Compare the2023 Chevrolet TraverseVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
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 Tesla Model Y 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 Model Y 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 Model Y doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Traverse (except LS) offers an optional Surround Vision to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model Y only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Traverse’s optional Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Traverse has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Traverse and the Model Y 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 and blind spot warning systems.

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 Tesla Model Y:

	Traverse	Model Y
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	25%
Neck Stress	198 lbs.	210 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	298/427 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 Tesla Model Y:

	Traverse	Model Y
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	204 lbs.	216 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	134	358
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	45 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	251	283
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	682 lbs.

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

Warranty

There are over 19 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Traverse’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 79 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is ranked 28th, below the industry average.

Brakes and Stopping

The Traverse stops shorter than the Model Y:

	Traverse	Model Y
60 to 0 MPH	116 feet	118 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

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

The Traverse has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model Y; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Traverse’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the Model Y (120.9 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Traverse is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 2.7 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Model Y.

For better maneuverability, the Traverse’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (39 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Traverse has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Model Y (7.5 vs. 6.6 inches), allowing the Traverse to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

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

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Traverse High Country AWD is quieter than the Model Y Long Range (67 vs. 68 dB).

Passenger Space

The Traverse has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 4.3 inches more front hip room, 5.5 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 6.3 inches more rear hip room, 8.2 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.6 inches more third row headroom, 7 inches more third row legroom, 12 inches more third row hip room and 16.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Model Y.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Traverse	Model Y
Behind Third Seat	23 cubic feet	16.9 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.8 cubic feet	30.7 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	98.2 cubic feet	76.2 cubic feet

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

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Tesla Model Y is limited to 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 Model Y can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

An Oil Life Monitor is standard on the Traverse to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

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 Model Y doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Traverse has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports rated the Traverse’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the Model Y’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Traverse’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Traverse has standard extendable sun visors. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Traverse Premier/High Country keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 Model Y doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Model Availability

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

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Traverse owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Traverse will cost $2635 to $4495 less than the Model Y over a five-year period.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Traverse, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Tesla Model Y isn't recommended.