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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  Tons of space! - 2017 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Christy Stratton - May 6 - 1:05 pm

  Love the space in the vehicle. Rides nice. Easy to get kids in and out, even in the 3rd row. Great for families!

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  New Owner - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Steve - April 5 - 7:06 pm

  We just purchased our Traverse last month. I drove it over 800 miles during the Thanksgiving weekend. So far, we love it! Smooth, quiet, roomy, and with the leather and LT2 package, luxurious. Kids are comfortable in all seats (16 year old son is almost 6 foot). Ride quality is tight and free of any shakes or rattles. Great time to buy with GM adding bonus money I would definitely recommend one to family or friends.

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  Chev Traverse 1LT - 2016 Chevrolet Traverse
  By tom roach - March 26 - 12:08 pm

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  First Chevy and Whole Family is Impressed - 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Pat Earley - March 17 - 5:46 am

  Short version: My Wife, Kids and I agree, The 2018 Traverse s a very very nice car and we like Cajun Red. Long version: After looking for three years to replace a 2004 Explorer we landed on a 2018 Chevy Traverse. I first considered the new Traverse after a friend stated he that might be his next vehicle (he owns an old Traverse he swears by) because he heard it can fit a sheet of plywood in the back. While the interior of our new Traverse is too nice to think of shoving a jagged piece of plywood anywhere in it, the possibility of getting a vehicle with more room than less was appealing to me. With 2 kids and 2 dogs and weekend trips to the lake, where everything needs to be hauled, I shopped for optimum cargo space first. Then I noticed how nice they looked inside and out and there were more and more reasons to want the Traverse. The Traverse has great room in both front seats and the middle two captain chairs for the 62, 260 lbs person that I am. The drivers seat adjustments are fine and the seat is real comfortable. The ergonomics of the steering wheel tilt and telescopic adjustment and the steering wheel controls are fine. My only complaint is that I naturally want to put my left elbow at a position that neither the window ledge or armrest are comfortable. A small pillow for longer trips will solve that easily, however, the window sill as my standard choice and is a bit high and has no padding. Ill get used to that. I am so comfortable otherwise, it doesnt matter. The kids love the rear captain seats which do recline. They claim the third seat is nice too but, they may only be reporting about the drink holders and the USB ports everywhere. My short ride in the middle seat impressed me. I thought I could easily choose to ride in them for a long trip instead of being at the top of the pecking order and choosing to be the driver. The "infotainment" system is awesome. While I wouldnt admit to making a $40,000 buying choice because of a radio, the technogeek in me secretly says ohh yaa. My only complaint is the menu on computer screen in the instrument cluster poorly highlights the item to be selected. To identify the item selected I have to guess or arrow up or down a couple times to see the weak highlight change from item to item. Not a big deal unless I start using it to select the music form my iphone library as I drive. That might be too awkward, if still real cool to be able to do. While the polished ebony looking trim and the nice looking touch screen are elegant and appealing to look at, I wonder how if they are going to get scratched up and not look so nice. The shiny black plastic especially. The hideaway cubby behind the touchsreen is likely to not be used much. Well see. It did not give me the wow it likely intended. The same is true for the rear camera in the rear view mirror. It works and looks nice when you are stopped and wanting to look behind. It is impossible to use while driving unless your take time to adjust your vision. It is not the same as looking in the mirror. Having said that, with a back end full of gear, the mirror will not be an option and Im sure I will appreciate the ability to view the trailer or close following cars. Our Traverse is equipped with blind side detection rear parking alarm and the birds eye camera view with front and rear cameras. We are continually groing in our understanding the benefit of all these features and have somewhat changed our spartan viewpoint to thinking these are not wow gimmicks like the rear view mirror camera might be. They will become our next cant own a car without items like cruise control and intermittent wipers once were (air conditioning and power windows were once those too for us who used to drive 60s cars and not cause they were classics) The heating and cooling controls are nice with tri-zone control. We are expecting the heated seats to be nice with winter coming. Ive tried them. Theyre hot. All are easy to control separately from from the infotainment system. On Star and the 4G WiFi works good along with Sirius XM. The kids dream of streaming movies without getting beat up about their data useage, Im sure. I dont know what to think about it. It seems expensive to continue. Will we be hooked? I am already liking starting the car from my office using the My Chevrolet app. Everyones got dozen ways to get their hook in pocket, I guess. Im not an engine and transmission geek so I can comment on feel only. The acceleration seems good, even peppy. The transmission is smooth up and down. I heard other reviews of jerky downshifting or a hunting behavior. I cant sense any shifting motion or noise. The cab is as quiet as I have experienced too. The stop light start/stop will take getting used to. Seems to work well. In conclusion, from one who bought 3 new Fords and run them into the ground, my review is the 2018 Traverse most excellent.

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  Traverse Rules! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By BSTinman - February 23 - 8:43 pm

  My wife loves driving our two kids around in this family SUV and Im not embarrassed to get behind the wheel myself. Weve been very happy so far with this car. My 4 year old son throws a fit if we have to take our other car (a Pontiac Torrent) somewhere. I love the bluetooth phone technology and the AWD handles great in the snow. I highly recommend this vehicle for anybody who drives a lot with a car load of people.

