2010 Chevrolet Traverse

Recently, I had the opportunity to go on the road in one of the new breed of crossover suv's from GM. I have been excited to try one of these out for two reasons. First of all, it is said that it is built similarly to the new malibu which came out last year and which most of you know I am a big fan of. Secondly, for a station wagon, they look pretty darn good! For anyone who feels they have to have an suv but may really not need the all-terrain capabilities such as higher ground clearance or ability to tow two boats at a time, this vehicle will impress you. There aren't many vehicles that I can issue a blanket statement like that on but the traverse has more room than one would think and is very comfortable and user friendly. After driving it for almost 1,000 miles, I will definitely say that it feels as though it has the same qualities and comfortable feeling that the malibu does. These vehicles just feel like they are put together well and it shows.

For starters, next to the Ford Edge, the traverse has probably the smoothest automatic transmission I have ever experienced. I really had to pay attention and make an effort in order to feel it shifting! The engine, a 3.6 liter V-6, has more than ample power, cranking out 281 hp and knowing just when to let you feel it. There are no issues here with sluggishness or inability to pass in traffic. It was surprising to me to be driving a vehicle this size and have the effortless acceleration at highway speeds like it does. I was very enamored with the drivetrain on this traverse. The smoothness and the power are great and only add to the comfort felt by the occupants in the cabin. I didn't believe it until I saw it for myself but the traverse WILL seat 8 people due to the fact that it has a full size 3rd row seat; unlike so many of the 3rd row suv's that merely have a small jump seat with room for 2 kids, at the most. This will be an extremely comfortable vehicle to travel in if you have a family of only 5 or six because it has so much room in the rear. Additionally, unlike so many 3rd row suv's on the market, this vehicle actually has ample storage room behind the 3rd row seat! As many of us know, the explorers and commanders are nice but with all of the seats in use, there is about as much storage room for luggage as there is in a Smart car!! That is definitely not the case with the traverse. There are A/C vents for each seat in the back and both the front and rear a/c blows as cold as ice and powerfully enough to cool the vehicle down even in the 100 degree temperatures that we experienced during our time with it. Of course, the rear seat passengers have a separate control so that the front seat Dad doesn't freeze them out! Speaking of rear seat controls, the traverse has a stereo in the rear where the passengers can control what they are listening to and how loud it is. There are headphone jacks as well so that the front seaters can listen to their old fogey stuff while the young 'uns have their hippie music going! There are ample cupholders in the vehicle, or at least as many as the best of 'em have. The front seats have 1 in the door and 2 in the center while the rear seats each have one as well. There is a huge storage bin located in the center console where one could pack even the largest magnum revolver...oops...did I type that? I mean, at least 8 - 10 cans of soda, eh?
The instrument cluster is another one with the calming blue/green lighting and all of the gauges are clear and easy to read. The mileage calculator and information center is right in the middle above the tach and speedo and is very convenient to keep an eye on while driving. All of the controls are mounted in the standard places and are relatively easy to reach and easy to figure out.

All in all, there isn't much bad that I can say about the traverse. It does have blind spots but the side view mirrors actually have built-in blind spot mirrors in the corners that work better than any I have ever seen! The vehicle is large and not quite as easy to drive as an escape or Rav4 BUT it definitely doesn't have the huge school bus feeling that so many of the larger suv's have.

The traverse rides smoothly for a crossover suv and gives it's passengers a nice, quiet, peaceful ride down the highway. For anyone who likes the roominess of a large suv such as a suburban or expedition, this is probably the closest you will be able to come to it without actually purchasing one of those larger truck-based vehicles. I averaged 20.5 mpg doing probably 80% highway driving. I suspect that in town one should expect 16-17 while all highway driving would probably yield 22 - 23 mpg. This may not sound great but consider that the Suzuki Grand Vitara that I just had was giving me an average of 18.4 over a 3 day period, with most of that being in the city. So, with the traverse, I sacrifice 2mpg for seating for an additional 3 people, a ton more luggage, a lot more comfort, and let's face it...the old bowtie on the front just has a lot more meaning than the "S" from that vehicle, right? If you are ever in the market for a high capacity suv that will be comfortable, fairly economical, and still hold all of your stuff along with your group, the traverse should definitely be one of your considerations.