So far in 2011, the Chevrolet Traverse has been responsible for 7,197 sales — a 12.8 percent decrease compared to the same time period last year. Even so, the full sized Chevy crossover is enjoying a high conquest rate and makes a great family hauler.
That said, the Lambda-platformed Traverse is not perfect — hence our question: how would you change it?
Sound off in the comments below!
Once you’ve done that, be sure to check out our extensive review of the Traverse in video here.
Comments
The interior is getting on my case. Kill it and start anew.
The Engine and Transmission are ok. Replace the candescent light bulbs with Leds, the exterior still looks nice. I agree with Grawdaddy, better materials for the interior like yesterday!. also make some room in the second row for a flux capacitor!
Like others said, it’s time to have an interior update, no need to wait till the next generation, they did that with the SRX.
It was great when new, and is still pretty good, but it definitely looks dated vs Equinox and other new competitors.
Just stop letting people think it is a SUV and a replacement for the Trailblazer. The Traverse replaces your last minivan. Bring back the Trailblazer in the U.S.
The seats are rediculously small for such a large vehicle…
How about the fact that the passenger is only adjustable four-ways and doesn’t go up/down or have a lumbar adjustment… all on a vehicle that has an average transaction price in the high $30s.
In my opinion it’s kinda ugly, especially rear end, and please spice up that grille.
You know, this has to be one of the most-debated elements of the Traverse.
Personally, I like the rear end as it is. It’s simple and distinctive — without much clutter, especially compared to monstrosities such as the Honda Pilot. But what I interpret as simplicity is seen by many others as ugly.
I agree with Lex, the rear end looks like the forgot to style it to the rest of the car. Reminds me of the malibu thank goodness thats being changed for ’13. Pheeeeewwwwww
The Traverse lacks much personality. The face is dead-dull corporate. The tail needs the help of a skilled plastic surgeon. Last time I drove one, the transmission hunted too much for the proper gear, maybe that’s been fixed with some software upgrades since.
The interior is a drab sea of pretty cheap plastics and spill-resistant cloth. It’s in dire need of some upgrades. Look what Chrysler did to many of its vehicles (Dodge, Jeep and Ram included). They did major upgrades to the interiors, tweaks to the chassis, and upped the game for content/value. I think GM should take a page from this playbook and make the Traverse look more exciting and competitive.
My biggest gripe is the presence of a Lambda SUV at every brand, possibly including a Cadillac derivative when the 2nd generation of these cars appear. At least the Buick Enclave has a loyal following of bling devotees; but do we really need 4 versions of the same thing? I had heard rumors that GMC was going to kill the Acadia; but that doesn’t appear to be happening. Maybe there will be some brand realignment and some major product distinctions when the 2nd generations appear.
I think the Traverse should have the HID headlamps ( I’m not sure why they got rid of the projector beam ones starting at 2010) and also have better materials on the interior. I would also say put the turning signal lights where the headlamps are because it’s going to be a big pain in the a** to change that lamp if it’s put on where the front bumpers are (I know it bc that’s how it is on a 04-09 SRX, very big pain in the a**).
I like the exterior, I think it is one of the sharper vehicles in the segment and it stands out in the crowd. Interior no doubt needs some improvement. The next Gen should be more upscale.
The main thing w/a Traverse is the unfinished rear end, very ugly back end. Need to redesign back end, and sales will return.
You would think if people didn’t like the back end that much sales would have been bad from the get go and not diminish over time, just a thought.
True Dan, but back in 09′ thay halted production of the Traverse for 2 months or so if I remember right….not many good sellin’ vehicles have their production halted. But again, I see other comments similar that mention the rear end as needing work….I believe the vehicle has a definite home in the Chev family, but to stay competitive, cosmetics have to be the first place to address.
I think the “fix the rear end and sales will blow the roof off the building” mantra are overly exaggerated.
For starters, that kind of “detail” in exterior styling is one of the least important elements for a purchase decision in this vehicle category. As long as the vehicles passes the “looks test” (read: isn’t a total fail like the Chevy Uplander in the styling department), people move on to consider other (much more important) factors (for family haulers) like safety and price.
