2015 Chevy Traverse Review
2015 Chevy Traverse Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Compliant ride quality
- generous cargo capacity, even behind the third row
- seating for up to eight passengers
- top crash test scores.
Cons
- Can feel cumbersome to drive
- small, antiquated audio and climate controls
- occasionally finicky infotainment system.
What’s new
The 2015 Chevrolet Traverse is unchanged except for the addition of Siri Eyes Free voice control technology to models equipped with the MyLink infotainment system.
Edmunds says
The 2015 Chevrolet Traverse checks nearly all of the right boxes for a large crossover SUV and remains a worthy choice for consumers who need three rows of seating and expansive cargo room.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse LS 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.64 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$226/mo for Traverse LS
Traverse LS
vs
$207/mo
Avg. Midsize SUV
Vehicle overview
Whether it's shuttling half the soccer team to an away game, bringing home oversize flea market finds or doing a little of both, large crossover SUVs give you the flexibility that few other vehicles provide. And among these modern beasts of burden, the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse stands out as one of the best available, thanks to its expansive interior space, smooth ride and top crash test scores.
While there's something to be said for the Traverse's handsome exterior, its real strengths lie inside. The roomy cabin is attractive and offers seating for as many as eight passengers in three rows. Folding down those seats creates the largest cargo hold in the segment, with plenty of room for whatever needs hauling. Available upgrades including Chevy's touchscreen MyLink infotainment system and a rear-seat video entertainment system make the cabin just that much more family-friendly.
New this year on models equipped with MyLink is Siri Eyes Free technology, which allows drivers with iPhones 4s and later to ask Siri to read and respond to text messages, place phone calls, play music and more by simply pushing a button on the steering wheel. Owners of Android phones can use the same button to access their phone's voice recognition capabilities. The rest of the Traverse remains the same, which is just fine by us. It provides an impressively smooth and comfortable ride while still being secure around turns, and its V6 engine is reasonably powerful and fuel-efficient.
The Traverse earned an "A" rating from Edmunds.com editors, but is still just one of several attractive entries in this large crossover segment. The Ford Flex combines distinctive styling, a more old-school wagon profile and a roomy interior, while the Mazda CX-9 balances more athletic handling with less room for people and cargo. The Toyota Highlander is perhaps the most well-rounded vehicle in the segment and also earned an A rating from our editors. All that said, the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse offers a blend of excellent comfort, remarkable room, good value and a pleasant driving experience.
Performance & mpg
The 2015 Chevrolet Traverse features a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 281 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque in the LS and LT trim levels. The LTZ's dual exhaust outlets bump output up to 288 hp and 270 lb-ft. A six-speed automatic is the only available transmission, but buyers have a choice of standard front-wheel or optional all-wheel drive.
In Edmunds testing, an all-wheel-drive LTZ sprinted to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds, which is a bit slow for a large crossover. Properly equipped, the Traverse can tow up to 5,200 pounds. EPA fuel economy estimates are 19 mpg combined (17 city/24 highway) for front-wheel-drive models, and 19 mpg combined (16/23) with all-wheel drive. These are average fuel economy numbers for a large, V6-powered crossover.
Safety
Standard safety features on all 2015 Chevy Traverse models include four-wheel antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, a rearview camera, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. OnStar is also standard and includes automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance, remote door unlocking, stolen vehicle assistance and turn-by-turn navigation.
A unique center airbag between the front seats, which is designed to protect occupants from colliding with one another in the event of a side impact, is an option on the base LS trim level and standard on all other Traverse models. Rear parking sensors are standard on all versions except the LS. A blind-spot and rear cross-traffic monitoring system is standard on the LTZ, as are forward-collision alert and lane-departure warning systems. The latter two are optional on 2LT models.
In Edmunds brake testing, an all-wheel-drive LTZ required just 119 feet to stop from 60 mph, a better-than-average result for a large three-row crossover SUV.
In government crash tests, the Traverse earned a top five-star (out of five) rating for overall performance, with five stars for overall front-impact protection and five stars for overall side-impact protection. The Traverse also fared well in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety crash tests, in which it received the highest rating of "Good" in the moderate-overlap frontal-offset, side-impact and roof-strength tests. The Traverse's seat/head restraint design was also rated "Good" for whiplash protection in rear impacts.
Driving
The 2015 Chevrolet Traverse displays exactly the kind of road manners you'd want in a large, three-row family crossover. The ride quality is comfortable, composed and quiet on the highway, providing an assuredness that drivers switching from bigger truck-based SUVs will appreciate. At the same time, the suspension delivers sure handling and surprisingly good maneuverability for such a large vehicle, although smaller rivals are more responsive to drive on twisting roads or in tight urban spaces.
The 3.6-liter V6 engine is fine for most day-to-day driving conditions, but feels a little anemic when maximum acceleration is called for, such as attempting to pass slower traffic on a two-lane road. The six-speed automatic transmission generally delivers smooth gearchanges, but can feel a little sluggish when you need a quick downshift in situations like getting up to speed on freeway on-ramps.
