The Chevrolet Traverse combines the look of an SUV with the people space of a minivan.
Chevy’s newest crossover utility vehicle shares its roots with the Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia. It can hold eight people.
For most families, crossover utility vehicles are displacing truck-based SUVs. The Traverse is lighter, more fuel efficient and roomier than Chevy’s Tahoe, for example, and it has more interior room.
Truck-based SUVs, however, still have the advantage when it comes to towing. The Tahoe can tow up to 8,400 pounds while the Traverse can tow up to 5,200 pounds.
The Traverse is available with front-wheel or all-wheel drive in three trim levels. Base prices start at $28,255 for a front-wheel-drive LS, $31,745 for the LT and $41,975 for the LTZ. OnStar, with hands-free calling and turn-by-turn navigation, is standard and free for one year.
The test unit was an LS with no options. The Traverse can be equipped with numerous options, including a rear-seat entertainment center, navigation system, power liftgate, heated and cooled front seats, and XM satellite radio.
The Traverse uses GM’s direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 with variable valve timing and dual overhead cams. With direct injection, fuel is sprayed into each cylinder rather than into the intake manifold, and less fuel is needed to produce comparable horsepower. Efficiency goes up. The engine in the Traverse delivers 281 horsepower, and fuel economy is rated at 17 miles per gallon in the city and 24 on the highway. The LTZ model has dual exhausts, and that bumps power to 288.
The V-6 accelerates smoothly because vibration has been isolated from the chassis.
The Traverse contains Chevy’s new signature grille, but the rest of the body bears more than a passing resemblance to the Enclave. The body has bulges in all the right places, and the wheels sit out nearly flush with the body sides. The vehicle has a nice stance because the cabin’s greenhouse, or window area, is slightly narrower than the rest of the body.
The Traverse combines comfort, handling and performance in a way that puts it on even footing with competitors such as the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander and Ford Flex. It is firm and confident on twisting two-lane roads because the body stays admirably flat in turns. A compact independent rear suspension plays a big role in the vehicle’s overall handling prowess, but some credit also goes to the Michelin tires that were designed specifically to provide good grip without sacrificing ride quality or creating road noise. The LS comes with 17-inch wheels, the LT with 18s, and the LTZ with 20s.
Chevrolet engineers have paid a great deal of attention to reducing noise throughout the Traverse. The windshield glass has sound-deadening laminate, and portions of the body have laminated steel panels. Expandable foam fills many body cavities to absorb noise. It’s easy to talk inside the vehicle at 70 miles per hour.
The Traverse’s interior is both warm and welcoming. The cloth seats on the base LS were somewhat plain. The front seats have excellent lateral and lumbar support. The second-row seat slides forward for access to the third-row seat. The third seat is large enough to be usable by adults.
Rear vision is challenging, particularly when backing out of a parking space. The $450 rearview camera option would be money well spent. The outside mirrors had tiny convex windows that show vehicles when they’re in the driver’s blind spot.
Six airbags, including side-curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, are standard. Each Traverse also has vehicle stability control, traction control, a tire-pressure monitor and anti-lock brakes.
Price
The base price of the test vehicle was $28,255. The only option was a spare tire. The sticker price was $29,065.
Warranty
Four years or 50,000 miles, with a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT
Engine: 3.6-liter, 281-hp V-6
Transmission: Automatic
Front-wheel drive
Wheelbase: 118.9 inches
Curb weight: 4,720 lbs.
Base price: $28,255
As driven: $29,065
MPG rating: 17 city, 24 hwy.
To reach Tom Strongman, send e-mail to tom@tomstrongman.com.
