**The Chevrolet Traverse: A Refreshing Surprise**

The Chevrolet Traverse has been a subject of debate among automotive enthusiasts and critics alike. With its impressive capabilities, comfortable ride, and well-appointed interior, it's hard not to feel excited about this mid-size SUV. In fact, some might say that the Traverse is one of the best vehicles in its class.

**A Segment That Needs Improvement**

The small crossover segment has been a challenging market for manufacturers, with many models failing to live up to expectations. The Traverse is no exception, having faced criticism for its predecessors' poor quality and reliability issues. However, it's clear that Chevrolet took these concerns seriously and put in the effort to improve the latest model.

**A Well-Deserved Upgrade**

From a driving perspective, the Traverse is a joy to be behind the wheel of. Its handling is surprisingly good, with very little float at high speeds. The steering is direct, and the brakes are more than adequate for everyday driving. While it may not offer the most exciting experience, it's a reliable and competent vehicle that gets the job done.

**The Good, the Bad, and the Not-So-Good**

Like any vehicle, the Traverse has its strengths and weaknesses. One area where it falls short is in terms of infotainment systems. Some might argue that the Nissan and Honda offerings are superior in this regard. Additionally, while the interior is well-appointed, some may find the seats to be less comfortable than their competitors.

**A Price That's Hard to Beat**

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Traverse is its price point. Starting at just over $20,000, it's a compelling option for those looking for a reliable and feature-packed SUV. While some might argue that it's not worth the money due to concerns about long-term reliability, it's hard to deny the value proposition that Chevrolet offers here.

**A New Era for Chevrolet**

The Traverse represents a significant shift in Chevrolet's strategy. Historically, the brand has struggled with reliability issues and poor resale values in its small crossover segment. However, with this latest model, it seems that they've finally got it right. The Traverse is a testament to what can be achieved when manufacturers take the time to listen to feedback and put in the effort to improve.

**A Final Word of Caution**

While the Traverse is undoubtedly a great vehicle, it's essential to keep things in perspective. Historically, small crossovers have had poor residuals due to issues with durability and reliability. Therefore, it's crucial to do your research and consider the long-term costs of owning this vehicle. With that said, the Traverse is a solid choice for those looking for a reliable and feature-packed SUV.

**The Verdict**

In conclusion, the Chevrolet Traverse is a refreshingly good vehicle that deserves attention from buyers in its class. While it may not be perfect, it's undoubtedly one of the better options available. With its impressive capabilities, comfortable ride, and well-appointed interior, it's hard to argue with this vehicle. So, if you're in the market for a reliable and feature-packed SUV, the Traverse is certainly worth considering.

**Additional Thoughts**

The Traverse has been a pleasure to drive, and its performance is genuinely impressive. While some might find the infotainment system to be lacking, it's hard to deny the value proposition that Chevrolet offers here. With prices starting at just over $20,000, this vehicle is an attractive option for those looking for a reliable SUV.

**Mark's Thoughts**

Mark, who drove the Traverse, had some excellent words to say about the vehicle. He praised its handling and braking performance, finding it to be genuinely enjoyable. While he noted some areas where the Traverse falls short – such as the seats and infotainment system – overall, he was thoroughly impressed with this vehicle.

**Final Thoughts**

In conclusion, the Chevrolet Traverse is a solid choice for those looking for a reliable and feature-packed SUV. With its impressive capabilities, comfortable ride, and well-appointed interior, it's hard to argue with this vehicle. While some areas may be lacking, the Traverse is undoubtedly one of the better options available in its class.

**The Upside Down**

I was prepared to say some nice things about the Chevrolet Traverse, but what I didn't expect was how much I would enjoy driving it. In many ways, it's a refreshing surprise – a vehicle that truly gets it right in a segment where too often manufacturers seem to be phoning it in.

**A Brand Capable of Doing Amazing Things**

When Chevrolet puts its mind to something, they can produce truly exceptional vehicles. The Traverse is no exception, and it's clear that this brand has learned from their past mistakes. With the Traverse, they've delivered a vehicle that truly deserves attention – one that will leave buyers wondering how they ever lived without it.

