The Chevrolet Traverse has always been a popular model, and a good bet when shopping for a used midsize three-row SUV. But it’s hardly the only option, and in this very competitive segment, there are quite a few alternatives available – which can make shopping for your next used, midsize, three-row SUV quite the research project. So to save you some time and effort, we’ve put together the following guide comparing the Chevy Traverse with some of its closest competitors.
Chevrolet Traverse VS GMC Acadia
The Traverse and the Acadia are built on the same platform, and it’s not at all difficult to see the styling similarities between the two. It’s tempting to think that GM just slapped two different badges on two otherwise identical vehicles, but that isn’t quite the case. This is especially true when you’re searching for a used example, as the Traverse outsells the Acadia by a significant margin, sometimes selling twice as many units as the GMC version in any given year. That means better selection when shopping for a used one, which is always important when it comes to finding the options you want and a good price. Part of the reason why the Traverse is a stronger seller is that it comes better-equipped, especially in base trim. The Acadia comes with a standard four-cylinder engine, with an available V6 option. The four-cylinder is a bit sluggish, which is why the Traverse comes with the V6 as standard, and even with that larger engine, the Traverse starts with a slightly lower price than the Acadia.
Chevrolet Traverse VS Kia Telluride
The Kia Telluride is still a fairly new model, and this leads us directly to the first issue when shopping for a used example. The Telluride sells pretty well, but that has only been the case for the last couple of years. Prior to that, the sales volume was quite low, and that combined with the fact that there just haven’t been many years of production means that a large percentage of Tellurides are still in the hands of their first owners. It wouldn’t be impossible to find a used Telluride, but it’s going to be a challenge, and thanks to low availability – the prices won’t be great. A big part of the appeal of the Telluride is its standard V6, but when compared to the Traverse, that advantage disappears, as the Traverse also has a standard V6 that produces more power than the Kia’s. Fuel economy is nearly identical, as is the towing capacity. While the Telluride might offer some real advantages over most of the segment, that isn’t so much the case when shopping used, and it certainly isn’t true when compared to the Traverse.
Chevrolet Traverse VS Ford Explorer
The Explorer doesn’t sell in low volumes as many other midsize SUVs we reviewed, and for that reason, it’s going to be a lot easier to find a used Ford Explorer than the GMC or the Kia that we’ve talked about previously. But that doesn’t mean that you should rush out and buy one either. The Explorer comes with a standard four-cylinder engine which doesn’t quite match the horsepower rating of the V6 in the Traverse. Additionally, it doesn’t achieve its peak torque until much higher RPMs than the Traverse,meaning it doesn’t have the same kind of low-end pulling power that you want in a bigger SUV. But maybe more importantly, the interior of the Explorer is going to feel cramped compared to the Traverse. The Chevy offers more than 10 extra cubic feet of maximum cargo space, noticeably more headroom, and a much larger third row. So much in fact, that you can get a Traverse with 8 seats, while the Explorer is only available with either 6 or 7. Other touches, like wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay and Active Noise Cancellation, are standard on the Traverse, but not the Explorer, which has a lot of nice optional equipment, but not much that comes as standard equipment.
Chevrolet Certified Pre-Owned
Another of the strengths offered by the Traverse is the Chevrolet Pre-Owned program, which gives you a layer of protection against the unforeseen, even in a used vehicle. To be eligible for the program, a used Chevrolet has to be less than 6 model years old and have fewer than 75,000 miles on it. It also has to have had any relevant safety recalls performed and the title has to be clean. Assuming the vehicle meets all of this criteria, it is then put through a 172-point inspection and then certified. Just knowing the vehicle has met the certification requirements is a big plus, but there is also a 6-year / 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty and a 12-month / 12,000-mile bumper-to-bumper limited warranty that comes with CPO vehicles. Those warranties are transferable as well, so if you decide to sell the vehicle during the warranty period, this will give you a boost in resale value. But it’s not just the inspection and the warranty, the CPO program also gives you trial subscriptions for connected services, like OnStar and SiriusXM, so you can decide whether you want to continue the subscription without having to pay to find out.