{"id":34966,"date":"2025-09-11T10:22:32","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T14:22:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=34966"},"modified":"2025-09-11T10:22:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T14:22:32","slug":"payne-three-row-throwdown-chevy-traverse-vs-ford-explorer-vs-honda-pilot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2025\/09\/payne-three-row-throwdown-chevy-traverse-vs-ford-explorer-vs-honda-pilot","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Three-row throwdown \u2014 Chevy Traverse vs. Ford Explorer vs. Honda Pilot"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Beaver, Pennsylvania<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 After a weekend of racing sportscars across the plunging twists and turns of Pittsburgh International Raceway, my son and I crawled \u2014 exhausted \u2014 into our Honda Pilot SUV for the long five-hour ride home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\u201cMan, this car is so easy to drive,\u201d said my 34-year-old son. \u201cIt\u2019s so easy, a kid could drive it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">With the comfortable front thrones cradling his sore bones, he pressed the cool seats button, put his tall drink bottle in the side pocket, then pressed the steering wheel voice recognition button. \u201cGo home,\u201d he said, and wireless Apple CarPlay app charted our course on Google Maps for the duration of our journey.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Midsize SUVs, you\u2019ve come a long way, baby.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/09\/09\/PDTN\/86063629007-honda-pilot-fr-34-lawn.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"On a road trip to Pittsburgh International Raceway, the 2025 Honda Pilot was smooth, roomy and easy to drive.\" width=\"536\" height=\"302\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_pg_img_cap\"><em>On a road trip to Pittsburgh International Raceway, the 2025 Honda Pilot was smooth, roomy and easy to drive.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em>Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Utes have their origins in the early 1990s as Ford put an Explorer top hat on a truck chassis to satisfy families looking for a new breed of family station wagon. The idea took off along with other boxy, jacked wagons like the Grand Cherokee and Nissan Pathfinder and Chevy Trailblazer. Fast forward to today and the three-row SUV is in its prime.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">I\u2019ve driven the Pilot, Ford Explorer and Chevy Traverse \u2014 all Made in America \u2014 in recent months and they are three of the most capable Swiss Army knives in the U.S. market. No longer vanilla family haulers, these three-row limos are stuffed with style, character, power and tech. Crave a luxury SUV? Save $20K and buy one of these chariots instead.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">They represent a segment teeming with talent, including the Mazda CX-90, Kia Telluride and Dodge Durango. How do Pilot, Explorer, Traverse stack up?<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Looks<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Mrs. Payne shies from minivans and rightly so \u2014 who would settle for a dorky van when you have these three SUV lookers on the lot?<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">My chiseled Pilot Black Edition, new for 2025, wore its black-trimmed, Sonic Gray Pearl trim like a tuxedo for the Oscars. Gloss black 20-inch wheels, black rocker panels, black mirror caps, Black Edition badging. Dude, you\u2019re from the same family that birthed the homely Fit?<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/09\/09\/PDTN\/86063777007-chevy-traverse-fr-34-lft.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2025 Chevy Traverse is a three-row SUV with one of the biggest interiors in class.\" width=\"513\" height=\"289\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_pg_img_cap\"><em>The 2025 Chevy Traverse is a three-row SUV with one of the biggest interiors in class.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em>Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2025 Chevy Traverse is a three-row SUV with one of the biggest interiors in class.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Traverse turns up the heat even further by taking its styling cues from the Silverado truck line. Tough grille, bold stance and a Z71 off-road package that leans into our obsession with America\u2019s natural wonders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">But it\u2019s the Explorer that wins the beauty contest. Draped over a longitudinal-engine, rear-wheel-drive-based platform (the Pilot and Traverse are on front-drive platforms), the athletic-looking Explorer pushes its wheels to the corners like a German SUV. Then it digs into sibling Mustang\u2019s wardrobe with dramatic scalloped flanks. Add the ST-Line\u2019s blacked-out wardrobe and it\u2019s no wonder Explorer is at the top of the sales board.<\/p>\n<aside id=\"gnt_atomsnc\" class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_anc\" data-g-r=\"lazy\" data-gl-method=\"loadAnc\" aria-label=\"Newsletter signup form\">\n<div class=\"label\" hidden=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"message\">\n<div class=\"title\">Get the\u00a0<span class=\"highlight\">Michigan Politics<\/span>\u00a0newsletter in your inbox.<\/div>\n<p class=\"description\">Washington and Lansing, red and blue, we&#8217;ve got your government covered.