**The Future of Chevrolet**

While there are still areas where the Traverse could improve, it's hard not to feel optimistic about this brand's future. By taking feedback from critics and buyers seriously, Chevrolet has produced a vehicle that truly meets expectations. The Traverse is a testament to what can be achieved when manufacturers put in the effort to listen and improve.

**A Final Word**

In conclusion, the Chevrolet Traverse is a solid choice for those looking for a reliable and feature-packed SUV. While it may not be perfect, it's undoubtedly one of the better options available. With its impressive capabilities, comfortable ride, and well-appointed interior, it's hard to argue with this vehicle. So, if you're in the market for a reliable SUV, don't overlook the Traverse – give it a test drive today!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enoh the 2024 Chevrolet Tracks the second generation now before we talk about how it drives in the engineering I think it's important we discuss the elephant in the room and that is this class of American steel or in this case Korean steel is not a class of vehicle we have been particularly kind towards you can tell we don't really think the brands put a lot of effort into this class of car and the the reality part is because they didn't now this generation track allegedly fixes those issues so let's talk about how from an exterior perspective they've changed this vehicle dramatically obviously it's a different architecture but is now 11 in longer it has a longer wheelbase to support that it is a wider car than it used to be it is a shorter car so it's got a more aggressive stance and overall I think the exterior styling is Miles better it no longer looks like a jelly bean now it looks like a a more generic NPC mobile with hints of H in Kia styling which is not a bad thing from an interior perspective because the exterior is grown it's more usable you have a bigger trunk looking at like 25 cubic feet of cargo capacity right in line with the HRV and the Nissan kicks of the world the rear seats yes it's a torsion beam it's not the most comfortable place to be when it comes to ride quality and seats but you now have 3 in extra leg room which is a good thing the front seats well I think the HRV has better seats than this to be entirely transparent they're not horrific and the seating position and the actual visibility is great usable door pockets and all of the controls are traditional and physical and not gimmicky which is great everything from the h fact and the infotainment yes there is a lot of piano black in this interior where fingerprints will no doubt Fon every inch of the piano black but at least it doesn't look entirely cheap you have the two threaded screens all that other fun stuff um audio system it's a generic no-name audio system and it's really not that bad it's actually better than something you find say in a Honda Passport or ridg line now with all that said let's head in the shop and put this thing up on the lift in the shop with the 2024 Chevrolet Tracks the second generation tracks I want to walk you through a philosophical conversation about small domestic cars and why historically they've been boxes with a few exceptions most of the domestic Brands and Senior leadership have not cared about these cars they are Rel relatively low earning low margin and they thought the only reason you bought these things is you didn't know any better basically you stumbled and drunk into a dealership other reason is the way engineering resources are allocated in domestic Brands traditionally their small segment non Prestige Cars like the tracks like things like the Dodge Caliber are where Junior Engineers go to cut their teeth and as they become more proficient in their job they develop their skills they learn more they move on to bigger and better projects that's not the case again in the foreign Brands like Honda in the case of Honda the same guys who work on the Gen one and gen 2 NSX also work on Honda Civic and the K cars and the minivans Toyota's the same way Volkswagen's the same way because their Engineers work on multiple products and they move around that skill set and that engineering Talent gets distributed more equally across all of their product lines again not something the domestic brands have traditionally done now back to the tracks the tracks this second generation is trying to remedy all of the variety of issues the first gen had which again was an absolute piece of garbage this car now is an entirely different platform they went from gamma 2 to vssf it is still built in Korea it's still engineered by Koreans but again maximum effort because this is now a car that has to be that entry level product for Chevrolet ownership it's your window into affordability for the Chevrolet line and replaces Vehicles like the crews and some of their other small cars I'm sure sooner or later it's going to replace things like the Trailblazer it is still a budget architecture it's strut front it's compound crank rear or torsion beam rear suspension everything is steel with you know a few exceptions and there are not