Chevrolet Traverse vs. Honda Pilot - Comparative Review

2009 Chevrolet Traverse

For 2009, Chevrolet released their own three-row crossover: the Traverse.  It carries distinctive styling and a sportier driving experience than many other SUVs of this style. Traverse comes in LS, LT and LTZ trim levels.  The Traverse is powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 with direct fuel injection to achieve slightly better power and gas mileage.  Three-row curtain airbags and an electronic stability system are standard.

Chevy Traverse Drive

The Traverse has a four-wheel-independent suspension that bodes well for on-road comfort, if not offroad capability. Chevrolet says the Traverse's suspension tuning is the sportiest of its siblings.
GM's 3.6-liter V-6 has direct injection to make 286 horsepower and slightly better gas mileage than the 270- or 275-hp engines in the Outlook, Acadia and Enclave. The automaker says all three SUVs will likely adopt the Traverse's direct-injection engine somewhere down the road.  A six-speed automatic is standard, as is front-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is optional.

Inside the Traverse

The 2009 Traverse's interior has bright gauges and plenty of beveled plastics. The door handles reside on their own raised cutouts, and the dashboard stacks contrasting materials atop one another. Parking assistance comes in the form of rear proximity sensors or a rearview backup camera. The cabin can seat seven or eight, depending on whether you get separate captain's chairs or a three-seat bench in the second row. Cloth seats are standard, but uplevel models have leather. Heated and cooled front seats and a navigation system are among the LTZ's available options. With the captain's chairs, access to the three-seat third row requires pulling a lever for the second-row seat to slide forward into its collapsible bottom cushion - a novel approach, provided it can weather hundreds of uses. Behind the third row is 26.1 cubic feet of cargo volume - more than you'll find in most three-row crossovers.

Traverse Design

Seventeen-inch steel wheels are standard, while uplevel models have 18- or 20-inch alloys. The Traverse carries the same stacked grille as the redesigned Chevy Malibu. The high beltline and tall roof are typical of most large crossovers, while the taillights recall Chevy's Camaro concept.

Safety

Front, side-impact and side curtain airbags are standard. The curtains cover all three rows of seats. All-disc antilock brakes and an electronic stability system are also standard.

2009 Honda Pilot

Honda's midsize Pilot crossover SUV has been redesigned for 2009 and changes include new exterior and interior styling, a new high-end Touring trim level and a more fuel-efficient V-6 engine. The eight-seat Pilot competes against crossovers like the Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-9 and GMC Acadia.

Driving the Pilot

The Pilot engine drives a five-speed automatic transmission and uses Honda's Variable Cylinder Management technology in order to maximize fuel economy; VCM can dictate whether the engine runs on three, four or six cylinders. Gas mileage has improved slightly. The Pilot also comes standard with equipment for towing like a heavy-duty radiator and transmission cooler, and a Class III trailer hitch. The towing capacity for the 2WD Pilot is 3,500 pounds while the 4WD model can pull up to 4,500 pounds.

Cabin Features

The redesigned 2009 Pilot has a new dashboard design that, on Touring models, includes a navigation system; selecting one of the lower trims replaces the navigation screen with a less advanced display. The Pilot comes standard with three rows of seats covered in either fabric or leather upholstery; the Touring has power-adjustable, heated front seats with a driver's side memory feature. The second-row bench seat can slide and recline, and Honda says it has added more legroom in both the second and third rows. Standard features include air conditioning, cruise control, a tilt/telescoping steering wheel and a CD stereo with an auxiliary input jack. The navigation system is operated by a knob on the dashboard.

Pilot Exterior

The base LX trim level has standard 17-inch steel wheels but when you jump up to the EX and EX-L trims you get 17-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, heated side mirrors and roof rails. The top-of-the-line Touring model has 17-inch alloy wheels, too, but they have a different design. Additional Touring features include a power liftgate, trailer wiring and parking sensors.  The Honda Pilot is very boxy and upright from most angles, and the SUV's new front-end features rectangular headlights that border a new six-sided grille.

Safety Features

The 2009 Honda Pilot features all-disc antilock brakes, an electronic stability system, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats and active front head restraints. The Pilot also uses Honda's Advanced Compatibility Engineering technology, which consists of structural elements in the front of the SUV that are designed to meet the frames of both smaller and larger vehicles during a collision and send crash forces away from occupants riding in the Pilot.


Summary

The Traverse and the Pilot are both members of a rapidly growing segment: the crossover.  And they both represent their market well.  For 2009, the Chevrolet Traverse is completely new and is the fourth installment from GM's lambda platform design.  The Chevrolet Traverse crossover combines the smooth ride and responsive handling of a car with the cargo capability and high seating position of a traditional truck-based sport utility vehicle.  The well-equipped interior features two front bucket seats and two different seating configurations for the second and third row seats, accommodating a maximum of eight passengers. The Honda Pilot is redesigned for 2009, with exterior and interior styling changes, new standard equipment and technologies, and the addition of an uplevel Touring trim.  The Honda Pilot is also a powerful crossover SUV, engineered for quality and durability, as well as high levels of functionality and comfort. Apart from perhaps flexibility and fuel economy for like vehicles the Pilot doesn't strike one as superior in any given aspect, but rather maintains average performance in any number of areas.