I drove the $55,000 Chevrolet Traverse. It's a roomy family SUV with cool tech that's held back by a noisy engine

The 2025 Chevrolet Traverse High Country in Lakeshore Blue Metallic.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderThe Chevrolet Traverse is a midsize three-row family SUV that was redesigned in 2024.I was impressed by its advanced tech, cavernous interior, good value, and rugged truck-like looks.Sadly, the Chevy was let down by its cheap-feeling interior and noisy, laggy powertrain.The market for midsize family SUVs is booming, accounting for roughly 15% of all auto sales in the US.Chevrolet's entry into the segment for the past 15 years has been the Traverse, which received a ground-up redesign for 2024 that included fresh styling, a new turbo four-cylinder engine, and GM's latest suite of tech features.I recently drove a 2025 Chevrolet Traverse in its luxury-minded High Country trim to see how it holds up against segment leaders like the Honda Pilot and Toyota Grand Highlander. I came away impressed by the Chevy's assistance and infotainment tech, cavernous interior, and rugged truck-like looks.The Michigan-made Chevy Traverse starts at $40,700.The Traverse is also available in off-road-focused trims.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderMy range-topping Traverse High Country test car starts at $53,800 in front wheel drive guise.Shipping fees pushed the as-tested price for my High Country FWD to $55,295.The Traverse is handsomely styled with design elements inspired by Chevrolet's Silverado pickup.I'm a fan of the square quad exhausts.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderLike other recently introduced Chevy SUVs, the Traverse draws upon the brand's popular pickup trucks for its rugged, squared off looks. It's a much welcome departure from the previous generation's rounded, less defined aesthetic.At 17 feet long and 6.6 feet wide, the Traverse is one of the largest offerings in the segment.The 2025 Chevrolet Traverse High Country in Lakeshore Blue Metallic, one of three new colors that debuted in 2024.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderIt's three inches longer and 1.5 inches wider than the Grand Highlander and four inches longer and 1.5 inches wider than the Pilot.Chevy's new turbo four produces a stout 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful standard engines in the segment.The motor is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission sending power to the front wheels with all-wheel-drive available as a $2,000 option.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderThe four-cylinder offers a modest 18 horsepower improvement over the outgoing V6 and a significant 60 additional lb-ft of torque. My front wheel drive test car boasts EPA fuel economy rating of 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined, which is a 2 mpg improvement over the comparable previous generation Traverse with a V6.The Traverse's driving experience was spoiled by excessive engine noise and a drivetrain tuned to save fuel.The Traverse's ride is comfortable and quiet. The 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly and its turbo four puts out more than enough grunt to lug around the 4,500 lb SUV.Benjaminn Zhang/Business InsiderThe Traverse has the potential to be a pleasant driving family SUV.Sadly, the big Chevy is let down by the way its drivetrain is tuned. A big reason for downsizing from the V6 to the turbo four was to take advantage of its superior fuel economy, but there's also the added benefit produced by forced induction engines.Unfortunately, the Traverse's drivetrain prioritizes efficiency and doesn't really let the punchy motor shine. In its default "Tour" driving mode, the throttle feels laggy and slow to respond. There's often an unnerving delay between the time you step on the gas and the arrival of power. Things are a bit more responsive in sport mode, but still far from "sporty."According to Car and Driver, the turbo Traverse can do 0-60 in a respectable 7.3 seconds, which is half a second slower than the old V6-powered version.And then there's the engine noise. Under hard acceleration, the decided lack of sound-deadening material means the pint-size powerplant makes an unacceptably harsh racket. Even when cruising along, a disconcerting amount of engine noise manages to find its way into the cabin.The Traverse's cabin is roomy and attractively designed, but is plagued by poor material and build quailty.The Traverse High Country's cabin is massive with plenty of storage spaces and a variety of charging options.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderClimb inside the Traverse and you'll find a modern and extremely spacious cabin. Ergonomics are solid and almost all of the controls and button are where they should be with the only glaring exception being the drive mode selector buried on a panel low down between the steering wheel and driver's door.My biggest gripe with the cabin is the lackluster material and build quality. The plastics used in the front dash and center console look and feel cheap. In addition, the pieces also don't feel very well put together. Lightly nudge the center console, and visible gaps appear in the seams where the various sections are clipped together. The two sections that comprise the front and rear of the housing for the large infotainment screen pinch easily and feel like they're a broken plastic clip away from separating.The Traverse's suite of driver assistance and infotainment tech is truly impressive.The Traverse is packed cool tech like a automatic parking assist and a digital rearview mirror.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderThe massive 17.7-inch central infotainment touchscreen and 11-inch digital instrument display are not only impressive to look at but the Google-based infotainment system is also highly responsive and easy to navigate.In addition to the standard driver assistance features like adaptive cruise control and lane keep assist, the Traverse can also be optioned with GM's outstanding Super Cruise system, which allows for hands-free highway driving.The Traverse comes standard with second-row captain's chairs, although lower trims can be had with a bench seat as well.The Traverse rear cabin features dedicated climate controls as well as a pair of USB-C sockets and a traditional power outlet.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderThe heated Sky Cool Gray leather captain's chairs were comfortable and stylish.The Traverse's third row is quite possibly the roomiest I've come across and could actually be comfortable for the average adult.The 2025 Chevrolet Traverse High Country's white leather third-row bench seat.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderBeyond the impressive 32.1 inches of legroom, the seats are also mounted high enough so that your knees are not pushing up against your chest.With 22.9 cubic feet behind the third row seats, the Traverse is one of the best cargo haulers in the segment.Cargo capacity is supplemented by a large underfloor storage area with a plastic tub that can be removed for cleaning or to access the spare tire.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderFold down the power operated second and third row seats, cargo capacity grows to nearly 98 cubic feet.My verdict: The Chevrolet Traverse is rough around the edges but remains a compelling family SUV with cool tech, a cavernous interior, and delivers solid value.The 2025 Chevrolet Traverse High Country falls just short of greatness.Benjamin Zhang/Business InsiderChevy's family hauler comes with loads of advanced assistance and infotainment tech, a punchy turbo engine, room for the whole family and all of their stuff, as well as cool pickup-truck styling.In addition, the $40,000 starting price and extensive array of standard features make it a solid value proposition.But the Traverse still needs extra sound insulation, some drivetrain tuning, and a higher-quality interior.If those are fixed, the Chevrolet Traverse would be able to compete with anything in the segment.Read the original article on Business Insider

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