Used 2020 Chevrolet Traverse RS for sale 

Unlike the majority of manufacturers, the folks at Chevy offer a long list of trims just for one car. Following the same rule, the Traverse is distributed in a whopping seven trims! The base trim, as expected, is a bare-bone trim with only a handful of features in it. Furthermore, none of the optional packages can be installed in it.  

The next trim “LS” is also equipped with the same features as found in the base trim but this one is compatible with all the packages under the “optional” tab, of course, for extra money. It builds on top of the base trim with just a couple more features than the latter. However, it also feels under-specced as it doesn't even have the basic features such as fog lamps, to begin with.

Similarly, the “LT Cloth” and “LT Leather” are not much different from each other too. Their equipment list is equally matched with just a few of them exclusive to the latter. The primary difference between these two trims is that the “LT Leather” comes with the “Leather package” as standard. The seat covers on the “LT Cloth” are covered in premium cloth unlike the leather ones on the “LT Leather” trim.

The “RS” trim focusses on the sporty exterior of the Traverse. It flaunts bigger alloy wheels finished in black. As for the feature-list, yes, it is much better equipped than the previous trims. It builds up on top of the other trims with some premium features such as IntelliBeam Headlamps, Bose Premium Audio System, 120-volt power outlet and a lot more.

The top two trims are the creamy layer of the Traverse lineup. They are outfitted with some best-in-class features and also flaunt top-notch materials inside. The “High Country” trim is also not compatible with any of the optional packages since they are all offered as standard here. They offer better entertainment packages and also, on the outside, you can easily tell them apart from the others in this lineup, thanks to the extra-chrome elements on the outside. 

As we can see above, each trim has a respectable amount of features embedded into them. However, it doesn’t end here. Chevrolet also offers a plethora of packages to add exclusivity to your vehicle. Unfortunately, the base trim remains out of question here. It is not compatible with these packages. For the other 5 trims, there are a total of eleven packages that can be fitted in your Traverse. 

Which trim do we recommend?

The LT-Leather trim mated to Driver Confidence 2 package and the Convenience package amounts to a perfect bang-for-the-buck deal. This trim is loaded with all the essentials and then more. The Driver Package adds a few extra advanced safety systems to your Traverse and the Convenience package ensures you can haul a lot more luggage for its size.

Only if the engine under the hood was as large as the dimensions of the Traverse, sadly, that's not the case here. Having said that, do not underestimate this motor. The 2020 Traverse is blessed with a nominal 3.6L, Naturally aspirated V6 unit that develops 310 horses at 6,800 RPM and throws a force of 266 lbs-ft on the crank at 2,800 RPM. This power is transferred to the wheels with a slick 9-speed automatic shifter which feels confident in throwing the gears down when flat-footed.

There is a considerable turbo lag before the motor comes to life. Performing those overtaking maneuvers is not an issue though. Moreover, this motor is punchy and has adequate power on tap too. The engine is refined, as per American standards, but it is still no match to the Japenese.

The Traverse offers the maximum power of the lot. Also, it offers the peak torque at very low RPMs as compared to the rivals. However, the Honda Pilot is the most refined vehicle of this lot, hands down, but it is the least powered vehicle too. The Hyundai and Kia share the same powertrain and stack up in between the Traverse and Pilot in terms of power figures. Having said that, this story could take a turn once the weights are considered too.

How fast is it?

The Traverse is one of the largest SUVs in this segment and it doesn’t even have a big motor for its dimensions. However, this 4,300-pound wooly mammoth manages to breach the 60 MPH barrier from a standstill in a respectable 7.1 seconds. And if you still keep the accelerator pinned to the floor, you’ll cross the quarter-mile mark in 15.5 seconds. Considering the fact that the Traverse was made for a more subtle driving style, these numbers are more than just impressive.

The lightest contender of this battle - The Honda Pilot takes the lead in terms of acceleration and quarter-mile timings. It had to be the fastest among the lot considering it is over 200 lbs lighter than the rest of them. The Palisade stacks up at the second position just inching ahead of the Kia Telluride. The Traverse, though faster to the 60 MPH mark than the Telluride, falls short of the quarter-mile timing by one-tenth of the second, thus left for the last position.

How well does it stop?

Unfortunately, we do not have the braking details of the Chevrolet Traverse. That said, every time you hard press on the brake pedal, the Traverse will promptly remind you of its massive size by diving on the front end. The softly sprung suspension is also to be blamed for this. Although it offers a fabulous ride quality, it certainly doesn’t help the braking forte of the Traverse.

While the Traverse remains out of the question, the Telluride’s brakes seem to be the best out of the lot. The Palisade shouldn’t be left much behind considering it is also lighter than the Telluride and shares most of the components with it. The Pilot comes out to be a bit shy with the braking results as it takes the maximum distance to stop despite being the lightest one here in this comparison.

How well does it handle the road?

