First Week of School, First Week of Carpool: The Traverse in Late August

The engine is a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder producing 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, with seating for seven passengers or eight on the LT, featuring Smart Slide in the second row, an AutoSense Power Liftgate, and a 17.7-inch touchscreen.

The carpool list is sent out at the end of August, which is when individuals discover that their vehicle isn't suitable.

It's okay to have four children and a driver, but if someone's mother asks whether you can take a fifth then there's the issue of the backpack, the cello, and a child who can't climb over a seat due to the cast on his arm.

By the second week of September, three rows ceases to be a luxury.

What the Traverse is now

If you looked at a Traverse a few years ago, then one thing has changed and that is the fact that the V6 engine is no longer there.

Each Traverse is now equipped with a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The V6 engine that it has replaced produced 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. Thus, the new four-cylinder engine loses nothing but gains 18 horsepower and 60 lb-ft of torque, which represents an increase in torque of more than 22 percent.

One might object to this on principle since a four-cylinder engine in a three-row family SUV appears to be a step down; however, you should test drive one before making your decision, since the figures indicate that this is not the case and the way it accelerates away from a stop sign when seven people are seated also shows that it is not the case.

The available trims are LT, RS, Z71, and High Country; towing capacity is 5,000 pounds when properly equipped throughout the range. Since the LS base trim is no longer offered, the LT is now the lowest trim level.

In 2027 the changes are minor. There are two new paint colors, the wheel designs have been revised across the trims, and there is a new interior camera which is used for cabin glance and security recording. This camera is fitted as standard on the RS and High Country models and is available on the LT and Z71 models, where it is included as part of a driver confidence package that also includes a rear camera mirror, surround vision, traffic sign recognition and rear pedestrian alert. Nothing mechanical has been altered.

When you're carpooling, that camera is the change to focus on. Cabin Glance provides a live view of the second and third rows on the central screen, so you don't need to turn around when at a traffic light to check on a child.

The seating question, which you should settle first

You are given a choice that most of the other models do not offer: either seven passengers in second-row captain's chairs or eight in second-row benches.

Sort this out before considering any other options, since it reduces your choice to just one. The RS and High Country models come with second-row captain's chairs and seat seven, and that remains the case with all the packages. The Z71 also has a seven-passenger configuration. Therefore, if you ever need eight seats, you should be looking at the LT.

When you get there, don't hesitate to ask, as the production runs do change and the person who looks at the actual build sheet knows more than any article does.

It's something you should verify yourself rather than rely on any article, including this one. Smart Slide operates by sliding and tilting the second-row seat forward in order to provide access to the third row. It's worth checking at the dealership with the real vehicle whether you get the same function when using the bench instead of the captain's chairs. Pull the handle for both seating arrangements yourself. If for you third-row access on a daily basis is more important than the eighth seat, then that five-minute test could determine which configuration you end up with.

The importance of Smart Slide at 7:40 a.m.

The argument in question is the one based on carpooling.

With Smart Slide you can move the second-row seat forward in a single movement so that a child can reach the third row by pulling on one handle.

It may seem like a small thing until you do it twice each morning, five days a week, in the driveway of a house in Litchfield in February, with a child holding a trombone case. Vehicles that turn third-row access into a two-step wrestling match lose their appeal quickly.

The second feature is the AutoSense Power Liftgate, which opens up without you having to press a button or kick it. It detects that you're standing behind it using the key fob, and loading three backpacks and a grocery run while holding a coffee is exactly the kind of situation it was designed for.

The third row is real, within limits

The third row of many three-row SUVs is technically a seat and not much more.

The Traverse does offer sufficient space, and it is fair to acknowledge the point at which its capacity ends. The third-row legroom measures 32.1 inches, a figure that is on the smaller side for cars in this category. Children will fit comfortably, for as long as you need them to. Adults can fit just enough for a trip to Waterbury rather than all the way to Boston. Therefore, you should go and sit in it before deciding which category your carpool will fall into.

The cargo space behind the third row measures 22.9 cubic feet and is therefore sufficient to handle a typical trip to the grocery store when all seven or eight seats are in use. If you fold down the seats, the space reaches nearly 98 cubic feet, the highest in its class.

The figure for cargo behind the third row is the one you should weigh; the maximum cargo capacity is based on the assumption that you have folded down the seats that you bought the car for.

About that screen

All the trims come with a 17.7-inch touchscreen, an 11-inch driver display, Google built-in, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

I would like to put the record straight on this point: a large screen in the dashboard does not have the effect of keeping the rear seats quiet; it is actually a feature designed for the front seat. Its purpose is to allow the driver to carry out navigation, music selection and control of the climate without having to browse through various menus, something that is important when your attention is already divided among six different things on Route 202.

If the real aim is to keep the children occupied, then that is a problem associated with headphones and tablets, not one that relates to the dashboard. One should not be sold a touchscreen as a method of discipline.

It's worth knowing that Super Cruise, GM's hands-free highway system, is fitted as standard on the RS and High Country models through the Enhanced Driving Package; on the LT and Z71 models it is available via the same package rather than being standard. So if a hands-free assist is something you're looking for, price it on the trim you actually want.

What it costs

The Traverse sits in the middle of the segment and is priced alongside the Telluride, Palisade, Pilot, Explorer, Pathfinder and Highlander; on each trim that offers it, all-wheel drive is an extra charge and the Z71 has it as standard.

Find out the current price for the particular configuration you wish to buy, including the destination charge, rather than basing your decision on a figure given in any article. Then cross-shop it. Since this is a competitive market there is no justification for selecting the first three-row model you sit in.

Where to look in Torrington

The Northwest Hills Chevrolet, which is located on East Main Street in Torrington, is the local Chevrolet dealership. You should phone them before visiting and request that both an LT fitted with captain's chairs and an LT with a bench be ready, since the entire decision depends on comparing the two vehicles and you can't do this from a brochure.

When you're there, carry out three things.

Bring the car seats you actually use and install them. Fit and access vary more than any spec sheet suggests, and a seat that works in one layout may block the path to the third row in another.

Place a child in the third row and go round the block, then take the seat in the third row yourself, since 32.1 inches has a different meaning for you than it does on paper.

Fill the trunk with all the things that you actually take with you: hockey bags, instrument cases, a folded stroller. The figure of twenty-three cubic feet seems rather abstract until your own equipment is inside it.

The Traverse provides a practical solution to a definite problem: it has seven or eight seats, a usable third row, and is easy to load twice a day without thinking about it.

Start by settling the seven-versus-eight question. The rest then depends on that.