The Chevy SUV Lineup: A Study in Spaciousness

People (and their families) come in all shapes and sizes. We should know, as our family at DePaula Chevrolet is one of the biggest in Albany! It’s been so wonderful to grow with you for over 42 years and to see the automotive landscape change with the times. As safety technology has advanced and fuel efficiency became a top priority for engineers, more and more families started to find that a big SUV is a great alternative to a minivan or sedan for their transportation needs. Compared to the lineups we had in the 1990s and 2000s, today’s market is completely transformed, with the largest segment of the Chevy lineup being the SUVs!

Like the drivers who join our growing family, Chevy SUVs come in every shape and size. Each offers a great value proposition and has its own set of strengths, so nobody has to settle for anything less than exactly what they need. We’re proud to be your Capital District Chevy SUV dealer and didn’t win GM’s Dealer of the Year 11 years in a row by offering anything less than perfect-fit solutions, so if you’re in the market for a Chevy SUV, from small and frugal to massively capable, we’ll find just the right one for you!

Subcompact SUVs

The Chevy Trax

The smallest and most affordable Chevy SUV is the Trax. It offers all the real estate benefits of a subcompact sedan without compromising comfort. We know lowering oneself into or climbing out of a short, cramped sedan can sometimes be a dealbreaker (if not a backbreaker). As SUVs go, this one isn’t meant for off-roading, with the lowest clearance of any Chevy SUV, but it’s also a little taller than its closest siblings. This gives it a relatively high, upright seating position with plenty of headspace for taller drivers!

The rear seats, like in any subcompact car, aren’t meant for regular use by adults; the legroom isn’t terrible, but this is Chevy’s narrowest SUV, and that pinch can get real in the back seat. With those seats folded down and out of the way, however, 18 standard carry-ons can fit in the cargo hold. If you take substance over style, don’t need to move many people, and prioritize a smooth ride over tech features, the Trax could be a perfect fit for you.

The Chevy Trailblazer

The Trailblazer is what you might get if the Trax had a makeover. It also fits in this subcompact segment but just barely outperforms the Trax for size, space, and payload capacity. A big advantage is that the rear seat – a level roofline provides more headroom, and a slightly wider body relaxes the constraints on adults who cram into the rear. It’s also a better cargo mover than the Trax, with a fold-flat front passenger seat and a maximum cargo capacity of 54.4 cu.ft.

The Trailblazer, which is better equipped but rougher riding than the 2022 Trax, also has the advantage of being tow-capable. Few others in this segment can say the same. 1,000 lbs might not sound like much, but for the occasional camping trip or college student moving adventure, it’s more than enough to accommodate. So if you foresee a lot of cargo moving in your future or need a small, inexpensive vehicle with adequate space for occasional passengers and a standard slate of tech features, the Trailblazer is your next travel companion.

Compact SUVs

The Chevy Equinox

Not many drivers can afford the compromise of a subcompact vehicle. Whether the needs are cargo or people-related, a commitment to a new vehicle often requires something more practical, so a little bit of economic value must be traded for size. The Equinox, Chevy’s best-selling model without a truck bed, hits this mass-market sweet spot on the nose. For drivers with small families and limited budgets, it does pretty much everything right.

With nearly 20% more cargo capacity than the Trailblazer, the Equinox has room for 8 carry-ons behind the rear seats alone, more than enough to accommodate regular rear-seat passengers and their stuff. Possibilities abound, adventurous couples have room for both of their bikes or a week’s worth of camping gear, while families can equip the rear seats with heaters for cold winter mornings and regularly fit all the sports gear they need in the back. Yet it barely fills out a standard parking space. So if money (or space) is tight, but the need for SUV practicality is real, you’ll enjoy the Equinox every day of the year.

Midsize SUVs

The Chevy Blazer

The Blazer is in a really interesting in-between spot. Officially, it’s classified as a midsize SUV, and it’s substantially wider, heavier, and tougher than the Equinox, but the body design has compromises that limit its practicality against its direct competition. Styling inspired by the Camaro makes the Blazer a good fit for somebody who wants a car that looks cool more than ensuring it satisfies every practicality checkbox.

