2021 Chevrolet Traverse

SPEAKER 1: We've been talking a lot about vehicles that are good for families with young children. The Honda Pilot comes to mind is one that's particularly baby friendly. But kids grow up, and families with teens have different car needs. The 2019 Chevy Traverse promises cargo space and a more grown up approach to the midsize SUV. Will it do its chores without being reminded seven times? Let's find out. First, a very important question. Does it do a burnout? No. A little bit. All right. The Traverse does a burnout if you start on gravel. Today's midsize SUV as are like minivans in flannel shirts-- they're trying to look more macho. The Traverse was redesigned in 2018, and I think Chevy did a good job. It's boxy, kind of aggressive, but not boring. I recently reviewed the Kia Sorento, and in the comments on that video, I got scolded by Kia Sorento for saying that the Kia wasn't sporty. That made me realize, OK, sportiness is subjective. I mean, it all depends on what you were driving before. So OK, mid-sized SUVs are sporty in the same way that bowling is sporty. And now, you can all be mad at me for dissing bowling. But what I mean is it's not the same as a Miata or a Corvette. It's specifically designed to be a softer ride, and to be more gentle and quiet. To me, that's not sporty. That said, the Traverse has a pretty zippy 3.6 liter V8, making 310 horsepower, and backed by a nine speed automatic transmission. It has noticeably more passing power than most of the crossovers I've been in. It's good the V6 is such a solid engine, because there really aren't any others that you can choose from. Well, that's not true. There is the RS trim, which comes with a turbo charged four cylinder, and it gets a little bit better gas mileage. But honestly, the V6 gets 20 miles per gallon, and that's right on par with the rest of the SUVs in this class. On the highway around town, the Traverse has an excellent ride. It's very comfortable, it's very predictable. And it's very quiet. For more spirit and driving like on this curvy mountain road, well, it's not the car I would choose for fun, but I feel perfectly safe. Like I said, this isn't what it's for. Safety is obviously a major consideration when you're buying a vehicle to haul your whole family around in. This Traverse, the High Country, has everything you'd need. Lane change assist, and lane keep assist, and pedestrian warning, emergency braking, adaptive cruise control. All the things, but you can't even option them up on the lower trim models. And I think when a lot of the competitors like Honda and Toyota and Kia are offering that stuff as standard all the way up and down the trim levels, Chevy ought to get with the program. Stop being so stingy. The Traverse isn't intended to be primarily an off road or tow vehicle, but it's capable of both if you option for the all wheel drive and tow package. The controls for that are in this mode dial down here by the shifter. And you can go two wheel drive, all wheel drive, the off road setting, and a tow setting, which I think changes shift points. The dial is a different approach to all wheel drive than some of the competitors in this sort of front wheel drive midsize segment, because usually, they do it as a sort of automatic all wheel drive. Like, it just senses if there's wheel slip, and moves from front wheel drive to all wheel drive for as long as you need it. But Chevy has sort of giving you more control as the driver. We tend to talk about the infotainment systems in these reviews while we're parked, which is fine if you think ahead, and are ready. But a lot of times, you're on the road, and then you're like, oh crap, did I plug my phone in. And I don't want to listen to this anymore. And it's always interesting to see how hard it is to figure out these systems while you're driving, which I guess you're not really supposed to be doing, but you know that you are. Anyhow, it's easy to plug a phone in. It doesn't matter which USB you plug into. Apple CarPlay or Android Auto will work from either one. And everything in the screen is reachable and visible while you're driving without having to look away from the road for very long. The steering wheel controls aren't quite as easy. I don't like the adaptive cruise control at all. I can barely figure out how to turn it on and I have a hard time knowing when it's on. It just doesn't show very much in the dash. It's great that the Traverse is so big and roomy on the inside, but it's also very big on the outside. And with some pretty substantial blind spots, that can make parking intimidating. Luckily, there's some tech that makes it easier. There's a rear view camera, and a 360 degree camera so you can see everything that surrounds you. There's also a pretty nifty little camera here in the rear view. Mirror and rear sensor to tell you when you're getting close to stuff. Let's see how it works. Going backwards in a straight line, not going to hit anything today. Parked. Success. OK, so Traverse is great at backing into spots. But what about pulling into a spot? You know, it's got a pretty long hood, and I can't really see the end of it. I can still use the camera, that's great. No parking sensors in the front? What the what? Earlier, I said that the Traverse was a really