a ton of aop panels but this is now a longer wheel-based vehicle than it used to be by several inches the overall package is 11 in longer it's a lower car it's a wider vehicle and all of that improves improves the Dynamics behind the Driving Experience they've also added more AO panels and nvh panels versus the prior generation tracks to make it a quieter car when it comes to serviceability your oil filter is easy to access I'm sure all parts are incredibly cheap and easy to get to when it comes to your drivetrain options the tracks unlike the Trailblazer comes One Way front-wheel drive which honestly you put snow tires on this thing I'm sure it'll be just as good as the traillblazer or other ond demand small CUV the drivetrain what what you need to know is that prior generation engine had an unbelievable number of issues from Turbo problems the general liability issues This 1.2 they now have one engine for the tracks at least here in the US it has a new cranked shaft it's brand new engine and they're trying to fix many of the issues with the prior generation vehicle it's a 1.2 L 3-cylinder turbocharged engine it makes 137 horsepower 162 ft-lbs of torque and gets a whopping 30 m per gallon combined then this thing weighs about 3,000 lb while that does not sound impressive when you compare it to all of his competitors like the kicks and HRV it's right in the same miles per gallon range and it does not have a CVT which from a drivability perspective is a big Improvement now with all that said I think it's time for us to go take this for a drive with Mark so he can experience the tracks Chevy tracks Mark second generation 1.2 L turbocharged yes a wheel spin it's time to test those brakes oh oh I'm going to have a cervical surgery man I haven't felt that much geez look there GT3 RS and then there's Chevy tracks when it comes to Breaking performance yeah it's incredible so uh when Jack pulled up to the house he woke me up he's like hey buddy got work to do he pulls up I'm like why do we have a Hyundai out there he's like no it's not a Hyundai it's not a Tucson it's a tra I peaked your interest when that happened Mar yeah really really did all right it's well known our viewers have seen some of our other let's call them compact subcompact American car videos in the past yeah they're turds yes like the thing in front of us zero effort just some commodity box that the B Team put together and sold because the general expectation for a long time by American brands is their consumers like stumble into their dealers who are looking for cheap vehicles drunk have no credit are desperate and don't test drive anything else today 2024 the general consumer is getting smarter they're trying to spend more time doing their research cuz cars are more money than they've ever been and this tracks I can't believe I'm saying this is actually pretty okay it really is and when you factor the fact that it's not $35,000 like the Trailblazer that this thing is $26,000 or 27 fully loaded it starts at 20,500 doesn't have a CVT it's got reasonable interior good visibility ride quality is all right the steering works it's attached to something at least for the front occupants it rides pretty well it's not a bad car yeah what do you think I mean you drove this around you had the pleasure to Pilot the tracks around the Mean Streets of barington the the thing with affordable cars is you've had a blueprint for the better half of 25 years of how to do compact cars small cars this is no different it's just an SUV CUV form factor so GM feel handling oh Jesus Oh some lift off over steer in the oh yeah oh please oh oh oh yeah yeah oh that's some handle impressive yeah you're saying I've kind of lost my train of thought but yeah uh so the blueprint has been there for a long time I just don't feel like the American brands have prioritized putting any effort into these uh they just like oh they're low margin you know just just get it out so this is a a great example of okay now they've taken the blueprints of what essentially what Hyundai and Kia do great essentially perfected yeah and just took it copied it and then put their own flare on it and it it works really well for what it is because the price is at a place that is completely digestible so any excuses or any problems that you could could potentially have with it are scrubbed by the fact that you can get in and buy this and you're probably going to get it under sticker there's going to be a lot of them out there the big X Factor for me is you know unlike buying uh a shitbox Honda or Toyota from the past where you knew they were going to run until the thing completely rust apart like Corolla Cross or Civic yeah these have had a historically really bad reliability yeah engine problems like just things that you don't want to deal with so I my hope would be and I know they've done some mechanical running changes on the engine uh you know you're downsizing the engine now yeah it's a new engine family it's it's a new powertrain That's My Hope too I I hope so because it really like I said to me the excuses go out the window after a long period of time you know we know