Video: 2012 Chevrolet Traverse

This is the 2012 model year now, and the whole group is starting to get a little bit old, but it's a graceful sort of aging. Even as new competitors hit the scene, the Traverse still stands out for its smooth ride, strong drive train, and roomy cargo area. (upbeat music) Most large crossovers have powerful V6 engines, but the Traverse feels strong, even for this group. It accelerates well from a stop and has plenty of highway passing power. A lot of credit goes to the six speed automatic transmission. It upshifts smoothly and downshifts without too much delay. Ride quality is another strength. The Traverse isolates the cabin really well, especially on the highway. So those little bumps don't seep up and annoy you. (upbeat music) Where most crossovers in this league seat up to seven, the Traverse seats up to eight. Three seats here, three seats back there. Second row moves forward and backward a few inches. It also reclines a few degrees if you want. Getting to the third row, you pull this lever here and the seats kind of collapse forward for a nice walk-in feature to the third row. Unfortunately, anyone back there is gonna ask you to move forward a few inches so that they have leg room. (seat clicking) Fold the seats back and there's decent headroom in both rows. Unfortunately, the seats sit kind of low to the ground. So adults might find their knees up in the air like this. That's kind of the way it is in a lot of these crossovers. If you're actually looking for seats that are higher up off the ground, the Ford Explorer does better in that regard. The Dodge Durango is one of the few that has a nice third row. (upbeat music) Where the Traverse comes out ahead is cargo room. There's nearly 25 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. That means you can throw your kids back there and have room and back for something like a pretty big cooler. In other crossovers, you'd have to fold the rear seat down and maybe strap your kids to the roof. No, don't do that actually. Just leave the cooler behind. But seriously, it's a big difference. The Toyota Highlander has less than half this space. Even cars like the Honda Pilot, the Dodge Durango have less than 20 cubic feet. You fold all the seats down and the Traverse maxes out at nearly 120 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume. None of the others even break 100 cubic feet. So big difference there. (upbeat music) (trunk slamming) So roominess and drivability still distinguish the Traverse, even in a crowded group of large crossovers. We'd like to see better gas mileage, and in parking lots, the Chevy's 40 foot turning circle means you'll have to be making a few more three point turns. But still a competitive vehicle, I think. Worth checking out if you're looking for a family hauler. (upbeat music) <v Announcer>For more car related news, go to cars.com or our blog, kickingtires.net.