2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2021 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was a nod to the past, with Chevy using styling details to give each trim level its own identity. The exterior was a typical SUV design with a tall roof, chunky wheel arches, and a big grille, which appealed to many buyers. However, it lacked the personality of the Ford Explorer and Kia Telluride, and the streamlined appearance of the Mazda CX-9. The Traverse's restrained styling highlighted the cosmetic elements of different trims, such as blacked-out trim on the RS model and chrome on the High Country. The base model had 18-inch wheels, while higher trims offered 20-inch wheels. Sharing a platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6, the Traverse aimed for a more blue-collar feel and featured car-like unibody construction, unlike the larger Chevy Tahoe.

Inside, the Traverse continued its restrained styling, with the standout feature being an optional Dual SkyScape two-panel sunroof. The materials in the higher-level RS model were decent but not quite up to the $50,000 MSRP. This was a common issue among midsize three-row crossovers, which tend to get expensive with options. The Traverse's interior was functional but not luxurious, aligning with its overall design philosophy.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler maintained its iconic styling, with features like circular headlights, a seven-slat grille, and exposed bolts and hinges. Depending on the trim level, the Wrangler could have painted or exposed fenders, a soft top or hardtop, but it always retained its unmistakable look. The Wrangler was not designed for comfort, with an upright seating position, limited legroom, and seats adjusted with ripcords. This was part of its charm for the right type of driver.

The Wrangler Unlimited came in various trims, including the Sport, Sport S, Sahara, and Rubicon, with special editions like the Willys, 80th Anniversary, Freedom, Islander, and High Altitude. The Sport was basic, with manual door locks, cloth seats, and a 5-inch audio display. The Sport S added power windows and locks, air conditioning, and remote keyless entry, with options for heated seats and a touchscreen. The Sahara was more street-oriented, with dual-zone climate control, upgraded upholstery, and a 7-inch touchscreen. The Rubicon was ideal for off-roading, with beefed-up suspension and running gear, and the Rubicon 392 featured a powerful Hemi V8 and a distinctive raised hood.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. While the V6 didn't feel particularly strong off the line, it provided sufficient power for highway merging and overtaking. The nine-speed automatic generally performed well, though it occasionally had rough shifts. The Traverse excelled in highway road manners, offering a quiet cabin and comfortable ride, but it lacked agility on twistier roads. The AWD system, which had to be manually activated, could send up to 50% of torque to either front wheel or 85% to either rear wheel, but its impact on handling was not noticeable. The Traverse had off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds, which was average for the segment.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered a diverse powertrain lineup, including gas, diesel, mild-hybrid, and a Hemi V8. The standard 3.6-liter V6 produced 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Other options included a mild-hybrid eTorque variant of the V6, a 270-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, and a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 with 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque. All engines routed power to one of three 4WD systems: Command-Trac, Select-Trac, and Rock-Trac, with the latter featuring front-and-rear locking differentials and a disconnectable front sway bar for off-roading.

The Wrangler also introduced a plug-in hybrid, the Wrangler 4xe, with 275 hp and up to 22 miles of electric range. The Rubicon 392, with a 6.4-liter V8 engine producing 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, turned the Wrangler into an off-road supercar. It featured beefed-up frame-rails, a 2-inch lift with Fox shock absorbers, and upgraded brakes. The dual-mode performance exhaust emitted an incredible rumble, adding to the driving experience.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse offered seating for seven or eight, with above-average headroom and legroom in all three rows. Heated front seats were standard on the RS model, with ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats available on higher trims. The Traverse excelled in cargo space, with 23.0 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.8 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. A power liftgate was optional on the LT Cloth trim and standard on higher trims, with a gesture-activated liftgate on the Premier and High Country models. However, interior storage options were limited, typical of midsize three-row crossovers.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered multiple options for cloth tops and hardtops, including the zipper-less Sunrider soft-top, a premium black cloth soft top, and a classic-looking tan soft top. The Freedom top was a three-piece hardtop with removable panels, available in black or body color, with optional insulated panels. The Rubicon 392 featured the Sky one-touch power top, a power-retractable canvas panel that operated at speeds up to 60 mph. The Wrangler's cabin was functional, with a small center console bin, glovebox, and in-door cargo nets, and featured drain plugs for easy cleaning. The Wrangler Unlimited provided 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and up to 72.4 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, comparable to smaller crossovers.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and Bluetooth. Higher trims offered an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system. The 8-inch screen in the Traverse RS was user-friendly, with large smartphone-like icons and analog controls for audio volume and climate control. The Traverse also featured a rearview camera mirror and an optional HD surround-view camera system. Each row had 2 USB ports as standard, with wireless phone charging available on the Premier and High Country models.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler Sport had a basic 5-inch screen, with a 7-inch Uconnect screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto optional on the Sport S and standard on other trims. The 8.4-inch Uconnect screen was also available, with crisp graphics and intuitive radio toggles on the steering wheel. The Rubicon 392 featured a color TFT screen in the instrument panel and a clever off-road camera nestled between the front grille slats, with its own washer-sprayer for off-roading.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top "Good" scores in all crash tests from the IIHS, with a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention tech. However, it received "Acceptable" and "Poor" headlight ratings and an "Acceptable" rating for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave the Traverse a five-star overall safety rating, with four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests, and five stars in side-impact crash tests. Chevy offered less standard driver-assist tech than competitors, with features like adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, and lane-keep assist only available as options.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler had optional modern driver-assistance features like forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring. However, lane-departure warning was not available. The Wrangler came with a backup camera with dynamic guidelines and a live tire-pressure monitoring system, useful for off-roading. The Wrangler's safety features were basic, especially in the base configuration.