2013 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ: A capable people-mover

Written by Steven Macoy
Thursday, 28 February 2013 11:59

2013 Chevrolet Traverse LTZThirty years ago, automakers were striving to craft a box van that had the road manners of a conventional sedan. They succeeded extravagantly; before long, it seemed almost every family owned a minivan. Today’s challenge is different. The industry is designing crossovers and sport-utility vehicles that perform like minivans. The Chevrolet Traverse and its GMC cousin, the Acadia, are among the success stories.

Our 7-year-old granddaughter fell in love almost instantly with our 2013 Traverse LTZ, and not just because it was equipped with an optional rear-seat entertainment system. She also liked the theater seating in the third row, and the overall roominess and comfort of this high-end model.

Those who drove the Traverse liked it, too. Its handling was unexpectedly crisp, and its 288-horsepower V-6 engine provided plenty of punch. There were only two complaints: The car seemed very long, as it had to be in order to accommodate medium-sized adults in the third seat; and the Traverse’s exterior styling limited visibility to the rear. The rear-vision camera system, standard on all versions of the Traverse, mitigated this problem nicely.

Redesigned for 2013, the Traverse starts at $30,510 for the base LS model, increasing through the trim levels to $40,425 for the LTZ. Our Traverse, with the entertainment system, navigation, trailering equipment and crystal red tint coat, had a sticker price of $46,410.

Available with front-wheel or all-wheel drive, the Traverse is rated as high as 17 mpg city, 24 highway, in two-wheel-drive models. Adding all-wheel drive exacts a 1-mpg penalty. We did not come close to 23 mpg even though most of our driving was on the highway.

The new Traverse looks sleeker than its predecessor, thanks mainly to what Chevrolet calls the “new, athletic face of Chevrolet crossovers.” The single, trapezoidal grille contrasts with the larger, split grille of the previous model.

Inside, the Traverse has room to spare. Our test car was a six-passenger model, with bucket seats in front and captain’s chairs in the second row, but available bench seats increase the Traverse’s people-moving potential to eight.

The Traverse offers a minivan-like 116.3 cubic feet of space with all of the seats folded down. Even with every seat upright, it provides 24.4 cubic feet for luggage and cargo.

The Traverse, judged by Consumer Reports magazine readers as the best of the large three-row SUVs for families, has attained average reliability ratings from owners surveyed by the magazine. It also has been rated a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

 Like the popular Chevrolet TrailBlazer model of a few years ago, the Traverse has a number of endearingly retro qualities, especially the old-fashioned column shifter and the look of the major gauges. It’s as if the Traverse’s designers sought to establish a comfort level, without making the car seem to be dated, or a caricature of some earlier Chevy. Given the car’s many good qualities, that’s a formula for success.

Steven Macoy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) is a longtime car enthusiast and full-time editor who lives in Bethel, Conn.

Price: $46,410

Engine: 3.6-liter V-6, 288 horsepower, 270 lb.-ft. torque

Transmission: 6-speed shiftable automatic

Drive: all-wheel

Weight: 4,841 lb.

Suspension: four-wheel independent, MacPherson strut front, multi-link rear

Ground clearance: 7.2 inches

Wheels: 20-inch by 7.5-inch alloy

Tires: P255/55R H all-season

Seating capacity: 6

Luggage capacity: 24.4 cu. ft.

Maximum cargo capacity: 116.3 cu. ft.

Maximum towing capacity: 5,200 lb.

Fuel capacity: 22 gallons

Fuel economy: 16 mpg city, 23 mpg highway

Fuel type: Regular unleaded

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