Last Call: 2024 Chevy Traverse is perfect for you and Santa Claus

If you need a workhorse that also offers some of the refinements of 21^st Century living, the 2024 Chevy Traverse is definitely worth your consideration.

The competition in this area (like the Hyundai Santa Fe and Honda Pilot) is fierce.  What makes the Traverse notable is its starting price and considerable interior room.

Leave the third-row seats up (yes, there is a third row, but I would advise against most bears using it), and you will get 23 cubic feet to haul all your holiday packages away. 

Put that third row down, and suddenly you have almost 58 cubic feet to buy even more gifts for your local children’s charity.  Put the second row down, and now you have almost 100 cubic feet of space, almost as much as Santa’s sleigh. 

Gone is the V6 of last year, replaced with an inline-4 turbo that offers 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque. I found the engine performance to be good overall, and this smaller engine helps boost fuel economy, which comes in at an average 21 miles-per-gallon.

For a mid-sized SUV that starts at $37,600 US, the standard features are considerable.  Some of the standouts include navigation (normally an ‘extra’), triple-zone climate control, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, hands-free power liftgate and a touchscreen that is almost 18 inches.

If you want to comfortably carry four bears plus you, make sure to get the second-row bench seats. Don’t worry about slimming down this holiday season; just make sure you have the credit line for all the shopping you may be doing. 

Standard safety features include a 360-degree camera system (which I absolutely love), lane-keep assist, blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic alerts, forward collision warning with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control and (most important of all IMHO) safety seat alerts, which buzz your seat when you are getting too close to something. 

Go up the food chain and power seats, captain’s chairs, panoramic sunroof and 10-speaker Bose audio can be part of the package.

I tested the Z71 trim with All-Wheel Drive and remote vehicle start. What a joy that was, especially when the road isn’t exactly smooth as asphalt. This one has a higher ground clearance, aluminum underbody, all-terrain tires and other goodies for those of you who are adventurous – or who get lost easily following dicey navigation commands.

Know upfront that midsized SUVs are quite large, so parking, especially in the gayborhood, can be tricky. 

Like anything else in your Bear life, make sure you have plenty of room for this unassuming big boy. He may look average just sitting there, but pop it out in public or on the highway and you really will have to use both hands.

Yes, we all know that feeling.