2010 Chevrolet Traverse Reviews

2010 Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevy Traverse is an affordable, stylish and versatile minivan alternative. Its spacious seven- or eight-passenger seating and class-leading cargo space make it a great family SUV.

As Chevy's first large crossover SUV, the Traverse replaced the discontinued Uplander minivan when it debuted in 2009. The Chevy Traverse’s greatest strength is a standard third-row seat, which brings the seating capacity to eight and is actually big enough to fit adults. It has a comparable fuel economy rating and shaves a few hundred dollars off the Traverse’s base price. It costs about $1,300 less than the Traverse and has a very similar fuel economy rating.

To fill the void left by the departure of the long-running Chevrolet TrailBlazer SUV, GM introduced the Chevy Traverse crossover late last year. The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is also related to the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, and it’s one of the more fuel-efficient vehicles in its class, thanks to its direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 engine.

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 2010 Chevrolet Traverse accelerates at a leisurely pace, but never feels really slow or anemic.

As car buyers gravitate away from SUVs and minivans toward three-row crossovers, the Chevy Traverse has become one of GM's biggest successes. There's no escaping it: If you're shopping for a Traverse, there's a good chance you have kids.

While the Traverse is available with a second-row bench, my test car was equipped with two captain's chairs in that spot, which isn't as accommodating for child-safety seats as the standard third-row bench. To seat eight, you'll need the second-row bench. There's 24.4 cubic feet of cargo room with the third row in place, which tops competitors like the Flex, at 20 cubic feet, and the Mazda CX-9, at 17.2 cubic feet. Its overall cargo volume is a significant 116.4 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded flat, compared with only 83.2 cubic feet in the Flex and 100.7 cubic feet in the CX-9.

The Chevy Traverse is a terrific around-town vehicle. Compared with the Flex and even the CX-9, the Traverse is the easiest to drive and navigate in tight spaces. Mileage is above average for the class, at 17/24 mpg city/highway with front-wheel drive and 16/23 mpg with all-wheel drive. That compares with 17/23 mpg in a front-wheel-drive Honda Pilot and 16/22 mpg for an all-wheel-drive Pilot. The front-wheel-drive Flex V-6 gets 17/24 mpg, while the all-wheel-drive model gets 16/22 mpg.

The Flex SEL Ecoboost with all-wheel drive starts at $36,595 and comes with many of the same features as our LTZ Traverse, like standard leather heated seats. The 2010 Chevy Traverse earned the top score, Good, in front, side and rear crash tests from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.  It's not the cheapest or fastest three-row crossover on the market, but Chevy is winning over customers with the Traverse's styling.