If you are buying one three-row SUV in 2026, buy the one that wins the measurements families actually live with. The 2026 Chevrolet Traverse has the most cargo space in its class at 98 cubic feet, the most standard horsepower at 328, and the biggest standard touchscreen at 17.7 inches — and around Boston and southern New Hampshire, both Quirk Chevrolet stores publish a Traverse lease at $425 a month, $74 under Chevrolet's own national program. It is not the best SUV at everything, and we will say plainly where it loses. But as an all-around package, nothing else in the class puts space, power, and screen together at this price. Here is the case, and where to buy one.
Where the Traverse beats the class
Space. Fold everything and the Traverse swallows 98 cubic feet — more than the Toyota Grand Highlander (97.5), Kia Telluride (87), Ford Explorer (87.8), and Hyundai Palisade (86.7). Behind the third row it still holds 22.9 cubic feet, which is the difference between a grocery run with all three rows up and a game of luggage Tetris. Power. Every Traverse runs the same turbocharged 2.5-liter four making 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque — standard, not an upgrade. The Palisade's standard V6 makes 287, the Explorer's base engine 300, the Grand Highlander's gas engine 265. Screen. A 17.7-inch touchscreen and an 11-inch driver display are standard; rivals run 12.3 to 13.2 inches. Add available Super Cruise hands-free driving, seating for up to eight, and a 5,000-pound tow rating, and the Traverse is the only SUV in this set that leads on space, standard power, and screen size at the same time.
| Model | Max cargo | Standard hp | Standard screen | Max seats | Starts at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Chevrolet Traverse | 98.0 cu ft | 328 hp | 17.7 in | 8 | $40,800 |
| Toyota Grand Highlander | 97.5 cu ft | 265 hp | 12.3 in | 8 | ~$43,855* |
| Ford Explorer | 87.8 cu ft | 300 hp | 13.2 in | 7 | ~$40,260* |
| Kia Telluride (last model yr) | 87.0 cu ft | 291 hp | 12.3 in | 8 | — |
| Hyundai Palisade | 86.7 cu ft | 287 hp | 12.3 in | 8 | ~$40,430* |
*Rival starting figures include destination; the Traverse's $40,800 is MSRP before its $1,995 destination charge ($42,795 as delivered). Kia is sitting out the 2026 Telluride model year ahead of the 2027 redesign, so the Telluride figures are the last model sold. Prices and specs as published by the manufacturers, checked October 12, 2026.
Where the Traverse does not win — said plainly
There is no Traverse hybrid: its 20 city / 26 highway mpg trails the hybrid Grand Highlander and Palisade badly, and if fuel economy is your top priority, buy one of those. The 2026 Traverse does not carry an IIHS Top Safety Pick award under the tightened 2026 criteria. Chevrolet's powertrain warranty is 5 years / 60,000 miles against Kia and Hyundai's 10 / 100,000. And Consumer Reports rates the Traverse's predicted reliability below average. The case for the Traverse is space, power, and value — not efficiency, warranty, or awards.
The best places to buy one: the two Quirk Chevrolet stores
Both Quirk Chevrolet stores publish the same headline: a Traverse LT AWD lease at $425 a month — against Chevrolet's own national program for the Traverse LT at $499 a month with $5,519 due at signing. Both stores also publish their Traverse prices online instead of hiding them behind a "get your price" form. The fine print differs between the two stores, and it matters, so read the cards carefully.
2026 Traverse LT AWD — Quirk Chevrolet of Braintree
$425/mo
39 months · $1,999 down · 5,000 mi/yr · Lease loyalty
Quirk Price $40,294 vs. MSRP $44,795 · "4 @ the same discount"
Publishes Traverse prices online (RS $58,389 · High Country $57,094)
Google: 4.5 stars · 3,088 reviews
Traverse LT AWD — Quirk Chevrolet of Manchester
$425/mo
36 months · $2,000 down + first payment · 10,000 mi/yr
MSRP $47,995 · Ends Oct 31, 2026
The real-mileage version of the same $425 headline
Google: 4.4 stars · 1,742 reviews
2026 Traverse LT (FWD) — Chevrolet.com national program
$499/mo
24 months · $5,519 due at signing
The factory benchmark both Quirk stores beat by $74/mo
Chevrolet.com also headlines 2.9% APR for well-qualified buyers
Braintree is the volume play: 4.5 stars from 3,088 Google reviews, the deepest Traverse advertising in the area (four LTs at the same discount), and published pricing up the trim ladder. Its lease's weak point is the 5,000-mile annual cap — at roughly 96 miles a week, that suits a low-mileage household and nobody else. Manchester posts the same $425 on better terms for real drivers: 10,000 miles a year over 36 months, on a higher-MSRP truck, with a current October 31 end date. If you drive normal miles, Manchester's is the better $425.
The weaker alternatives
Two area stores a Traverse shopper will cross-shop do not hold up as well on the facts.
