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Chevrolet Traverse
The Traverse should be at Chevy dealers soon. If you are shopping for a large crossover with better mpg than you might expect (17/24), check it out and talk about it here.
New owners, please give us a report too.
New owners, please give us a report too.
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Any comments pro/con other advice would be appreciated.
Thanks
I see where you indicated a gp for the basic for 24k, do you know what dealer in atlanta would be good too. I am looking for one that has the following: backup camera (in the review mirror), seating for 7, 10 speaker bose and in the moss silver. Any thoughts. I have seen that for about 34k w/o rebates and i figure about 5500 off for rebates.
they have the Acadia, Enclave, Outlook, etc.... same platforms...
I do not see anything to change anytime soon for GM. Its too bad, they really could
be on top. You have to really want it though. That would require swallowing your pride.. and ask for help, oh wait, they did, but they robbed us of our money....lol anyway.
I am dumping my 08 GM car the first chance I get, It was never my choice to get it. I no longer want to support them!
It's simple: That's what (many) families want.
You're right, in the big picture, there is no need for yet another SUV or "crossover," as the GM models you mentioned are being called.
Even Toyota has a brand-new one (Venza, or something like that).
But the Traverse is GM's least-expensive, perhaps best-looking one. The company probably should not have bothered with the Saturn Outlook version, but the Chevy does make sense in the lineup.
By the way, I'm confused. How are you going to dump something you did not choose (08 GM car)?
If it's yours to get rid of -- then you chose it, right? If you didn't choose (buy) it, then that's not your decision either, right?
Either way, better luck on your "decision" next time, buddy.
Yeah, not much action here. But Traverses still are pretty rare to see on the street, and they are not exactly flying out of dealers' doors.
I don't have one yet, but am getting close. In fact I want the 1LT also, and it was nice to see your encouraging post.
Can you add some details about your LT1, such as:
color
AWD or FWD
any options?
price
where bought (just name of town is ok).
thanks!
Got a Cyber Grey AWD LT1. Options were 7 seats (captains chairs), dual sunroof and Bose system. Price was $31,400 including freight and I had a $2K GM card rebate ($1500 of which GM added for use before 2-2-09). I probably could have done a little better on price but this was the exact combination I wanted from color to AWD to the options. I did get a very good trade in. Purchased in Annapolis MD. Good luck with your purchase.
The new 2010 Equinox is also a vehicle I'd like to see.
I'm currently driving a Rendezvous ,like it's size, looking for something similar.
Thanks
I'm probably buying one in the next few days myself. I'm not even thinking about getting the 2nd row "captain's chairs" though. I'll admit, they look nice, but here's why I'm not getting them.
1. Can't wrap my head around the idea of spending more money to get fewer seats. Yes, they're "standard" with the 2LT, but if you don't get them you get a nearly $500 credit. There's other options you get for around that much.
Or, apply the money to the extended warranty, if you're the type who's inclined to buy one, that is.
2. I have three kids (teens). Me+wife+them= 5 folks. With 8 seats (instead of 7), each kid can still bring a friend. Or we can bring another couple and still don't have to cram 3 people all in the 3rd row seat.
3. Having room for three in the 2nd seat means it's more likely I can keep the 3rd seat down for vacation luggage or something oversized that I need to haul at the same time.
Obviously, your situation is different, and I've heard folks say that with small children, they like the walkthrough access to the third row offered by 2nd row bucket seats. (That of course rules out that center console the size of a small boat. lol)
That's a valid point: Especially when your tykes are big enough to buckle and unbuckle their own seatbelts, they will have a swift entry/exit way.
The tilting seats aren't bad at all -- a piece of cake for big people to operate -- but not so much for the under-10 crowd.
cheers,
DD
So back to the Traverse. It's a plain Jane LS, XM radio was deleted but my company did add the Bluetooth Hands Free Calling package. It was so easy to pair my Blackberry to the Traverse. Upon entering the vehicle, it automatically links to my phone so I can make and receive calls without fumbling with my phone. The engine runs really well for this big vehicle. It has very spacious cargo room and easy folding seats. The only problem I have is getting the 2nd row seats to slide all the way back so that when the 2nd and 3rd row seats are folded flat there isn't a gap between the two rows. There's a trick to push the seat back towards the rear so that it slides on the track whenever you are putting the 2nd row seat back in place after pulling the lever to enter the 3rd row. Hope that's not too confusing. Push the seat back to the back before you push down the seat cushion to lock it in place. :shades:
Congrats on the company car upgrade, man!
I can totally understand your happiness at ditching the minivan. Hey, I'm a suburban dad with three kids, and I don't want any stinkin' minivan (neither does my wife)!