The Traverse is not among the best in terms of handling. It’s softly sprung and covers a vast area of the road. Throw it in a corner and you’ll soon regret it. The steering is on the softer side and lacks feedback but that’s alright. The Traverse’s job is to conveniently haul 7 to 8 people at moderate speeds, it isn’t meant to rip off the tarmac. 

The ride quality of the cabin is top-notch, thanks to its high-profile tires and the softly sprung suspension setup. It soaks up most of the bumps and abruptions on the road and ensures a fluid ride quality. The Traverse is stable at most parts on the highway and makes sure that none of the external noises hinder your conversation. Some of the tire noise does creep in, but that’s still bearable. Surprisingly, there is no disturbance from the motor inside the cabin.

The outer visibility is apt and the visible hood from the driver’s seat does boost up some confidence. The windows are massive and add an airy feel to the cabin. However, the massive dimensions of the Traverse also mean that you’ll be a sitting duck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. That said, the Traverse knows its priorities pretty well and also executes them perfectly.

Since Traverse is the heaviest vehicle of the lot, fuel economy figures had to take a hit. The Traverse only manages 18 miles in a gallon of fuel in the city and this number escalates to 27 MPG on the highway. Keep in mind that these figures pertain to the front-wheel-drive variants only. The AWD variants also offer a similar fuel economy too with just one or two miles lesser than the FWD in a gallon of fuel.

All the cars are equally matched in terms of fuel economy here. The Pilot marginally inches ahead of the lot in this competition and the Traverse comes out to be the least economical vehicle here. However, it is just a number. The actual results should be quite similar to each other in the real world.

The front row seats are wide, spacious and welcoming in nature. They are further complemented by large bolsters on either side. Ingress/egress won’t pose any threats, thanks to the large and wide-opening doors. The step-up height is also generous and there is loads of room all around. The lower trims feature a cloth seating surface while the top-trims come with premium leather-wrapped seats. These leather seats also feature heating and ventilating functions too. Also, the powered 12-way (4-way lumbar) adjustability traits of the front seats are just icing on the cake. They also feature memory functions too.

Come to the second row and the story remains pretty much unchanged. There is ample thigh support and the cabin feels airy. The roof is set high and the second-row seats also feature the recline function. If you wish you can also opt for the captain seats that come with dedicated armrests for each passenger. However, it also means that the middle row limits the seating capacity to two people only. All in all, passengers can spend hours over here.

While the space around the third row already has a cramped up mindset in people, the Traverse’s third row is otherwise. It is surprisingly spacious and has a broad bench thus extending more support to your thighs. The legroom is just apt and you won’t mind spending hours here either, but for the stiff cushion though. Further enhanced by the large windows, the third row doesn’t feel suffocating as in most of the three-row SUVs. 

All the cars have ample room in this comparison, the Traverse just has extra. It is the most spacious vehicle of the lot and sits at top of this comparison. The Telluride is just a tad more spacious than its sibling- The Palisade. And the Honda Pilot sits at the last position.

What's there to entertain you?

There are two differently spec-ed infotainment units on offer with the Traverse lineup. The base trims feature a nominal 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment, the creamy layer of the trims feature a larger 8.0-inch full HD touchscreen infotainment system which is a pleasure to use. Both the touchscreen units are intuitive, however, we would have liked a better user-interface. This interface feels clustered and you have to shift your focus towards the unit completely in order to interact with the correct option - a risky thing to do while driving. There are a lot of buttons around the infotainment too that increase the difficulty level.

Also, the premium 8.0-inch infotainment comes mated to a Bose, 10-speaker system that escalates the luxe-appeal of the cabin. This unit sounds phenomenal and offers an optimally balanced bass and treble. There is also another display concealed quite well in the meter console that keeps a check on the vehicle vitals and informs the driver of the same. While the base trims feature a 3.5-inch multi-information display, the top trims feature a bigger and more informative 4.2-inch display. That said, some features of the infotainment system are:

• GPS navigation with 3-D maps
• Bluetooth audio streaming for up to two devices at a time
• Voice Recognition
• Apple CarPlay
• Android Auto
• 10-speaker Bose Premium audio system

How much cargo can it store?

As seen above, the Traverse is the largest vehicle of the lot. It is evident that it is going to be the most spacious vehicle too. And that, it is. With a volume of 23 cu.ft behind the third-row, the Traverse overpowers this segment completely. The third-row features a powered-drop-down button (exclusive to the top trims). Press it and your Traverse will carry five people with 57.8 cu.ft of cargo space.

All in all, there is no challenging Traverse in terms of cargo-carrying capacity. Oh, and it can even tow up to 1500 lbs behind it as well.

The Traverse is the crown-bearer in this comparison, undoubtedly. It is massive and leaves the competition miles behind in this regard. The Pilot sits on the other end of this competition with the least space inside. The Telluride inches ahead of the Palisade and sits in the second position.

