2010 Chevrolet Traverse By ALAN GELL www.CarColumns.Net   One of the best-selling SUV’s on the market is the Chevy Traverse, and it’s not because of its styling, some innovative technology, or its slightly higher price.  Simply put, the Chevy Traverse is practical for families.  Actually, the Traverse is less than an SUV or even a mini-van, as many buyers want to get away from hunky vehicles in their driveways.  CUV is the newest term for vehicles that are somewhere in between a car and an SUV.  A CUV is the newest mainstream vehicle for up-and-coming families.

  The Chevy Traverse is more mainstream.  For families, it offers three rows of seating.  The Traverse has only been out for a couple of years and the 2010 model has very few changes over the 2009 model.

My daughter Charity had a Traverse for a test drive and almost fell in love with it.  She raved about the convenience and the utility.  The second row of seating can be purchased with a bench seat, but the captain’s chairs are probably more useful.  Captain’s chairs in the second row give older children, teenagers, and adults much more room and also provide an open pass-through to the back row area.  There is a fair amount of cargo room in the back, but for a long road trip, the luggage and family items will spill over into the other areas.  The third row seats split and fold flat.  This is useful for those long trips and carrying more suitcases and bags.

The 2010 Chevy Traverse is only offered with one engine size – a 3.6 liter V-6 that provides 281 horsepower.  It is matched with a six speed automatic.  The Traverse can be purchased in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.  I personally have become a fan of having all-wheel drive because of safety concerns on wet roads, snow, ice, or even sandy conditions.

The exterior of the Traverse is very mainstream.  It is not distinctive, but it is acceptable and appealing.  The interior is functional but not futuristic or trend setting.  Again, the interior offers all the conveniences for a family or even an around-town vehicle, but it is not designed like a sports car.  It is easy to drive and it fits into tight spaces fairly well.  My daughter Charity says it doesn’t feel “bulky” when she is driving or parking.

The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse is offered in three trim levels – the base LS, the LT, and the top-of-the-line LTZ.  The primary difference in the different trim level models is the wheels, which come as 17 inch, 18 inch, or 20 inch.  The back-up camera works really well and was certainly a strong point with my daughter, who has two younger children.  She commented, “I can see all the bicycles, toys, and other paraphernalia left in the drive before I run over it.  The screen for the camera is conveniently located on the rear view mirror.”   I have advocated back-up cameras for many years and think they should be standard in most vehicles.

The base model Traverse is priced near $29,000.  The top-of-the-line LTZ will be closer to $40,000.  Mileage is slightly above average for a three-row vehicle of this type.  It rates 17 city and 24 highway for the front-wheel drive model and 16 city/23 highway for the all-wheel model.