2021 Chevrolet Traverse

Straddling the world between midsize and full-size SUVs, the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse three-row SUV delivers a lot of room for passengers and cargo. Still in its second generation, its energetic 310-horsepower engine tows a 5,000-pound load when equipped with a tow package, otherwise its standard hauling capacity is 2,500 pounds. The infotainment system is easy to use and Wi-Fi comes standard. Its biggest downfall are the cheap materials sprinkled throughout the interior, even in the top High Country trim.

The biggest knock on the Traverse is that the lower trim lines are light on standard advanced driver-assistance safety technologies. Only the top-of-the-line High Country ($53,290) delivers the fully monty. On a rival such as the Toyota Highlander, the comprehensive Toyota Safety Sense package is baked into the cheapest Highlander. Versus the competition, these highs and lows place Traverse at the bottom of the pack in its last year before a mid-life refresh. 

Chevrolet’s SUV lineup consists of seven nameplates: the two-row Trax, Trailblazer, Equinox and Blazer, and three-row Traverse, Tahoe and Suburban. Pricing for the Tahoe starts just over $50,000, where Traverse ends, and while it’s a half-foot longer and half-ton heavier, Tahoe has only marginally more passenger and cargo space. The Traverse is Chevy’s third-best-seller, after the Silverado pickup and the compact Equinox. 

There are seven trims in the Traverse lineup: L, LS, LT Cloth, LT Leather, RS, Premier and High Country. Every model is powered by a front-wheel-drive 3.6-liter V6 engine with 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque connected to a nine-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is an optional upgrade on all but the base L.

Most of the Traverse’s midsize competition are 6-inches shorter with less room, including the Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot. Minivans such as the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica share the same hulking 17-foot length. The Traverse has a healthy 181.3 cubic-feet of passenger and cargo space, which is the most among three-row rivals. The third-row legroom is 33.5 inches, which is bested only by the spacious Volkswagen Atlas’ 33.7 inches. Many buyers will find the rear seats perfectly adequate, even for adults. 

The Traverse’s largeness is most apparent while driving around town, but the sense of size fades on the open road. Getting from zero-to-60 mph takes a little under 8 seconds. The EPA rates the front-drive Traverse at 18 mpg in city driving, 27 mph on the highway and 21 mpg combined.  The all-wheel-drive Traverse can achieve 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined. Key rivals like the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride are more efficient, even when configured in all-wheel drive. The Traverse’s fuel tanks (19.7 gallons in FWD; 21.4 gallons in AWD) offer a 500-mile highway cruising range. 

The best part of the Traverse cabin is its intuitive infotainment system runs through a crisp yet small 7- or 8-inch touchscreen. The icons are highly legible, but the large dash would be better suited for a 10-inch LCD. Every General Motors vehicle comes with OnStar telematics for crash notification and most cars, including Traverse, include a Wi-Fi hotspot using OnStar’s built-in cellular modem. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the board. Other standard amenities include six airbags, Teen Driver tech (allows parents to set limits on volume and speed as well as track driving performance), seven USB ports across all three rows, active noise cancellation for a quieter cockpit, aluminum alloy wheels, a hidden cargo area below the rear load floor, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and Bluetooth connectivity. 

The Traverse L with FWD costs $30,995 (including $1,195 shipping) and includes a 7-inch color display, black cloth interior and one buyer option: black instead of white paint. There are no camera or radar-based driver assists other than the mandated backup camera. The Traverse LS ($32,095) adds tinted privacy glass, optional AWD for $2,000 and access to five paint choices, bigger wheels, running boards and appearance packages.

The Traverse LT has a cloth or leather upholstery options. The LT Cloth ($36,595) gets fog lamps, roof rails, a power adjustable driver’s seat, row-two captain’s chairs and satellite radio. LT Leather ($40,295) adds blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert and rear parking sensors, along with an 8-inch display and heated, adjustable front seats. Additional LT safety tech is spread across two packages: Chevy Safety Assist ($695) with forward collision warning and lane keep assist, and the Leather-only LT Premium package ($3,095) with digital wide-angle rear camera mirror and surround view cameras. Opting for the Premium package also adds a 120-volt AC outlet, Bose 10-speaker audio, 20-inch wheels and embedded navigation. 

The Traverse RS ($44,895) is the LT Leather with the safety assist and premium packages standard, a heated steering wheel, dark accents and 20-inch wheels. The Traverse Premier is the RS plus wireless phone charging, LED headlamps, a hands-free liftgate, vented front seats and heated second-row seats. 

The Traverse High Country ($52,095) targets trailer-towers and road trippers who may be willing to pay more for added safety features such as adaptive cruise control and enhanced automatic emergency braking that works at higher speeds. It also gets a panoramic sunroof, a power-folding third-row seat, a trailer hitch and touchscreen-based hitch guidance. With AWD and options, it’s a $55,000 vehicle. 

The Traverse is commonly compared to the Ford Explorer and comes out ahead on the attribute many buyers want: size. It’s 5.5 inches longer and has more room than the frequently cross-shopped Ford Explorer. The same holds against Toyota Highlander, which is bottom rung among rivals for both third-row legroom and the stowage space behind it. 

The Traverse also doesn’t match up well against the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade, which are much smaller, but deliver more standard safety equipment for less money. A fully-loaded Telluride comes in $5,000 less than Traverse High Country. But the refreshed 2022 Chevrolet Traverse will help close the gap. Six safety features will be standard, including automated emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-keep assist, automatic high-beam headlamps and a following-distance indicator. These features are also on the 2021 Trailbazer and 2022 Equinox two-row SUVs. 

Every 2022 Traverse will also get LED headlamps to address its “Poor” rating by the IIHS. The front and rear fascias are reworked and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be standard.