2022 Toyota Highlander 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 came with 18-inch wheels, while higher trims offered 20-inch wheels. The Traverse shared its platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6 but aimed for a more blue-collar feel compared to its more premium siblings.

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 price tag. This was a common issue among midsize three-row crossovers, which tend to get expensive quickly with options.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander had a modern, somewhat aggressive front-end design. The flared fender arches and the third-row window design made the spacious Highlander appear smaller. Inside, it offered tons of cabin space and clever storage solutions. The XSE trim featured a bold red leather interior, unique exterior styling, ambient interior lighting, and a sport-tuned suspension. The Highlander came in six trims: L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum. The base L trim included 18-inch alloy wheels, pushbutton start, three-zone climate control, and an 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa.

The LE trim added LED fog lights, a smart key system, and a power liftgate. The XLE trim included silver roof rails, synthetic leather upholstery, a power moonroof, and wireless device charging. The XSE trim had unique exterior styling, 20-inch alloy wheels, and a large mesh grille. The Limited trim offered heated and ventilated front seats, genuine leather upholstery, and a hands-free power liftgate. The top-tier Platinum trim added adaptive headlights, a panoramic sunroof, and a 360-degree parking camera.

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 ample power for highway merging and overtaking. The nine-speed automatic performed well overall, though it occasionally had rough shifts. The Traverse excelled in highway road manners, offering a quiet cabin and a comfortable ride. However, it lacked agility on twistier roads, partly due to its AWD system, which required manual activation and didn't provide noticeable torque vectoring. The Traverse had off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The Highlander offered standard front-wheel drive and available all-wheel drive, with drive modes for different terrains. The V6 provided better pickup once the Highlander was moving, with plenty of power for highway speeds and overtaking. The XSE trim featured a sport-tuned suspension that reduced body roll while maintaining a comfortable ride. The Highlander could tow up to 5,000 pounds, with a max payload of 1,685 pounds in the FWD L and LE trims.

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 trim, with ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats available on higher trims. The Traverse excelled in cargo space, offering 23.0 cubic feet with all seats in place, 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 compared to minivans.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander provided up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second- and third-row seats folded, 48.4 cubic feet with the second row in use, and 16 cubic feet with all seats deployed. Lowering the seats was easy with quick-release latches, and lifting them was aided by pull-straps. Every trim above the base L came with a power liftgate, with hands-free operation on the Limited and Platinum trims. The base L trim featured an eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat and ample storage options, including deep cargo pockets and multiple ledges. The XSE trim had second-row captain's chairs, providing a center aisle to the third row, which was spacious for children but less so for adults.

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, a 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system. The 8-inch screen 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 two USB ports, but wireless phone charging was only standard on the Premier and High Country models.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with a WiFi hotspot, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The infotainment system had a straightforward layout with hard buttons for easy use. The XSE trim featured a wireless charging pad and a combination of USB and USB-C ports. A larger 12.3-inch touchscreen was available, along with a digital instrument panel screen and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top "Good" scores in all crash tests from the IIHS and a "Superior" rating for front-crash prevention. 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 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, including forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams. All trims above the base L included blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. Optional features on upper trims included front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a surround-view parking monitor, a head-up display, and adaptive headlights. The lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems were very active, sometimes feeling overly sensitive.