The Chevy Traverse is a family-friendly SUV that can fit a lot of people and their stuff. The 2026 version is the latest model in its third series, designed to be comfortable and easy to drive.
The Suburban is an even bigger SUV from Chevy than the Tahoe, with lots of room for people and stuff. It's also built to handle heavy towing and rough roads.
The Tahoe is a big SUV from Chevy that can carry a lot of people and tow heavy things. It's built differently than the Traverse, making it better for tough jobs.
The Ford Explorer is a popular SUV known for its spaciousness and ability to handle different types of driving, whether it's city roads or off-road trails.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee L is a bigger SUV that can carry more people and gear. It's great for families who want to go off-road or enjoy outdoor activities.
The Volkswagen Atlas is a large SUV that has a lot of room inside for families and their belongings. It's designed to be practical and comfortable for everyday use.
The Honda Pilot is a family-friendly SUV that has room for up to eight people. It's known for being safe and reliable, making it a good choice for parents.
The Kia Telluride is a large SUV that's great for families. It has a lot of space inside and comes with nice features for a good price.
Term
Z71
Z71 is a special package for some Chevrolet vehicles that makes them better for off-road driving. It includes features that help the car handle rough terrain.
Automated parking is a feature that helps a car park itself without much help from the driver. It uses special sensors to find a parking spot and steer the car in.
All-wheel drive means that power goes to all four wheels of the car. This helps the car grip the road better, especially in bad weather or on rough surfaces.
Pound-feet of torque measures how strong the engine is when it starts moving the car. More torque means the car can pull heavier things or accelerate faster.
An 8-speed automatic transmission helps the car change gears automatically, making it easier to drive. More speeds usually mean better performance and fuel economy.
A four-cylinder engine has four chambers where fuel burns to create power. It's often used in cars because it can be efficient and still provide enough power for regular driving.
Piped-in engine sounds are fake sounds that come from the car's speakers to make it sound like it has a powerful engine. It's a way to make driving feel more exciting without actually being loud.
Understeer happens when the front of the car slides out in a turn, making it hard to steer where you want to go. It feels like the car wants to go straight instead of turning.
The Renault Wind is a small car that can turn into a convertible, meaning you can drive it with the roof down on nice days. It's designed to be fun to drive and has a unique look compared to other cars.
The Mazda CX-90 is a type of SUV that uses both gas and electricity to run, which helps it save on fuel. It's known for being stylish and packed with cool features, making it a popular choice for families.
The GMC Acadia is a family-friendly SUV that has a lot of room inside for people and their stuff. It can fit more than five people comfortably, which makes it great for trips or daily use.
MSRP is the price that the car maker suggests you should pay for a car. It's like a starting price that you can negotiate from when buying a car.
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The 2026 Chevy Traverse can carry a lot of kit, but can it hold 18 packs of TP?
All you regulars know what I'm doing. If you're new here, stick around.
There's a method to my madness.
It's been some seven generations since Americans loaded up their covered wagons to settle the west.
Today? Well, we're still packing up the family and all of our possessions into modern prairie schooners, the 3-row SUV.
There are so many choices you'll wish for simpler pioneer days.
Chevy offers this, the third generation Traverse. Using a unibody platform, it might be the way to go
if you don't need the heavy-duty towing shops of the truck-based Tahoe or Suburban.
And of course, there are the other automakers.
There might be too many choices in this segment.
Without even considering body-on-frame 3-row SUVs, Traverse has a lot of competition.
Jeep Grand Cherokee L, Subaru Ascent, Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder, Volkswagen Atlas.
And I haven't even gotten into the hybrids yet, like Toyota Grand Highlander, Hyundai Palisade,
and the next-generation Kia Telluride will get a hybrid. This does not have a hybrid.
Traverse starts at around $42,700 for a front driver.
This off-road-flavored Z71 stickers for $57,455 with destination before any incentives.
Want supercruise and automated parking? That's part of the $4,000-enhanced driving package,
and sadly, the only way to get upgraded 12-speaker Bose Audio.
Chevy's basic speaker setup is a sorry-sounding system.
Pro tip, the all-wheel-drive LT trim is the sweet spot at under $50,000 while equipped.
Go high country, and it can push $61,000.
Z71 will get the family further down a dirt road. Not full-on Oregon trail, though.
There's not much protection underneath.
All-wheel-drive is standard, same with all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels.
Traverse gets a fully independent suspension, Z71 enhancements add a special damper setup
and a unique twin-clutch rear axle that can send power to the tire with the most traction.
All-wheel-drive is selectable, not automatic.
Forgetful owners know that calling up Z71's terrain mode automatically kicks it from front to all-wheel-drive.
There's room enough in here for provisions since the outgoing 3.6-liter V6 has been replaced
by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. It makes 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque.
That's 18 additional horses and 60 more pound-feet than the 6.