Glad you got a handle on that seat-moving situation, too.
You really went high on the Chevy hog, getting a full-bore LTZ, man. You're doing more than your part to save GM and stimulate our economy.
After test driving all the decent competitors, also, I totally agree with most of what you said. You especially summed up the styling very well, in a way I'd not seen before.
For me, it's finally down to the Traverse vs. the Mazda CX-9 right now. I favor the Chevy for all the reasons you cited, but the biggest drawback is that it's just a little too big (on the outside, of course) than I and my wife would like to maneuver on our suburban streets. Also, backing that thing up will take a LOT of getting used to.
CX-9 is much more nimble. It's not as roomy of course, esp. in the 3rd seat area, but the compromise seems worth it.
CX-9 is also a better value, in that you get tons more standard features at the lower trim models, and has a slightly more upscale interior.
Anyway, we're going to take one last look at the Trav tomorrow and then decide. :confuse:
Like you, I'd prefer to give the edge to an American product, but we'll see how much they really want to deal!
Enjoy your new ride!
Good luck deciding between the Travey vs. the CX-9. I have an '08 CX-7 GT as my personal vehicle and I love the zoom-zoom that comes with it. If I were you I would go with the CX-9. The interior and exterior styling are both refined and luxurious. It definitely turns heads but so does the Traverse since it is unexpected from Chevy. The Traverse is definitely performance and style minded and is more fun to drive. While I think the Traverse is more value and function minded. The reviews on Edmunds for the Traverse are rated higher than the CX-9 however.
As far as giving the edge to an American product, be mindful of the possibility of bankruptcy at GM. I'm not an economic or auto industry expert but I'm sure this would affect the value of GM vehicles in the future. It's a shame if GM enters bankruptcy because the Traverse is a prime example of a well built vehicle and turn around from the previous inferior products rolling out of GM.
I'm interested to know what you decide on!
You hit on the key points between those two trucks, alright. Really, I can't go too far wrong with choosing either one.
CX-9 Sport (the GT is too rich for me - lol) is going for more than a $1,000 less than Traverse (which I probably mentioned already in my last post. lol)
If they were the exact same price, I'd take the Traverse. It gets better gas mileage, and I like the added bonus of the OnStar, XM radio standard and the extra room in back.
I drove it again today and it handled much better than I had recalled. But the thing is tall and wide.
I'm not really worried about GM and it's affect on the resale value, etc., as I always keep my vehicles for about 10 years and over 100,000 miles.
Interesting you mention feeling claustrophobic in the CX-9 -- I'm only 5'6" but it even felt tight to me, with the honkin' high console right up against my leg.
(on the other hand, my wife's Toyota Camry seems very roomy).
And it's not your imagination about sitting taller in the Traverse -- it is taller, no doubt about that.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed on the long-term quality of the Chevy, too.
Nice thought, but unfortunately, not all the Travs have that remote mirror-folding feature -- just your LTZ, maybe the 2LT, both too rich for my blood.
Same with the cooled seats. Only get that with leather package on 2LT and LTZ.
Oh, I'm sure I'd love both of those features, a lot! But I'm not even going to try them out, 'cause I can barely afford the 1LT, dude!
Anyone in the Pittsburgh, PA area, I would urge you to go to Colussy Chevy in Bridgeville. Tell Kyra I sent you.
I looked at the 2009 Outlook after they came out and the one I bought in '08 was about $2K less than the '09, main difference was the backup camera came in the package for '09 but not '08. So, I'm glad I did not wait.
Please report on your deal in the Chevrolet Traverse Prices Paid and Buying Experience discussion too.
And if you could set up your CarSpace page, some pics posted in a photo ablum there would be nice to see. /hint :shades:
It looks like the towing package can be had with a full size spare?
The kit is standard on the LS- all other trim levels come with a spare as standard, but is optional on the LS.
"It looks like the towing package can be had with a full size spare?"
Without looking, Id guess that to be so. Im a fairly new owner of a 1 LT pkg with backup camera, FWD and didnt need to research that since it wasnt consideration when we purchased.
LOL- its not a problem if you know its going to happen.
"Also we can't decide b/w the captains chairs and the bench. We had an 04 Tahoe with captains chairs and it made it much easier to get to the 3rd row. Plus you could lay long stuff down b/w the seats instead of putting a seat down or putting it in the back. Thanks! "
My wife and I deliberated about that as well. If you dont need the extra people capacity Id og with th e captains chairs. However you need full, gap free space for cargo when the seats are folded down, then Id go with the bench.
