Compare the2023 Cadillac XT6VS 2023 Chevrolet Traverse

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

Safety

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The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Traverse doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Cadillac XT6 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Traverse doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Cadillac XT6 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Traverse doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Traverse doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Traverse doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The XT6 has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Traverse’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the XT6 has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Traverse.

Both the XT6 and the Traverse 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 and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Cadillac XT6 is safer than the Chevrolet Traverse:

	XT6	Traverse
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	167	216
Neck Stress	187 lbs.	198 lbs.
Neck Compression	28 lbs.	77 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	305	333
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.9 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	9/6 lbs.	258/133 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 Cadillac XT6 is safer than the Chevrolet Traverse:

	XT6	Traverse
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	117 lbs.	161 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	249 lbs.	716 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	14 inches

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XT6 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 96 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Traverse has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The XT6 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Traverse’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the XT6 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Traverse. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Traverse ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The XT6’s 6 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Traverse runs out after 100,000 miles.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the XT6 has a standard 220-amp alternator. The Traverse’s 170-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the XT6 has a standard 730-amp battery. The Traverse’s 600-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XT6 first among upper midsize premium suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Traverse isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chevrolet is rated lower.

Engine

The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 5 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 266) than the Traverse’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Consumer Reports the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport 3.6 DOHC V6 is faster than the Chevrolet Traverse:

	XT6	Traverse
Zero to 60 MPH	7.1 sec	7.3 sec
Quarter Mile	15.6 sec	15.7 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XT6 gets better mileage than the Traverse:

			MPG
XT6
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/26 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
Traverse
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/27 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the XT6’s fuel efficiency. The Traverse doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Brakes and Stopping

The XT6’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Traverse are solid, not vented.

The XT6 stops shorter than the Traverse:

	XT6	Traverse
70 to 0 MPH	171 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	131 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Traverse (265/45R21 vs. 255/65R18).

The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Traverse’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Traverse’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The XT6 offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Traverse’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The XT6 Sport AWD handles at .88 G’s, while the Traverse High Country AWD pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The XT6 Sport AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Traverse Premier AWD (27.2 seconds @ .67 average G’s vs. 27.8 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

Chassis

The XT6 is 7.4 inches shorter than the Traverse, making the XT6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The XT6 has .2 inches more front legroom and .7 inches more rear legroom than the Traverse.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the XT6’s second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Traverse doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the XT6. The Traverse doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the XT6 uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Traverse doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Cadillac service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac second in service department satisfaction. With a 28% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Traverse doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The XT6’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its front windows also automatically close, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Traverse’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Traverse’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the XT6 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Traverse doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The XT6 has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Traverse doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

The XT6 Premium Luxury/Sport’s optional Automatic Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Traverse doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XT6 is less expensive to operate than the Traverse because typical repairs cost much less on the XT6 than the Traverse, including $47 less for a water pump, $76 less for front brake pads, $9 less for fuel injection, $227 less for a fuel pump and $176 less for a timing belt/chain.