2024 Chevrolet Traverse vs 2024 Subaru Outback

It dates back to the days of the raised station wagon, before a crossover was a must-have—or even a thing. It’s now in its sixth generation, and it was just refreshed last year, but while others have ballooned into mini-SUVs, the Outback has clung steadfastly to the station wagon shape.

In Canada, the 2024 Outback comes in Convenience, Touring, Onyx, Limited, Wilderness, Limited XT, and Premier XT trims. The bottom four trims come with the base engine, while the Wilderness and the two XT trims come with the higher-powered turbocharged mill. Updates for this year include feature-enriched trim levels and trim-specific aesthetic tweaks.

Verdict: Not everyone needs or wants a massive vehicle. With its higher ride height and excellent visibility, the Outback delivers the peace of mind many seek from an SUV in a smaller and more practical package. The broad trim spectrum means you can get a luxury experience at a lower price point or a no-nonsense version much cheaper.

The 2024 Chevrolet Traverse has gone from being something of a wallflower to becoming one of the more stand-out choices among midsize SUVs with three rows of seating. That’s because Chevrolet’s design and engineering team did its homework when it came time to update this third generation of the Traverse, a model that has featured in the brand’s lineup since its introduction back for the 2009 model year.

The 2024 Chevy Traverse is taller, wider, and longer than the outgoing variant. It’s also much more memorable to look at; following current SUV trends, Chevrolet gave the Traverse a more rugged appearance that borrows from both the full-size Tahoe SUV and Sierra pickup truck. Styling is always subjective, but in this instance, we think it’s fair to say Chevy got things right.

Verdict: More important than any additional visual bravado is that the 2024 Traverse has been improved in countless other ways. It has more standard driver aids, such as blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. There is more space for passengers, particularly those seated in the third row. And the infotainment system gets a much larger touchscreen.