Video: An Updated Chevy Traverse That Can Fit the Family Review: 2014 Chevrolet Traverse Need practical wheels with room for the family? The spacious three-row Chevrolet Traverse is practically a family room on wheels. Recently, I discovered that my older brother and his wife were interested in a Chevrolet Tahoe. Their reasoning was simple - its three rows of seating would be handy when chauffeuring my niece's soccer teammates and gear. And they love the S.U.V. look. Now before you roll your eyes and suggest that they buy a minivan (which aren't very mini these days), consider that they live in Texas. True, vans are supremely functional, but rolling up to a game in a Honda Odyssey or Nissan Quest can get a family unkindly branded in a town like Dallas. Perhaps literally. It is Texas, after all. I suggested a compromise - the Chevy Traverse crossover. While the Tahoe S.U.V. is a hair larger on the outside, Traverse has an additional 21 cubic feet of cargo room behind the front seats. That's room the soccer team can appreciate when traveling to away games. The Traverse has better fuel economy, too. The all-wheel drive model I'm driving scores a rating of 16 miles per gallon in town, and 23 on the highway, from the Environmental Protection Agency. That's 1 or 2 m.p.g. better than the Tahoe. Also, the Traverse is lighter, yet can still manage to tow up to 5,200 pounds. The Traverse was recently updated inside and out. The odd taillights have been replaced with units that would look stylish on a Camaro. The front end gets Chevy's new family face. All around it's a conservative look, but one I prefer to the "adventuresome" Odyssey and Quest designs (to put it politely). The spacious Traverse cabin has a simple but rich look with plenty of stitching and ambient lighting on the instrument panel. There's seating for seven or eight depending upon trim level. The ride quality is soothing, but without float. The Traverse's 288-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 offers decent power, and the 6-speed transmission is just like my niece during a soccer match - always in the right position. So what's not to like? At around $47,000 as tested, my top-of-the-line LTZ test vehicle cannot be had with keyless ignition. Creative features offered by some competitors, like Ford's foot-activated tailgate, are M.I.A., and the wide and flat front seats seem geared toward Texas-size folk; smaller drivers don't get much lateral support from them. Finally, as nimble as the big Traverse feels while driving, the vehicle is still large. Something to keep in mind if your garage is small. The Traverse and its corporate cousins - the GMC Acadia and the Buick Enclave - have been substantially updated and are worth a look if you have lots of people or stuff to haul. They come close to delivering vanlike room and have the sport utility look that Texans (and, let's face it, most Americans) prefer. Of course, while you're shopping check out the Ford Explorer, the Toyota Highlander, the Nissan Pathfinder and the Honda Pilot as well. My older brother will probably just ignore my advice and buy a Tahoe. I will always be his little brother.