The Traverse is GM's maximum-space-for-minimum-money play, genuinely the roomiest three-row at this price, with a third row adults don't hate. The catch: pre-2024 models earned a brutal reputation for 9-speed transmissions that slip and fail between 40k and 60k miles, a pattern too consistent to ignore, while the 2024 redesign's turbo-4 is already drawing early complaints about powertrain and electrical issues in its first year. If you need cavernous space on a budget and plan to trade before 100k, it delivers; if you're keeping it long-term, the Pilot and Highlander cost more for a reason.
This three-row SUV convinced America a Kia could feel like a $60,000 vehicle while costing $40,000, spacious, quiet, loaded with features, and genuinely pleasant to drive. The catch: oil consumption creeps in on some 2020-2021 models after 60k miles (owners report adding quarts between changes with no warning light), and the recall parade gets old fast, nothing dangerous, but trim pieces fall off, screens freeze, and you'll know your service advisor by name. If you can buy at MSRP and stay on top of oil checks, it's still one of the best values in the segment; at $50k with dealer markup, you're overpaying for a Kia when a Highlander or Pilot makes more sense.