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Badge engineering has its ups and downs. Manufacturers create new opportunities by applying different badges and levels of trim to similar vehicles at the risk of saturating the market with vehicles that are so similar that only price distinguishes them. A case in point is the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, GM’s fourth crossover on the Lambda platform. With a base price of $41,075 ($44,880 as tested), the 2009 Chevy Traverse AWD LTZ arrives with a 3 year/36,000 mile basic warranty, a 5 year/100,000 mile powertrain warranty and EPA estimates of 16 mpg city/23 mpg highway.


Let’s drive.

First Glance

Larger Exterior Photos: FrontRear

While I work on this review, General Motors works on a restructuring plan that will eliminate one or more of its nameplates. Over the past century, the GM brand has included Oldsmobile, Opel, HUMMER, Saab, GM Daewoo, Vauxhall, Holden, Acadian, Beaumont, Bedford, Elmore, Envoy, Geo, LaSalle, Marquette, Oakland, Viking, Saturn, Pontiac, Cadillac, Buick, GMC and Chevrolet. There may have been a few others. Reports indicate that after restructuring, GM will consist of four brands: GMC, Buick, Cadillac and Chevrolet. Three of the four brands will have a version of the Lambda crossover vehicle: GMC’s Acadia, Buick’s Enclave and Chevrolet’s Traverse. Saturn’s Outlook may survive if the brand winds up getting purchased, but it probably won’t last long. That leaves the Traverse as the least expensive Lambda crossover, with base prices starting at $29,990.

You probably need to be a GM product planner in order to spot the exterior differences between Acadia, Enclave and Traverse at a glance.

The big giveaway is on the nose of the vehicle, where Traverse wears a big gold Chevy bowtie at the center of a big metal mesh grille. The big crossover has some assertive body bends and creases, and an assertive stance. It sits somewhere between SUV and minivan in terms of size and appearance – though the unibody construction pegs Traverse as a crossover, this is still one big vehicle.

In the Driver's Seat

Larger Interior Photo

Like the other Lambda crossovers, Traverse’s real strong point is interior space. If you have to transport 7 or even 8 passengers on a regular basis, forget about full-size SUVs and concentrate on this big crossover. Every seating position is comfortable for an adult. Three adults can even cram into the third row for a short ride, as long as those adults are well-acquainted (they certainly will be after the ride, anyway). Even with the third row in use by passengers, there’s still 24.4 cubic feet of luggage space available – more than most full-size sedans. There’s 68.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, and a massive 116.4 cubic feet behind the first row. And we’re talking smart, useful, accessible space – not nooks and crannies.

The cabin is very well-appointed, especially in the top-of-the-line LTZ model that I drove. The front and second row seats are appointed with leather. Both front seats are heated and cooled, with power adjustment for both and memory for the driver’s seat. The leather-wrapped steering wheel is adjustable for tilt and reach, and houses controls for audio and cruise control. Modern conveniences like Bluetooth and a three-prong 115 volt outlet abound. My test vehicle was also equipped with navigation, a Bose audio system with rear seat audio controls and XM Satellite Radio with XM Nav Traffic with three months of free service. Add in an optional Dual Skyscape Sunroof ($1,400) and DVD rear seat entertainment ($1,295), and my Traverse was a road trip machine.

On the Road

I had the same complaint about the Traverse that I had about the Saturn Outlook – the driving position is more school bus than SUV. Traverse is a family hauler, not a driver’s car – but still, I like to connect with my vehicle as a driver. Traverse is burdened with heavy, numb steering and a wide, wide turning circle (40.4’ curb-to-curb). Four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes make for a smooth, safe ride, but 4,925 lbs for the AWD version (4,720 for FWD) burdens the 3.6 liter V6 engine’s 281 hp and 253 lb-ft of torque. It’s not that Traverse is all that slow, or all that cumbersome – it’s just that Traverse is no fun to drive. I have heard people say that they don’t care about that – a vehicle is just a tool to get people and stuff from point A to point B with as little fuss as possible. I don’t understand those people. They make my head explode. When I know that driving can be fun, and I’m stuck behind the wheel of a vehicle that is no fun, I get cranky.

There’s more to life than fun, though – right? Right? Like fuel economy, for instance. Traverse produces a decent 16 city/23 highway rating with all-wheel drive, and during my week with the vehicle, I averaged over 20 mpg in mixed driving. Safety-wise, Traverse earns top crash test ratings, and arrives with an impressive array of airbags as standard equipment. A rearview camera system is standard on the LTZ and 2LT, available on the 1LT but not on the base LS model.

Journey's End

I tested the Traverse right after spending a week with one of GM’s full-size SUVs, and I have to say, I was very impressed with how usable the Traverse turned out to be on a day-to-day basis. From hauling groceries to carrying passengers to commuting, Traverse really is a Swiss Army Knife vehicle. The flexible interior space and easy access from all doors leads to a real ease of use in every aspect. I drove a loaded Traverse, but for around $30,000, you could get a nicely-equipped Traverse that would be a great all-around family vehicle with the same mechanical underpinnings as the more expensive GMC and Buick versions.

If you’re thinking of buying a Traverse, there are other vehicles to consider. I would measure Traverse against the Honda Pilot, the Subaru Tribeca and the Ford Flex. I’d also take a look at a few actual minivans, like the Toyota Sienna, the Nissan Quest and the Chrysler Town and Country. If you need the functionality of a minivan, you might as well see what you’re missing by choosing a crossover instead. Nobody’s going to be fooled into believing that you’re more hip because you drive a Traverse – it’s still a big family wagon, no matter how you dress it up.

If you must buy a Traverse, do yourself a favor, and put aside a few extra dollars for a used Mazda Miata. You’re going to need some driving excitement in your life – and you’re going to want to get away from all those passengers every once in a while. A two-seater is the perfect antidote to a family hauler.

 

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.