New to me 2021 Chevy Traverse

[ATex7239]

While it’s not quite the same 3.6 of old, it’s still an underpowered engine for that leave beast. GM should had a v8 option with the ‘verse. Other than that, it’s a pretty good car!

I disagree. The V8 would make it an unattractive offer. It would become very hard to work on engine bay wise. MPG would likely suffer. Maintenance costs would go up. And you’d likely lose a lot of the cabin space that makes that vehicle attractive because it would probably go to a rear drive set up. The V6 iteration is exactly what is needed in the vehicle. It is a grocery getter/family hauler. Period.

GM 3.6 has plenty of power but you gotta get into the higher RPM range to get it. It doesn’t have the low end torque of the V8. Bottom line, if you want that thing to scoot, you gotta give it the beans.

 

[NYEngineer]

We just got back from a road trip in the Traverse, NY to Florida and back. My wife complains that it gets terrible mileage. After a few trips with her I've seen what the problem is. She hammers the gas, romps on the brake, hammers back on the gas. I can't sleep when she drives. When I drive, I put on the cruise and go smooth as silk. We literally stop 50% less when I drive.

 

[ATex7239]

We just got back from a road trip in the Traverse, NY to Florida and back. My wife complains that it gets terrible mileage. After a few trips with her I've seen what the problem is. She hammers the gas, romps on the brake, hammers back on the gas. I can't sleep when she drives. When I drive, I put on the cruise and go smooth as silk. We literally stop 50% less when I drive.

It has adequate power and adequate MPG for what it is. The camp complaining about MPG needs to lay off the gas pedal or start looking at minivans. The camp complaining about power needs to lay into the gas pedal or move up to a full-size SUV with a big V8. A midsize SUV is supposed to be exactly that… in the middle. It is supposed to be OK at everything and great nothing.

 

[JTK]

While it’s not quite the same 3.6 of old, it’s still an underpowered engine for that leave beast. GM should had a v8 option with the ‘verse. Other than that, it’s a pretty good car!

Our 2021 Traverse is the first Traverse I've ever driven, so I have little experience with the vehicle. The first time I got on it, I was shocked at the get up and go compared to our 2019 Pathfinder, or even my 2022 Nissan Frontier that also has a ~300hp V6 and 9AT. The Traverse really flies with one person in it. I'm sure loaded down or with 8 people in it, it's a big floaty dog.

In terms of fuel economy, in the 800 miles or so we've owned the vehicle, the average MPG meter seems to level out at 21mpg, so I'm figuring typical day to day driving in the 19mpg range. Much better on the highway. Our pathfinder and previous minivans all got 17-19mpg day to day and up to mid 20's on long highway travel.

Unrelated, but I forgot to add this earlier in this thread. The oil filter this 3.6L uses has got to be the largest oil filter of any vehicle I've owned, other than the Jeeps I owned way back, that you could fit a PH8A sized filter on. The oil filter on the 2018+ is super easy to reach from the top or from underneath, and has a drip chute that prevents oil from getting on the alternator that's nearby.

I think I've got the auto stop/start defeated! I'll start another thread on that since the "fix" is applicable to many GM products.

 

[andrew_j]

Enjoy, funny on start/stop . Is the button not next to your shifter where you put into drive and slide hand over to button?

 

[nickaluch]

While it’s not quite the same 3.6 of old, it’s still an underpowered engine for that leave beast. GM should had a v8 option with the ‘verse. Other than that, it’s a pretty good car!

I disagree my traverse and the enclave have plenty of power. The traverse with the tow package tows my boat no issues the couple of times a year I take it out to Montauk point but it's level land. The Buick enclave we use to take it up to Poughkeepsie loaded to drop my daughter off at Marist no issues on uphill climbs. Around town it's powerful entering highway traffic gets up to speed quickly

 

[NYEngineer]

I don't even lift ours up to change the oil. I place the pan under the oil pan and remove the plug right on the ground. I change the filter from the top. Couldn't be easier. My 09 Suburban on the other hand is much more prone to making a mess.

 

[nickaluch]

I don't even lift ours up to change the oil. I place the pan under the oil pan and remove the plug right on the ground. I change the filter from the top. Couldn't be easier. My 09 Suburban on the other hand is much more prone to making a mess.