Interior
Inside, the 2015 Chevrolet Traverse features a roomy interior with handsome styling and better-quality materials than those found in earlier models. The overall effect gives the space a look and feel that ranges from pleasant to downright upscale in the top LTZ trim level.
Front-row passengers will enjoy abundant head- and legroom, as will second-row occupants, but the middle-row seat cushions are a bit low. Sliding those seats all the way back alleviates this issue, but effectively kills third-row legroom. The slide release is also difficult to access. The third row is actually roomy enough for adults to fit in comfortably (as long as second-row occupants are generous), though it's realistically best suited for those of smaller stature or children. This is especially true if you want to fit three across.
As is invariably the case with three-row vehicles, rearward visibility is almost nonexistent when you have a full crew on board, so the standard rearview camera is a huge help. The camera's image and infotainment system controls are displayed on a 6.5-inch touchscreen that's mounted a little too low on the dash to view with a quick glance and surrounded by touch-sensitive secondary buttons that may look vaguely interesting, but are less functional than normal buttons. The occasionally slow response of the MyLink system to your inputs is another drawback.
When it comes to cargo space, the Traverse is definitely a leader in its class. Even with the third-row seats in place, it can carry more luggage than most rivals. Space remains abundant when lowering either the second or third rows, as the Traverse offers more cargo space than any crossover apart from its Buick and GMC siblings.
2015 Chevrolet Traverse models
The 2015 Chevrolet Traverse is a large crossover SUV with seating for seven or eight passengers depending on the second-row seating configuration. There are essentially three trim levels -- LS, LT and LTZ -- though the LT model is further subdivided into 1LT and 2LT variants.
Standard features on the entry-level LS include 17-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, roof rails, a rear spoiler, keyless entry, front and rear air-conditioning, cloth upholstery, 60/40-split-folding second- and third-row seats, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, Bluetooth phone connectivity, the OnStar telematics system, a rearview camera, a 6.5-inch touchscreen display and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, an auxiliary audio jack, a USB/iPod audio interface and two additional USB charge-only ports.
Stepping up to the 1LT trim adds 18-inch alloy wheels, foglights, heated outside mirrors, rear parking sensors, remote ignition, an eight-way power driver seat (with two-way power lumbar), a leather-wrapped steering wheel and wood-grain interior trim. The 2LT includes all of the above and adds auto-dimming driver-side and rearview mirrors, a power liftgate, tri-zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, second-row captain's chairs (the second-row bench seat is still optional) and rear-seat audio controls and headphone jacks. You also get the MyLink infotainment interface, which includes Bluetooth audio connectivity, Internet radio app integration and new Siri Eyes Free technology.
The top-of-the-line LTZ model comes with 20-inch alloy wheels, power-folding mirrors, a blind-spot monitoring system, a rear cross-traffic alert system, forward collision warning and lane-departure alert. Inside there are leather upholstery, driver memory functions, an eight-way power front passenger seat, ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel and a navigation system integrated into MyLink. The second-row captain's chairs are also mandatory.
Some of the upper trim levels' standard features are available as options. Also available, depending on trim level, are a panoramic sunroof, a 10-speaker Bose surround-sound audio system, a rear-seat entertainment center (includes a house-style electrical outlet) and a towing package.
Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
3.5 out of 5 stars3.5/5Above Average
#22 out of 32 among Midsize SUVs
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Chevrolet Traverse from 2008-2022.$574/yr
vs. $485/yr
for Average Midsize SUV
for Average Midsize SUV
Frequency
The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).1.02x/yr
vs. 1.18x/yr
for Average Midsize SUV
for Average Midsize SUV
Severity
The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).16.5%
vs. 13.5%
for Average Midsize SUV
for Average Midsize SUV
powered by RepairPal Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2015 Chevrolet Traverse.
5 star(69%)
4 star(15%)
3 star(4%)
2 star(0%)
1 star(12%)
26 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
Extremely impressed
vvk, 01/22/2015
2015 Chevrolet Traverse LT 4dr SUV w/1LT (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
I must say that I am extremely impressed with the 2015 Traverse LT we ended up leasing. It has a firm, well damped ride that we like, pretty good steering and drivetrain. The automatic transmission is fairly good at not driving us crazy -- all of our other cars have been manual transmission. The equipment we got was exactly what we wanted, including heated cloth seats. Interior is very … well made and we love the color scheme. It is very roomy, even in the third row -- three adults across are an easy fit. The second row captains chairs allow us to have child seats and still have people get into the third row without hassle of removing child seats. Very good family car.
4.75 out of 5 stars
Surprise purchase
ehibma, 08/02/2014
2015 Chevrolet Traverse LS 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
I actually wasn't expecting to purchase this vehicle.
I drove a Pathfinder, Highlander, Durango and Ram1500 and studied the Mazda CX-9 and Hyundai Santa Fe.
