General Motors has been in the business of rebadging and upgrading cars and trucks to suit its branding needs for the better part of 100 years.
Chevrolet was always the entry-level car or truck and if one was willing to pay more there were Oldsmobiles, Pontiacs, Buicks, and Cadillacs for car buyers and GMC for truck buyers. Think of GMC as the Cadillac of trucks and you’ll quickly see why the GMC Acadia I tested a few months ago started about $20,000 more than the sparkling black Chevy Traverse LT I just parted with.
Ultimately the GMC ended up about $14,000 more as some of its standard goodies were added as options to the Chevy. Still, it’s not hard to figure out which is more affordable, if one can do without things like a WiFi hot spot, HUD, active noise cancellation, real leather seats, a sunroof, and more.
Nope, this Chevy has all the goods one really needs at the much more attractive entry price of $44,795, including delivery, for this base LT model.
Outside it’s just as handsome and for those going incognito this Mosaic Black Metallic (multi-colored sparkling flakes that exude black overall) with the Midnight Sport Edition option package ($2,285) is just the ticket. That package blacks out the grille and badging while adding gloss black painted 20-inch aluminum wheels.
Inside, meaning mechanical and interior features, there’s a lot of crossover. Same 121-inch wheelbase, three-rows of seats (seats 7 or 8 depending on row two seat choice), massive cargo space with seats down, 5,000-pound towing capacity, and nearly the same length. The Chevy being 0.6 inches longer. Pish posh!
Engine? Same 2.5-liter turbocharged I4 making 328 horsepower and 326 foot-pounds of torque.
Transmission? Same 8-speed automatic.
Dash is similar, but with a 17.7-inch horizontal info screen, whereas the GMC’s big screen runs vertical.
Granted the hands-free Super Cruise semi-autonomous cruise control was standard on the upscale GMC Acadia, but it’s added here as part of an optional $3,935 Enhanced Driving package that also tagged on an advanced parking assist system, driver attention assist, and a Bose audio system with 12 speakers.
To partially catch up to the GMC, the Chevy also added a $1,225 Driver Confidence package with high-def surround vision, a 120-volt power outlet for running power equipment or plugging in the TV for tailgating, a rear pedestrian alert system along with traffic sign recognition, a key card, and rearview camera mirror (sort of small).
Still, at $53,240 after options the Chevy not only was a well-equipped truck for hauling the family and friends, it was only a tad more costly than the average new car price and well below a new truck’s average price.
Driving it?
Heck, pretty much like the GMC, which is to say comfy and competent, like most any large SUV or truck. Ride felt smoother in the GMC as the Traverse had more of a truck ride where there’s some bounce on severe bumps. But everything is well cushioned so as not to cause occupants much concern. I inadvertently took a Milwaukee city street speed bump a little too fast once, and that got everyone on board’s attention. Sorry!
The turbo I4 packs a lot of power and easily boosts the heavy SUV up to highway speeds, but with a bit more chatter than one might like. More buzzing than growling, but it gets the job done and delivers moderate fuel economy. I got a surprising 24.1 mpg while the EPA rates this AWD model at 20 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.
Go with a front-drive model and save $2,000, plus mileage ratings for the highway jump to 27 mpg, while the city number stays the same.
Steering is big truck vague, but easy to control and with Super Cruise one can remove hands from the wheel for a bit if fingers are tiring on a long trip. There also are five drive modes and a button to engage AWD if conditions merit.
No hybrid system is yet available, which likely would boost power even further while seriously helping fuel economy.
The Chevy interior is attractive and all gauges simple to see and buttons easily found and pushed. Bravo that the climate controls are all big toggles, but the heated seats (no cooling at this entry-level trim) are engaged via the screen. Smartly the heated steering wheel button is on the wheel’s hub.
Keeping with the truck’s Midnight theme the seats and dash were black, these fake leather seats being a $1,000 options for Evotex pleather, including gray stitching that carried over into the door panels. There you’ll find a flat gray trim insert that carries over to the dash with some textured bumps in front of the chrome-trimmed air vents.
Black gloss and chrome grace the console and some chrome trim on the passenger’s side dash. All attractive, but black gloss is more reflective than flat black, which automakers are using more often on consoles.
Seats are relatively flat. Here’s where the more contoured leather seats in the GMC win out. And the rear captain’s chairs are not heated, which they were in the GMC. But they are pretty comfy and when moved forward provide good legroom for third row riders. A lever atop the seat backs fold row two forward and slide it so it’s easier to mount the rear row.
Folding down the split rear seat is easy, just pull the cord on the seat backs. No power seat lowering here, something the GMC had. Also, no driver’s seat memory buttons in the LT, something that should now be standard.
Yet Chevy’s giant touchscreen was simple to use and find most icons. Oddly the map feature is on the second screen so one must swipe the screen to find it. A lot of icons, but all made sense. One rider suggested the screen was so large an IMAX movie could be shown on it. It IS big, particularly good for older drivers.
There’s also a wireless charger below the center stack, a big radio volume knob on the large screen, a stalk shifter on the steering column, and a power hatch in back.
In addition to the couple optional safety items the standard safety gear is solid. Smart cruise, emergency braking, forward collision alert, intersection automatic emergency braking, pedestrian and biker recognition, and reverse automatic braking, to name the key ones.
We’ve already mentioned this base LT’s attractive pricing, but naturally one can go higher and higher with the other three trims, depending on how rugged or sporty one needs. The Z71 model starts at $50,895, the High Country at $57,095, and the ultimate sportier model, the RS at a teenie bit more, $57,395. To me sporty and trucks don’t co-exist, but it’s your car loan.
One can compare the Acadia with its cousins, the Chevrolet Traverse or Buick Enclave. Other worthy considerations in this market include Kia’s Telluride, the Honda Pilot, Ford’s Explorer, and the popular hybrids Toyota Grand Highlander-9, Mazda’s CX-90, and Hyundai’s Palisade. All start in the same $40k-$50k price range.
FAST STATS: 2026 Chevrolet Traverse LT AWD
Hits: Attractive, roomy SUV with decent ride, good acceleration, AWD, Super Cruise, and 5 drive modes. Huge horizontal info screen, wireless charger, power hatch, Bose stereo, roomy interior, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, big radio volume knob, big toggles for climate controls, stalk shift lever, and extensive safety features.
Misses: Noisy engine under heavy acceleration, vague steering, trucky ride, no hybrid system, fairly flat seats, and no cooled front seats, driver seat memory buttons or sunroof.
Made in: Lansing, Mich.
Engine: 2.5-liter turbo I4, 328 hp/326 torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Weight: 4,504 lbs.
Wheelbase: 121 in.
Length: 204.5 in.
Cargo: 22.9-56.6-97.6 cu.ft.
Tow: 5,000 lbs.
Ground clearance: 6.8 in.
MPG: 20/24
MPG: 24.2 (tested)
Base Price: $44,795 (includes delivery)
Invoice: $42,826
Option:
Jet black Evotex seat trim, $1,000
Enhanced driving pkg. (Super Cruise, enhanced auto. park assist, driver attention assist, Bose premium audio w/12 speakers), $3,935
Midnight Sport Edition, (high-gloss black trim, badging and grille, 20-inch gloss black painted aluminum wheels), $2,285
Driver confidence pkg. (HD surround vision, 120-volt power outlet, rear pedestrian alert, traffic sign recognition, key card, rear camera mirror), $1,225
Test vehicle: $53,240
Sources: Chevrolet, www.kbb.com