FWIW- Id recommend one. Very quiet vehicles, they ride great and are quite powerful(for what they are, anyways).
GL!!
If its the factory paint job IS defective, then how could you conclude a repaint from the dealer ( or elsewhere as not all dealers are equipped to do paint and body) wouldnt be as good?
Anyways, dont let that get in the way of having it repaired/repainted. Any place that knows what they are doing will be able to what is necessary.
Take it to the dealer and show them the problem.
If theyre not equipped to paint, theyll sublet the job.
Good luck.
1,000-mile follow up note: I had an issue with the DVD-based navigation locking up all the time. Brought it to the dealer who ordered updated software and reprogrammed it. No problems still about a month later after the fix! They said this was a common problem with this model nav and had a reprogram just for this purpose.
Did first oil change at the dealer, which cost less than even Jiffy Lube. At the same time they took care of a double-recall: one for parking brake adjustment and one for gear-shift indicator light according to notices I received. Although I had problems with neither, they did their free adjustments. No issues with either, either before or since, so I guess they fixed something!
Still have continued full satisfaction for this car. AWD is great on wet roads--looking forward to winter use. Sound system is the best I've ever had in any car before (premium Bose). Still digging the a/c seats! Will come in handy in Florida I'll bet. I'm getting used to the manual shifter mode for driving in hilly areas; a nice touch. Gas mileage isn't great--a bit lower than advertised on highway, but we always drive with a packed car, so that is not unexpected really.
So far so good!
Again, I tried most of the mid sized SUVs and CUVs and the Traverse won me for all the above reasons. It also helped that I had 3 1/2 years of trouble free ownership of the Yukon. The only reason I was looking to buy was to improve fuel economy. So far I am averaging 17.5 with the Traverse, even with hauling the boat,sea doo and utility trailor around. I was averaging 13.8 with the Yukon.
Anyway, I just wanted to add my 2 cents to this very quiet forum for those of you considering this size vehicle. Thumbs up so far
So, I decided to look at the Hyundia Santa Fe and discovered that this vehicle has standard XM satelite radio, wood trim, fog lights (some are charging extra for this), and more. This was a base model that did not look so bas-ic. I was not really keen on buying a Hyundia but GM's decision to not include some of these inexpensive popular features in the base level Traverse caused me to opt for the Santa Fe.
I genuinely wanted to buy an american vehicle but I also wanted to have some extra features for the over $22K that I would have to spend.
I hope GM changes this in the future so they do not lose customers like me. I would like to know if others out there feel the same or have thoughts and opinions about this.
I did a comparison and the Sante Fe is a shorter, narrower vehicle than the Traverse with less towing. MPG is rated about the same even though the Traverse is quite a bit larger and heavier. If you are wanting a better comparison you should probably look at the Hyundai Veracruz. I think it is a more direct comparison with the Traverse. Veracruz is even a little smaller that the Traverse.
Even the Mazda CX-9 which is in the same class is a little smaller. So, do you ever want to carry adults in the 3rd row or just children?
I don't know about the Kia but specs on it show it is smaller as well.
29,941.00 Selling price
2,095.87 7 % NJ sales tax
350.00 Estimated Motor Vehicle expense(State imposed)
148.00 Dealer adminisration fee
7.50 Tire Tax
32,542.37
- 2,000.00 rebate
NET PRICE : 30,542.37
The base Santa Fe GLS does not have standard fog lights. They are only available on the SE and Limited Santa Fe models. So even Hyundai makes you buy a higher trim level to get fog lights, alloy wheels, and a more powerful V6. Chevy makes you buy up for the fog lights and alloys, but they offer the same 281hp V6 and 6-speed auto in all trims.
You simply cannot compare a Traverse to a Santa Fe. It is in a totally different class and a totally different pricing bracket.
The Estimated Motor Vehicle expense is most likely the State imposed fees to register the vehicle, transfer the tag from the old vehicle, transfer the title to the bank (if applicable), etc. $350 seems high. I would ask them to itemize these expenses. They should not be marking up these State imposed fees.
You don't indicate what the sticker price of the Traverse is, but it would seem that even if it is an LS AWD with no options the $29,941 selling price is a fair deal.
Dealer explained that it's because of the weigth of 20" tires.
Is anyone out there facing the same problem?
I did recently have an issue just like a blog in the "I hate my Traverse" where I came out of a store and my Traverse would not start. I had to have it towed over 100 miles to my dealership and they can't find anything wrong with it. All the code are fine. I had lights but my engine light was the only thing that worked otherwise. I lost my OnStar and my Phone even though the power lights were on.