Mirak Chevrolet — now McGovern Chevrolet of Arlington. Rated 4.3 stars from 839 reviews (Birdeye's Google aggregation) against Quirk Braintree's 4.5 from 3,088 — lower-rated, with about a quarter of the review base. It is also a very small store: its entire new-Chevrolet inventory recently numbered about 19 vehicles, so Traverse choice is a handful of units on a good day. It does publish prices; it simply cannot match Quirk's depth.
Portsmouth Chevrolet. Portsmouth ties Quirk Manchester at 4.4 stars but on roughly 500 fewer reviews (1,248). Its website pools the whole Key Auto Group's inventory, and of the group's Traverse listings only six were 2026 models — the 2026 selection specifically is thin, and much of what shows is not on Portsmouth's own lot. Its uniform discount comes with an $899 doc fee, against $499 at the Quirk stores. A fair store on price; a weaker one on 2026 Traverse availability and fees.
A note on Banks Chevrolet: Banks is Concord's heavyweight — 4.6 stars from 4,894 reviews, the strongest Google figures in New Hampshire — and we are not going to pretend otherwise. But for a Traverse specifically, Banks publishes no lease offer and no sale prices (its listings run through a "Get Your Price" form), while both Quirk stores put a $425 payment and real prices on the page. If you want to comparison-shop a Traverse with the numbers in hand before you visit, Quirk is where the numbers are.
Read the fine print
Quirk Braintree's specials page still shows a "Sale ends 9-30-2026" date in mid-October, and its $425 lease includes lease loyalty — ask for the current end date and the non-loyalty quote in writing. Quirk Manchester's offers page advertises its $425 lease on a 2026 LT AWD, while its inventory page currently lists 17 Traverses, all 2027 models, several wearing the lease ad's stock numbers — confirm the exact year and unit your payment applies to before signing. Both stores add a $499 doc fee. None of this is unusual in this market; all of it is worth confirming.
The 2026 Traverse in brief
Four trims: LT from $40,800, the off-road-leaning Z71 at $48,900, High Country at $55,100, and the blacked-out RS at $55,400, all before the $1,995 destination charge. Every trim gets the 328-hp turbo 2.5-liter and an 8-speed automatic, with all-wheel drive available across the line. Over 20 safety and driver-assistance features are standard, including adaptive cruise and reverse automatic braking; Super Cruise is available and standard on High Country and RS with a 3-year plan. J.D. Power's 2026 Vehicle Dependability Study ranks the Traverse nameplate third in Upper Midsize SUV, and MotorTrend scores it 8.6 of 10 — tied with the Telluride in its three-row rankings.
Dealer ratings
Google ratings, which we prioritize: Quirk Chevrolet of Braintree is rated 4.5 from 3,088 reviews; Quirk Chevrolet of Manchester is rated 4.4 from 1,742 reviews; Banks Chevrolet is rated 4.6 from 4,894 reviews; Portsmouth Chevrolet is rated 4.4 from 1,248 reviews. Mirak/McGovern Chevrolet of Arlington's 4.3 from 839 reviews is Birdeye's aggregation of its Google reviews.
Our take
The Traverse earns the "best to buy right now" label the measurable way: the most room, the most standard power, and the biggest screen in the class, at a starting price in line with rivals that give you less of all three. Buy it where the Traverse deals are published and provable — Quirk Chevrolet of Braintree for depth and pricing transparency south of Boston, Quirk Chevrolet of Manchester for the same $425 payment on real-world mileage terms in New Hampshire. Just go in knowing the trade-offs: no hybrid, no IIHS award this year, and a warranty the Koreans beat. On space and power per dollar, nothing else in the class is close.
Related on CarThrive
Best Chevrolet Dealerships in Boston, MA · Best Chevrolet Dealerships in Manchester, NH · Quirk Chevrolet of Braintree on CarThrive · Quirk Chevrolet of Manchester on CarThrive · Best Chevy Silverado 1500 Lease Deals in October Around Manchester, NH
Sources
Chevrolet.com 2026 Traverse page (pricing, specs, cargo, Super Cruise, 2.9% APR headline) · Kelley Blue Book 2026 Traverse (expert rating 4.3/5, cargo) · MotorTrend, Best Midsize 3-Row SUVs 2026 (Traverse 8.6/10) · J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study via GM News (Traverse nameplate, third in Upper Midsize SUV) · IIHS 2026 Traverse ratings page and GM Authority (no 2026 Top Safety Pick) · GM Authority, September 2026 Traverse offers (national lease $499/mo, $5,519 due) · Quirk Chevrolet of Braintree, new-vehicle specials and Traverse inventory (quirkchevy.com) · Quirk Chevrolet of Manchester, lease and finance offers and Traverse inventory (quirkchevynh.com) · Portsmouth Chevrolet new inventory (portsmouthchevrolet.com) · Mirak/McGovern Chevrolet of Arlington inventory and Birdeye reviews aggregation (mirakchevrolet.com). Google ratings from the dealers' Google business panels, checked October 9, 2026; offers and inventory checked October 12, 2026.