Creature comforts on offer

Just like the exterior, the interior of the Traverse has been stuffed with a lot of features too. Some of them have been mentioned below:

• Powered 8-way adjustable driver and passenger seat
• Perforated leather-wrapped seats and steering wheel
• Heated and ventilated seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Cruise Control
• 10-cupholders
• Concealed storage area below the rear floor
• Tri-zone automatic climate control

The Traverse’s exterior made a fresh start in 2018 and it was due for one. Especially because amidst the crossover SUVs, the Traverse looked like an odd one out due to its small hood and the curvy A-pillars. Now, it has all changed and the Traverse has joined the SUV family post its refresh in the year 2018.

At the front, the Chevrolet badge sitting between the split-grills makes sure you won’t be mistaken for a Traverse with any other car. The hood is long and upright surrounded with a couple of bold creases enhancing the rugged look of the car. It looks more like a truck now as opposed to its minivan-like hood in the previous iterations. It has a better road presence than anyone in this segment, thanks to its increased track width.

Move over to the sides and you’ll realize, a lot hasn’t changed. The A-pillar still follows a curvy line but it gets straightened towards the end. The windows are large and the doors open wide. The squared wheel arcs add to the Traverse’s personality. The third-row window blends into the D-pillar and further extends till the back, giving a floating look to the rear end. 

The rear sums up the look in a classy manner. The high-set tail lamps and the blackened bumper give a big stance to it. None of the chrome elements seem to be overdone. For instance, there is a broad chrome strip running across the tail-gate between the tail-lamps, and that's about it. The third-row window that swept across the rear, blends into the rear-windshield thus giving a floating-roof look. That said, the Traverse is no different from a typical Chevrolet SUV when it comes to the design language. And we are glad because earlier, it didn't look like one.

The Traverse is the largest SUV of the lot. And not just by a small margin, but by miles. While all of the competitors measure below 200 inches in length, the Traverse crosses it with 5 more inches. The other three contenders feature similar dimensions and not much difference can be spotted when seen in the flesh. Surprisingly, the Honda Pilot is larger than the Palisade but then the Palisade has a better wheelbase.

Highlights of the exterior design

The Traverse features a plethora of features not just on the inside, but on the outside too. Some of them are:

• 20-inch Aluminum Wheels
• Automatic headlamps
• Roof-mounted cross rails
• Chrome door handles and mirror caps
• Deep Tinted glass
• Dual-panel power sunroof
• Front and rear intermittent wipers
• LED headlamps with LED DRLs
• Solar absorbing windshields

Chevrolet has already established a reputation in terms of build quality. They make rugged vehicles and this can be confirmed with the crash test ratings too. Though the Traverse is yet to be tested for 2020 by the NHTSA, it has excelled in the 2019 tests with the maximum possible score of “5 stars”. Further sweetening the deal is the abundance of various active safety features that continuously run calculations to ensure the safety of the passengers. Some of these outstanding safety features are:

• Automatic emergency braking
• Forward collision alert
• Lane change alert with side blind zone alert
• Rear-Cross traffic alert
• Teen Driver 
• Tire Pressure Monitoring system
• Electronic stability control system

2020 Chevrolet Traverse vs Hyundai Palisade

The Traverse just dwarfs the Palisade in terms of size. It is massive and covers up a lot of roads. It is also the heavier one of the two and behaves as it should. Though it has more power, its extra weight delivers a sluggish performance overall. The Hyundai’s motor feels peppier than the Chevy’s. In terms of ride quality, both these cars are equally matched. But the Hyundai flaunts a better build quality and more welcoming interiors than the Chevy. If space and low maintenance are your priorities then the Traverse is your pick. For everything else, it's the Palisade that you are looking for.

2020 Chevrolet Traverse vs Honda Pilot

Going by the specs alone, the Traverse appears to be a better car. Look beyond the numbers though and as a package, the Pilot comes out as a more practical and versatile product. The second row in the Pilot is more spacious and thus, more usable, and it is a similar story with the third row. The Pilot is also more efficient, not to mention the bullet-proof reliability that it brings along. Overall, if you are going to spend more time on the highways than city limits, the Traverse is a better cruiser, however, the Pilot features better maneuvering skills in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

2020 Chevrolet Traverse vs Kia Telluride

The Traverse is a pretty capable SUV that offers more space than any of the rivals in the segment. Yes, not even the Telluride is as big as the humongous Chevy. It is miles longer and wider than the Kia and also packs quite a punch under the hood. The gearbox on the Kia is slightly better though. That said, the Traverse’s interiors depict American ruggedness while the Telluride’s follow a more subtle, eye-candy design language. The Traverse takes extra points for its stupendous ride quality but Kia’s equipment list remains unmatched.

Coming from a native manufacturer, no one else in the segment feels as American as this one. And it is because of this reason, that it is also much less expensive to maintain. The only quirk we had was the terrible fuel economy. But considering the size and capabilities of the Traverse, we think it was justified. If mediocre performance and top-notch cruising abilities sound appropriate to you, then there is nothing better than the Traverse in the market. Barring the rather dull interior, we think the Traverse is bang on point.