Compare the2023 Chevrolet TraverseVS 2022 Lexus RXL

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Chevrolet Traverse’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Lexus RXL doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

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 RXL 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 RXL doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Traverse and the RXL have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Traverse is safer than the Lexus RXL:

	Traverse	RXL
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	3 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	33.2%
Neck Stress	198 lbs.	412 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	433/719 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	35.2%	40.1%
Neck Stress	128 lbs.	267 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	70 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	258/133 lbs.	403/457 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Traverse is safer than the Lexus RXL:

	Traverse	RXL
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	204 lbs.	214 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	134	165
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	44 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	251	275
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	44 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	685 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

There are almost 12 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Traverse’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Traverse has a standard 600-amp battery. The RXL’s 580-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

Engine

The Traverse’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 20 more horsepower (310 vs. 290) and 3 lbs.-ft. more torque (266 vs. 263) than the RX 350L’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6. The Traverse’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 2 more horsepower (310 vs. 308) than the RX 450hL’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6 hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Traverse is faster than the RX 350L 3.5 DOHC V6:

	Traverse	RXL
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.9 MPH	89.3 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Traverse uses regular unleaded gasoline. The RX 450hL requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Traverse FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the RXL Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.4 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Traverse AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the RXL’s standard fuel tank (21.7 vs. 19.2 gallons).

The Traverse has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The RXL doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Traverse, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the RXL.

Brakes and Stopping

The Traverse stops much shorter than the RXL:

	Traverse	RXL
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	133 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	139 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Traverse has larger tires than the RXL (255/65R18 vs. 235/65R18).

The Chevrolet Traverse’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lexus RXL 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 RXL doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Traverse’s wheelbase is 11.1 inches longer than on the RXL (120.9 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Traverse is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 3 inches wider in the rear than on the RXL.

The Traverse RS AWD handles at .81 G’s, while the RX 350L AWD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Traverse RS AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.5 seconds quicker than the RX 350L (27 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.5 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

Chassis

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 RXL doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Traverse uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The RXL doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

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

The Traverse has 3 inches more front headroom, 2.3 inches more front hip room, 3.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 7.5 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room, 4.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.4 inches more third row headroom, 10 inches more third row legroom, 4.7 inches more third row hip room and 11.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the RXL.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Traverse	RXL
Behind Third Seat	23 cubic feet	7.5 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.8 cubic feet	23 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	98.2 cubic feet	58.5 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Traverse easier. The Traverse’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.6 inches, while the RXL’s liftover is 31.9 inches.

Towing

The Traverse’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RXL’s (1500 vs. 0 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus RXL is only 3500 pounds. The Traverse offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Traverse can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Traverse can be unhitched and driven around locally. The RXL can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Traverse’s available exterior PIN entry system. The RXL doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Traverse’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The RXL’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Traverse owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Traverse will cost $1325 to $6310 less than the RXL over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Traverse is less expensive to operate than the RXL because typical repairs cost much less on the Traverse than the RXL, including $584 less for a water pump, $174 less for a muffler, $348 less for a starter, $796 less for a timing belt/chain and $1592 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

The Chevrolet Traverse outsold the Lexus RX Series by 14% during the 2021 model year.

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