I just got a Traverse for a loaner car while my Malibu Maxx is in the shop, and so far I am impressed. Aside from the harsh ride when I go over bumps what a pleasure this SUV is. It's got more than enough room & gadgets to keep me going for a while. The blind spot mirrors are taking getting some used to, as well as the backup camera. It's cool how the picture displays in the rear view mirror. While I don't know what engine my loaner has I have noticed I get around 22 mpg highway, which is close to what GM states for a 3.6 I am going to assume it's that engine. They don't have key fobs on loaner cars, so it annoyingly beeps its horn & flashes its lights after unlocking and opening the door, making it appear as if I am stealing my own loaner car. I get in quickly & turn on the ignition & it goes away. Great stereo system & the heat works great as well.

GM has done a good job with this SUV, although I felt the ride could be more forgiving over bumps.

Thanks for the reveiw. I have not ridden in one yet, but I sat in one. The overall atmosphere inside the car is very roomy and comfortable. Reminds me a lot of the Equinox interior.

From the one I test drove, the front seats are roomy as hell but the back 2 rows of seats are cramped so bad that I couldn't get in the 2nd row with the front seat all the way back, and I'm only 6 feet tall. The motor was sluggish on the one I test drove, the 4.2 on my parents' Trailblazer with 110,000 miles on it had more kick in it than this piece of crap that GM put out, and for the price of a new one give me a Tahoe or Suburban with a V-8, but that is what I thought of it when I drove one

you say youre 6 feet tall.
How big are you?
I mean are you a thin or hefty guy---- 6 feet/300 lbs or 6ft/190 lbs?

that you had trouble getting in concerns me (possible purchase).
If youre hefty- then I dont see anyone in my family having trouble getting in- as my parents are 5 5 and weigh maybe 150-160 lbs at the most.

As for the engine.
Ill have to drive one.
I too have a Trailblazer -im 5K short of hitting 150,000.
plenty of power. So ill have to see how much different that 6 speed makes.

I sat in one..
I'm 6'6" and 240lbs and I didn't have a problem in the front seats or the back seats. I was very comfortable.

Hell, in a 4-door Duramax Silverado I can't sit in the back seat with the front seat all the way back.

i'm 6'1" 245, not real hefty in my mind.

I have an 04 crew cab and my dad who is 6'6" also will sit in the backseat cause it is more comfortable to him back there and the front seat is as far back as it can go also, so I dunno. Was the crew cab duramax and 07-08 or the older body style?

I just wasn't real impressed with the Traverse, Enclave or Acadia, same car basically.

Its a 08.

Yeah they are the same. But so is the Tahoe, Escalade, and Yukon. lol

IDK, maybe I'm just more biased against the Traverse b/c ever since GM introduced it my dad lost his job of 20+ years when his plant was shut down in favor of building these piles of junk that don't even look appealing to even consider buying one to me. Thats just me of course.

Just picked up a 1 LT Traverse, Cyber Grey, a few weeks ago. This was to replace a 2002 Ford Explorer. We found the Traverse because of the 3rd row with 2nd row captains chairs option and DVD entertainment system. Two car seats fit snug in the co-chairs with third row room for the grandparents or others to ride in.

It's only been two weeks, but I plan to post pros/cons after a little more driving.

I went and test drove one.
I also looked at one with captains chairs... and Preferred the bench seat for the 2nd row.
I also sat in the 3rd row--- I was surprissed at how well I fit back there.
Im about 510. weigh 165 lbs.
So my mom and grandmother will have no problem sitting back there...
(Ill have to see how she does getting back there)... if she has trouble she may be riding in the 2nd seat....

But I liked the vehicle- I ordered a 2010 in Gold Mist.
I also liked the 20's on the California edition package that were on the LT1 I drive.
But I didnt like the feel of the bumps.
So Ill be getting the 18 inch rims...

anyways-- the CA edition with the 20 inchers- has been discontinued for 2010.

For what it's worth, we picked up our 09 LTZ 4 days ago. Traded in our Olds Silhouette after 130,000 flawless miles. So far, no issues or complaints. Wife and I both love it. So far, I can't find a single thing wrong with it.

Thanks for starting this thread!

I just purchased a Traverse LTZ a week ago and immediately took it on a family vacation for a week. Overall, I like it a lot. We had 3 adults and 2 boys (age 10 and 12: both big for their age ) and everyone was very comfortable during the 12 hour drive.

It's true that with the front seat all the way back, even my 10 year old isn't left with much leg room in the second row (l have the auto settings configured to automatically move my seat back when I turn off the ignition for easy exit) but you'd have to have very long legs to comfortably drive with the sent all the way back. I just looked at a '09 Tahoe LTZ and it's no different in that respect.

Gas mileage was great and continues to be back home with normal "city" driving. I confess I am a little underwhelmed by the acceleration. But, at no time was I concerned or felt I wasn't getting enough for the situation.

And, while stylish and feature-rich, the man in me would have preferred the more "rugged" looks of a Tahoe. But, this was a replacement for a Mini Van and the Cross-over was the best compromise.

only one item has me frustrated, and no one at the dealership can explain it. If anyone here has some feedback I'd be grateful. what good are the standard longitudinal rails? Cross bars are an optional accessory . I've looked at the Saturn, GMC & Buick versions and they all have true "rails" or bars running the length of the roof that you can tie off to. the Chevy's are basically just tracks that the accessory cross bars can be installed to. Can't do anything else with them. But, Chevy's site lists them as some wonderful and stylish feature. As a standard feature , they are essentially useless. Am I missing something in my thinking?

thanks, Andy

I wonder if Chevy left the cross roof rails off as optional to save on noise, MPG, and parts costs.

