2026 Chevrolet Traverse vs the Competition

The Ford Explorer is one of the oldest continuously produced SUVs ever. The Explorer is available in rear- or all-wheel drive. There are four trim levels: Active, ST-Line, Platinum, and ST. There are two engines: a turbocharged four-cylinder and a turbocharged V6.

• The Explorer’s base 2.3-liter engine loses the power and torque battle to the Traverse with 28 fewer horsepower and 16 fewer lb-ft of torque. 
• The Explorer with the base 2.3-liter engine needs premium octane fuel to make its quoted 300 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. The Traverse, however, only needs regular 87 octane.
• While an advanced hands-free driver-assistance technology, Ford’s BlueCruise has around 130,000 miles of highways mapped across America and Canada. The Chevy Traverse with SuperCruise has more than 750,000 miles of highways mapped through the U.S. and Canada.
• With the third row in place, the Ford has 16.3 cubic feet of space, while the Traverse has 23.0 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. 
• The Traverse has more than 10 extra cubic feet when the third row of seats is folded, with 56.6 cubic feet compared to the Explorer’s 46.0 cubic feet.
• When all seats are folded, the Explorer has a maximum cargo capacity of 85.8 cubic feet, whereas the Traverse has a total of 97.6 cubic feet when the second and third rows are folded, which is almost 12.0 cubic feet more. That difference fits up to six suitcases and bags.
• Even though the Explorer has three rows of seats, it can seat up to seven people, whereas the Traverse can seat up to eight.
• Speaking of three rows, the Explorer has a smaller third-row seat, with 40.9 inches of hip room and 54.6 inches of shoulder room. The Chevy Traverse features 48.6 and 57.7 inches of hip and shoulder room for third-row passengers, respectively.
• The driver and front and rear passengers will be very happy with the legroom of the Traverse, with an extra 1.3 and 1.5 inches of room over the Explorer.

The Kia Telluride is all-new for 2027. It now comes in either a 274-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged engine or a 329-horsepower turbocharged hybrid driveline. It can be configured in either front- or all-wheel drive and can seat up to eight passengers.

• The Kia Telluride has a fuel tank capacity of 19.0 gallons and achieves up to 26 highway mpg, which equates to a total highway range of 494 miles. The Chevrolet Traverse, however, will drive over 523 miles in FWD guise.
• The Telluride all-wheel drive (AWD) has about 456 miles of highway range compared to the Traverse AWD’s 520 miles.
• Chevrolet managed to give the Traverse 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque from a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine for customers to use when towing, moving through traffic, getting on the highway, and the like. The Telluride, however, has 54 fewer horsepower and 15 fewer lb-ft of torque from its standard 2.5-liter turbocharged engine. This means that the Telluride could have a tougher time pulling a trailer or boat in various conditions and has less power when merging onto the highway.
• Buyers can easily be confused by the ten different trim levels for the Telluride: LX, S, EX, SX, SX X-Line, SXP, EX X-Line, SXP X-Line, EX X-Pro, and SXP X-Pro. The Chevrolet has four trim levels: LT, Z71, High Country, and RS.
• Chevrolet believes the third row isn’t just meant for small kids, which is why it gave the Traverse 48.6 inches of hip room when sitting in the third row. Compare this to just 44.5 in the Kia, and you can see why buyers would prefer the Chevy.
• The driver and front passenger of the Telluride may feel a bit cramped with 41.4 inches of legroom, which is significantly less legroom than the 44.3 inches of leg stretching room in the Traverse.
• Shoulder room is very important as it helps passengers feel less cramped on a trip. The 61.6, 61.2, and 55.3 inches of shoulder room pale in comparison to the Chevrolet Traverse with its 62.3, 62.2, and 57.7 inches.

The Toyota Grand Highlander is the brand’s go-to three-row SUV. It is also a response to the growing list of three-row crossover SUVs that have the ride and feel of cars and the utility of SUVs. The Grand Highlander offers customers a mix of both gasoline and hybrid engines.

• Toyota’s Grand Highlander isn’t so grand when it comes to cargo capacity. Its 20.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row of seats is 2.4 cubic feet less than that of the Chevrolet Traverse.
• The Grand Highlander features a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 265 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque, which is 63 fewer horsepower and 16 fewer lb-ft of torque than the 2.5-liter turbocharged engine in the Traverse.
• Because of its relatively small 17.83-gallon fuel tank, the Grand Highlander with all-wheel drive can only achieve 463 miles of pure highway range, which is considerably fewer than the 520 all-highway miles that the Traverse AWD can travel.
• The base trim Grand Highlander XLE has a starting MSRP of $45,080, a considerable price hike over the Traverse LT at $41,995.
• All 2026 Chevrolet Traverse models come standard with a 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen. The Toyota Grand Highlander, however, comes standard with a 12.3-inch touchscreen display. There are no larger screens available.
• While the Grand Highlander makes you think of something grand in size, passengers will have much less room in the Toyota than in the Chevy. Below shows how much more space (in inches) the Traverse has over the Grand Highlander: 
  • Headroom: Front / Second / Third: 2.6 / 1.5 / 1.1 
  • Legroom: Front / Second: 2.6 / 2 
  • Shoulder room: Front / Second / Third: 2.1 / 3.4 / .2 
  • Hip room: Front / Second / Third: 2.2 / 1.6 / 2.9 

Like the Chevrolet Traverse, the Volkswagen Atlas is a strong contender in this size class. It is powered by a 269-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and offers even more cargo space. Buyers can choose from five trim levels: SE, SE with Technology, Peak Edition, SEL, and SEL Premium R-Line.

• The Atlas has a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. And while that is an improvement over the model it replaces, it is not enough to match the Chevrolet Traverse with its 2.5-liter turbocharged engine that delivers 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, which helps a lot when you are towing, merging onto the highway, or just driving around town.
• When comparing fuel mileage, the Atlas delivers 372 miles of range on a mix of city and highway driving, which is not a lot, given that the Traverse, with its 23 mpg on the combined cycle, allows drivers to travel nearly 450 miles. No one wants to stop more often to fill up.
• The Chevy Traverse comes standard with a 17.7-inch infotainment touchscreen display, which is 5.1 inches larger than the 12.0-inch display available on the Atlas.
• Cargo capacity is increased in the new Atlas to 20.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 55.6 cubic feet with the third row folded, and finally 96.6 cubic feet when all rows are folded down. The Traverse, however, features 23.0 cubic feet behind the third row, 56.6 cubic feet when the third row is folded, and a grand total of 97.6 cubic feet when the second and third rows are folded flat. While that may not seem like a whole lot of extra capacity, remember that airlines require a carry-on bag to be no larger than 22 inches by 14 inches by 9 inches, which equals 1.6 cubic feet.
• The 2026 Chevy Traverse offers quite a bit more space for passengers’ legs, with 44.3 inches of legroom for the driver and front passenger and 41.5 inches for second-row riders, which is 2.6 and 3.9 inches of extra room over the Volkswagen. The extra space will be appreciated on longer drives, especially since the front passenger can recline their seat farther without the rear passenger losing much legroom.
• While the VW Atlas can seat up to seven people, the Traverse can be equipped with a second-row bench seat, allowing up to eight passengers to fit comfortably.
• Third-row occupants in the Traverse will be far more comfortable, especially if they are older and taller, as they will have an extra 3.5 inches of hip room and 2.8 inches of shoulder room over the Atlas.
• Buyers who like to pack their SUV and visit family and friends will appreciate the 1,601 pounds of maximum payload capacity in the Traverse, which is 510 pounds more than the Atlas offers owners.