2018 Chevy Traverse Review

The V6 provides a nice bit of thrust off the line when you put your foot down. You'll have to press on the gas when you're going up hills since the transmission prefers a higher gear for fuel economy. It covered 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds, average for the class.

Brake pedal effort is light with a long pedal stroke, which makes for smooth and easy operation around town. At our test track, a simulated-emergency stop from 60 mph took 130 feet, a few feet longer than average for the class.

There isn't a lot of steering feedback compared to class leaders, but it's not far off from what most would expect in a big, comfy three-row crossover. There's good on-center return as well as a chunky wheel to wrap your hands around and a lot of assist at low speeds, which is a benefit in parking lots.

The Traverse changes direction well enough, with a moderate amount of body roll movement due to its size and soft suspension. We weren't expecting a sporty driving experience out of the Traverse, but class leaders such as the Honda Pilot and the Mazda CX-9 feel more composed.

Low-speed drivability is good, with smooth acceleration control and relatively quick shifts from the nine-speed automatic transmission. The auto stop-start feature is one of the less intrusive systems on the market, but unfortunately it can't be disabled.

The driver's seat has sufficient bolstering with lots of lumbar support. The basic seat adjustments are all that is needed to get comfy. The second- and third-row seat bottoms are a bit flatter but still comfortable enough for long rides. There's enough legroom in all three rows offer for average-size adults.

The ride comfort is excellent and well-suited to long highway trips. The tires provide additional cushion against smaller, sharper impacts. And larger bumps are sorted out by the suspension, which is tuned to be compliant without being floaty.

No noticeable rattles or squeaks, and road noise is minimal. At 75 mph, there's just the slightest hint of wind noise over the side mirrors, which is easily drowned out by the stereo. The V6 is a bit noisier at full throttle than the optional four-cylinder, but it's not a persistent sound.

The climate system cools the large cabin well. But there are a lot of buttons, and the rear climate controls are buried deep in the touchscreen. The heated steering wheel and front seats warm at an acceptable rate but could use more intensity. The seats lack GM's usual split-heating mode.

The buttons and knobs on the center stack are logically arranged, but the touchscreen is a bit of a reach. The infotainment menus are easy to get used to almost right away. Some may find the steering wheel buttons hard to locate without taking their eyes off the road.

Despite its SUV ride height, the Traverse doesn't require that much of a step up to get in. Average-size adults will be able to slide in and out without a problem. The door openings are large, and the gap between the second-row captain's chairs allows for easy access to the third row.

The driver's left footrest may not be situated ideally for some, leading to uncomfortable leg positioning while driving. Some of our editors had issues; others didn't notice. The steering wheel offers plenty of tilt-and-telescoping extension, though, and a nice, high commanding driving position.

First, second and third rows are more than sufficient for adults, with plenty of legroom, headroom, elbow room and shoulder room across the board. This cabin is one of the biggest in the segment, and regardless of seating position, you can stretch out quite a bit.

Forward visibility is acceptable with average-size windshield pillars. Rear over-the-shoulder visibility is terrible, though, with the seats and giant pillars blocking the rear view. Blind-spot monitoring, a rearview camera and rear parking sensors are all standard on this trim, which helps.

The build quality is acceptable, but it feels a bit low-rent for this price point. Many of the buttons look as if they could come from a Chevy Sonic that's half the price. It's even worse when you put the Traverse up against a comparably priced Honda, Mazda or Volkswagen rival.

There are big door pockets, a large center console, decent-size cupholders, and plenty of little places to put phones, water bottles and miscellaneous pocket-size items. Small-item storage is good, but segment leaders such as the Pilot have a larger center console space and bigger cupholders.

Behind the third row, the Traverse has 23 cubic feet of cargo space, which is excellent. With both rows folded, the Traverse has a massive 98 cubes. That's 10 cubes more than the Honda Pilot and the Ford Explorer and 20 more cubes than the Mazda CX-9. The trunk load height is average for the class.

There's plenty of space for car seats of almost all sizes in the second and third rows. The second row has easily accessible LATCH points in the captain's chairs and single top tethers on each seat. The third row is sufficient for two more child seats. For any more space, you'd need a full-size SUV.

Our test vehicle was only capable of towing a modest 1,500 pounds. If you add on Chevy's Trailering package, that number increases to a more respectable 5,000-pound tow rating. That's right in line with three-row crossover rivals.