good choice for parents with teenage children. One of the reasons I said that is the Traverse has something called Teen Driver, a monitoring system for when your kid takes the car. It's not like valet mode, where it limits them to first gear or 30 miles an hour or something like that. I mean, you can drive normally. But it gives a report card at the end that you can go over with your kid, and talk about, Oh, what was their top speed, and did any of the traction aides come on. Was there any emergency braking. And so it can kind of help you help them to improve their driving without you having to be in the car. Oh, it also prevents them from turning on the radio until their seatbelts are on. The Traverse has a tough guy exterior, but inside, it's surprisingly soft. The steering wheel is pretty squishy, it has a lot of leather trim on most of the spots that you're going to touch. And overall, it's pretty luxurious. Now bear in mind, we're in the High Country trim, which is the top of the line Traverse. So as you go down in the trim levels, you won't have all of this luxury. Traverse come standard with a seven inch touchscreen, and we have the optional eight inch here. There are plenty of storage cubbies and a nice big console. And so many options for charging a phone. From front to back, I counted 10 different ways that you could plug-in and charge a phone, or a tablet, or something similar. And that's including USB ports 12 volts AC adapter. There's even a hidden charging spot behind the screen in case you're a spy, and you have like, a secret burner phone or something. I don't know. The point is, there are enough spots for everyone in the car to charge their phones and then some. Noticing all the places to charge your phone was sort of what made me think, man, this would be a really good vehicle for somebody with teenagers. Because you know, little kids might use the dropdown screen or whatever, but big kids tend to bring their entertainment with them. And I just feel like Chevy is thinking about that. You know, they have a lot of leg room, and there's a lot of charging spots. And there's sort of a lot of privacy. Like, they could sit all the way in the back and sort of feel like they weren't stuck right up with mom and dad. There's plenty of room in the front of the Traverse. There's a lot of space between the driver and the passenger, and between the driver and the door. The seats however, are a little bit narrow. And there's actually a big gap here. And if you are broader, you might feel a little bit cramped. They're also very firm. Which is fine. Some people like a firm seat. Me, if I'm driving in a big SUV, I kind of want to feel like I'm in a barcalounger. So I wouldn't mind if they were a little softer. They are heated though, and that makes up for it. One thing Chevy did really well in the Traverses give it this bright airy feeling. It's really nice and light all the way from the front to the back of the car. I hate it when you get into these SUV and it's just all black plastic and you feel like you're in sort of a terrible cave of misery. The Traverse doesn't feel like that. It's really bright. Some of that might be from the twin sunroof on this car, which is standard on the High Country, but you can option it on some of the lower levels. Hurray for second rows with plenty of space. There's foot room, there's knee room, there's plenty of room all around you. It's nice back here. Especially when you option up to the captain's chairs. Feel pretty important. My same complaints about the front seats apply to the back seats in that they aren't plush, they're a little bit firm. But they're totally comfortable. I'd be happy to sit back here. The best thing about the second and third rows in the Traverse is how easy it is to get from one to the other. I mean, you can just walk there, like it's a freaking airplane. Or if you're getting in from outside, the passenger seat tilts forward. You can even do it with a child seat in there and it's not a problem there's plenty of space to get into the back row. Take the baby out first. I've been in second rows that don't have as much room as the third row in the Traverse. I mean, it's pretty great back here. Plus, it has all of the creature comforts-- cup holders, USB ports, a vent for climate control. I mean, I wouldn't want to be the kid in the middle here on a long road trip, but for around town, totally fine. With 23 cubic feet behind the third row, and 98 cubic feet with it down, plus the ability to have just part of it down the Traverse winds the cargo space awards offering more room than the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, or Ford Explorer. Bonus points for how easy it is to put the seats down and bring them up again. Bonus, bonus points for bonus storage under the floor. Obviously, I don't play the cello, but maybe your kid does. Or maybe you find and refinish antiques on the weekend. Whether it's for your growing family or your outsize hobbies, the Chevy Traverse is big on interior space. It's not just big, it's useful. And isn't that the whole point of a midsize SUV? For reviews of the Chevy Traverse and other midsize SUV, visit Edmunds. For more videos like this, please subscribe and make sure you follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.