Three Reasons Why the 2016 Traverse is a Perfect Family SUV

It can be tough for large families to target a potential vehicle. They’ll obviously be eyeing cargo room, and technology will also be prioritized. Of course, you also want a safe vehicle that assures protection for your children. Plus, considering money might be tight with such a large family, you’re probably not looking for something too expensive.

Luckily, the affordable Traverse is no stranger to producing family vehicles. The vehicle was previously named a Parents Magazine/Edmunds.com Top Family Car, and it’s also been named one of Kelley Blue Book’s 12-Best Family Cars. The SUV offers everything you and your family could want: room, technology, and safety features.

To learn why the 2016 Chevy Traverse makes such an excellent family vehicle, continue reading after the break…

Room/Spaciousness

If you have children, you’re aware that they have a ton of cargo. Whether you have to haul a school project or all of their sports gear, you’re often wishing your vehicle had more cargo room. That won’t be an issue with the 2016 Traverse, as the sports utility vehicle offers some class-leading specs for cargo space.

The vehicle can be adapted to serve any interior configuration you think is necessary. If you need to store your family’s ski equipment, you can simply fold down the rear seats or second-row captain’s chairs. If you’re on a long trip and need to access a cooler from the back, the passengers can simply utilize the Smart Slide second-row seating technology, allowing the occupants to easily access their third row or trunk. The engineers complemented their cargo room with a power-remote liftgate, meaning you’ll never have to struggle to load or unload some heavy cargo. In short, the Traverse is the ideal vehicle for loading, storing, and unloading any luggage.

In total, owners can expect a class-leading maximum cargo room of 116.3-cubic-feet. When the second row is up, that number is cut to 70.3-cubic-feet, and the number decreases to 24.4-cubic-feet with all of the rows up (which are still mighty impressive specs). The interior dimensions are quite generous, with an abundance of room in the front (40.4-inches of head room, 58-inches of hip room, 41.3-inches of leg room, 61.5-inches of shoulder room), second row (39.4 inches, 57.8 inches, 36.8 inches, 61 inches), and third row (37.8 inches, 48.3 inches, 33.2 inches, 57.6 inches).

Still looking for more room to store all of your cargo and luggage? Thanks to the impressive 3.6-liter V6 engine (capable of producing 281/288 horsepower and 266/270 pounds-feet of torque), the Traverse can deliver an incredible 5,200-pound towing capacity. This means you’ll never have to make multiple trips or leave cargo behind, as you can haul it all behind you with the Traverse.

Technology

We understand that it’s difficult to keep your children entertained during a long ride. Once their multimedia gadgets run out of battery, you’re desperately trying to find a way to keep them from going crazy. Luckily, all of their phones and tablets will never lose juice in the Traverse, as there are three standard USB ports found throughout the interior. The internet will consistently be right at their finger tips, as the vehicle comes available with Bluetooth wireless technology and available 4G LTE Wi-Fi capabilities. To put it over the top, the Traverse can also include a rear-seat entertainment system, meaning your rear passengers can connect anything from a DVD player or a gaming system! If there’s any complaint, it may be that your child will be too occupied, forcing you to find opportunities to have conversations. Of course, considering the alternative, we don’t think that’s so bad.

Of course, there’s plenty of technology to entertain the driver and front passenger, as well. The 6.5-inch color touch-screen allows the driver to access important information, like vehicle diagnostics. However, the screen will also serve as an entertainment system, as drivers can enjoy both Sirius XM Satellite Radio and the streaming Pandora Internet Radio. That’s not all, of course, as the screen also allows you to take advantage of OnStar’s Turn-by-Turn Navigation system and the Chevy MyLink technology, which allows drivers to seamlessly connect their phone with their vehicle.

Safety

If you’ll be driving often with your whole family, you want a vehicle that will assure protection in case of a collision. The Traverse was built using high-strength materials that should absorb the majority of any impact, and you’ll also be protected by the six standard air bags (including the new front-center air bags that prevent front occupants from colliding). Of course, the engineers weren’t going to stop there, as the Traverse also includes a number of innovative technological features that will help protect the vehicle’s occupants in case of an emergency.

The StabiliTrak Electronic Stability Control System (with included Traction Control) will ensure that your vehicle can properly travel through any kind of conditions, thus preventing any accidents due to spin outs. There’s also the available Side Blind Zone Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Alert system, preventing you from colliding with an “invisible” driver, and the available Forward Collision Alert, which will anticipate a potential crash and adjust accordingly.

Finally, the OnStar technology will ensure that help will be on its way in the case of an emergency. The Automatic Crash Response technology will connect you with an OnStar Advisor, who will subsequently use your GPS to find your vehicle and send emergency personnel. Even if you’re unable to respond, you can expect the OnStar system to still send help.

Need one more factor to put the Traverse over the top? The SUV costs a reasonable $28,700, meaning you won’t have to stretch your budget. As you read, there’s no better option for a large family than the Traverse. There’s plenty of room to store cargo, there’s an abundance of technology to keep everyone entertained and occupied, and there are a number of safety features, assuring the vehicle’s occupants will remain safe. With the vehicle in tow, you can now convince your family to go on that lengthy road trip/vacation you’ve been planning… and considering all the Traverse has to offer, we’re sure they’ll be enthusiastic about the idea.