2012 Chevrolet Traverse

The top five large crossover SUVs on the market outsell the top five minivans, despite having an average of nearly 20 percent less room. So be it. Families who want maximum space without the sliding doors can get the best alternative in one of GM's three-row crossovers: the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia or Chevrolet Traverse.

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The 2012 Chevrolet Traverse nearly pulls a minivan out of the crossover hat. It's an impressive vehicle, even in its fourth year on the market.

Little has changed for 2012; you can compare it with the 2011 Traverse here. With front- or all-wheel drive, the eight-seat Traverse comes in LS, 1LT, 2LT and LTZ trim levels. Compare those trims here, or compare the Traverse, Acadia and Enclave here. We tested a front-drive Traverse 1LT.

Driving Refinement

The Traverse's drivetrain shines even among large crossovers, which aren't slowpokes these days. Its standard six-speed automatic shifts quickly, if sometimes roughly, and highway kickdown happens with little delay. Driven solo, our tester sped from a stop, hustled up to 70 mph, and beat others to the passing lane with a satisfying, muscular whine at full bore. I drove mostly solo, but the V-6 should be up to hauling passengers. When I crammed seven adults into a front-drive Enclave, it needed most of its reserves to ascend uphill onramps — but it did so capably. Expect the same from its Chevrolet sibling.

A dual-exhaust system in the LTZ bumps output up to 288 horsepower, from 281 hp in other trims. Either way, combined city/highway EPA gas mileage is 19 mpg with either front- or all-wheel drive. That's 1 or 2 mpg short of the V-6 Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. The Traverse's 5,200-pound towing capacity edges past all three, however. If you need to tow more, consider the V-8 Dodge Durango or any truck-based SUV.

Of course, once you start looking at trucks, you sacrifice ride quality. Driven back-to-back with its crossover competitors, the Traverse earned praise from our editors for its refined ride. It soaks up bumps large and small, keeping highway chatter from upsetting the cabin. I'm a harsh critic of suspensions that let the little stuff seep up, so consider this high praise for GM.

Roomy Interior

Cargo room distinguishes the Traverse, which has 24.4 cubic feet — enough for a large cooler — behind the third row. The Explorer has 21 cubic feet, and the others go down from there. Fold all the seats, and the Traverse has 116.4 cubic feet of maximum volume. No direct competitor breaks 100 cubic feet. With removable or stowable seats and tumble-flat third rows, most minivans offer more than 140 cubic feet. The Traverse falls short of that mark, but it is the minivan of crossovers.

Seen in GM trucks as far back as 2007, the Traverse's cabin components are aging — pixelated stereo readouts, outdated gauges — but they're still intuitive. Overall cabin quality, however, disappoints. The low-gloss surfaces found above elbow level degrade to cheaper, harsher veneers below. Competitors like the Durango and Mazda CX-9 are higher quality.