Compare the2018 Chevrolet TraverseVS 2017 Dodge Durango

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Traverse are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Durango doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Traverse has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Durango doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Traverse LT Leather/RS/Premier/High Country has a standard Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the Traverse and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, available all-wheel drive, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The Traverse’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and 40,000 miles longer than the Durango’s (6/100,000 vs. 5/60,000).

Chevrolet pays for scheduled maintenance on the Traverse for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Chevrolet will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance (up to 2 oil changes). Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Durango.

There are over 27 percent more Chevrolet dealers than there are Dodge dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Traverse’s warranty.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the Traverse have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Durango.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Traverse has a standard 170-amp alternator. The Durango’s standard 160-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2017 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 22nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2016 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 6th in reliability, above the industry average. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Dodge is ranked 32nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ April 2017 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Dodge vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 11 places higher in reliability than Dodge.

The Traverse RS’ standard 2.0 turbo 4 cyl. produces 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 260) than the Durango’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

Regardless of its engine, the Traverse’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) Dodge only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Durango V6.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Traverse, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a 8-speed automatic is available for the Durango.

The Chevrolet Traverse’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Dodge Durango only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Traverse has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Durango doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Traverse has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Traverse flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Traverse’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Durango (120.9 inches vs. 119.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Traverse is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Durango.

The Chevrolet Traverse may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 1050 pounds less than the Dodge Durango.

The front grille of the Traverse uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Durango doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Traverse has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Durango can only carry 7.

The Traverse has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, 1.1 inches more front hip room, 3.6 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 14.1 inches more rear hip room, 11.8 inches more rear shoulder room, .4 inches more third row headroom, 2 inches more third row legroom, 5.7 inches more third row hip room and 7.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Durango.

The Traverse’s cargo area provides more volume than the Durango.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Traverse High Country’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Durango doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Traverse Premier/High Country’s cargo door can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its cargo door, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Traverse LS/LT/RS/Premier/High Country’s available exterior keypad. The Durango doesn’t offer an exterior keypad entry system.

Standard Chevrolet MyLink for the Traverse allows the driver and passengers access to select programs on their smartphones, including reading text messages aloud, playing internet radio stations and other connected activities without taking their eyes off the road or their hands from the wheel. The Durango doesn’t offer factory integrated smartphone program access.

Bluetooth wireless connectivity is standard on the Traverse, connecting the driver and passenger’s cell phones to the vehicle systems. This allows them to use the vehicle’s stereo and hand controls to place calls safely and easily. Bluetooth costs extra on the Durango.

Insurance will cost less for the Traverse owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Traverse will cost $610 to $2120 less than the Durango over a five-year period.

The Chevrolet Traverse outsold the Dodge Durango by 59% during the 2016 model year.