2012 Chevrolet Traverse Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Chevrolet Traverse overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Traverse, and includes Chevrolet Traverse safety, reliability, and fuel economy ratings.

The Chevy Traverse is a large crossover SUV. It is bigger than most crossovers, able to seat up to seven people. Think of it as a minivan without the handy sliding side doors or as useful an interior. But hey, it looks cooler, right?

Now entering its fourth year on the market, the Traverse is essentially unchanged except for new auto-dimming glass in the driver’s side mirror, optional on LT and standard on LTZ. Two new colors also debut: Dark Silver Metallic and Crystal Red Tintcoat.

Chevy sells the 2012 Traverse in LS, LT and LTZ trim, with front- or all-wheel drive. Standard equipment includes power windows, power side mirrors, power door locks with remote keyless entry, a tilting and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, floor mats, and automatic headlights. Front and rear air conditioning is included, dark tinted privacy glass is standard, and the second-row seats tilt and slide for easier third-row access. The stereo includes a CD/MP3 player, an auxiliary audio input jack, and satellite radio, and OnStar telematics includes a free six-month trial plan to Directions and Connections service, which includes features like Turn-by-Turn Navigation and Automatic Crash Notification, the latter automatically contacting an OnStar operator when the airbags deploy, who can then send rescuers to the Traverse’s exact location even if the SUV’s occupants are unable to respond. Key options for this model include Bluetooth, a roof rack, and a trailer hitch receiver.

The Traverse LT is the most popular model. It comes with 18-inch alloy wheels, heated blind-spot side mirrors with turn signal indicators, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, a power driver’s seat, and rear parking sensors. If you spring for the 2LT Package, you’ll also get triple-zone automatic climate control, a premium Bose audio system with a USB connection, a rearview camera with the display embedded into an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a power tailgate. You do lose the second-row bench seat with this model; it is replaced by two rear captain’s chairs, bringing passenger capacity down to seven. However, the bench seat moves to the options list. Other available features include Bluetooth, heated front seats, a rear DVD entertainment system, a SkyScape panoramic sunroof, a HomeLink universal remote, a luggage rack, and a trailer hitch receiver. The 2LT model can also be outfitted with leather, a power front passenger’s seat, and a navigation system.

The Traverse LTZ is the top-of-the-line model. From the outside, 20-inch polished aluminum wheels, performance tires, a silver mesh grille insert, and dual exhaust outlets distinguish the LTZ from other models. The freer flowing exhaust also allows the engine to produce slightly more power, and remote engine starting is included with the LTZ model. Inside, you get Bluetooth, perforated leather, heated and cooled front seats, a power front passenger’s seat, and a HomeLink universal remote. A rear entertainment system, a SkyScape sunroof, a navigation system, a roof rack, and a trailer hitch receiver are optional on the LTZ model.

When it comes to the Traverse’s motive force, Chevy makes it easy. You choose front- or all-wheel drive, and that’s it. A 3.6-liter, direct-injected V6 engine delivers 281 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic transmission. Thanks to the LTZ model’s dual exhaust system, this version is rated to deliver 288 hp and 270 lb-ft. Fuel economy ratings are 17 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway for front-wheel-drive models, and 16-city/23-highway for all-wheel drive.

The 2012 Chevy Traverse includes six standard airbags, including side curtains that protect all three rows of seats. Traction and stability control are standard, along with four-wheel-disc antilock brakes. Chevy also includes six free months of OnStar Directions and Connections service, which includes Automatic Crash Notification, Emergency Services, and Crisis Assist. Blind-spot side mirrors and reversing sensors are standard on the LT and LTZ models, and these versions of the Traverse can also be equipped with a reversing camera system.

Crashworthiness is outstanding. Despite the fact that the Traverse was engineered half a decade ago, it gets a 5-Star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and this performance is achieved according to the NHTSA’s recently instituted and more stringent crash-test methods. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has not assessed the 2012 Traverse as this review is written, but last year the crossover SUV received a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS.

If there’s any room for improvement, it’s related to reliability. Both J.D. Power and Associates and Consumer Reports predict that the Traverse will prove average in this regard.

Chevrolet offers an Apple- and Android-compatible smartphone app that lets the Traverse’s owner remotely lock and unlock the doors, start the engine, and check fuel level, fuel range, tire pressures, and other information about the vehicle. You’ve probably seen the TV commercial that advertises this feature, the one where the two dopey guys are at home waiting for Dopey Guy #1’s wife to start a Chevy Cruze remotely and toot the horn while she’s sitting on an airplane in a business suit.

OnStar offers more than just Turn-by-Turn Navigation or Automatic Crash Notification. If the Traverse is stolen, the police can use OnStar to track the vehicle’s location, or even slow the vehicle down and render it inoperative. OnStar also features hands-free calling service without using your cell phone, and there’s a red button inside the vehicle that connects to OnStar’s Emergency Services center for when you, a passenger, or even passers-by might need help. You can also use the red button to report non-medical emergencies, like a house fire, a crash you’ve witnessed, or similar events.

The 2012 Chevy Traverse is extremely spacious inside. It can swallow 68.8 cubic-feet of cargo behind the second-row seats, which is more than most small SUVs can handle with their rear seats folded down. Maximum cargo capacity is 116.4 cu-ft.

Given that the Chevy Traverse is a full-size crossover SUV, you might expect it to feel large and cumbersome from behind the steering wheel, but that simply is not the case. The Traverse drives smaller than it is, proving more athletic in terms of acceleration, handling, and braking than most people would ever guess.

The standard 3.6-liter V6 is a strong engine, and it sounds good when performing the task at hand. Occasionally, the transmission is a bit lazy with downshifts, but a deeper stab of the gas pedal produces satisfaction. Fuel economy isn’t great – we averaged 17.8 mpg during a week of test driving – but considering what the slightly smaller Tahoe likely would have gotten, we don’t have any complaints.

Our Traverse LTZ’s big 20-inch wheels and tires authoritatively gripped the road and the suspension did an admirable job of keeping body motions in check, but the fact remains that this is a large, heavy vehicle. Those 20-inch wheels look good, but they also contribute to degradation in ride quality on bad pavement. And the Traverse’s wheelbase is long, so when maneuvering in tight parking lots or garages, it is important to swing the nose a little wide when rounding corners.

The Traverse’s steering isn’t particularly quick or communicative, but that’s probably for the best in a vehicle like this one. The brakes, however, are terrific. Especially with regard to pedal feel, which makes it easy to modulate the responsive, consistent braking system.

If there’s significant room for improvement with the Traverse, it has nothing to do with the driving dynamics and everything to do with the interior. Cheap plastic panels abound, and the Traverse’s tiny, low-resolution navigation screen emits more than just a whiff of yester-tech. Still, this SUV can seat seven people who are six feet tall in relative comfort, making the Traverse a reasonable substitute for a minivan.

Vehix recommends the 2012 Chevrolet Traverse, though we certainly wish that dependability were a stronger reason for purchase. As it stands, the Traverse is extremely safe, nicely equipped even in base LS trim, and surprisingly roomy inside. Fuel economy ratings are unimpressive, but the Traverse is bigger inside and thriftier at the pump than a Chevy Tahoe, so there you go.

By Christian Wardlaw