Overview & Reviews

Many Americans have a real need for vehicles big enough to lug Joe Six-pack, his wife, their kids and their kids' teammates on the hockey squad. A minivan would seem like an obvious choice, but these people haulers are anathema for many parents. To fill this need, manufacturers have come up with large crossovers like the Chevrolet Traverse that offer the best of both worlds: a minivan's passenger and cargo capacity along with an SUV's sheet metal.

The eight-passenger Traverse shares its platform with two other current GM vehicles -- the Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia -- but it distinguishes itself by being the least expensive of the bunch. This Chevy isn't the quickest or most refined pick in the larger crossover segment, but it excels when it comes to roominess and ride quality. If these attributes are important to you, the Chevrolet Traverse may be an ideal companion.

Current Chevrolet Traverse
The Chevrolet Traverse is a full-size crossover SUV that comes in three main trim levels: LS, LT and LTZ. Base LS models are pretty nicely equipped, with OnStar telematics, Bluetooth, a rearview camera and an audio system with a USB input and satellite radio. The LT trim is actually comprised of two sub-trims (LT1 and LT2) that add more amenities such as a power liftgate, triple-zone climate control and the MyLink infotainment interface. Springing for the LTZ adds upgrades like 20-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery and ventilated front seats. Options include dual sunroofs, navigation and a rear-seat entertainment system.

Under the hood is a 3.6-liter V6 wedded to a six-speed automatic with manual shift control. LS and LT trims make 281 horsepower and 253 pound-feet of torque. The LTZ features a dual-outlet exhaust that boosts output to 288 hp and 270 lb-ft. Both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive models are available.

Inside, the Traverse features a stylish two-tone color scheme with, depending on the trim, wood-tone and metallic accents. Seating in the first two rows is comfy, and the split-folding third row -- which tends to be pitifully cramped in many crossovers -- is easy to access and spacious enough for adults. We have a few minor quibbles, such as the compromised rearward visibility. But overall we find this Chevrolet to be a strong choice for those seeking a truly roomy hauler.

Used Chevrolet Traverse Models
The Chevrolet Traverse debuted for the 2009 model year. Not much changed for the next few years. These 2009-'12 models will lack some of the updates introduced for 2013, however. These changes included an exterior styling refresh, upgraded cabin materials and the new MyLink electronics interface.

User Reviews:

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  My first american car - reminded why - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Carlos - September 20 - 4:18 am

  After owning only Honda/Toyota/Nissan in the past, I finally bought it because the 3rd row has easiest access of all SUVs with 3rd row we saw. It just seems American cars dont put the effort into designing things like foreign. Ran out of space for dislikes below: - Hood release lines up vertically with parking break (Ive unlatched it couple times) -suv sways (hard to describe) on roads that are banked -2nd row seating tracks are exposed, food, debris can fall in the track -clothe hangers line up with back of 2nd row, clothe cant hang right -suv refuses to downshift. you have to give it a lot of gas before it gets it. -only 1 lever for wipers/turn/beams/etc (continued below)

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  LOve the vehicle - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Joe - September 15 - 12:42 pm

  I currently have 10,500 miles on my Traverse and Im pretty happy with the comfort, performance and gas mileage the car has been getting. I drove a Tahoe before this and its just as roomy and it gets better mileage. Its my first AWD car and I notice slipping when turning corners and rollback on inclines. Wondering if this is normal?

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  Traverse, sorry we bought it - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Linda Silvey - September 13 - 11:17 am

  We bought our traverse in June2009. The headrests are very uncomfortable and force a short person to keep their head bowed if they dont put a pillow behind their back. My husband has nearly wrecked it three times when trying to make a left hand turn due to the poor visibility when looking to the right to see if another vehicle is coming. It is hard to park because you cannot see the front end and its very hard to back up due to the small window and the many blind spots along the sides (we have the economy model). The gas mileage is awful. We took a long trip and the highway mpg never got above 18 mpg. My biggest concern is safety. It is an accident waiting to happen.

