Emily Hansen
Kids: 3 Ages: 7, 9 & 16
Escape: Gadgets
Meet Emily
Chevy Traverse Holds Eight Comfortably
2009 Chevrolet Traverse LT LT AWD
model as tested $35,515
Test Drove 11/24/08 – 12/1/08
reviewed by Emily Hansen
Before I even test-drove the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse, I was already a bit of a fangirl of the Traverse’s “raining shoes” commercial. I’ve had the raining shoe dream, and each time I see that commercial I just smile. So kind of like Jerry Maguire, Chevy “had me at hello” with the Traverse’s marketing campaign. I was only slightly disappointed when my test car didn’t include a load of new shoes in the cargo area.
This year my sister and her two children hitched a ride with me and my three children and our dog for our annual trip to Grandma’s house for Thanksgiving. For those keeping score, we had three adult-sized people, four children and an 80-pound mutt riding together in the Traverse. I was initially skeptical about how comfortable the five-hour ride would be, but after loading everybody in, I was truly impressed with the amount of people-space it provided. Unfortunately, we had to spend the trip mostly naked because of a lack of cargo space. Just kidding; our luggage was relegated to my brother-in-law’s car. If I were traveling regularly in the Traverse with that many passengers, I’d definitely invest in a cargo box for the roof.
The Traverse is an unexpectedly large vehicle, nearly as big as a Chevy Tahoe, so getting 18-20 mpg on our trip seemed like a small victory. Loading the car was surprisingly easy: The third row pops up with a quick tug of a strap and the headrests snap into place. The second row’s center seat collapses and folds forward to allow easy access to the third row.
Even without the shoes, I found my hours in the Traverse to be pleasant both as the driver and as the parent of potentially bored children. The level of creature comforts, including my must-haves of seat heaters and an iPod input jack, were just right. I’ve been impressed with the Traverse’s sister products from GM (Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook), and the Traverse is no exception.
shopping around: At cars.com
