2012 Chevrolet Traverse

See What the
Rest of the Web Says We've gathered reviews from Edmunds.com, Cars.com plus live Tweets on this car. See What We Found »

Chevy's famous for its big, tough SUVs, like the Tahoe, Suburban, and the old TrailBlazer. But today's families want something a little more road-friendly, a little less trail-blazing. That's what brought about the Traverse, a seven- or eight-seat crossover that's one of the best vehicles in today's Chevy lineup, thanks to excellent safety scores and good features. It's not a minivan, but it's nearly as functional as one, even without the sliding doors.

The Traverse's styling is inoffensive. It suits the mission, we suppose, but there's not much excitement in the mildly contoured shape, nothing of the flair that you'd find in the chunky, trucklike GMC Acadia and flowing, curvilinear Buick Enclave that share the Traverse's platform. The Chevy's simple, elegant, even spare, and that has its own charm. The design influence from other Chevy products is clear, especially up front where a Malibu-like split grille sits tall. The lack of detail makes the rear end of the Traverse as forgettable as any minivan, though, and the same holds true for the interior--it's functional, but not exciting, by any means, and the sheets of hard, dull plastic that wrap the dash and doors could use an upgrade.

Performance is quick and competent. There's only one drivetrain offered, a direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 engine coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission. The 288-horsepower six (281 hp in models with a single exhaust) generates leisurely acceleration and a bit of V-6 grumble at the top of its powerband, but it doesn't really feel anemic unless you've taken on a full load of passengers and chosen the optional all-wheel drive. Chevy's six-speed automatic dithers sometimes when downshifts are requested; it's a bit less on the mark than the Ford transmission that was co-developed alongside it. The Traverse's handling isn't nimble--it's just the predictable norm for its size, with mild steering feedback and moderate body roll when it's pressed to act more like a sport wagon.

The Traverse's strengths lie in its roomy, comfortable interior. It's almost a minivan in terms of raw space, but the lack of sliding doors does put it at a slight disadvantage in a couple of ways. Front passengers have it best, with plenty of head and leg room, but the second-row seat's nearly as spacious for adults, and seating three across isn't out of the question. You'll want the sliding side doors of a minivan when loading anyone older than 10 in the third-row seat, as it's not easy to clamber in there even when the second row's folded and moved forward, but the third-row seat itself can hold three children while still leaving 24.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind it. Flip down the second and third rows and the Traverse opens up 117.5 cubic feet of space and a just-about-flat cargo floor.

One of the safest vehicles on the road today, the 2012 Traverse earns nearly perfect crash-test scores. Overall, the NHTSA gives it five stars, with a four-star rating for front impacts and five for side impacts. The IIHS names it a Top Safety Pick, too. Along with standard airbags, anti-lock brakes and traction control, Bluetooth and parking sensors, the Traverse can be fitted with a rearview camera, to help with its middling visibility to the rear quarters.

All 2012 Traverse crossovers come with a tilt/telescopic wheel; power windows, locks and mirrors; cruise control; Bluetooth; and an AM/FM/XM/CD sound system. Major options include the rearview camera; a power liftgate; heated and cooled front seats; and a DVD entertainment system. The top-spec LTZ can be equipped with 20-inch aluminum wheels; a rear spoiler; dual exhausts; and a panoramic sunroof.

View the original article here

2011 Chevrolet Traverse

The large Traverse was introduced several years ago as a more carlike successor to the Chevrolet Trailblazer, falling into place below the burly Chevy Tahoe SUV. And with a more passenger-friendly layout inside that makes it feel at times like a minivan if it weren't for the hinged back doors, it's a great design for daily-grind family use. The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse isn?t fun to drive, but it?s one of the best large crossover wagons for transporting the family comfortably and safely.

In a word, the styling of the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is mainstream. The Traverse lacks the chunky, truck-inspired lines of the GMC Acadia or the flow of the Buick Enclave (both are closely related), but its simple design has an air of minimalistic elegance that we find charming. There's clearly a lot of design influence shared with Chevrolet's cars—especially the Malibu—including the tall, horizontally divided grille. But next to the somewhat smaller Equinox, the Traverse is a little less adorned, a little more bland. As with the exterior, the cabin of the Traverse is functional but by no means exciting.

Power comes from a direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 engine—the same unit found in the Cadillac CTS and STS. Peak output is rated at 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque for models equipped with a dual exhaust, or 281 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque for models with a single exhaust. Compared to the most powerful of GM's full-size trucks and utilities, the Traverse accelerates at a leisurely pace, but never feels really slow or anemic, and the six-speed automatic keeps it revving for a perky feel.