Now we know theres many SUV owners who had NEVER used their racks- some dont even know you can move them(slide them- like no my Trailblazer)

So I think in this case- with the design- they opted to leave them off..
If you really need them- you order them.
I did...
I ordered a 2010 traverse. and asked that the rails be left OFF...Ill put them on when I need them.
I currently have a 03 Trailblazer- I do use my rails occasionally... but not everyday.
I think on average- in 1 year I use them 8 times.

But from the design- it does appear that the longitudinal tracks are more hidden than those on the other lambdas...

a while back--I did snap pics of a traverse with the cross rails-- and they sure stood out......
I think from a cosmetic point- to keep a smooth flow of the design--- they opted to leave them off...
checkout these pics... they do appear pretty high..

http://home.earthlink.net/~rbarrios2/cetrav.JPG
http://home.earthlink.net/~rbarrios2/cetrav2.JPG

It still baffles me how anyone would see this thing and think "hey this is a great looking vehicle, and I'd like to drop 40k+ on one"

I think it looks great...
Theres other vehicles out there that are just... different...
that nissan cube.... the rear end is odd
do a search for it.. youll see,...

CUVs in general look kinda funny to me to be honest, but the Traverse looks a hell of a lot better than any other CUV out there to me.

I've seen the Cube and the Scion xB, both look like a rolling pile of s*%#s to me, hell, someone please explain the whole crossover phenomenon.

you can coat a turd in diamond dust but underneath it all it's still a turd.

The industry as a whole- is moving away from Body on Frame SUV's.
For political/economic/environmental reasons....
Most real SUV's were built on Trucks frames.
Few years ago the SUV craze was at its peak- and people who had no reason to buy an SUV were buying them...
Some drivers out there never even used their 4x4 stuff... they just bought because they had to have one...

fast forward...

Trailblazers Durangos and other are no longer made.
Want an SUV- you have to go to a Tahoe, Suburban, Expedition etc...
Not everyone wants something that big...

The other option is a minivan...

the crossover- uses more of a car chassis- and offers a little bit of an SUV and a minivan.
Ideal for someone like me...

In my case---- I dont need a Tahoe-- but I also cant use a minivan.
Minivans are way too low.
I currently own a Trailblazer- and eventhough Ive never towed--- I have made use of the tow hitch- big time- and piled up plenty on the inside of the SUV.

I make trips were the vehicle is loaded. I also need some clearance on the bottom (some dirt roads in mexico).

I know A Minivan wont handle the clearance.

In my case-- the Chevy Traverse.. is a very nice alternative.
Has a tow hitch receiver.
cross rails.
handles plenty of cargo.
has the tow package.
has enough ground clearance ( I believe its about 4 inches higher off the ground- that a Honda Odyssey)....
There is no way an oddyssey would be able to handle the load as shown below...
The suspension would scrape on some of the road- or rocks... I travel on out there.

these are 2 separate trips--- both pics are out in the middle of the Mexican Sonoran Desert.
The Traverse should be able to handle this.

http://home.earthlink.net/~rbarrios2/tripcargodropped.JPG
http://home.earthlink.net/~rbarrios2/meloadedhitch.JPG

Another reason is the ride quality.
You get something body on frame like a truck, its gonna handle and ride like a truck. The CUVs are different. It offers the ride quality of a car in an suv-size package.

The xB and Cube are not crossovers, they are subcompacts. Already they seemed to have developed a stereotype...from many observations, they are popularized by the homosexual and liberal environmentalist population whos opinion of a cool car consists of something that is ugly to the passing observer. First the Prius, now this.
I calling it as I see it.

I bought my 2009 FWD Traverse LS 4 months ago. RETAIL was $30,080.
I would have bought another TrailBlazer, had Chevrolet not pulled the plug on TrailBlazer production. I had a 2002 TralBlazer 4x4 LS, gave me wonderful service for 146,000 miles.

Many standard items on the 2002 TrailBlazer LS are not standard on the Traverse LS. Items that come to mind ..... Leather wrapped wheel, heated mirrors, trailer hitch and wiring, dual climate controls, roof rack, spare tire and jack. The Traverse does have XM radio and OnStar as standard equipment.

TrailBlazer gave me 24 MPG on highway at 65 MPH, Traverse gives me 20 MPG under same conditions.

For me ... drivers seat with lumbar control in TrailBlazer was very comfortable, fit me nicely, seat in Traverse is adequate, by comparison.

TrailBlazer was a "manly type" of vehicle, I6 was snappy. Traverse is more of a luxury vehicle, V6 doesn't impress me with its power or torque output.

TrailBlazer had a very tight turning radius, Traverse has a good turning radius, but NOT as tight.

Both vehicles ride well and rattle free, no wind noise, both have a good feel for the road.

Traverse is a nice vehicle, had TrailBlazers still been around, I would have opted for one of them, for certain. I believe the Traverse has big shoes to fill, but we'll give her the chance to prove herself, just as we did with the TrailBlazer.

Bob

Ok, Just picked up my new 2010 Traverse LTZ today. Traded in the 1999 Dodge Durango with 100,000 miles. I've got to say, I love it and it rides great. Lots of bells and whistles to learn.