When Chevrolet replaced three-row mini-vans with three-row crossovers about 15 years ago, it did so with the Traverse that looked as much mini-van as crossover. Three generations in, the 2025 Traverse looks nothing like a minivan, especially in Z71 trim. It’s a mean-looking brute that just happens to like kids and adventure.
Does this look like a minivan? The high front is dominated by a black mesh grille flanked by LED headlamps and thin driving lights. Red tow hooks communicate intentions. Finlike C-pillars that connect the Travers to the smaller Trailblazer. Black 18” wheels with all-terrain tires, black roof bars, and sculpted bodysides lend a muscular presence. Boomerang taillamps and a flush bumper with hidden trailer hitch could just as easily finish off a Chevy EV.
Moving to the front, plant a foot on the step and leap inside. The glass cockpit includes a 11” flatscreen gauge cluster and 17.7” infotainment display. It’s all crisp, clear, and easy to use. Red dash and doors trim plus red stitching on the seats add flash to our Z71. I especially like the thick flat-bottom steering wheel and flybridge console with storage beneath.
Everybody’s comfortable too. Tri-zone climate control, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel are a start. Active noise cancellation allows the Bose 10-speaker audio system to glisten. Devices connect wirelessly and charge wirelessly too. It’s a Chevy, so the steering column manually adjusts, and I wish GM would quit embedding headlamp controls in the touchscreen, but we all must make sacrifices.
Safety is as substantial as the Traverse’s looks. Automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, and lane keep assist are as expected, but welcome friends like rear pedestrian alert, surround-vision cameras, and a rear camera mirror that allows drivers to look out the back even with a full cargo hold.
This thing looks like it should be harboring an angry V8 or V6, but not so. Behind the black grille is a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 328 horsepower and 326 lb.-ft. of torque. Routed to the all-wheel-drive system through an 8-speed transmission, it screams like a little engine, but puts out the power of a unit twice its size. Best of all, fuel economy is rated a relatively frugal 19/24-MPG city/highway – not hybrid mileage, but good for a straight gas full-size crossover with off-road pretentions.
And, it can go off-road thanks to its off-road suspension, skid plates, hill descent control, and terrain mode to maximize traction when there are no roads. All-terrain wheels dig in and grip whether greeting mud or snow. Even if you have no intentions of getting that personal with Mother Nature, the fat tires and suspension take blows from potholes without drama.
On trips short and long, you’ll love Super Cruise. Roll onto an approved highway – pretty much anything with four lanes – and press the cruise button. Wait for green lights to zip across the steering wheel, lift your hands and relax. There’s a sensor watching you watching the road, so no napping or book reading, but the system can automatically change lanes or do so upon command of the turn signal. It all becomes normal soon enough.
Driving a Chevrolet means you understand value, and the Chevy Traverse aims for nothing less. Base models start at a very competitive $37,600, rising to $54,900 as tested. It compares very favorably against vehicles like the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Kia Telluride, and Subaru Ascent.
Storm Forward!
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