The 10-speaker Bose audio system turns up nice and loud without any distortion. Navigation has a clear screen with clear directions, but the map is relatively small compared to the size of the screen. Satellite radio is included for the first three months of ownership, which is typical at this price point.

Apple CarPlay worked well during our test, as did Bluetooth and USB integration of other devices. Songs indexed quickly. But if you have a big library, not all playlists will display right away. CarPlay and Android Auto are standard even on the base Traverse, which is a nice addition.

Our test vehicle came with blind-spot monitoring and rear parking sensors plus the Driver Confidence II package, which offers forward collision warning and lane keeping assist, but no adaptive cruise). The systems worked well with a good amount of sensitivity. But getting all this safety tech can be pricey.

Speak clearly with commands like "Play artist U2" and the Traverse will have no problem comprehending. Change songs, switch radio stations, input navigation — you name it. Some commands took repeated attempts in testing. But once the menu structure is figured out, things go quickly.

The standard engine for the Traverse is 3.6-liter V6 (310 hp, 266 lb-ft of torque) paired with Chevy's new nine-speed automatic transmission. Most trims can be had in either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive configuration.

Traverse L

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While it may be the base model, the Traverse L comes respectably equipped with LED running lights, xenon headlights, heated mirrors, 18-inch wheels and engine stop-start. Inside, you get cloth upholstery, a tilt-adjustable steering wheel, seating for eight, a rearview camera, OnStar communications (with a 4G LTE connection and onboard Wi-Fi hotspot), Chevy's Teen Driver system, and a 7-inch MyLink touchscreen infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.

The L is only available in front-wheel drive and doesn't have access to most optional extras. It's a build-to-order trim, so you're unlikely to ever even see a Traverse L on a dealer lot.

Traverse LS

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Functionally, the LS trim will be the base trim you'll likely come across. The LS has the same equipment as the L, but can be had with all-wheel drive and a few optional extras, such as second-row tablet mounts with dedicated USB charging ports and a cargo management package.

Traverse LT Cloth

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Stepping up to the LT Cloth gets you second-row captain's chairs in place of a bench, reducing seating capacity to seven but improving accessibility and comfort. The LT Cloth also gets roof rails, mirror-integrated turn signals and a power-adjustable driver seat.

Two notable options packages are available for the FWD Traverse Cloth. The Convenience and Driver Confidence package adds rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a power liftgate, remote engine start, an upgraded 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, a color driver information display, and heated front seats. It also includes some active safety features: blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors. The Trailering package adds a trailer hitch and heavy-duty cooling system. Note that optioning the LT Cloth with all-wheel drive gets you the Convenience and Driver Confidence package standard.

Traverse LT Leather

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The LT Leather, in either front- or all-wheel drive, gets the Convenience and Driver Confidence package and adds navigation functionality to the MyLink system. It also gets some luxury upgrades. These start, as you might expect, with leather upholstery and continue with a 10-speaker Bose sound system, a 120-volt power outlet, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with a built-in rearview camera display, a top-down parking camera system, and a power-adjustable passenger seat. A panoramic sunroof is available as a stand-alone upgrade.

Traverse RS

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The RS trim receives a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (257 hp, 295 lb-ft of torque) and is only available in front-wheel drive. It is equipped much the same as the LT Leather, but with unique styling cues and accents, including 20-inch wheels and a blacked-out grille and bowtie badge.

Traverse Premier

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Near the top of the range, the Premier trim adds LED headlights, auto-dimming side mirrors, hands-free operation for the liftgate, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a power-adjustable steering column, and driver-seat memory settings.

Major packages for the Premier include the Driver Confidence II package, which adds forward collision alert with pedestrian detection and low-speed automatic braking as well as lane departure warning and intervention. There's also the Redline Edition package, an appearance package that blacks out all the chrome trim and adds the panoramic sunroof. Adding all-wheel drive to the Premier trim gets you the Driver Confidence II package, Trailering package and adaptive headlights.

Traverse High Country

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The range-topping High Country comes with all the Premier's goodies and adds a special all-wheel-drive system with an auto-locking rear differential, along with automatic high beams, the panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, a power-folding third-row seat, and unique interior leather upholstery. It can only be had with all-wheel drive.