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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  Poor Fuel Economy - 2016 Chevrolet Traverse
  By bravo1 - November 13 - 2:15 pm

  To get a true review of this car look at the previous years, I got a LT1. The fuel economy they advertise is probably on a flat test track with no stop signs or signal lights. The car is heavy and on fuel economy we are averaging 10-14 mpg. The headrest is too far forward, Bluetooth is poor and hard to understand, and the Info system does not respond well. The fold down middle seats for access to the 3rd row seats could have been made smoother to operate, and rear visibility is poor. Over all the car looks good and the interior design is of good quality.

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  Same Old GM----Different Wrapper - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By uptown48009 - November 5 - 6:37 am

  We bought this vehicle new. While demoing the middle captains chairs, the seat cover ripped. Took vehicle back for service and GM required them to restitch the seat....look like h... Called the dealer and they had to fight to get us a new seat cover..waited 3 weeks for callback only to find out the cover is on back order...tells you how many are ripping (poor design and build quality)...middle row flip seats are not as user friendly as depicted...had stain protection applied to fabric...got stains on seat...dealer could not get stain out...supposed to receive new seat cover....still fighting on that yet it is a selling point to the protection....SAME OLD GM>>>STAY AWAY

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  LOVE MY TRAVERSE - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By christine - October 31 - 12:32 pm

  We bought our LT1 Traverse in June and we love it !! I like the way it handles and it looks great.We have a sun and moon roof I have never had one before and I am enjoying them (so are my teenaged boys )I agree with one of the other reviews about when turning right it is very hard to see if anything is coming ,and the head rests are awkward .I am hoping it handles good in the snow as we get alot of it .There is so much room in them ,we packed all my sons stuff for college in it with putting down one of the 2nd row seats.There is enough room for my 510 and 61 tall boys in the back seat.I would recommend this car . I think next time we would like to upgrade to the LTZ with more features

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  Like my LTZ So Far - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By andylibby - October 28 - 8:53 pm

  I came close to buying the Buick Enclave but got the Traverse for three reasons: (1) Price, the Buick would have cost $3 to $4m more similarly equipped, (2) I got a huge rebate for buying the 09, and (3) I dont like fake wood trim and the Buick is full of it. I liked everything about the Buick better except for the fake wood and the extra $$$, but the Traverse LTZ is an awesome car with all the goodies and Im enjoying it a great deal.

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  Hope I dont regret purchase... - 2018 Chevrolet Traverse
  By LH - September 29 - 3:18 pm

  Purchased LT Traverse August 2017. Had Traverse back to dealer after owning literally a week and a half as the brake assist turned on when driving in town at 35 MPH and coming to a stop slowly. Additionally, received transmission error following day. Apparently connector issue, and was fixed. One week later brake assist came on again. Dealership indicated software update should resolve issue. Now Engine has been much louder when sitting idle, as it seems that the Stop/Start function is not working properly since software update. Other than these major issues, vehicle has more space than older model; better storage space in rear. This vehicle has more features that are electric powered, and hoping there are no major issues. I recommend the extended warranty, even if buying brand new. Im regretting not purchasing now.

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  Traverse LTZ! - 2009 Chevrolet Traverse
  By Bigboy - September 25 - 10:49 am

  Bought the Traverse after a lot of research considering primarily import SUVs. Poor experience with Nissan Pathfinder and support lead me back to a NA product. Dealer was very attentive and worked with me to get the right vehicle at the right price.

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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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  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.