Chevy Traverse – My New Dream Car

I’ve spent the last week spoiled rotten. If you’ve kept up with me on Twitter you’ve read that we test drove for the week, the  Chevy Traverse. I’ve been in heaven!

Our Traverse arrived shining with it’s classy red jewel tintcoat:

It was very roomy without being too big. The three rows provided lots of room for our family to spread out in and the third row was easily accessible between the captain’s chair of the second row. While sitting in the third row would be a bit cramped for adults to ride for long periods of time, it’s perfect for children and would offer plenty of leg room for them.

Installing Kora and Logan’s car seats into the 2nd row was a snap. Dave usually handles the car seats because he can get them so much tighter than me, but this time I gave it a try and found it to be much easier to do compared to the other vehicles I’ve tried. The captain’s chairs and the space between allowed me more area to move so installing the seats was easy.

The trunk area was large enough that at one time I delivered a children’s Black & Decker Jr. Toolbench intact to a friend and was able to fit the entire thing in without putting the 3rd row down. I’m kicking myself for not taking a picture of it, but here it is empty so you can get the idea:

One of my favorite features was the powered rear liftgate. I could hit a button on the keyfob to open and close the trunk (amazingly convenient when I found my hands full with preschoolers and groceries). There’s also a button on the door itself and in the center console. There’s no reaching and slamming in the Traverse, completely different than the liftgate of the SUV I drive now, which I really struggle to close, only to find my door ajar light blinking when I climb into the driver’s seat.

I also appreciated the roominess offered by the front seat. While both the driver and the passenger had plenty of space, I didn’t feel too far away from any of the controls. In fact, the volume button on the radio was in the middle of the console making it easy to reach for the driver or passenger. Also, radio controls were on the steering wheel which made me feel so much safer not having to take my eyes off the road to change the station, skip a CD ahead, or turn up the volume. The amount of storage compartments were wonderful too. There was a place on the dashboard that opened up offering ample storage space for sunglasses, maps, CD’s etc. And the center armrest offered a compartment spacious enough to hold 2 sets of large headphones and a remote control for the DVD player with plenty of room left over for other items.

The whole family loved the Chevy Traverse so much we all want to weigh-in about it. So stay tuned because on Friday, Dave will post about his experience with it. Next week, I’ll be writing a post about a trip to Michigan we took  and then Kora and Logan will take center stage and offer their thoughts on their “new red car” too.