2009 Chevrolet Traverse Review

Specifications

With so many options in the large crossover segment of the automotive marketplace, it is difficult to make viable choices. When those multitudes of options occur within the same family of cars – as they so often do with General Motors – well, what’s a mother to do?

GM’s Lambda platform has given us the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Saturn Outlook and now the Chevrolet Traverse. The logical choice of this quartet is the Chevy. Both the Buick and GMC vehicles feel like they were built for older buyers, and who knows the future for Saturn, GM’s youngest division… it doesn’t look too pretty.

The 2009 Chevrolet Traverse AWD LTZ is what could be termed a “full dresser”. It has sufficient amenities to make driver and six passengers happy on short and long trips. What is most enticing about the Traverse is its thoughtful design and fashion-forward exterior lines. This is a clean-looking double-box machine, and design is one thing that helps the Traverse stand apart from others in the class, including its stablemates.

Sharing front-end styling with Chevy’s mid-size Malibu sedan, the new Traverse has a mesh front grille horizontally separated by the ubiquitous bowtie. There are clean lines drawn to enclose the headlamps and fog lights located slightly above the matte black cladding that encircles the base of the Traverse. There is a slight bulge to the shoulder line fore and aft as the eye draws upward to the rear windows, helped along by polished accents at the base of all side windows and on the door handles.

Like so many up-market offerings, the Traverse has its signals in the mirrors, which can be costly when an accident occurs but appears to be the way of the world these days. At the hatch, Chevy fit a small rear window with a “petticoat” design to the rear door and near-circular tail lamps. It all works aesthetically and functionally.

This is one large vehicle: 205 inches long, 78.4 inches wide and standing 72.8 inches tall. It has a 118.9-inch wheelbase and 7.2-inch ground clearance. Weighing 5,066 pounds as equipped, the 2009 Chevy Traverse AWD LTZ turns in 40.4 feet and tows 5,200 pounds.

Equipped with GM’s lovely direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 and its easily shiftable Hydra-Matic 6T75 6-speed transmission, the LTZ model has the highest output of all Traverse trim levels: 288 at 6,300 rpm with 270 lb-ft of torque at a traffic-beating 3,400 rpm. The horsepower level is seven more than the LS and LT models; torque jumps by 17 lb-ft from the other models in the Traverse lineup. There are dual exhaust tips too, with a nice, sweet note.

With its integral body-frame construction, the Traverse is car-like despite its all-wheel-drive ride, a supposition complemented by its [isolated] coil-over strut front suspension with stabilizer bar and the linked H-arm independent suspension at the rear with coil-springs and twin-tube shock absorbers mounted on an isolated sub-frame.

The Traverse has hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering that has a straight ratio with variable effort. While many GM truck products have steering that is relatively light to the touch, in the Traverse the effort is very direct and precise. The test vehicle rides on Goodyear Dueler P255/55R 20-inch tires and handsome six-spoke polished alloys.

Chevrolet uses all-wheel Bosch antilock brakes with rollover mitigation, and fits its Stabilitrak stability system with traction control. A tire pressure monitoring system is standard, as are airbags in the front, to the side and at headliner mounting points for all three rows of seating.

Traverse features a passenger sensing system, child safety LATCH system for hooking safety seats into the second row, a theft deterrent system, remote vehicle start and OnStar directions for the first year with turn-by-turn navigation. Chevy also includes an ultrasonic rear parking assist system that beeps when the driver is too close to the object behind, and a backup camera for enhanced rearward visibility.

The top-of-the-line 2009 Chevy Traverse AWD LTZ has leather seats for the first two rows with heating and cooling for front-seat occupants. The drivers’ has two memories for a supportive eight-way power seat; the passenger seat adjusts four ways, including lumbar. The second row contains captain’s chairs and the third row has a split bench seat that folds 60/40. In all the Chevy Traverse has a passenger volume of 153 cubic feet – enough space for real adults, front and rear.

There is plenty of information contained on stylish displays in front of the driver, including a 140-mph speedometer with battery gauge seated within its pod, a tachometer that goes to 8,000 rpm but has no discernible redline, and a temperature gauge, fuel gauge between the two pods rimmed in chrome-like plastic. The outsides of the black gauges are teal starbursts, numbers are white and pointers are traditional red. Above the fuel gauge is a teal LED readout with odometer, trip odometer, temperature readout and gear settings.

The Traverse AWD LTZ’s central stack holds vents, the touch-screen navigation system that includes audio, while heating, air conditioning and ventilation controls lie below. With the LTZ model, Chevrolet includes a 115-volt three-pronged outlet to go with the plethora of 12-volt plugs about the cabin. The navigation system has a good interface with audio and traffic advisories. The steering wheel has cruise control on the left and audio to the right side of the hub. A nice touch – Chevy fits a wide-angle mirror to the outside of each side mirror to aid visibility, even though it is good in the Traverse.

The 2009 Chevy Traverse AWD LTZ starts at $41,810 as tested and includes some nifty options: a dual sunroof system with front-opening pane at $1,400; DVD rear seat entertainment system with wireless headphones for $1,295; central console for the second row at $300 and an engine block heater that aids towing for $75. The final cost is $44,145, but in this economic austerity, GM has allowances to alter that price.

If you go for the sunroof, the one up front offers one-touch operation but doesn’t open fully (it goes about 2/3 distance). It does allow sunshine into the cabin, however, via the mesh covering that slides back separately from the roof. The second panel is glass over the second row of seating. All windows are one-touch down; the driver has one-touch up capability. Light controls are on the dashboard; there are no fog lamps. The Bose audio system includes XM satellite radio with traffic, and the first three months of service are complimentary.

Fuel mileage isn’t bad for a heavy and large vehicle of this type: the ratings are 16/23 and the onboard computer corroborates those figures. The tank holds 22 gallons and happily accepts regular unleaded fuel. Some owners are reporting 26 mpg on the highway.

What the Traverse does best is transport people and their belongings in comfort and style. It’s quick off the stoplight and handles impressively for its girth. And it’s got enough space for cargo – even with seven adults onboard – with 24.4 cubic feet of space behind the final row. With all aft seats folded, this crossover will carry 118 cubic feet of what-have-you.

This is a livable crossover and Chevrolet has done its homework to build a handsome and well-constructed vehicle. If the family requires additional seating – and entertainment – together with tons of cargo space in a well-thought-out package, buy American. Buy Chevrolet.