2009 Chevrolet Traverse Consumer Reviews

5000 mile review

Written by: Upstate NY on 10/15/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT1 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

We've had the Traverse about 5 months now and 5000 miles. No problems to date (hasn't been back to the dealer) and both my wife and I really like the car. I see a lot of posts about poor mileage but we have consistently got 20 to 22 mpg in mixed suburban driving which in my estimation is great for such a large car. My only regret is that I did not buy an LT2 or LTZ package to get some of he features like backup camera, power folding mirrors, temperature controlled climate controls, and upgraded radio. People who ride in the car are surprized how quiet it is especially the engine (hard to tell it's running). I don't think Chevy has gotten the credit it deserves for this engine.

Favorite Features

I guess it's not a feature but I like the drivetrain, quiet, powerful, economical and so far extremely reliable.

Suggested Improvements

I wish I had the rear camera, rear visibility could be improved.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Not too bad

Written by: Yosef Spinoza on 10/14/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

When driving my Traverse LTZ from home to the baseball field, low milage, slow acceleration, slow downshift, poor rear window visibility are very disappointing BUT when the 6 passenger seats are full with my kids, their friends and their sport gadgets, the cargo area is loaded with their NY Yankees jackets, coolers, one bike, bats, gloves and balls and cup holders are all booked then I realize that I did not make a mistake. Driving back home turns into a joyful experience. I appreciate the stability, smooth and comfortable ride, nice interior design, amenities the vehicle has to offer, room and the feeling of driving a safe vehicle for my family (and their friends).

Favorite Features

Roomy vehicle, handsfree calls, XM radio and navtraffic, nav system, memory seats, folding mirrors, blind spot mirrors, rearview camera, remote starter, power remote liftgate, sunroof, controls position and comfortable seat for seven.

Suggested Improvements

After driving a rented Traverse LS for 1,500 miles, I believe that smaller tires fit better on Traverse LTZ.

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Great SUV!

Written by: M. Cleveland on 10/02/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT2 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

We traded in an '06 Cadillac DTS; this rides every bit as smooth. Retired, but wanted the room to haul things - it's sort of our "car/truck". Lots of cargo space. Love the Bose sound system, great bass! Remote rear hatch is convenient & the fact we can change it to manual which allows us to open in the garage. The head rests were uncomfortable but just turned them around and they're fine. Cup holders are nice size; storage areas are adequate. Fuel economy is good considering my DH doesn't do gradual stops and tends to lead foot on take off; even then we're getting avg. 20 mpg city/hwy. A 75 mi. trip of 60 & 75 mph combined, averaged 26mpg. and a 158 mi hilly day trip-avg'd 22 mpg.

Favorite Features

Cargo space; Quiet and excellent handling; smooth ride. Back-up sensors & camera. Bose sound system; Blind spot mirrors; Appealing design.

Suggested Improvements

Given the price paid, LT2 should have driver memory seat and 8-way power seat for passenger. Improved mileage would always be welcome but given size/weight of vehicle, not bad.

9 out 9 people found this review helpful

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Traverse LTZ!

Written by: Bigboy on 09/25/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

Bought the Traverse after a lot of research considering primarily import SUV's. 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.

Favorite Features

Room, ride and driveability. Towing capacity is a plus as well as interior design. Finish is very good

Suggested Improvements

Better quality sound system Don't buy expecting great fuel economy, I average 16.9 mpg half highway half city and drive easy

7 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Exceptional Vehicle

Written by: Paul on 09/25/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT1 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

Very impressed with this vehicle. Still own a 1998 Malibu and traded in our 2002 Venture. If I could only own 1 vehicle, this would be it. It does it all - it really shines on the highway. Good riding height and has a substantial presence on the road which helps with the big truck traffic. Around town is is very nimble and my average fuel economy is 20.1 at the moment which I think is pretty good for a 4700 pound 281 HP vehicle. The exterior styling is really one of the coolest crossovers made. I get a lot of comments about it and it makes most other vehicles look like antiques. Overall, very pleased with this purchase and hope to keep it for a long long time.

Favorite Features

The ride, power, and safety features. Superb Bose sound system. 18" wheels with 6 lugs. Premium cloth seats is more comfortable than leather for me.

Suggested Improvements

Offer a smaller sun roof for the front portion only.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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My first american car - reminded why

Written by: Carlos on 09/20/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT1 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

After owning only Honda/Toyota/Nissan in the past, I finally bought it because the 3rd row has easiest access of all SUV's with 3rd row we saw. It just seems American cars don't put the effort into designing things like foreign. Ran out of space for dislikes below: - Hood release lines up vertically with parking break (I've 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 can't 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)

Favorite Features

-i do hand it to American cars, they look nicer than ever, yet still unoriginal -I like the external design -drives like a car (wife loves it), doesn't feel as big as it really is -access to 3rd row - the best! -auto dim rear view + rear camera -strong AC (we live in FL)

Suggested Improvements

-button for compartment on top of dash is chrome, reflects sun into eyes -there's no OFF to headlamps (auto or on, but no off) -AC always defaults to FRESH instead of remembering last setting -no hooks in front to pull out of sand : ( -psngr front seat recline lever too small & hard to find.

5 out 6 people found this review helpful

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LOve the vehicle

Written by: Joe on 09/15/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT1 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

I currently have 10,500 miles on my Traverse and I'm pretty happy with the comfort, performance and gas mileage the car has been getting. I drove a Tahoe before this and it's just as roomy and it gets better mileage. It's my first AWD car and I notice slipping when turning corners and rollback on inclines. Wondering if this is normal?

Favorite Features

I love the back-up camera.

Suggested Improvements

How about bluetooth for all models? Location of the oil filter is horrible. Could use a power connection in the dash compartment for GPS systems so there is no need to have wires all over the place. Would be nice if rear seatbelt latches were set deeper into the seats

2 out 2 people found this review helpful

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Traverse, sorry we bought it

Written by: Linda Silvey on 09/13/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LS 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

We bought our traverse in June2009. The headrests are very uncomfortable and force a short person to keep their head bowed if they don't put a pillow behind their back. My husband has nearly wrecked it three times when trying to make a left hand turn due to the poor visibility when looking to the right to see if another vehicle is coming. It is hard to park because you cannot see the front end and it's very hard to back up due to the small window and the many blind spots along the sides (we have the economy model). The gas mileage is awful. We took a long trip and the highway mpg never got above 18 mpg. My biggest concern is safety. It is an accident waiting to happen.

Favorite Features

The color

Suggested Improvements

Headrests need to be able to be removed or turned backwards. Backup camera needs to standard on all models. Something needs to be changed to improve the gas mileage. My old beat up van gets 22 in town. The frame support between the windshield and the front doors causes lg dangerous blind spot.

5 out 12 people found this review helpful

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Very Happy With Our Purchase

Written by: stephen zeinner on 09/05/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT1 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

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 mpg's.

Favorite Features

Back up senors and back up mirror. Outside mirrors with anti-blind spots. Ride is great and room for all of the grandkids. Love the design. Great for hauling things with the seats folded down.

Suggested Improvements

Third seat sits very low, no problem for me since I am the driver.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Good News - Bad News

Written by: Richard on 09/01/2009

Vehicle

2009 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A)

Review

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.

Favorite Features

Interior room, smooth ride, OnStar, Bluetooth phone, XM satellite.

Suggested Improvements

Get gas mileage up to as advertise or change EPA mileage estimate to more realistic numbers so that more people aren't conned by the promised mileage.

7 out 7 people found this review helpful

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