Baby Tahoe With Serious Space

If you are in the market for a huge family vehicle but don’t want to shell out the kind of money needed to buy a full-size SUV like a Chevrolet Suburban, you should probably get a minivan. But we get that not everyone wants a minivan and would prefer a car they can go on family adventures with, so they likely want a crossover instead. If that’s the case, the 2024 Chevrolet Traverse is now the biggest one you can buy. The Traverse has long held the title of America’s most spacious crossover, but it was far from the most premium option in its segment.

For 2024, Chevy has upgraded the Traverse with a host of new features, including a standard 17.7-inch touchscreen display, available Super Cruise hands-free driving, a rugged Z71 trim level, and more. The Traverse also gets a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 328 horsepower, which is more than the outgoing V6, while being more efficient. These changes take it from being an option you consider just because it’s large to a genuinely strong competitor in the full-size crossover segment.

Chevy invited CarBuzz to Atlanta, Georgia, to find out if the Traverse is truly the ultimate minivan antidote.

Exterior: Sporty Or Tough

The Traverse has never been the most exciting looking vehicle in Chevy’s lineup, but the 2024 refresh improves the family hauler’s street cred in more than just one way. Even the lower LS and LT trims, which don’t stand out visually on their own, can be ordered with a Midnight/Sport Edition Package for $1,785, which adds 20-inch black wheels and other black-out exterior accents for a darker appearance.

At the higher end of the trim lineup, the Z71 takes the Traverse into more rugged territory than it has ever been before. The Z71 benefits from a one-inch lift kit, 18-inch wheels wrapped in all-terrain tires, underbody skid plates, and tow hooks to complete the appearance. It won’t have Jeep cowering in fear, but this is one of the more extensive off-road packages available for a three-row mainstream crossover. It also means the Z71 is at the taller and wider end of the spectrum when it comes to dimensions:

The Traverse RS goes a different direction, riding on 22-inch gloss black wheels with sport suspension. This model gets blackout accents similar to the Midnight/Sport Edition, but it also adds lighting animations in the front and back. The RS is the only trim to wear a unique purple hue called Stardust Metallic, while the Z71 is the only one that comes in Harvest Bronze, a greenish-gold shade that looks as outdoorsy as its name suggests.

Interior: Big Cabin, Big Screens

The last Traverse had a simple interior, which was fine for drivers who picked up the keys at the rental counter. This new third-generation model makes major changes to the cabin, taking the Traverse from a basic crossover to a technological whizz kid. A new 17.7-inch diagonal touchscreen is the largest in this class, providing plenty of real estate for the built-in Google Maps and other key functions. Chevy still left some physical buttons and knobs for the volume and climate control, but turning on the lights lives only on the touchscreen.

Thanks to the giant screens, even the base LS trim looks premium inside. The LS gets basic black cloth, while the LT adds an available Gideon (gray) cloth or optional black Evotex seats. Opting for the rugged Z71 adds red dash accents along with cloth or optional Evotex seats. The RS gets standard leather seats that are heated and ventilated up front with red accents on the dash and on the seats.

Related Read

Chevrolet Traverse Generations: Everything You Need To Know In One Place

One of the largest and roomiest mid-size three-row SUVs, the unibody Traverse has always been excellent at blending car-like handling SUV pros.

In the past, General Motors charged extra for many safety features, but the Traverse reverses this trend.

Standard safety tech includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Lane keep assist
• HD 360-degree camera
• Traffic sign recognition
• Side bicyclist alert
• Automatic emergency braking
• Reverse automatic braking

Super Cruise hands-free driving is available on all but the base trim, but it’s standard on the RS.

Practicality: Nothing Bigger

As we mentioned before, the Traverse is among the most spacious crossovers that money can buy, though that doesn’t mean it’s the largest in every metric. If you need eight seats, you have to opt for the LS or LT trims, as all others come with captain’s chairs that limit the seating capacity to seven. Second-row legroom has increased by over three inches compared to the outgoing Traverse, but third-row legroom actually drops by over an inch.

