With all the scary news about General Motors needing to be rescued from bankruptcy on the news today, I have to add my two cents by saying “thank you GMC and Chevrolet” for the new 2009 Chevrolet Traverse FWD 1LT that I test drove over Thanksgiving. The Traverse is a fine vehicle that provided an extremely enjoyable and soothing driving experience over the stressful preparations of the week leading up to a big family dinner at our place for Thanksgiving.
In all, we made five trips to the grocery store, several to the mall, a few to the cleaners, and one for crushed ice. With the XM satellite radio playing holiday music, these trips seemed to soothe my jangled nerves as I planned Thanksgiving dinner for the first time for my new husband and our combined families of kids and grandchildren.
The Traverse rides more like a car than an SUV and seats eight comfortably. It also has great acceleration. The four-wheel suspension tuning helps make for a smoother ride. Of special interest in carrying easy-to-spill items from the store to the house, the Traverse is also very easy to turn.
This new car is made in Spring Hill, Tennessee—where it provides lots of jobs for people with families to feed (hint to lawmakers) and is Chevrolet’s first version of a three-row crossover SUV. With distinctive styling and a sportier drive than many competitors, the Traverse has a 3.6-liter V-6 engine with direct fuel injection that helps it gain better power and gas mileage than such siblings as the Acadia.
The Traverse I drove was a handsome car, with its silver ice metallic exterior, 18-inch aluminum wheels, roof rails, body-colored moldings, and a power rear lift gate that made loading all those groceries (and retrieving them) more fun. The Traverse front end is reminiscent of the Malibu, and the lower doorsill and Smart Slide second row feature provide easier access to the second and third row seats.
The interior was an attractive, easy to maintain dark gray color, with cloth seats, although upscale models offer leather seats and a moon roof. The Traverse received 2008 top safety pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for its antilock braking system, Stabilitrak stability control system, high strength steel construction, dual front and side impact air bags, head curtain side air bags for all rows, and other features.
Like most GMC products, the Traverse also features Onstar turn-by-turn navigation, which is my favorite insurance policy for trips to unknown destinations.
The model I drove had a base price of $30,810 but the included engine block heater and destination charges brought the total price to $31,620.
Mileage is estimated at 17 mpg in town and 24 on the highway.
So, thank you General Motors and Chevrolet for bringing us the Traverse for 2009!
Jo Ann Holt is a columnist and car writer based in Dallas, Texas, and a member of Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA).
