Best Car Models & All About Cars: 2012 Chevrolet Traverse

2012 Chevrolet Traverse Rear View

Chevy's famous for its massive, tough SUVs, just like the Tahoe, Suburban, and the previous TrailBlazer. However nowadays's families want something a very little more road-friendly, a very little less trail-blazing. That is what caused the Traverse, a seven- or eight-seat crossover that's one amongst the most effective vehicles in today's Chevy lineup, due to wonderful safety scores and sensible options. It's not a minivan, however it's nearly as purposeful together, even while not the sliding doors.

The Traverse's styling is inoffensive. It suits the mission, we tend to suppose, however there's not abundant excitement in the mildly contoured form, nothing of the aptitude that you simply'd notice in the chunky, trucklike GMC Acadia and flowing, curvilinear Buick Enclave that share the Traverse's platform. The Chevy's straightforward, elegant, even spare, and that has its own charm. The design influence from different Chevy products is evident, especially up front where a Malibu-like split grille sits tall. The dearth of detail makes the rear finish of the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse as forgettable as any minivan, though, and the identical holds true for the inside--it's purposeful, however not exciting, by any suggests that, and also the sheets of hard, uninteresting plastic that wrap the dash and doors might use an upgrade.

Performance is quick and competent. There is solely one drivetrain offered, an immediate-injection three.half-dozen-liter V-half-dozen engine coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission. The 288-horsepower six (281 hp in models with a single exhaust) generates leisurely acceleration and a bit of V-half dozen grumble at the high of its powerband, however it does not really feel anemic unless you've taken on a full load of passengers and chosen the optional all-wheel drive. Chevy's six-speed automatic dithers generally when downshifts are requested; it is a bit less on the mark than the Ford transmission that was co-developed alongside it. The Traverse's handling is not nimble--it's simply the predictable norm for its size, with gentle steering feedback and moderate body roll when it's pressed to act a lot of sort of a sport wagon.

The Traverse's strengths lie in its roomy, comfy interior. It's virtually a minivan in terms of raw space, however the dearth of sliding doors does put it at a small disadvantage in a very couple of ways that. Front passengers have it best, with lots of head and leg space, however the second-row seat's nearly as spacious for adults, and seating 3 across is not impractical. You'll want the sliding side doors of a minivan when loading anyone older than ten in the third-row seat, as it isn't simple to clamber in there even when the second row's folded and moved forward, however the third-row seat itself will hold three youngsters while still leaving 24.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind it. Flip down the second and third rows and the Traverse parades 117.5 cubic feet of house and a simply-about-flat cargo floor.

One among the safest vehicles moving around today, the 2012 Traverse earns nearly perfect crash-take a look at scores. Overall, the NHTSA offers it 5 stars, with a four-star rating for front impacts and five for side impacts. The IIHS names it a Prime Safety Pick, too. Along with customary airbags, anti-lock brakes and traction management, Bluetooth and parking sensors, the Traverse can be fitted with a rearview camera, to assist with its middling visibility to the rear quarters.

All 2012 Traverse crossovers return with a tilt/telescopic wheel; power windows, locks and mirrors; cruise management; Bluetooth; and an AM/FM/XM/CD sound system. Major options embrace the rearview camera; an influence liftgate; heated and cooled front seats; and a DVD entertainment system. The top-spec LTZ can be equipped with 20-inch aluminum wheels; a rear spoiler; twin exhausts; and a panoramic sunroof.

2012 Chevrolet Traverse Side View