This week I bring you the 2023 Chevy Traverse RS, a large SUV meant to compete with the likes of the Ford Explorer, Toyota Highlander, and Honda Pilot. The Traverse went through a huge re-do in 2018, and there was slight refresh for 2022.
Exterior
The exterior of the Traverse looks great in my opinion. It features a sleek front fascia with fog lights, distinctive lines down the sides, a built-in spoiler and dual exhaust. The 20” black wheels look terrific and overall, you see styling cues from the popular Chevy Tahoe, the Blazer, and Equinox SUVs.
Powertrain
Under the hood, you’ll find a 3.6-liter V6 engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission that is putting out 310-horses. My review vehicle is all-wheel drive, but two-wheel (front-wheel) drive is standard.
Trims
The 2023 Traverse comes in five trim levels. Starting at the bottom, there is an LS, LT, Premier, the sporty RS model, which I am reviewing, and the High Country, which is the top-of-the-line luxury edition.
Interior
You can tell as soon as you enter the cabin that the RS has a premium interior. Stitching is abundant with a mix of soft touch materials that really sets everything off. The interior is not only super nice, it is quite functional.
The gauges are bright and colorful and in the center of them is a driver information center that operates from the steering wheel, which is heated.
I love the center stack with a couple of cup holders and a wireless phone charger. On the right side of the console is a slot for a tablet or small laptop, yet still accessible to the driver. You can manually shift the transmission from the top of the gear shifter and next to that is a knob to change the drive modes.
Above the center console is the Chevy MyLink system, which operates by an 8” color touch screen. From there, you operate the Bose sound system, navigation system, Bluetooth, Apple and Android connections, and it comes with 4G LTE connectivity. You can also project your phone onto the screen, but there is no HD radio option.
Also from there, you operate OnStar, many of the settings, and you can get real-time weather information. This is where the exceptional rearview camera with cross-traffic alert is housed. Also cool, with the push of a button, the touchscreen raises to reveal a hidden compartment.
The power and heated , but not air-conditioned front seats are extremely comfortable, and the Traverse has a ton of headroom, even with the dual-pane moon roofs overhead.
Moving to the second row, my review vehicle has captain chairs making this a 7-passenger, but you can get a bench seat too, giving it seating for 8. The third-row seat is as roomy as any I’ve seen without going all the way to an SUV the size of large ones like Tahoe and Suburban.
To get to the third-row seat, the right side second row seat tilts and slides forward allowing easy access, and it is simple to operate. It would even work great with a child seat strapped in, without the child in it of course.
Utility
When you go around to the tailgate, it is power and works hands-free by waving your foot under the bumper. There is actually very good cargo area behind the third-row seat, and there is even more storage underneath. It is clear GM set out to make the new Traverse extremely roomy. With all the seats folded down, there is whopping 98.2 cubic feet of storage.
Standard Equipment and Options
The RS comes extremely well equipped and has $2,100 in options, including the dual pane power moon roof, and trailer towing package. In a sign of the times, there is a $50 credit for removal of the rear parking system to save some chips.
Safety
On the safety front, Traverse has it all. You get rear park assist, lane change alert, blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision alert with automatic braking.
Some features I really like include Teen Driver, so you can monitor and control your kids or a valet parker. It also has the rear seat reminder. If you open either of the back doors, when you get where you are going, it will remind you there may be something in the back seat, like a kid or a pet. The rear view mirror is pretty amazing, too. It works like a normal mirror, but with the flip of a switch, it turns into a wide-angle rear video camera. This is really useful if you have three people in far back seat blocking your vision.
Ride and Drive
The Traverse rides and handles really well for its size, is whisper quiet inside, and you can choose from four different drive modes with the all-wheel system. One of those modes is for trailer towing, which keeps the gears lower for pulling loads of up to 5000 pounds.
Fuel economy is good for a 4,700-pound SUV. It is rated at 17 in town, 25 on the road, and 20 overall. It does have the stop/start system, but unlike the last Traverse I reviewed several years ago, it can be disabled with the push of a button.
Verdict
I love pretty much everything about the Traverse. The room between the 3-rows of seats is terrific and as a bonus the huge cargo area. The 3rd-row seat is not power, but operation both up and down is simple and easy.
Price-wise, this Traverse RS comes in with a sticker price of $49,740, which I consider to be an excellent buy based on the terrific interior, vast amount of room, and high level of standard equipment.
- What I liked most: The roomy interior, interior quality, and driving characteristics.
- What I would change: Get with the times, give me HD radio.
- MSRP: Base price $46,445. As equipped $49,740 with transportation.
- Fuel Economy:17-city/25-highway, 20 combined.
- Odometer reading when tested: 600 miles.
- Weight: 4,680 Pounds/GVWR 6160 pounds.
- Spare Tire: Yes, but a compact one.
- Length-Width-Height: 204.3” long/78.6” wide/70.7” high.
- Fuel Tank Capacity: 21.7 gallons with filler on the driver’s side.
- Official Color: Sterling Gray Metallic.
- Towing Capacity: 5,000 pounds.
- 2023 Traverse in a few words: Incredible value for a very roomy 3-row SUV.
- Warranty: 3-year/36,000 mile bumper-to-bumper, 5-year/60,000 mile power train warranty with roadside assistance, and free first maintenance visit.
- Final Assembly Location: Lansing, Michigan.
- Manufacturer's website: Chevrolet