• 

  
  Chevy Traverse
  

  Interior Dimensions

  Legrooom Front|Rear

  44.3 | 41.5 | 32.1 inches

  Headroom Front|Rear

  42.6 | 39.9 | 38.3 inches

  Cargo Space

  22.9 – 97.6 ft³

• 

  
  Honda Pilot
  

  Interior Dimensions

  Legrooom Front|Rear

  41 | 40.8 | 32.5 inches

  Headroom Front|Rear

  40.5 | 40.2 | 39.3 (w/o sunroof)

  Cargo Space

  18.6 – 87 ft³

• 

  
  Kia Telluride
  

  Interior Dimensions

  Legrooom Front|Rear

  41.4 | 42.4 |31.4 inches

  Headroom Front|Rear

  40.9 | 40.2 | 38.1 inches

  Cargo Space

  21 – 87 ft³

Getting into the third row is easier than before thanks to one-touch tip-and-slide seats on both sides when equipped with the captain’s chairs. The LS trim only offers easy sliding seats on the passenger side.

Trunk space in the Traverse is best-in-class with 97.6 cubic feet total, besting even the Toyota Grand Highlander – by just a tenth of a cube. Raising the third row is done manually on most trims, or via a one-touch power button on the RS trim. The RS can also lower the second row via buttons in the trunk. Space behind the third row is sizable with additional storage available under the floor.

Performance: Fewer Cylinders, More Torque

The outgoing Traverse utilized a 3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6, producing strong horsepower for the class but an average amount of torque. It has been replaced by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that is based heavily on the 2.7-liter engine used in the Colorado pickup truck. Despite having fewer cylinders, this new engine outproduces the old V6 with 328 hp and 326 lb-ft of torque, increases of 18 hp and 60 lb-ft. Those figures place the Traverse at the top with regard to standard power, and only a few pricier models in the segment have the Chevy beat. Power goes out to the front wheels or available all-wheel-drive (standard on Z71) via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Not only is the Traverse more powerful than before, it’s also more fuel efficient.

The efficiency gains aren’t massive, but they are positive considering power and torque have increased as well. Towing capacity remains the same as last year’s model at up to 5,000 pounds, when properly equipped.

Driving Impressions: Dull But Comfortable

Chevy made huge strides in terms of style and interior quality, but the Traverse is still far from the most exciting crossover to drive. The steering has an on-center vagueness, though putting the Traverse into Sport Mode adds some heft that counteracts the light feeling from the wheel. We had limited opportunity to test Super Cruise, which can now function on back roads that aren’t divided highways. This is a huge addition, and it works well most of the time – although we had one incident where we needed to take control through a tight bend or the Traverse would’ve strayed off the road.

Even with 22-inch wheels and sport-tuned suspension, the RS trim level is compliant on the road with limited noise intruding into the cabin. Surprisingly, the Z71 proved to be the more comfortable out of the two, likely due to the smaller wheels and thicker sidewall on the all-terrain tires. The Z71 seemed quieter too.

Chevy set up a light off-road course to test the Z71, but nearly any crossover could have handled it. In fact, there are probably some AWD hatchbacks that would not have struggled. We doubt too many Traverse owners plan to venture on any extreme off-road excursions, but it can get muddy if needed.

Though the new four-cylinder engine is more potent than the old V6, it doesn’t sound as good when accelerating. The V6 produced a throaty wail, while the four-pot emits a low grumble. If you keep the throttle mashed until the RPMs reach above 5,000, the engine does make a slightly more vigorous noise that could almost be considered sporty. GM is typically perfect when it comes to transmission tuning, and this seamless eight-speed is no exception.

Pricing & Verdict: Huge Space, Middle Price

Pricing for the 2024 Traverse has increased from last year’s model, though it does include far more standard features to justify that price hike. If you want a cheaper option, Chevy will sell the outgoing model as the Traverse Limited alongside the new one for a while. The all-new Traverse starts at $37,600 before destination in base LS guise, and adding AWD tacks on $2,000 to the price. The LT trim costs $40,000, rolling in a wireless phone charger, available Evotex seats, heated front seats with a heated steering wheel, LED headlights, remote start, and more.

Stepping up to the Z71 is a sizable jump to $46,400, though that price includes standard AWD unlike the other trims. The RS is the top model, priced at $54,200 in FWD (+$2,000 for AWD) with no pricey packages necessary to make it more expensive. That means the Traverse stays under $60,000 even with AWD, so it’s far from the priciest option in its segment.

Buyers looking for the most spacious crossover possible must have the Traverse on their shopping list, as it packs more space than the competition, if only by a small margin. It now offers strong technology and a more premium interior, making it more compelling than ever. Some competitors have the Traverse beat on fuel economy thanks to hybrid powertrain options and others, like the Hyundai Palisade, still feel more premium inside. The 2024 Chevy Traverse isn’t a slam dunk, but it’s certainly worth consideration.