<\/p>\n<div class=\"frequency\">Delivery: Daily<\/div>\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"input-container populated\"><input autocomplete=\"off\" name=\"email\" required=\"\" type=\"email\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clickable\"><\/div>\n<p><label>Your Email<\/label><\/div>\n<div id=\"bar\">\n<div class=\"highlight\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-primary\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"progress-secondary\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Drivability<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">All three utes have excellent ergonomics that make them more intuitive to drive than their luxury peers. Control buttons on the steering wheel are raised, so I could easily adjust radio volume and cruise control without taking my eyes off the road. The Chevy is the most ingenious as it adds a set of buttons on the\u00a0<em>back<\/em>\u00a0of the steering wheel so I could adjust volume (right hand) and toggle between radio station favorites (left hand).<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Traverse has also opened space on its console (for phones, storage) by moving the shifter to the steering column. This is no clunky ol\u2019 column stalk, but a compact electronic shifter shared with the Blazer EV. That said, the Honda\u2019s console-mounted, compact \u201ctrigger shifter\u201d is the most intuitive of the three since it offers buttons for DRIVE, REVERSE, NEUTRAL. Place your fingers in the \u201ctrigger\u201d slots and you can easily find your way through a tight parking lot. The Ford\u2019s rotary shifter may be compact, but it\u2019s also the busiest, given that you have to rotate it all-way-\u2018round the horn to get from PARK to DRIVE and back again.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/09\/09\/PDTN\/86063743007-ford-explorer-fr-34-rail.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2025 Ford Explorer is a head-turner with its rear-based drive chassis, scalloped sheet metal, and wheels pushed out to the corners.\" width=\"529\" height=\"298\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2025 Ford Explorer is a head-turner with its rear-based drive chassis, scalloped sheet metal, and wheels pushed out to the corners.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<div class=\"gnt_pg_img_cap\"><em>The 2025 Ford Explorer is a head-turner with its rear-based drive chassis, scalloped sheet metal, and wheels pushed out to the corners.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em>Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Pilot extends its excellent ergonomics to lots of storage cubbies (prized by families carrying electronics, candy bars, pacifiers, etc.) and the segment\u2019s easiest third-row access seat solution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">No one will buy a midsize ute for fun through the twisties, but Traverse shows off GM\u2019s top-drawer chassis and engine development. The three-row ute is not only the tightest of the three, but its crisp chassis and stonkin\u2019 328-horsepower turbo-4 will give you added confidence on two-lane roads. Explorer also sports an impressive, throaty turbo-4, meaning that the Honda \u2014 despite possessing the only throaty V-6 of the group \u2014 is the least powerful at 285 horsepower.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Technology<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">This is where the game has really changed in three-row family land.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Traverse and Explorer sport first-class digital displays and tech goo-gaws. Both systems are run by Google Built-In \u2014 essentially the same operating system that powers Android phones \u2014 so that the big dash-mounted displays bear familiar, phone-like icons.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Honda is moving to Google Built-in as well, but for now, Pilot\u2019s graphics appear a generation behind even as they are easy to negotiate. Speaking of easy, Explorer oddly does not offer a head-up display like Pilot and Traverse \u2014 a driver-friendly feature that is indispensable once you\u2019ve experienced it.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/09\/09\/PDTN\/86063627007-honda-pilot-fr-44-offroad.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2025 Honda Pilot is comfortable on and off-road with all-wheel-drive.\" width=\"523\" height=\"295\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2025 Honda Pilot is comfortable on and off-road with all-wheel-drive.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<div class=\"gnt_pg_img_cap\"><em>The 2025 Honda Pilot is comfortable on and off-road with all-wheel-drive.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em>Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Where Explorer and Traverse really stretch their legs over the Honda, however, is with semi-autonomous driving systems. Chevy\u2019s Super Cruise and Ford\u2019s Blue Cruise are state-of-the-art systems that compete with luxury chariot-makers Tesla and Mercedes. Not only will these systems wow your kids, but they make long-distance road trips easier \u2014 not just reducing fatigue but also freeing your hands to, say, eat a Quarter Pounder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Ford practically gives Blue Cruise away, but Chevy\u2019s $3,250 system is the segment leader. The Traverse system is the most consistent on highways, and will even work on some two-lane roads.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Our terrific trio of SUVs are not only packed with tech \u2014 wireless smartphone apps, blind spot-assist, adaptive cruise control, backup assist \u2014 but it all comes standard. Add attractive trims and extras like panoramic roofs, and these utes can be had for just over $50K.