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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  Love My Traverse - 2017 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Linda Ross - January 10 - 10:26 am

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  Be Cautious!!! - 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Jessica - December 28 - 2:45 am

  We purchased my 2013 Traverse pre-owned in January 2016. It was a GM Certified Pre-owned that did have warranty coverage. I will say that I LOVE how it drives for such a large SUV. I love the back up camera and sensors as well. We were generally comfortable, even on long road trips. My husband did complain of knee-room while driving, but he is 65" so he is taller than the norm. My problems began with the first oil change, they found an oil leak and had to remove the engine to find it. They also noticed that my timing chains were loose and went ahead and tightened those. A few months later, the blower for the rear A/C went out completely and had to be replaced (almost a week in the shop). That September we were returning from vacation and an A/C hose "popped" while we were driving down the interstate and we were stuck in Alabama an extra day. At the beginning of this year, as I was driving home from my moms, all the lights on my dash starting going off, I couldnt move my steering wheel, and my engine shut off ( I was in the middle of a curve on a backroad with my toddler in the car). I was able to coast to a safe spot and had the car towed to the dealership. This was caused by "catastrophic engine failure" and had to replace my engine. Everything up to this point has been covered under warranty (Thank goodness!) Two days ago, the same thing happened with the addition of a squealing noise. This time my A/C compressor locked up. So this twice that my car has completely shut off while driving down the road (with my son in it) and this repair is going to cost me almost $2200.00. If I had to pay for all of these repairs I would have spent $7-10,000.00! I have spent about a month and a half in demo cars total because of time that my car was being repaired. I will say that the dealership and service that I deal with is FANTASTIC and they are helping me find a comparable vehicle to do an even trade and are giving me a good value for my car, and I am so thankful for that. I may have bought the one truly defective Traverse, but it has been nothing but a headache from the get-go.

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  Amazing SUV! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Narg - December 14 - 5:06 am

  This SUV is an eye opener for what it delivers to its driver. Ive purchased driven a number of GM products over the past 18 years, and love how the quality and features that GM provides has grown continueally during that time. Yes, they used to be bad 20 years ago. But today, wow! Do not miss out on trying a Traverse before you buy anything. Even the dealership experience was the best Ive ever had too. Im moving from a full size pickup to this mid-sized SUV. Originally planned to buy a Tahoe, but the economy has downsized my buying ability slightly. Thank goodness GM made this SUV, it fits perfectly!

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  great vehicle to purchase for family - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By army wife - November 15 - 8:50 pm

  We are a family that does a lot of traveling due to being military and far from home. We looked at many vehicles and this was a great selection for safety and gas mileage. The vehicle is really comfortable and my children love the space and comfort while traveling. We were reluctant to get a minivan so this seemed to be the perfect fit because it looked sleek yet had many nice "minivan" qualities. We seriously considered the Acadia but this was a better price point and very similar to the Acadia. Overall I think it is a great choice for families who are resistant to getting a minivan but still want the safety and decent gas mileage!

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  Cant believe I chose a Chevy! - 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
  By William - November 11 - 9:04 pm

  Wife and I went to the dealership as part of due diligence to "rule out" the Traverse because it was in our price range as an available 3-Row vehicle for the family. Immediately upon beginning the test-drive, it was clear this was a game changing vehicle. Astonished, my wife and I left the dealership to go re-drive a couple SUVs we had previously considered. There was no doubt the redesigned 2018 Traverse was going to be our next vehicle. Smooth ride, unbelievably smooth transmission (smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy?) told a story of being a luxury vehicle - Even the interior materials seemed beyond the price tag of this vehicle. Fit and finish of all internal mechanisms just seemed premium. We were blown away. At the end of the day, we figured the LT Cloth version with the Driver Comfort and Convenience Package offered the best value among the various trims and we took him home. I might have opted for a vehicle with leather but as this is to be my wifes daily driver, she did not care either way. We are an average family without any buyers remorse or regrets on this vehicle purchase. Hope this review helps others out there considering the many offerings in this price range and class.

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  could be better - 2016 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Laura - August 22 - 5:05 am

  2016 Traverse has the most uncomfortable seats ever. Granted I have a basic model but cmon... lumbar support is important. My manual says its optional. If its a manual seat it should be on all cars. We have the split bench in 2nd row. The seat belts are down right painful for adults butts. Behind the driver seat you cannot move where the belt buckles in. There is zero give. You CAN move the buckle on the passenger side so its not digging into your backside but not in the driver side. this needs to be addressed. Also I am not a fan of not having outside mirror defrosters. My 03 trailblazer LS had this option and it was a base model. Not understanding why its not in a 16 when its a safety necessity in my opinion. Cargo room is HUGE!! I love how much room I have in here. The stereo system is really nice. There is bluetooth but for whatever reason I cannot play music from my phone or iPod through the speakers. Defeats the purpose of bluetooth no? Lastly the gas mileage is awful. Maybe its the AWD idk but i go through gas faster on this 16 car than with my old 03 that had 225,000. miles on it. No way shld a new car that has a 22 gallon tank only get 250 miles to a tank.

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  This was my LAST GM vehicle EVER! - 2013 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Mike - August 4 - 10:00 am

  Before buying this car I would be sure that there were no other cars available anywhere in the world to buy. Though we entered our purchase of this vehicle when it was brand new, the manufacturer recalls (4 the first year) and ongoing odor problem in the A/C system pretty much ruined it for us. After EIGHT visits to the dealer about the odor, the NINTH was the charm - exactly one visit beyond the warranty! Once it was out of warranty, they managed to fix the 3-year-plus odor problem for $1300...and then told us to take it our complaints to GM if we didnt like it. GM promptly denied our appeals, and when the engines transmission became rough between 3rd-4th gears, we traded it for a new Honda Pilot the next week. We had had enough, and this was definitely our LAST GM PURCHASE EVER!

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  Our Traverse - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Frank Z - August 3 - 6:40 pm

  We just purchased this about two weeks ago, but it has already met all our expectations and exceeded some. Cannot say much about MPG, because we only have 475 miles on the vehicle. Only two areas needed repair/adjustment. Left side doors off a little in alignment, and seal for drivers window crimped. Doors have been aligned and window seal is on order. It is very roomy, rides very well and the Nav system is greatly improved over our 2007 GM vehicle, although screen size is a little smaller. Very stable on rural roads and interstates. Turns very well at local speeds and turning radius is excellent.

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  Enjoyable SUV - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Eric Kleckner - January 2 - 4:32 am

  Have enjoyed owning this Traverse. Ready for another before body change and less room.

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  Great Vehicle - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By ChevyTrav - December 29 - 5:56 pm

  Cant find too much to complain about yet with this car. Its roomy and rides well. A lot of nice features come with it standard (i.e. XM radio, OnStar, built in phone). Gas mileage has been as advertised so far. I guess there are two things that are slightly bothersome about it and both have already been mentioned by the editors. It tends to be a bit slow to downshift and there is a fair amount of plastic in the car. However, these two minor imperfections really havent bothered me that much. Overall, I feel that this is a quality car that Chevrolet has put out. I would recommend this car to the person who needs space, towing capacity, and decent gas mileage to go along with it.