Personally, I find the rear end of the Traverse to be perfectly-styled, but that’s just my opinion.
Other than that, I do believe that the production halt you’re referring to wasn’t sales-related but a result of the chapter 11 restructuring and some kind of a logistics issue. I think that was when production moved from Spring Hill to Delta Township.
As someone who sells Chevy’s for a living, I listen to my customers. One of the biggest things I hear is how far forward the front headrests tilt, making very uncomfortable. I had a customer with neck surgery that ordered one, and we had to readjust the headrest to make it so he could drive it. I agree the interior needs modernized to bring it more in line with the Equinox an Cruze and so on. Also, GM needs to find a better solution for the timing chains in the 3.6 The one supplier from Italy isn’t making them right, they stretch and fail around the 50-60k mile range, then are replaced with the exact same one. We need better timing chains for the 3.6. Bring better lighting, use LED’s more, update interior, and make more passenger seat adjustments. Just a few suggestions
Almost forgot…the turn signals in the lower bumbper fascia need redesigned to make room for available fog lamps…Almost all our other vehicles have fog lamps at least available, but with the Traverse design, there’s nowhere to put them
I currently drive an Acadia, and the two biggest things I would change/improve would be:
1. More horsepower – 352+
2. Sport handling suspension to match
But the thing is that the Acadia in general and Traverse are not made for carving corners with big horsepower. Now if you say that about the Acadia Denali and the Buick Enclave then I would agree.
I’m not suggesting an equivalent to a Grand Cherokee SRT8, but just to add a bit of an edge/crispness to the overall driving experience.
PS: I meant 325+ (typo)
It seems that most of theses SUVs (Enclave, Acadia, Traverse) are minivan alternatives and not really built to spin the front wheels with lots of horses and gobs of torque. For those that get the AWD option, it helps smooth out the power and eliminate torque steer.
I think the only one of these that could benefit from more hp and a transmission with more sporty mapping, it would be (as Vic says) the GMC Denali where it’s packed with upgraded features and AWD is standard. I doubt that market is large enough for GM to differentiate the drivetrain from the others.
I don’t think the Acadia Denali is AWD standard. But it would make a niche product if it’s equipped with high hp though. What Ford has done to the Flex and MKT is good but do you really see a lot of people buying the Ecoboost V6 version of the Flex and MKT?? I mean it would be a good idea to come out with a optional 3.0TT or 3.6TT to compete vehicles like MDX or etc though.
Yeah, an AWD high-performance Acadia Denali is an interesting idea… but you can’t really compare it to the Flex/MKT, since very few people opt for either one or the other. A better comparison would be the Explorer and its supposedly-upcoming Lincoln variant. Even so, I would buy the Flex in a heartbeat 🙂
Vic is totally right. From what we’re hearing, the new TrailBlazer will have more of a performance-oriented angle than the Lambdas. 🙂
Ah, I posted just as you amended it to 325 hp. That is doable across the range as is improved shift software.
Id’ try adding the twin-turbo V6 from the upcoming Cadillac XTS. I know the Travers has unique sheetmetal of course, but its too damn unique. One of my friends had bought one (LT) and said it wasted too much gas, and looked like a minivan. He traded it with a Sliverado. Oh, and I’d relocate the charger from the center console. Once you start charging something, the first cuphole becomes utterly useless because it the charger covering it. Redesign the grille, give it HID headlamps, and give the lower intake a better design.
I love the look of the exterior (which is why I drive the Traverse). It’s quieter to drive than the new Explorer. The main thing I think that Ford and Dodge are doing is much better looking factory wheels. On the interior, a touchscreen and some minor styling would add a lot. I find the interior very appealing…and I have been driving this for almost one full year. The whole thing about soft-touch materials is a way overblown (and totally cliche) fall back that automotive journalists use to separate vehicle quality. Just my two cents. I will probably buy another Traverse…it suits my needs perferctly and a lot of friends who have only driven Imports have compimented it.
it needs an A2DP bluetooth profile.
Coming in the 2013 refresh, which will also bring an industry-first center airbag!
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2011/09/general-motors-introduces-industry-first-front-center-airbag/