There's something disconnected about a 2-ton SUV powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.
In fact, there are only a few 2-ton SUVs that still come standard with a V6 engine — one of them being the Chevy Traverse.
What It Is
The Traverse is Chevy's medium-size/three-row SUV, one size down from the Tahoe.
Technically, the Traverse is a crossover SUV because it is built on a lighter-duty, car-type chassis and comes in either front-wheel drive or (optionally) all-wheel drive versions. The Tahoe, which is an SUV, is built on a heavier-duty, truck-type platform and is rear-wheel drive, with four-wheel drive (and low-range gearing) available. It also comes standard with a V8, which it needs because it weighs close to 3 tons.
Prices for the Traverse start at $35,915 for the base LS trim with FWD; AWD can be added as a stand-alone option, bringing the MSRP up to $37,915.
A top-of-the-line High Country with AWD, a power-folding third-row seat, heavy-duty cooling and towing enhancements (including hitch guidance through the touchscreen) lists for $55,595.
All trims come standard with a 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
What's New
LT and higher trims now come standard with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear selector handle.
The current Traverse dates back to 2018, the last time it was significantly updated.
What's Good
V6 is standard in all trims.
Most total cargo capacity in its class (98.2 cubic feet).
Can pull a 5,000-pound trailer.
What's Not So Good
Base trim only tows 2,000 pounds.
V6 uses almost as much gas as a V8.
Driver "assistance" systems can be pushy and parenting.
Under The Hood
Every Traverse comes standard with the same 3.6-liter V6, which makes 310 horsepower and 266 foot-pounds of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and either FWD or (optionally) AWD.
You can pull up to 5,000 pounds with the Traverse, which is more than the typical 3,500 pounds or so that most light-duty, midsize crossovers are typically rated to handle. However, this isn't the Chevy's standard tow rating — unlike the standard 5,000-pound tow rating of the Chevy's most direct rival, the very impressive Kia Telluride, which also comes standard with a V6 and costs slightly less to start.
The Chevy's standard max tow rating is only 2,000 pounds, which isn't much more than most compact-size crossovers can handle.
To get the 5,000-pound tow capability, you have to buy at least the LT trim and then buy the V92 trailer towing package, which adds the heavy-duty cooling system and other upgrades necessary to be able to pull 5,000 pounds without overheating. But this boosts the Chevy's price to $36,745 — before paying roughly $400 extra for the V92 package.
The Telluride can pull 5,000 pounds for $35,690 (the MSRP of the base trim).
On The Road
The main thing you get here — versus the turbo fours that are rapidly replacing V6s — is the deeper sound made by the V6, which sounds right with a vehicle of this type. The fours make impressive power, many of them, and their low-RPM torque production is greater and seems to move the vehicle easier with less throttle. But they just don't sound right. It's why many of them have augmented sound — meaning, more substantive sounds are piped into the passenger cabin through the audio system to make the four sound like something more.
The Chevy's V6 doesn't need augmentation — and that's a standard feature.
At The Curb
The Traverse come standard with three rows, so it seats up to eight people — two of them probably kids. They are the ones who'll be riding in the third row, which isn't sized for adults or easy to access for adults. But the same is true of other midsize crossovers with third rows. If you need a third row that is adult-friendly, you will probably want to move up a size to something full-size (like the Tahoe).
What the Traverse does have a lot of is room for cargo — more than any other model in this class, in fact.
It has a total of 98.2 cubic feet, which is significantly more than the Telluride's 87 cubic feet. Having all this room (and versatility) is among the chief virtues of these crossovers, especially relative to truck-based SUVs, which often have less than you'd expect because of their truck-sourced underpinnings, which eat up floor space.
The Rest
An interesting thing about the Traverse is that it comes with either of two different-sized gas tanks, depending on whether you get the FWD model — in which case yours will have a 19.8-gallon tank — or the AWD model — which has a larger 21.7-gallon tank. Both tanks are large for the class, with tanks around 18 gallons being typical. Having that extra gallon (or two) is nice because it means being able to drive an extra 20 or so miles before you're running on fumes.
The Bottom Line
There are newer and nicer models in this class, like the Kia Telluride (and its Hyundai Palisade cousin) that also offer a standard V6 and more standard towing capacity. But you may have to pay more for them for just that reason. Odds are you'll be able to swing a better deal on this aging-gracefully Chevy — and if you do, you'll end up with more room inside than others in the class, no matter how much you didn't pay for them.
Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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