Best Year Chevrolet Traverse

‍2018 Chevrolet Traverse

In 2018, Chevrolet took care of Traverse’s most controversial issue; it redesigned and removed the minivan-like appearance from the vehicle for good. The 2018 Traverse is more truck-like and squared off. It features a refined and comfortable cabin, an advanced infotainment system and is equipped with many other tech features.

 The Traverse is powered by a V6 engine, courageous yet fuel-efficient. It delivers ample power and makes the crossover a pleasure to drive.

Style

The 2018 Traverse might not be the flashiest vehicle on the road, but it also does not have anything that would offend.

Looking at the 2018 Chevy Traverse, it seems that the company tried to deliver a truck-like design in a crossover. The exterior gets a touch from Chevrolet’s larger SUVs, featuring an upright posture, a square-jawed front and a boxy rear.

The slim headlights fit well in the fascia, starting from the grille, and ending in a crease on the shoulder. The crease runs along the side of the vehicle and terminates into the equally slim, wrap-around taillights.

Overall, the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse is quite attractive; it looks much better than the previous generation and other vehicles like the Chevy Trax and Equinox. However, missing out on the dazzlement, the Traverse can have difficulty trying to stand out between its rivals like the Mazda CX-9 and Dodge Durano.

Step inside, and the Traverse becomes more impressive, flaunting a similar design to bigger trucks by Chevrolet. A wide and high center console goes on to meet a tall dashboard. The combination looks good, and the materials used are designed to handle abuse from many children.

Performance

The Traverse is powered by a 3.6-liter V6, producing 310 hp and 266 lb.-ft of torque. The engine is designed to hit maximum torque at a low rpm of 2,800. It is directly injected and feels muscular on launch;the throttle response is almost overaggressive.

Once the vehicle moves, the acceleration remains linear and smooth, even when pushed to the limits. The engine is well designed to carry out passing maneuvers, both on wide interstate highways and narrow, two-lane roads.

The V6 engine feels smooth but can be loud during hard accelerations. But it is not very noticeable in everyday driving, and the vehicle feels quiet and comfortable.

The engine is coupled with a 9-speed automatic transmission, which is quick and responsive. It copes up well with hard accelerations, and the shifts are hard to notice with everyday driving. The transmission is easy to control; if you want to downshift, all you have to do is push the gas pedal down a little, and the Traverse will take a launch to increase speed.

The vehicle is equipped with a MacPherson strut suspension in the front and a five-link suspension in the rear. This suspension greatly improves the vehicle’s handling and stability, making it more predictable on curvy roads. The brakes are responsive and offer a confident and responsive pedal feel.

Quality and Comfort

The 2018 Traverse is a simple, big crossover with comfortable front and second-row seats. The third-row seat is also quite spacious and can seat two adults comfortably. The front seats are well-bolstered and offer good support.

The LS and other trims above it come with eight-way power-adjustable front seats. All seats on the Traverse are designed to keep the passengers comfortable for long highway cruises. They also perform well in giving support on bumpy country roads.

Even the third-row seat is comfortable for long drives as it features more legroom than other similar vehicles. The Traverse offers 33.5 inches of legroom for the third seat, which is more than Nissan Pathfinder’s 30.7 inches, Honda Pilots’ 31.9 inches, and even a tiny bit larger than Ford Explorer’s 33.3 inches. Access to the third seat is easy, and even tall passengers have no issue in entry, exit, or during the ride.

However, seating eight adults in the Traverse will make things a little uncomfortable for the third-row passengers. For longer runs, it is recommended to limit the passengers to six or seven adults at max. Having three adults sit in the third-row seat for long journeys can be quite uncomfortable. But if you have children among your travel group, you can easily and comfortably fit eight people in the Traverse.

Even with passengers sitting on the third row, the Traverse has a lot of cargo space. The 23 cubic feet of cargo space is more than most mid-sized sedans offer. If you fold down the third-row seat, the cargo space increases to 58.1 cubic feet. If you have large cargo that you want to haul, the second and third-row seats can be folded down to provide 98.3 cubic feet of space. The Traverse features more cargo space than most of its rivals like Pathfinder, Explorer, and the Pilot; in some cases, by a large margin.

There is a difference in material quality among trim levels. But even the base variant features durable plastic with an attractive feel. On the LT leather, the upholstery on the door panels, dashboard and seats feels luxuriant to the touch. The top-of-the-range High Country trim features even finer material and adds touches of suede and wood for extra luxury.

Safety

The Chevy Traverse is equipped with a lot of standard safety features, including:

• Front Airbags to keep front occupants safe in case of a frontal impact
• Side Airbags activate and secure the occupants if the vehicle gets impacted from either side
• Overhead Airbags protect occupants in case of a side impact or a rollover
• The AntiLock braking system keeps the wheels from locking up during hard brakes. This system allows the vehicle to maintain traction and maneuverability even on slippery surfaces
• Stability Control allows the vehicle to sense when it is nearing its limits, and it cuts power to the engine to ensure that the vehicle remains under control

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2018 Chevrolet Traverse with ‘Good” ratings for crashworthiness. It also received Superior ratings for the front crash prevention system.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the 2018 Chevy Traverse with an overall safety rating of five stars. The Traverse received four stars for front passenger side-impact and rollover resistance. The rollover risk stood at 16.9%, and the vehicle depicted no tip during the dynamic tip test.

