The Chevrolet Traverse and the Chevrolet Trax are both highly-rated and worthy of consideration.

By Keith Griffin

Automotive reviewers are frequently asked, “What car should I buy?” When asked what vehicle interests them, the usual Japanese and Korean cars pop up, as well as Ford. Chevrolet, however, never seems to enter into the mix, and that’s a shame because it makes some models worth consideration.

Case in point would be the Chevrolet Trax and the Chevrolet Traverse: two SUVs that are extremely good at what they do.

Chevrolet Trax

The Trax, redesigned for 2024, is powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged inline-three engine rated at a GM-estimated 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. It is matched with a six-speed automatic transmission. The turbo contributes to strong on-demand power, particularly for on-ramp acceleration. Glancing at the performance number, it seems the Trax would be sluggish, but it isn’t. Its fuel economy is strong at 28 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. In a week driving around West Hartford, the combined fuel economy was 30 mpg.

The Trax also packs a lot of space into a small package. The interior room is abundant for a sub-compact SUV, as is the cargo space.

The beautiful Chevy Blazer is the design inspiration for the Trax. At the front, sleek horizontal lines emphasize the vehicle’s width and are designed around the lines of the Chevy bowtie at the center of the grille, which flow outward to slim headlights that feature all-new LED lighting elements.

In the interior, display screens are the centerpiece of the tech-forward design, with the infotainment screen canted slightly toward the driver, for more intuitive control. The base trims feature an 8-inch-diagonal infotainment color touchscreen, while the top three trims have an 11-inch-diagonal infotainment color touchscreen and an 8-inch-diagonal driver information center.

The Trax is affordable for all it delivers. The base suggested MSRP is $20,500.

Front 3/4 view of 2024 Chevrolet Traverse RS in Radiant Red Tintcoat parked in a driveway. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. Courtesy photo

Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevrolet Traverse is a sleeper in the midsize SUV segment. This three-row vehicle deserves a lot more attention than it garners against competitors like the Kia Telluride and Jeep Grand Cherokee.

There’s a lot of power under the hood. The Traverse is owered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that delivers a GM-estimated 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. It is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and available all-wheel drive. When properly equipped, the new Traverse has a max trailering rating of up to 5,000 pounds.

There’s a nice safety feature, which some will consider annoying (but shouldn’t). All Traverses come with an updated Buckle to Drive feature that requires the front-seat passenger, as well as the driver to be buckled before driving, and Teen Driver. Rear Seat Belt Reminder is also new, which alerts the driver if second or third row passengers have taken off their seat belt. According to NHTSA, in 2021, 26,325 passenger vehicle occupants were killed, and about 50% of those killed were not buckled (based on known seat belt use).

The Traverse has an inspired interior design. Display screens are the centerpiece of the cabin, starting with the best-in-class standard 17.7-inch-diagonal color touchscreen among three-row mid-SUVs. It’s more than two times larger than the largest available screen in the previous model and is the gateway to the Traverse’s connectivity.

The Traverse also features best-in-class max cargo capacity of 98 cubic-feet.

Seven-passenger configurations include second-row captain’s chairs with SmartSlide, which eases access to the third row, even when a child seat is installed. The base Traverse has second- and third-row bench seats.

The base Traverse has an MSRP of $40,700.

Are the Chevrolet Traverse and the Chevrolet Trax the best in their segments? Not necessarily but both are highly regarded and deserving of consideration.

View of standard second row one-touch power-folding seats in 2024 Chevrolet Traverse RS with a Jet Black with Red accents interior. Preproduction model shown. Actual production model may vary. Courtesy photo

Longtime West Hartford resident Keith Griffin is a veteran auto journalist whose work has been published in U.S. News & World Report, The Boston Globe and online for various New York Times companies. He is a past president of the New England Motor Press Association.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.