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  Make the whole family happy!!!!!!!!!!! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By linda Jakson - September 9 - 1:36 pm

  We are a family of 5. Me, my husband and three grown children youngest one is 14 the other 2 twins are 16. So we needed room, my husband Mark was against a mini van and the gas mileages on most suvs are not good. We look at different vehicles for about a month off an on, mostly imports because of their reliabilities. Test drove the Honda Pilot and was about to buy when we saw the Traverse drive by. Read reviews,& went to dealer. Fell in love, At first we were going to buy one with the ench seat in the 2nd because of having 3 kids. Decided on capts chairs. The kids all have plenty of room and fight over the the 3rd row because they sit in middle & stretch they leg between the capts chairs.

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  Very Happy With Our Purchase - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By stephen zeinner - September 5 - 3:20 am

  Since I have purchased foreign made cars over the past few years I was hesitant of getting back into the market for a domestic made automobile. We have been very happy with this vehicle. Gas mileage was a little disappointing at first but with mileage on car the mpg has improved to at least what the advertisement claims and at times a little better. I will gladly take a bit of inconvenience with the transmission shifting or not shifting especially for the mpgs.

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  Good News - Bad News - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Richard - September 1 - 4:38 pm

  I have owned my 2009 Traverse LTZ since Feb. 2009. I love everything about it, except one thing. The bad news is that one thing was the primary reason I bought the vehicle. The Traverse is advertised as getting 18mpg in the city and 24mpg on the highway. I am getting nowhere near that. My combined mpg has been 17.4mpg with roughly 50-50 city/highway mix. This is AFTER driving like I am 80 years old. I have never owned a vehicle so far below EPA mileage estimates. This is ridiculous. Otherwise, an outstanding vehicle. I am getting 19to20 mpg on the highway and 15to16 mpg in the city.

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  Shouldve stayed FORD!! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Mark - September 1 - 1:29 pm

  Should have stayed Ford, decided to try Chevy, very disappointed with the performance and reliability. The Check engine light has come on over 7 times in less than 6 months, first few times they said the gas cap was not put on properly. Over 35 yrs of driving time, I know how to put a gas cap on. The 4th time a fuel injector was replaced, the 5th time back to Gas cap, 6th time they replaced a coil and spark plugs, 7th time yep you guessed it, Gas Cap. We like this vehicle, we are not happy with the performance, we got a lemon, working with GM to get it replaced. I know "Good Luck". GM had their chance, going back to Ford especially if they give me my money. Shouldve have stayed FORD.

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  Great Crossover value - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By car lower - August 29 - 10:51 am

  We purchased the 09 Traverse LTZ after comparing GMC, Buick to other brands. Traverse seems to be the best value of the group. I cant wait to drive it on longer trips to experience all the features it has to offer. Comfort is much like sitting in a minivan so that you are not tired when you finish a trip.

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  Out the door trip - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Alan J. McTaggart - August 27 - 1:39 pm

  Took my Traverse with only 180 miles on it out to South Dakota on a 3,600 mi trip with absolutely no problems four adults and luggage everybody as comfortable gas mileage averaged 20.9 for the whole trip. More mileage on the vehicle the better the mileage. Could not have been happier with the vehicle.

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  Good All Around Crossover - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Nick - August 24 - 8:48 pm

  This fun-to-drive crossover has it all for a small family that will expand! Captains chairs in second row perfect for a child seat, third row perfect for driving family around with your kids! Drives like a car with great acceleration for a heavy vehicle. All you would need with a family in back. Punch it and theres a bit of torque- steer. Not recommended with family in car! Bose stereo is great and all controls easy to navigate. Remote rear hatch very helpful and very good storage with third-row seats down. With a full car, good idea to purchase storage container for top of vehicle or extra storage on the hitch. Overall very satisfied with vehicles mpg, 18 city, 25 hwy. Rview camera a +.