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gnt_em gnt_em_img\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.detroitnews.com\/gcdn\/authoring\/authoring-images\/2025\/09\/09\/PDTN\/86063776007-chevy-traverse-cockpit.jpg?width=660&amp;height=372&amp;fit=crop&amp;format=pjpg&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2025 Chevy Traverse offers Super Cruise hands-free driving.\" width=\"536\" height=\"302\" \/><\/figure>\n<div class=\"gnt_em_img_ccw gnt_em_img_ccw__cap gnt_em_img_ccw__crd\" data-c-caption=\"The 2025 Chevy Traverse offers Super Cruise hands-free driving.\" data-c-credit=\"Henry Payne, The Detroit News\">\n<div class=\"gnt_pg_img_cap\"><em>The 2025 Chevy Traverse offers Super Cruise hands-free driving.<\/em><\/div>\n<p><em>Henry Payne, The Detroit News<\/em><\/div>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">My pick is the Chevy Multiverse \u2014 er, Traverse \u2014 by a nose, given its attention to detail. Deservingly, it received The Detroit News 2024 Vehicle of the Year award.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">That attention to detail is also important given that new tech has eroded reliability in vehicles for the first time in JD Power\u2019s 40-year history of polling consumers. Chevy excels in JD Power\u2019s ratings with an 83 score over three years of ownership, outpacing Pilot\u2019s 71 and Explorer\u2019s 60.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Because when you plan a road trip to Beaver, Pennsylvania, the last place you want your SUV is in the shop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Next week: 2026 Porsche 911 GTS T-Hybrid<\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">2025 Chevrolet Traverse<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel-drive, six- or seven-passenger SUV<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Powerplant: 2.5-liter turbocharged, inline-4 cylinder<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Transmission: Eight-speed automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Price: $42,195 base, including $1,495 destination fee ($56,100 RS as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Power: 328 horsepower, 326 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.3 seconds (Car and Driver); towing capacity: 5,000 pounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Weight: 4,793 pounds (AWD Traverse as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Fuel economy: EPA est. 19 city\/24 highway\/21 combined (AWD Traverse as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Highs: Handsome styling; Super Cruise<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lows: Coarse four-banger engine sound<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Overall: 4 stars<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">2025 Ford Explorer<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear- and all-wheel-drive, six- or seven-passenger SUV<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Price: $41,745 base, including $1,595 destination fee ($50,865 ST Line as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Powerplant: 2.3-liter, turbocharged inline-4 cylinder<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Power: 300 horsepower, 310 pound-feet torque (turbo-4)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Performance: 0-60 mph, NA; towing capacity: 5,000 pounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Weight: 4,565 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Fuel economy: EPA est. 20 city\/27 highway\/23 combined (turbo-4 AWD)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Highs: High-tech interior; Blue Cruise<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lows: Clunky rotary shifter<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Overall: 4 stars<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">2025 Honda Pilot<\/h2>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel-drive seven-to-eight-passenger SUV<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Price: $41,695, including $1,495 destination fee ($57,055 Black Edition as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Powerplant: 3.5-liter V-6<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Power: 285 horsepower, 262 pound-feet torque<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Transmission: 10-speed automatic<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.2 seconds (Car and Driver est.); towing, 5,000 pounds<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Weight: 4,660 pounds (as tested)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg 19 city\/27 highway\/22 combined (FWD); 19 city\/25 highway\/21 combined (AWD)<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><strong>Report card<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Highs: Good third-row access, interior ergonomics; throaty V-6<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Lows: Screen tech trails rivals; no hands-free driving option<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Overall: 4 stars<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><em>Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beaver, Pennsylvania\u00a0\u2014 After a weekend of racing sportscars across the plunging twists and turns of Pittsburgh International Raceway, my son and I crawled \u2014 exhausted \u2014 into our Honda Pilot SUV for the long five-hour ride home. \u201cMan, this car is so easy to drive,\u201d said my 34-year-old son. \u201cIt\u2019s so easy, a kid could [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34966"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34966"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34966\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34967,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34966\/revisions\/34967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}