The top-of-the-line variants of the Traverse are equipped with advanced features, but even the basic trims come with HID headlights, rearview camera, and Chevrolet’s Teen Driver Technology. This system allows the parent to keep an eye on and coach their new driver. It stops the driver from shifting until the seatbelt is buckled on, allows the parent to set a speed limit alert, limit the maximum audio system volume, and even makes a driver’s report.

Advanced features like blind-spot monitors and rear traffic crossing alert system are available on the LT Cloth trim and above. More advanced features like lane departure warning, active lane control, forward collision warning, and the emergency braking are available only on top trims; the AWD and High Country.

Features

The 2018 Chevy Traverse is available in a wide range of trim levels: LS, LT Cloth, LT Leather, Premier, and High Country.

Although many expected the base trim to be L, on the 2018 Traverse, the trim levels start from LS. This trim has the following features:

• Seven-inch infotainment system integrated with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth Connectivity
• Rearview camera
• Six USB Ports for charging
• Three-zone climate control
• Keyless ignition
• HID headlights
• Daytime Running Lights (DRLs)
• 18-inch alloy wheels

Next up the ladder is the LT Cloth trim. This trim adds the following features:

• Satellite radio by Sirius XM
• A different set of 18-inch alloys
• Power adjustable driver and passenger seats

For the LT Cloth version, there was an optional Driver Confidence and Convenience package available, which added the following features:

• Eight-inch infotainment system
• Remote start
• Rear traffic cross alerting system
• Blind-spot monitors
• Heated front seats
• Power liftgate

One step above the LT Cloth is the LT Leather trim. This trim has the Confidence and Convenience package as standard and delivers the following features:

• Leather trim and upholstery
• 10-speaker Bose audio system
• Bigger instrument cluster display
• Surround-view camera system
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror with an advanced rear camera mirror
• Navigation system with an eight-inch screen
• 20-inch alloy wheels

The Traverse RS is between the LT Leather and the next trim, which features a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbocharged engine. It offers similar features as the LT leather trim.

The runner-up trim, Premier, provides the following features:

• Heated second-row seats
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Driver’s seat memory positioning option
• 20-inch alloy wheels
• LED headlights

An optional Red Line Package adds the following features to the Premier:

• Panoramic moonroof
• Blacked out and sportier exterior aesthetics

The Premier trim also has an optional Driver Confidence Package, which adds:

• Forward collision warning system with pedestrian detection and low-speed emergency braking
• Lane departure warning with active steering response
• Active lights on the front

The top-of-the-line High Country trim offers the following features:

• All-wheel-drive
• Dual-clutch transmission
• Adaptive cruise control with the feature to stop and go
• High-speed auto-braking
• Front passenger detection and braking
• Upgraded interior materials
• Panoramic moonroof comes as standard

The All-wheel-drive system was also available as an option for LS, LT Cloth, LT Leather, and Premier trims. When purchasing a 2018 Traverse, you can expect to pay a little extra for the AWD option on all trims.

All trims of the Traverse come equipped with GM OnStar, which hosts a variety of technologies, including emergency roadside assistance, stolen vehicle tracking, stolen vehicle slowdown, etc. The system helps keep you safe in a crash by sending automatic messages to the OnStar call center and ensuring prompt assistance. The system also equips your vehicle with Navigation, Wi-Fi, and several in-vehicle apps.

All trims are also equipped with Chevy’s Family Link and Teen Driver systems. These systems work together to allow the parent to set a maximum driving range, speed limit and audio system volume limits for the new drivers. It also shows a report of the drive and any warnings that the new driver received. The system sends text messages when a journey is complete, letting parents know what little Joey has been up to.

Fuel Economy

The Traverse is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine coupled with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The powertrain can achieve EPA ratings of 18 mpg in the city, 27 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined. Add in the AWD, and the EPA ratings come to 17 mpg in the city, 25 mpg on the highway, and 20 mpg combined.

There is also a rare 2.0-liter, inline-four, turbo variant, The Traverse RS, which requires premium gasoline. This variant delivers 20 mpg in the city, 26 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined. Even though this powertrain deletes two cylinders, the numbers do not depict much of a difference.

Price Range of 2018 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2018 Traverse can be had for anywhere between $27,000 and $43,500. The average price of the Traverse stands at around $34,000. Factors like trim level, options, location, mileage, and vehicle condition play a vital role in defining the price.

Running Costs of 2018 Chevrolet Traverse

The estimated running costs of the vehicle stand at around $5,200 per year, translating to $26,000 for five years. These numbers include fuel, insurance, repairs, routine maintenance, and spares. The Traverse is slightly expensive for the mid-sized SUV category, keeping the market trend in view. But this cost can be justified by the features it offers.