Compare the2023 Chevrolet TraverseVS 2023 BMW X7

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 X7 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 X7 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Traverse and the X7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Traverse 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 8 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Traverse’s warranty.

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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 9th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, BMW is rated lower.

On the EPA test cycle the Traverse gets better mileage than the X7:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Traverse uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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 X7 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 X7.

The Chevrolet Traverse’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X7 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 X7 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Traverse’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the X7 w/Rear Steering’s (39 feet vs. 40.7 feet). The Traverse’s turning circle is 3.7 feet tighter than the X7 xDrive40i’s (39 feet vs. 42.7 feet).

The Chevrolet Traverse may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 1100 pounds less than the BMW X7.

The Traverse uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X7 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Traverse has standard seating for 8 passengers; the X7 can only carry 7.

The Traverse has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 4.1 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.6 inches more third row headroom, .2 inches more third row legroom and 9.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the X7.

The Traverse’s cargo area provides more volume than the X7.

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 X7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

The Traverse’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X7’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

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 X7 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

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 X7 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Traverse has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Traverse (except LS) offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Traverse is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Traverse, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Chevrolet Traverse outsold the BMW X7 by almost six to one during the 2021 model year.