Keep in mind, Gen 3 here is up by around 200 pounds.
An 8-speed automatic transmission with manual paddles does the shifty work.
Drive modes? Yes, there are drive modes, most if not all vehicles have those now.
Properly equipped, Traverse tows up to 5,000 pounds, not too shabby.
Because of EVs, a lot of people expect obscene amounts of power from their vehicles these days.
This is a turbocharged four-cylinder in a larger vehicle, and yet it's fine for everyday driving.
Zero to sixty happens in about seven and a half seconds.
The engine itself is smooth. My issue is with the sound.
It's kind of coarse, sounds like a four-cylinder, because it is a four-cylinder.
Normally I'm not too crazy about piped-in engine sounds, but a subtle, trucky note would soothe my ears.
Hauling a group of friends up Seattle's Queen Anne counterbalance, which is a steep hill if you know the city,
I found no issue with power. The soundtrack, though, might get old.
There's a drone as the gearbox drops down a step.
Transmission shifts are unusually crisp and clean.
Sounds like I'm talking about a suit.
Also, this is a very comfortable vehicle.
However, when you're chucking it hard into corners, there's a lot of understeer, so sporty this is not.
Might be the Z71 suspension tune. With 7.8 inches of ground clearance, it sits an inch higher than other Traverses.
This is a unibody SUV, but the slower steering feels a little truckish.
At seven inches shorter and an inch narrower than Tahoe, it drives smaller.
More nimble in city skirmishes, it keeps the higher driving position that people crave.
Traverse has great visibility, no real blind spots, and it's pretty quiet, which is a bit of a surprise,
because this one is wearing all-terrain tires, not really hearing much hum off of them.
The LT, RS, and high-country trims might be quieter.
Z71's extra capability is nice. I suspect most buyers will be going for the looks,
but it should shine in snow though, maybe not down or past conditions.
Traverse has a good suite of ADAS active electronic safety tech. I do think that Kia and Hyundai beat it,
but this has supercruise. It's optional, but there is no better semi-autonomous driving tech in a gas-powered vehicle.
Hands down, it's great.
On the highway, Traverse feels more car-like than Tahoe, if memory serves me right.
Not much wind noise, kind of a surprise for a blocky crossover.
The EPA rates the average fuel economy of the all-wheel-drive Traverse at 21 miles per gallon,
which is kind of mid-pack, a little bit better than Honda Pilot Trail Sport,
not quite as efficient as Toyota Grand Highlander and Ford Explorer with the four-cylinder engines.
Now, there are hybrids from Toyota, Kia, and Hyundai.
Those are anywhere from 8 to 13 miles per gallon better, and then there's Mazda CX-90, which is a plug-in hybrid.
So that's as efficient as you want it to be. You just need to plug it in.
Traverse's cabin is pretty darn roomy, a skosh less than Tahoe's, which might matter with taller passengers.
GM has elevated its interiors lately, and at first glance, the Z71 looks sharp.
But poke around, and yeah, there are some budget plastics.
At 57 large, no driver's memory seat, the passenger's chair isn't powered, and no seat ventilation, only heat.
Ambient lighting that's showing up on more and more vehicles? That's missing.
Storage is fine, and bins are large, but nothing that surprises and delights, as we like to say.
There's a digital rear view mirror, a solid surround view camera system that will help if owners ever take this on trail, and a heated wheel.
GM does user interface as well. This one has good layout and flow, touch responses, top shelf with little to no lag.
It's easy to rearrange the icons where you want them, even pin them to the upper tray, so no matter what page you're on, that shortcut is always handy.
Hard buttons? Yes, enough so there's no scrolling through the menu simply to adjust the heat.
There is some griping that the GM took physical headlight controls away.
Not an issue if you're like me and leave them in automatic.
And then there's Google Assistant, if you subscribe to a data plan.
Hey, how many miles can I drive?
You can drive for about 435 miles with the remaining gas.
Natural voice commands, they help keep eyes on the road. There's a phone charge pad, that's easy to get to.
GM says it's doing away with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto eventually, they're still here, for now.
Traverse can hold up to 8 passengers, Z71 only comes with bucket seats in row 2, so it stops at 7 travelers.
These are not heated, some rivals offer that. There's the usual stuff, separate climate zone, seat back pockets, power ports to keep people happy,
but no built-in sunshades or clever storage. The floor is quite flat though.
If you have people in back, these slide for an aft, depending on how much you like them or how much you don't,
it's pretty easy to crawl in between the captain's chairs to get to the way back or just do this.
If you have a car seat here, you don't have to take it out.
Even the Z71 isn't jacked up really high, so it's pretty easy for anybody, even small kids, to hike themselves up and into the third row.
Keep in mind, I'm shooting this with a very wide-angle lens. I'm 5'9", and headroom is actually pretty darn good.