That’s not to call it impractical; it’s far from it. With storage for 11 carry-ons in the rear (or 26 total), it provides more “stretch out” room for rear passengers, offering 39.6 inches in legroom and more space for their things than the Equinox. Practical small storage options abound, like ledges on the front door panels for smartphones, and this price point is where sliding rear seats start to become available for optimal positioning.

Against similarly-priced midsize SUVs, you’d take the Blazer for looks at the expense of utility; against a compact, you’re paying for the luxuries of style and space. Altogether, the Blazer best fits a niche type of driver who needs a spacious vehicle but doesn’t quite need a minivan and would rather be driving a Camaro.

The Chevy Traverse

It’s funny to think of the Traverse as “midsize” because it’s basically a minivan without sliding doors. Significantly longer and taller, but at the same price point as the Blazer, its seats-down capacity offers an impressive 98.2 cu.ft. of space. With the most first-row cubby storage in the segment and 10 cup holders for 8 comfortably-seated adult passengers, the Traverse is the ultimate practicality package.

You don’t get monstrous towing capacity, bold looks, or a skyscraping driving position. You sacrifice efficiency and maneuverability over a smaller SUV as well. But with it, you can move just about everyone and everything you need without breaking the bank (the Traverse starts at two-thirds the cost of a Tahoe). For families with more than a couple of kids to move around (or a couple of older kids with tons of stuff), the Traverse is ready to tackle those challenges head-on.

Full Size SUVs

The Chevy Tahoe

The Tahoe has always been a short version of the Suburban (more on that one in a minute). It’s a body-on-frame SUV, virtually a Silverado 1500 with rear seats where the bed should be, and that’s about all we need to say to explain the popularity of this vehicle. Its tradeoff against the Suburban is cargo capacity for slightly lower cost, higher payload and towing capacity, and easier parking. Not a hard trade to make!

The Tahoe can be a tremendous people-mover but offers little more than the Traverse in this regard. With the rear seats occupied, the cargo hold is just as versatile as the Traverse. But, the second and third-row seats are more spacious, and Tahoe’s greatest advantage is the strength of its body-on-frame construction, completely outclassing the midsize segment’s towing capabilities.

So who’s a perfect fit for a Tahoe? They have people to move, five or six regularly, and the Traverse is just a little too tight to fit the passengers and their baggage. They have trailers weighing over 2.5 tons to move around, and their real estate says “no, thanks,” when faced with a Suburban’s neverending length. If any of the above applies to you, that’s great, but for families of six or more, there’s one more option to seriously consider.

The Chevy Suburban

Last but not least, the granddaddy of all SUVs is the Suburban, a name that’s been in continuous use for coming up on 90 years, the first real SUV on the market, and perpetually the biggest of them all. It’s the Tahoe with an extra 15 inches in the rear, making its cargo hold reach 41.5 cu.ft of room, while folding down the seats gets you a whopping 144.7 cu.ft. of space. That’s almost as much cargo capacity as the entire Chevy Trax, and that’s while carrying seven to nine passengers on board!

It’s hard to fathom how ridiculously huge the Suburban really is. Almost 19 ft. long and pushing three tons, but sacrificing a couple hundred lbs of hauling capacity to the Tahoe, its sole purpose is to maximize the capacity to move people and their stuff while not compromising on either. It only makes sense against the Tahoe if you’re regularly moving 6 or more people or if you’re already set on a full-size and want to hedge your bets that you’ll need that spaciousness now and again. When those moments arise, you’ll be hard-pressed to need anything more in your transportation. When it comes to sheer interior space, the Suburban has it all.

Many Sizes to Fit All

Chevy SUVs come in all shapes and sizes, from hatchback-like subcompacts to bus-like full sizes. The lineup has something for everybody; from huge families with lots of belongings to students who need a practical, economical whip; from retirees who want a high, comfy seating position to young parents thinking about their future family. Whichever shape and size you need, you can be sure we’ll find the perfect fit at DePaula Chevrolet. We welcome you to come in today, and let us show you everything this amazing lineup has to offer.