it comes to the lower end of an automaker's lineup. There, buyers are shopping new and used models against each other. That formula worked for Toyota ...