Chevy has struggled for quite a while to make their midsize SUV, the Traverse, an even competitor with others in the same class. With this new model year, it’s finally made some decent improvements that might make it do just that. But is the Chevy Traverse gaining any ground with its rivals? Let’s take a look at what Consumer Reports had to say about it and see just how well it stacks up to its competitors. 

What Consumer Reports liked about the Traverse

Consumer Reports editors reviewed the Traverse and were pretty impressed with Chevy’s improvements for the 2020 model year. They praised its smooth ride, refined suspension, and responsive handling of this large SUV. 

Under the hood is a 3.6-liter V6 engine that’s mated with a 9-speed automatic transmission. This coupling offers plenty of power to get a 7.3 second acceleration time for a 0 to 60 run. Even the braking system offers remarkably short-stopping distances for both wet and dry conditions. 

The interior cabin was also pretty extraordinary. The editors loved the roominess, comfortable seating, and easy-to-use controls. Even though it is a bigger vehicle, the editors at CR even considered it an “alternative to the Chevrolet Suburban.” They also loved the interior’s quietness, noting how little you notice the wind or road noise. 

With 20 mpg for its fuel economy rating and its enormous storage space, it’s finally ready to play with the big boys in the midsize SUV market. 

The things that didn’t quite impress them

The Traverse failed to impress them in a few different ways. One of them includes the left footrest in the driver’s area. They felt that it might disappoint drivers because it was too close to the brake and acceleration pedals run by the right foot. This lack of space between the footrest and brake could get annoying to some people behind the wheel. 

Another issue they had was the unimpressive two-way lumbar support seat for the driver. The price tag being so high, they felt that it should have a better seat offering to help justify the vehicle’s cost. There’s a very limited way to adjust the seat that doesn’t make much sense. 

The interior itself turned out to be unremarkable. Consumer Reports felt that the quality of the materials used was alright, but definitely, nothing that would set it apart from anything else. While there were beautiful padded leather areas, there was also a lot of hard plastic mixed in that just made it feel a little cheap.

Which vehicles are the Traverse competing against here?

Some of its competitors include the Toyota Highlander, Ford Explorer, and the Honda Pilot. These three often compare against each other. The Traverse trails behind the others when it comes to the CR overall score, which was 65 out of 100. 

But it’s not that far behind the Ford Explorer, which received a score of 69. It’s ranking in the midsize SUV class falls in the #13 place of their list of 25—the Traverse lands in the #16 spot. 

The Pilot and the Highlander scored better with 75 and 86 points, respectively. The Honda Pilot matched the Traverse’s EPA rating of 20 mpg overall, while the Highlander managed to squeeze out 22 mpg. 

As Chevy makes more improvements with the Traverse, it’s expected to become more of a threat to its competitors. More than what it already is right now.