NHTSA has already weighed in and now the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has added its pair of pennies to the discussion: It's designated the Traverse a Top Safety Pick. This comes after Chevy's crossover scored the highest possible ratings in the organization's front, side, rear and rollover protection crash tests.
According to GM's media site, the designation applies to 2011 models built "after January." Keep in mind, though, that the 2011 model is basically a carryover from 2010.
Notes IIHS president Adrian Lund: "Car buyers shopping for safety get a big head start with vehicles earning our Top Safety Pick designation. This award highlights the elite group of vehicles that earn top Institute safety ratings across the board, and that have electronic stability control."
Hmm -- that's probably the only time you'll ever hear the word "elite" used in reference to the unpretentious Traverse. Congrats to the capable Chevy. It serves as a cooler-than-a-minivan-but-almost-as-functional sort of ride for many drivers, so having this accolade is an important feather in its cap.
Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor
firstwagon says:
12:28 AM, 03/12/11
Too bad it uses as much gas as a Suburban.
I also fail to see how this is cooler then a minivan.
louiswei says:
09:08 AM, 03/12/11
The Traverse is a very nice crossover, had one as a rental about a month ago, it was our vehicle of choice until we discovered the Ford Flex Limited...
bradyholt says:
12:08 PM, 03/12/11
"Keep in mind, though, that the 2011 model is basically a carryover from 2010."
Not in terms of its rollover safety. Writes IIHS: "Top Safety Pick only applies to Acadia, Traverse, and Enclave models manufactured after January 2011, because GM made running changes to improve roof strength for these models."
zeph says:
09:13 PM, 05/14/12
This is the last entry I can find for the Chevy Traverse longterm test. It is more than a year old. Did you guys never wrap this up? I'd like to read the conclusion. Thanks.