The Pathfinder and Highlander had horribly uncomfortable seats.
The Ram was awesome, but ultimately the 8 seats and a better trade in value from my local Chevrolet dealer sealed the lease for me.
Honestly,
I only considered this as a … lease due to reliability concerns with GM.
We'll see how this goes.
The Durango was my favorite, but the Traverse was the best value for the money (Dodge would have been $92/mo more expensive for 39 mos.
The 8 passenger actually seats my 6 kids. By far the most comfortable seats of my test vehicles
5 out of 5 stars
Pleasantly surprised
ehibma, 03/31/2016
2015 Chevrolet Traverse LS 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
I wrote a review shortly after starting my lease, and now after 20K miles I am even more impressed. I have been researching what to get next after this lease is up and cannot find anything I like better, for the price. I was really worried about GM quality when I started the lease and decided to do a lease as a "try-it-before-I-buy-it" approach. I have had only 2 minor issues: 1, a … piece of trim came loose on the rear door and I only had to push it back on its clips; 2, a light by the license plate had the retaining clip break and was an easy fix by the dealership. I agree with some reviews that the infotainment can be touchy. That and the gas mileage would be my biggest gripes. The infotainment has trouble connecting to my iphone 6 at times, so I sometimes have to use the auxiliary headphone cord, but this hasn't been a huge deal. I really wish the gas mileage was better. I have an AWD which is rated at 16/23mpg. I am averaging 16.8mpg driving in a rural setting. This is better than my previous Suburban which was averaging 14.2mpg. The AWD system worked wonderfully this past winter, paired with Blizzak snow tires. The car feels very stable and handles well in snow and ice.
Suggested improvements:
1. Headrests in the middle-position seats!! For such an important safety item I cannot believe Chevy cannot figure this out. The Japanese and Dodge seem to have this figured out. Right now I have children in booster seats so it isn't a huge issue yet, but come on Chevy, give me head rests for every seat!
2. Diesel motor!!!
3. Lose the low air dam to improve my ground clearance.
5 out of 5 stars
Top ROI for: Family or Big Dogs!
Smart Consumer, 02/23/2016
2015 Chevrolet Traverse LT 4dr SUV AWD w/1LT (3.6L 6cyl 6A)
As an astute, savy car buyer who values 1. Safety, 2. Value (features vs. sticker price), 3. Technical Specs, 4. Size, I cannot ask for more in a Family SUV than our Traverse LT AWD, 2015 model with Technology Package & Running Board which we got in late '14. It has been through ice, snow, flooded areas, dirt, sand and everything else in between. It has managed well to navigate us … through various terrains. But, it also handles the heavy traffic of metro Atlanta with all the extreme brakings needed from outrageous city/suburb drivers. If you compare spec for spec with the other higher-end German and Japanese luxury SUVs with Traverse, you actually get more from this Chevy. While the ride is unlike the German models where you can feel the grip of the road, Traverse on the other hand saves you $10k - 18k in the purchase price. I can easily forgo the joy ride aspect and put $10-18K in my pocket, frankly.
I did an extensive research and comparing before selecting the Traverse. After all the recall issues were resolved by mid-2015, I assumed it was safe to reconsider this model. I was right. We've had 0 recalls and 0 mechanical or safety problems (knock on wood). Because AWD has a reduced chance of rollover and handles better even in the rainy days of the south we scoured the inventory across the eastern states and found it in a northeastern state with much lower price due to the larger supply there than in Atlanta.
Also, if you don't have a family but you happen to have a medium-to-large size DOGS, this is it! Also, if you have a lot of stuff to haul in the back, this is it! The fold-down in the 3rd row is very easy and provides ample rooms for a big cage or even furniture/appliances, etc. When we sold our beloved Ford Expedition SUV, we were concerned that the Traverse wouldn't be big enough to haul things but we were wrong. We never had to rent a bigger truck for anything thus far.
Lastly, I do believe buying American cars keep (more) jobs in America! Yes, it helps to buy American cars because I see that the majority of my car's parts are made by USA companies regardless of where they may have sourced it. It helps to keep even 1 job in America as that one job has a trickle effect in our economy. While I see the people around me driving the Japanese or German brands for the prestige factor, I don't have a need to boost my image vis-a-vis a car model. A car is a car: it's nothing more than a mode of transportation. At the end of the day, what's most important is having a car that gets you safely from point A to point B and you don't cry over the monthly bills.
2015 Traverse Highlights
LS
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $30,995 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 19 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $226/month |
Seating | 8 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 24.4 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 3 years / 36,000 miles |
Safety
Key safety features on the Traverse include:
- Back-up camera
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- Lane Departure Warning
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
- Post-collision safety system
NHTSA Overall Rating
5 out of 5 starsThe National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverall5 / 5
- Side Barrier RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront Seat5 / 5Back Seat5 / 5
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of Rollover16.9%
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestGood
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintGood
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