Knee, leg, and footroom? Well, with the chair set about mid-travel, think of it as flying coach.
Though I can put my foot down through that cavity and the other one down the middle, so legroom is actually quite good.
As far as the cushions go, this is a three-row SUV, so yeah, they're going to be a little bit low, but actually not too bad.
So there's a little bit of thigh support. There are cup holders, there are vents, there are USB ports.
There are belts for three back here. If you're going to be using the middle position, it means you have to hook up this belt.
And if you drop the seat backs often, it gets a little bit cumbersome.
Also, three grown-ups back here would be a little bit tight. My recommendation would be two.
Traverse, no matter the trim level, has more style than most drivers.
There's a family resemblance to equinox with this dorsal fin.
Z71's fascias add better approach and departure angles. I can see people buying this version for the pop of Crimson alone.
The 71's off-road packaging is mercifully subtle when it comes to cladding. No screaming for attention here.
Three-row SUVs carry a lot of people in kits, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't tell you that vans are even better.
I know, no one wants to hear that, but it's true.
I'll assume siblings GMC Acadia and Buick Encore are equally useful.
These are about the size of carry-on suitcases and five of them scrunch into the 23 cubic foot space.
I suspect I could add another without the load floor. Notice the lid stays open by itself.
A spare tire lurks under the liner.
It's easy to reach in and drop the backs, even for shorter adults.
Being a unibody sport youth, the load floor is lower than body-on frame trucks, making access easier.
No remote releases, at least on the Z71, that eats into convenience.
But in max cargo mode, only the Honda Pilot beats this Chevy measurement-wise.
This is 98 cubic feet, and the floor is flat enough to sleep on.
I've brought out 18 packs of the two-ply to judge the 57 cubic foot space.
It was my guess that it wouldn't be quite enough to fill this cave, and I was correct.
This could take on one more bundle for 19, tying Volkswagen Atlas and Honda Pilot for best in class.
Honestly, it's hard bringing out this much.
The plastic is slippery, and it falls all over the place.
Dry it sometime. You'll get looks.
I can see shoppers comparing a similarly equipped Tahoe, then choosing Traverse, since it's about $17,000 less comparably equipped.
Tahoe does tow more, an additional 3500 pounds, and it does have a bit more space.
But Traverse offers 95% of the practicality for less gold out of the saddlebag.
Positives? Traverse is very roomy. The family will love it. It's quiet. It's comfortable.
It has really good tech, especially if you get supercruise, the best in the biz.
Negatives? Well, for the price, the interior is kind of average.
And then there's the four-cylinder engine, which has power, but it sounds like a four-cylinder engine in the body of a truck-like vehicle.
There's a bewildering number of these modern, covered wagon family haulers to choose from.
Chevy Traverse Z71 will get your clan where they're headed to comfortably and with room to spare, without having to ford a river or hunt a buffalo.
A quick word about pricing. I quote MSRPs, but the real number comes down to how good you are at haggling, plus the brand.
Historically, GM is known for incentives, and Costco members get discounts right away on top of whatever you might negotiate.
Special thanks to Martin Campbell. He drives while I shoot running footage.
And for those people who think this doesn't have enough power, we have been going up fairly steep hills and...
And it has power. It's normal.
Yeah, it's fine. But as you have said...
Yeah, it just sounds weird.
It sounds like a four-cylinder for a vehicle like this. Not quite right.
Before I go, here's my best car shopping advice, and I know it can be overwhelming.
There are so many choices, and cars are so expensive these days.
That's why I keep saying Test Drive at least three different vehicles.
Most people that I talk to only drive one or two before buying a very expensive car.
I don't think that's right. You might miss out on a feature that really makes your life easy.
You won't know it unless you test drive.
You can be a smart person. That helps, too. So sign up.
That's Driven. I'm Tom Volk.
About this episode
The 2026 Chevy Traverse Z71 offers a spacious interior and advanced tech features, including optional Super Cruise. With a new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, it delivers 328 horsepower, but the engine sound may not impress. The Traverse competes in a crowded 3-row SUV market, providing good towing capacity and comfort, though its interior quality feels average for the price. The episode dives into its driving dynamics, cargo space, and tech offerings, making it a comprehensive review for potential buyers.
The 2026 Chevrolet Traverse competes in crowded 3-row family SUV segment. It goes up against heavy hitters like Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Toyota Grand Highlander, Hyundai Palisade, and the upcoming second generation Kia Telluride. Traverse delivers huge space, solid comfort, good tech, and the option of GM's excellent Super Cruise. There is that turbo 4-cylinder sound though.
In this review, I cover the off-road flavored Z71 that lands at $57K as tested. Here are positives, drawbacks, real-world comfort, cargo room, tow ratings, and whether the turbo-four delivers enough grunt (and grace) for a big family hauler.