how to do internal combustion we've been doing it forever these small compact cars are not something that gets stressed dynamically somebody's not running it at like Max load for high high long periods of time so they should be working and they should be lasting and this feels at least on the surface so I go around this Postman P yeah please don't hit them nice remember the American Workforce I would do that yeah you're saying no I just my hope is I I I hope that they have it sorted out because they have made a lot of changes here that seems like they really do care um and that core buyer that's looking at this needs something that's going to work you know like you're not buying this because you have to have it you buy it because you need a car and in this class of vehicle you know there are a lot of choices and to your point you know you kind of harped on me like well look at the the pit of this segment they're not that great oh they're all bad so they they I feel like they did a good job here it drives good it rides really well for what it is even though it's a torsion beam in the back it it doesn't feel like it's bouncing all over the place it's relatively quiet it's well-appointed you don't feel like the previous generation tracks where it's like a complete embarrassment this is not an embarr as a brand it's not an embarrassment and you don't feel embarrassed to be in here because it does do everything quite well and it does the space thing well you know so to me there there's no reason other than the X Factor what residuals are going to be all right yeah and potential long-term reliability not to buy this thing and I'm not saying this one is going to be bad we just don't know cuz the last one was not good they're saying that it's going to be better yes you know and I I really hope for their sake it is because I see them selling a lot of these I do see them selling a shitload of them and I'd like to see a good quality product in this segment from them or any American brand and they they will continue to do well um CU this brand is capable of doing amazing things when they try you just have to put the effort in and I think they they did that here I guess we'll find out in three years from now in the comments when people like I bought this thing and the thing's you know my mechanic said are you stupid you know and that this historically what's been happening with their box like economy cars is they're just they're not made for longevity and I I I hope to God this thing is meets meets that expectation again before we wrap this up you know for the five people who care about what this thing's like dynamically outside of the stupid thing I just did in the round about it actually handles pretty well at high speed there's very little float be sitting at like 80 mph on the highway the steering is fairly direct you know the brakes obviously don't have a tremendous amount of braking power you know Jokes Aside but they're more than adequate reasonable feel it's it's not a bad car and unlike a lot of the older you know like a a caliber or something like the old or like a compass you don't lose the will to live when you're behind the wheel is this exciting no but is it a totally competent car like an HRV yeah yes yeah and you drove this a lot and I I know you drove it a lot probably not because do I drive the Z6 to Autobon or do I drive the tracks I'm like the tracks but this is this is a vehicle to be fair like if you gave me the old tracks or the Blazer that we just got over whatever the hell the Trail Blazer um this is something that you you would want to drive yeah you know it really is particularly for the price yes I I really appreciate what they did here and I I wish them the best and I hope that it stays reliable for the people that are going to buy it all right so with that Mark let's head into the final thoughts final thoughts on the Chevrolet Tracks this is truly the upside down as I'm about to say nice things about a tracks this is really not a bad car again if this thing was $30,000 or $35,000 we'd be having a different conversation the fact that it starts at just over $20,000 and is essentially fully loaded at 2526 this is a really compelling small vehicle and in many ways it's better to drive than its competition it doesn't have a CVT it's not horrible to look at it's a Well packaged car from an interior perspective are there some deficiencies here and there versus this competition yes I think the Nissan and the Honda have better seats and you could maybe argue the infotainment on the Honda is better and yada yada y but as a vehicle to test drive in this class it's near the top and that is not something I thought I would ever say now there's another conversation to have as well and that is this class of car in general historically these small cuvs have had really poor residuals so it's important you do your homework on your cost to own versus say a used offering of like a Civic sport or a CRV or a RF 4 figure out what it's actually going to cost you to own over 5 to seven years and then make up your mind so with that thanks for watching and I hope to see you soon\n"