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Styling Review

2011 Chevrolet Traverse - Styling Review

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Styling Bottom Line

Practicality, not styling, is the strong suit for the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse inside and out. Read more »

Likes

Passenger-friendly interior
Good feature set
Refined ride

Dislikes

High cargo floor
Laden driving feel
Hesitant transmission

MSRP FROM $29,370

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Bengt Halvorson

Deputy Editor BIO

Bengt Halvorson is Deputy Editor of High Gear Media's portfolio of car sites, overseeing the production of reviews, evaluating vehicles firsthand... More

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#2LEADERBOARD RANK
2662ARTICLES CONTRIBUTED
108COMMENTS POSTED

May 12, 2011

Overall Review » 8

Interior / Exterior » 7

Performance » 7

Quality » 9

Safety » 9

Features » 8

Fuel Economy / MPG » 6

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STYLING | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

picks up styling cues from the Malibu sedan
MSN Autos

strangely shaped, undersized rear window
Automobile Magazine

Stylish interior design presents well at a distance.
Consumer Guide

In a word, the styling of the 2011 Chevrolet Traverse is mainstream. The Traverse lacks the chunky, truck-inspired lines of the GMC Acadia or the flow of the Buick Enclave (both are closely related), but its simple design has an air of minimalistic elegance that we find charming. There's clearly a lot of design influence shared with Chevrolet's cars—especially the Malibu—including the tall, horizontally divided grille. But next to the somewhat smaller Equinox, the Traverse is a little less adorned, a little more bland. The three Traverse models—LS, LT, and LTZ—are distinguished mainly by wheels, with top LTZ models available with especially flashy chrome 20-inchers.

As with the exterior, the cabin of the Traverse is functional but by no means exciting. The low-key theme continues, but in a sea of overwrought luxury interiors, it's actually refreshing. The exception is up close, where the hard plastics that are used too often throughout the interior don't stand up so well.