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  Where have you been my whole life? - 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Tom Cardamone - November 29 - 3:11 am

  Over two months ago traded my 15 Traverse with 11K miles for an 18 Premiere Redline not because I wanted to, but because I had to! Dealer had just taken delivery and prepped......took my first test ride of this new vehicle with 8 miles on the clock. Twenty miles later, parked it taking up two parking spots and told the salesman to keep the keyfob in his pocket and dont let anyone else in it until I first dealt with the manager. Four hours later it was tail lights down the road. No idea why Chevy even badged this vehicle as a Traverse, likely for marketing reasons, only features in common with the older gen is they both have round tires. Sixty years later I realize how my father had felt when his new 58 Impala was replaced by Chevy with the totally redesigned, larger, wider, more powerful, stylish finned 59 Impala. It has been 10 years since Chevy introduced the Traverse and spent the time well gathering user data and complaints for improvement and saving all the new high tech innovations for this new iteration of a totally redesigned vehicle. Originally looked at the Acura MDX, but decide against it because the Chevy was significantly less costly with a control layout I found more suitable, and no nearby dealers in my area. Dont have time or space to go into all the details, but it took three re-reads of the owners manual and a few weeks of playing around to realize the capabilities of the Traverse. Just hit 2,200 miles and it has been flawless...cant find the keyfob half the time because the wife grabs them both and I get the truck. Every part of this vehicle is high tech and different from the previous gen. ------front, (2) rear, (2) side cameras, ultrasonics, radar for birds eye view of the vehicle, parking assist, auto braking, blind zone alert, lane keeper alert, pedestrian detection and braking, auto leveling headlights, "D" lens LED headlights with enough output to sunburn a deer, LED tail lights, all LED interior lighting, puddle lighting, multiple 8"/4" LCD screens, digital or analog readouts, 9 speed tranny, rear suspension design "squats" to prevents nose diving on a hard stop so the groceries dont hit you in the back of the head, combo self dimming rear view mirror with built in wide angle overlay from rear camera #2 - no head or seat backs in the display!, rear camera washers, motorized steering wheel/seat/mirror adjustments with memory for multiple drivers, active noise cancelling, soundproof windshield, new unobtrusive start/stop, keyless entry, variable ration power steering for ease of parking, ventilated disk brakes on all 4 wheels, 5000 lb towing with trailer braking and trailer anti sway, and a whole crap load of other creature features from large comfortable leather seating, second row heated seats that can tilt with a child seat still attached for third row entry, and third row seating that can actually seat adults, bathtub sized under the floor storage, internal compact spare tire storage, and a Nav system with 8" touchscreen that is accurate, understands voice commands and auto zooms the closer you get to the destination. The large 20" tires and suspension do not dive in a turn and the 310 hp V6 can do 0-60 in under 7 sec with no perceptible torque steer. New sunroof operates externally with automatic wind deflector. Limited space with dual sunroofs necessitates a sunshade tpe screen which is now opaque, not the former annoying screen....auto opening but manual shut - --but is you try to open the shade manually you had better read the manual which says to push the relase button and push up.....if you try to strong arm it back it will likely break.

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  Dont waste your money. - 2012 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Michele Lemole - September 7 - 7:36 am

  I have been the single owner of this vehicle. It has had problems from the get go. With in the first 6 months of owning it the radio had to be changed out 3 times. After they changed it there is an annoying rattle in the dash. Chevy says its normal noise. REALLY!!! There was also a recall on the air bag system as well as the seat belts. It took them 3 tries to get the airbag system to work properly. Makes you feel real safe. At around 40,000 miles the compressor for the A/C died at the cost of $1000. Of course it occurred after the 36,000 mile warranty was up. Now at only 5yrs old the alternator has died taking along with it the battery. The to the tune of just under $1000 as well. Also the blower for the rear A/C has stopped working. This vehicle is a money Pit!

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  Great family car - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By mjm - July 26 - 4:13 pm

  4th in a long line of SUVs (Ford, Honda, BMW, Chevy). This SUV looks the best and has the strength the others do not (towing). Very comfortable driving position, plenty of room for a family of 6 and everything needed for long vacations. AWD has performed as expected in inclement weather (ice, snow). The qualtiy of this vehicle seems to be better than the previous Chevy I have owned.

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  Nice car for the price - 2017 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Jack Nappi - June 30 - 8:40 pm

  Not fuel efficient

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  Love it Love it Love it - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Carol - May 2 - 11:36 am

  Traded in my Suburban for Traverse. Have driven Suburbans since 1997...I have never enjoyed a car so much. Gas mileage is 22 on Highway...1 trip to Florida and back...very comfortable. Only one problem...have a burning smell that cannot be located. Seems to be intermittent and 2 dealerships have looked. People stop me all the time to comment on what a great looking vehicle it is. So far, best car I have ever had including 2 Cadillacs.