Motor Trend Finds the Traverse High Country Well-Equipped for American Families

Motor Trend’s review of the Traverse High Country begins with an undeniable truth: “There’s no such thing as a vehicle that’s too big when you have kids.” Any parent can understand this. The smaller they are, the more support gear is involved, including car seats, strollers, highchairs, portable cribs, play areas, and toys that can be pretty sizable too. As they grow older, that stuff often becomes inventory for yard sales or resale shops, but your kids will still fill the space with sports equipment, musical instruments, or supplies for whatever they’re into, and of course, friends. 

Chevrolet has been offering transportation for American families for over a century and understands their growing need for space. That’s why the Traverse is one of the largest crossovers on the market. It is nearly as big as the Tahoe, which, when compared to the High Country models, costs $25,900 more. This Twin Falls Chevrolet post shares some additional insights from Motor Trend’s review of the Traverse High Country model. 

The Tahoe still dominates when it comes to towing large loads and provides more legroom and cargo space, but the Traverse comes very close. Behind the third row, it offers 22.9 cubic feet compared to the Tahoe’s 25.5. The gap in cargo space grows wider when the seats are folded down, but the Traverse can still hold 97.6 cubic feet, which surpasses most of its competitors. Motor Trend’s 6’3” editor confirmed there was plenty of space for him in the second row. On the other hand, if the second-row passenger is small enough to use a child seat, that seat can flop forward for easy access to the third row with the child seat still in place. And while falling short of the Tahoe, it can still tow 5,000 pounds.  

Of course, a significant difference between the Traverse and Tahoe is what’s under the hood. The Tahoe offers V8 engines or a 6-cylinder turbodiesel to move over 1000 pounds more than the Traverse. In contrast, since its latest redesign, the Traverse has been powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 that produces 328 hp and 326 lb-ft of torque. That is more power than what’s found in competing models from Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Volkswagen, and the Explorer’s standard engine. The engine is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, and in the High Country, AWD comes standard. Motor Trend recorded a 0-60 time of 7.6 seconds, which should be sufficient for the Traverse’s mission. They actually found the Traverse surpasses expectations in handling, stating “The Traverse’s steering, brakes, body control, and handling are all better than they need to be for a family hauler.” They also noted the ride quality to be quite good despite the High Country’s 22-inch wheels. 

The High Country, the flagship model in the Traverse lineup, covers the first and second row seats with leather, and most features can be controlled with a button. This includes the tilt and telescoping steering wheel with memory position, power-folding second-row captain’s chairs, a third-row bench seat, 10-way driver seat adjustment, and a liftgate. 

The Traverse High Country benefits from the Google Built-in operating system, which features clear graphics, minimal menu digging, on-board Google Maps, the Google Assistant voice recognition system, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for those who prefer their phone’s interface. An active noise cancellation feature sets the stage for the High Country’s 10-speaker Bose audio system. 

The Traverse model line benefits from an origin with a manufacturer that has been supplying transportation for American families longer than almost anyone, and the High Country is the ultimate expression of what the model line can achieve. Let the Traverse handle everything your family can throw at it by making a visit to Twin Falls Chevrolet for a test drive.