2019 Chevrolet Traverse: The SUV for When Carpooling Kids is your Life
To keep life on track you need the right car.
Consider the 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. I recently drove the 2019 Chevy Traverse Premiere edition for a week and I didn’t want to give it back. Seriously. It was the ultimate vehicle for the carpool lane. The 3rd row makes this a 7 or 8 seater, perfect for when the school run calls. It’s packed with technology that makes the ride safer, more efficient and more comfortable. If you are loading tweens and/or teens in your carpool during this back to school season, you will especially appreciate the extra USB ports: Chargers for everyone! And, if they are cold from standing outside they’ll appreciate the heated front and second row seats.
Related: Read a full review of the Chevy Traverse here
What We Loved
I really appreciated the Surround Vision camera, which gives you a 360 bird’s eye view around the car. This makes car pool pick up so much easier and safer. Not only is it great for pulling into tight parking spots or inching forward in the pick up line, but you can also make sure that all the kiddos have walked away from the car and it’s safe to drive off.
For families like mine who use the 3rd row every day, it’s important to have easy access to it. And if you are carpooling kids, it’s super important to be able to get kids in and out quickly and easily. The 2019 Chevy Traverse offers “Smart Slide” on the 2nd-row passenger side seat. Even if a car seat is installed in that seat, you can move it forward and angle it to get access to the 3rd row. Get those kids in and out!
Related: Does the Chevy Traverse Pass the Ultimate Car Seat Challenge? The Best 3 Row SUVs for Child Car Seats
Related The Best 7 Seater SUVs for Back to School Carpools
What It Costs
- L Trim (can seat 8) starts at $29,930 MSRP
- LS Trim (can seat 8) starts at $32,900 MSRP
- LT Trim starts at $35,400 MSRP
- Redline Edition (includes a 2.0L Turbocharged 4-Cylinder engine) starts at $43,100 MSRP
- Premiere starts at $45,500 MSRP
- High Country Trim (heated and ventilated front seats, 8-inch color touchscreen) starts at $50,900 MSRP
What’s New For 2019
- Chromed roof rails available on some packages
- Silver-painted aluminum wheels on certain models
- Automatic heated steering wheel in the Premier and High Country trim levels
- 360-degree camera system in the LT Premium edition plus 20-inch aluminum wheels, a rear camera mirror, a Bose stereo, navigation and a power outlet.
A Midsize SUV with the Space of a Full Size SUV
The 2019 Chevy Traverse is technically a midsize SUV, but it offers a substantial amount of space. It really lets you stretch out. Look for the longer wheelbase on the newer models of the Chevy Traverse which can be felt especially in the 2nd and 3rd rows. You can even fit three car seats in the 3rd row. That’s AWESOME for families like mine who have had lots of kids in car seats. At one point, I had 4 kids in car seats! I’m now down to one!
Useful Safety Options
Of course, Chevrolet gives you the capability you can depend on. It gives you the technology to help keep you (and the kids too) on track and in touch. The Traverse also offers advanced safety features that allow you to drive with confidence, despite any weather or traffic conditions. Look for:
- Intellibeams Headlights: This automatically raises your headlights to high beams when traveling on dark roads. Then, when you encounter another car or are in a well-lit place, your high beams are automatically turned off.
- Lane Departure Warning: If you are driving and start drifting out of the lane (maybe because your carpooling kids who don’t know how to be QUIET), Lane Departure Warning will alert you.
- Forward Collision Alert: If you are getting too close to the car in front of you, you will hear an alert to let you know to slow down. This was super helpful when traffic stops suddenly on the freeway.
- Side Blind Zone Alert: This is probably the safety feature I use the most. Before shifting lanes, I just look in the side mirror and it alerts me if there is another vehicle in my blind spot. It’s a huge help!
The school year is in full swing and I’m starting to feel like an Uber driver for my kids and their friends. But for now, carpooling my kids is my life. At least I can do it in style and comfort!
Disclosure: Chevrolet provided the Traverse for this story; all opinions are my own.
Categorized:Car Reviews SUVs