I put the passenger front tire on the curb slide under drop the oil n take the filter off from the top. No ramps needed it's doesn't get much easier

 

[JTK]

Enjoy, funny on start/stop . Is the button not next to your shifter where you put into drive and slide hand over to button?

Unfortunately there is no button to disable S/S on the 2018+. You can do it by keeping the gear shift in manual mode, toggled to 9, but that would lead to problems with my missus I reckon..

 

[JTK]

I don't even lift ours up to change the oil. I place the pan under the oil pan and remove the plug right on the ground. I change the filter from the top. Couldn't be easier. My 09 Suburban on the other hand is much more prone to making a mess.

Totally agree. No need for ramps, jacks, etc. Lots of room to get under there (and I'm not a petite dude), and better yet, no panels to remove. I did the two transmission drain/fills and an oil change and didn't drip or splash a drop. I got the filter out topside. Had to use a wrench to loosen it as the dealer installed carquest standard filter (LOL) was TIGHT. Luckily the drain plug isn't awfully beat up. Lots of dealer chew marks on it though.

In the spring/summer, I will drain/fill the T-case and rear diff and of course fluid film / woolwax the beast.

 

[4WD]

I don't even lift ours up to change the oil. I place the pan under the oil pan and remove the plug right on the ground. I change the filter from the top. Couldn't be easier. My 09 Suburban on the other hand is much more prone to making a mess.

2015 to date - the Burb/Tahoe/LT’s are easy getting to oil plug and filter - steel sump on aluminum pan behind the plastic shield …

 

[4WD]

Unfortunately there is no button to disable S/S on the 2018+. You can do it by keeping the gear shift in manual mode, toggled to 9, but that would lead to problems with my missus I reckon..

I can do the L9 where they say DFM won’t kick in - she won’t

 

[JTK]

I can do the L9 where they say DFM won’t kick in - she won’t

I used to do that in my 2019 Ram 1500 classic hemi to keep MDS from kicking in. MDS was really loud when I ran it with a muffler delete pipe for awhile LOL.

 

[KrisZ]

This SUV is a unibody with a transverse mounted engine, you cannot stuff a V8 in there.

 

[NYEngineer]

This SUV is a unibody with a transverse mounted engine, you cannot stuff a V8 in there.

Them's fightin' words.

 

[4WD]

Them's fightin' words.

I had a 2010 Canyon Off Road with a 5.3L - 4.10 G80 4WD …
I beat on that truck for 8 years/80k miles - zero problems … but I used to peer into that engine bay sayin’ somebody else is changing those plugs … traded for 1500 Chevy …

 

[repairman54]

I've had at least 3500lbs if not more on the hitch in mine and no issues towing in hills. Plenty of power, it gets out of its own way easily.
Romp on it for the passing lane and plenty of torque steer when it downshifts in FWD mode.

 

[4WD]

I’d go look at a new one in a heartbeat - but she’d turn it into an XT6 hunt in no time at all …

 

[Hermann]

The current 3.6 does not suffer the issues of the older ones. I wish this place would let go of that.

Heck this "Place" is still Jones'en for Group II 10w-40.

 

[redhat]

I disagree. The V8 would make it an unattractive offer. It would become very hard to work on engine bay wise. MPG would likely suffer. Maintenance costs would go up. And you’d likely lose a lot of the cabin space that makes that vehicle attractive because it would probably go to a rear drive set up. The V6 iteration is exactly what is needed in the vehicle. It is a grocery getter/family hauler. Period.

GM 3.6 has plenty of power but you gotta get into the higher RPM range to get it. It doesn’t have the low end torque of the V8. Bottom line, if you want that thing to scoot, you gotta give it the beans.

A V6 is the right size for this vehicle.

An LSX V8 would have trade offs on serviceability. You’d get to each bank of plugs easier, but I could see serpentine and related accessories being maybe more difficult.

One thing though, you would prob have more room without needing to stuff them large DOHC heads in there.

I don’t know many who’d want a V8 but want to be in a Traverse/unibody platform SUV. the segment is best probably for body on frame full size buyers.