The Chevrolet Traverse is helping people forget about minivans.
The seven- to eight-passenger Traverse crossover with a car-like ride, SUV styling and high ride height offers the seating capacity and cargo-hauling capability of a minivan. But it looks more attractive than a boxy van and can tow up to 5,200 pounds, way more than a typical minivan can.
The Traverse even has a higher government fuel economy rating — 17 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway with front-wheel drive — than the last Chevy minivan, the Uplander.
In addition, the Traverse earned five out of five stars in federal government frontal and side crash tests, and unlike the Uplander, the Traverse is a recommended buy of Consumer Reports magazine.
The biggest drawback: The 2010 Traverse’s starting retail price is some $7,600 more than that of the Uplander, which was dropped after the 2008 model year.
The Traverse’s starting retail price for 2010 also is $3,250 more than the starting retail price for America’s top-selling minivan, the 2010 Chrysler Town & Country.
Specifically, the 2010 Traverse has a starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, of $29,999 as a front-wheel drive LS model with 281-horsepower V-6, automatic transmission and eight seats. An all-wheel drive Traverse starts at $31,999.
This compares with the competing 2010 Honda Pilot, which starts at $28,755 with two-wheel drive and 250-horsepower V-6 and $30,355 with all-wheel drive. The 2010 Ford Flex starts at $28,725 with two-wheel drive and 262-horsepower V-6 and $34,375 with all-wheel drive.
To be sure, the 2010 Traverse has the lowest starting retail price of any of its siblings — the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, all made by General Motors. The starting retail price for a front-wheel drive, 2010 GMC Acadia is $32,515. An all-wheel drive Acadia starts at $34,515.
Like its siblings, the Traverse comes with one engine choice: A 3.6-liter, double overhead cam V-6 with direct injection and variable valve timing.
The engine develops 281 horsepower in base mode, which is with a single exhaust pipe. An uplevel version has two exhaust pipes, which allow less restricted engine “breathing” and 288 horsepower.
Torque in the Traverse peaks at either 266 foot-pounds at 3,600 rpm or 270 foot-pounds at 3,400 rpm, depending on the exhaust system installed.
The tester was a base Traverse with the base performance numbers, and it didn’t feel as if it lacked power, even uphill. The Traverse LS with front-wheel drive powered along easily with traffic and around it.
But the workings of the six-speed automatic transmission were unimpressive as the tranny often seemed to be hunting for the proper gear during strenuous driving. Shift points also were noticeable.
I appreciated, however, the Traverse’s sizable gasoline tank. At 22 gallons, it allowed me to travel some 400 city and highway miles combined before stopping for a fillup of regular gasoline. The Traverse managed just over 19 miles per gallon during the test drive, mostly on highways.
The fuel tanks in the Honda Pilot and Ford Flex are smaller — 21 gallons and 18.6 gallons, respectively. All three are rated similarly in government fuel economy ratings.
The ride inside the Traverse was mostly quiet, with engine sounds and wind noise muted. But I couldn’t help but notice road noise. The thump of expansion cracks on highways and the whir of the tires on grooved pavement came through clearly.
The Traverse is a big, heavy vehicle, and it travels like one. On a windy day, I felt the Traverse’s body being buffeted a bit by wind gusts and the passing semi-hauler.
And my passengers and I felt the Traverse’s body and mass lean in the curves and turns. Still, the ride was stable throughout, with no jittery movements, helped no doubt by its more than 4,000 pounds of weight. The Traverse comes standard with electronic stability control and traction control, too.
But at 205 inches long, from bumper to bumper, the Traverse is 14.1 inches longer than a Pilot and 3.2 inches longer than a Flex. It’s also more than an inch taller than either car.
Even though the test Traverse didn’t have all-wheel drive, it performed admirably on an unpaved lane and in an agricultural area with potholes and a mix of sand and dirt. The wheels kept churning and the suspension managed the bumps well.
Steering response was noteworthy, providing confident driving.
The interior of the Traverse LS had well-arranged controls and good-sized buttons and knobs. In nearly all-day driving, the Traverse’s fabric seats provided comfortable and fatigue-free comfort.
Cargo capacity is exceptional. There’s a maximum 116.4 cubic feet behind the rear seats, which compares with 87 cubic feet in the Honda Pilot and 83.2 cubic feet in the Flex.