Comfort and interior space are strengths of the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse design, and you could almost think of it as a minivan interior without the sliding doors. Over three rows, there's space for up to eight occupants, with the seats divided into two front buckets and two 60/40-split benches. Though the primary purpose of the Traverse interior is people-moving, GM's smart packaging choices show when you fold the seats down—producing a nice, nearly flat cargo floor. Even behind the third-row seat, there's 24.4 cubic feet of space, while folding the second and third rows down yields 117.5 cubic feet. The interior is tight and quiet, too, but the hard, dull plastic inside can be a downer to an otherwise bright interior.

The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is available in three levels of trim—LS, LT, and LTZ—as well as either front- or all-wheel-drive configurations. Standard equipment even on the base LS includes a tilt/telescopic wheel, cruise control, full power accessories, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, and a sound system with satellite radio. Some of the vehicle's options include a rearview camera, a power liftgate, a DVD player, XM Satellite Radio, and heated and cooled front seats. Up-spec LTZ models can also be fitted with a rear spoiler, 20-inch aluminum wheels, a dual-exhaust system, and a panoramic sunroof.

The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse performs adequately all around, but you won?t forget you?re in a heavy, family- and comfort-oriented vehicle. See details and best of the Web With ample space for up to eight people and most of their gear, comfortable seats, and compliant ride quality, the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is passenger-friendly in every way. See details and best of the Web The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is one of the safest vehicles in this faimly-friendly class, with its large, sturdy structure garnering great crash-test ratings. See details and best of the Web The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse offers all the bells and whistles that are expected, and a few more. It hits luxury-brand pricing in top-of-the-line LTZ form, though. See details and best of the Web Passenger-friendly interiorGood feature setRefined rideSimple yet elegantSolid build qualityGet Dealer Price Quotes High cargo floorLaden driving feelHesitant transmissionDisappointing fuel economy

View the original article here

2011 Chevrolet Traverse

The large Traverse was introduced several years ago as a more carlike successor to the Chevrolet Trailblazer, falling into place below the burly Chevy Tahoe SUV. And with a more passenger-friendly layout inside that makes it feel at times like a minivan if it weren't for the hinged back doors, it's a great design for daily-grind family use. The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse isn?t fun to drive, but it?s one of the best large crossover wagons for transporting the family comfortably and safely.

In a word, the styling of the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is mainstream. The Traverse lacks the chunky, truck-inspired lines of the GMC Acadia or the flow of the Buick Enclave (both are closely related), but its simple design has an air of minimalistic elegance that we find charming. There's clearly a lot of design influence shared with Chevrolet's cars—especially the Malibu—including the tall, horizontally divided grille. But next to the somewhat smaller Equinox, the Traverse is a little less adorned, a little more bland. As with the exterior, the cabin of the Traverse is functional but by no means exciting.

Power comes from a direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 engine—the same unit found in the Cadillac CTS and STS. Peak output is rated at 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque for models equipped with a dual exhaust, or 281 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque for models with a single exhaust. Compared to the most powerful of GM's full-size trucks and utilities, the Traverse accelerates at a leisurely pace, but never feels really slow or anemic, and the six-speed automatic keeps it revving for a perky feel.

Comfort and interior space are strengths of the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse design, and you could almost think of it as a minivan interior without the sliding doors. Over three rows, there's space for up to eight occupants, with the seats divided into two front buckets and two 60/40-split benches. Though the primary purpose of the Traverse interior is people-moving, GM's smart packaging choices show when you fold the seats down—producing a nice, nearly flat cargo floor. Even behind the third-row seat, there's 24.4 cubic feet of space, while folding the second and third rows down yields 117.5 cubic feet. The interior is tight and quiet, too, but the hard, dull plastic inside can be a downer to an otherwise bright interior.

The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is available in three levels of trim—LS, LT, and LTZ—as well as either front- or all-wheel-drive configurations. Standard equipment even on the base LS includes a tilt/telescopic wheel, cruise control, full power accessories, Bluetooth hands-free connectivity, and a sound system with satellite radio. Some of the vehicle's options include a rearview camera, a power liftgate, a DVD player, XM Satellite Radio, and heated and cooled front seats. Up-spec LTZ models can also be fitted with a rear spoiler, 20-inch aluminum wheels, a dual-exhaust system, and a panoramic sunroof.

The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse performs adequately all around, but you won?t forget you?re in a heavy, family- and comfort-oriented vehicle. See details and best of the Web With ample space for up to eight people and most of their gear, comfortable seats, and compliant ride quality, the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is passenger-friendly in every way. See details and best of the Web The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is one of the safest vehicles in this faimly-friendly class, with its large, sturdy structure garnering great crash-test ratings. See details and best of the Web The 2011 Chevrolet Traverse offers all the bells and whistles that are expected, and a few more. It hits luxury-brand pricing in top-of-the-line LTZ form, though. See details and best of the Web Passenger-friendly interiorGood feature setRefined rideSimple yet elegantSolid build qualityGet Dealer Price Quotes High cargo floorLaden driving feelHesitant transmissionDisappointing fuel economy

View the original article here