In a word, the Chevy Traverse rocks.

There’s much to love and little to complain about in this mid-size SUV. It’s the perfect family vehicle for families who want the space of the mini-van without the look and feel of one. Compared to our Honda Pilot, which is several years old now, the Traverse has nicer styling, more leg room in both the second and third rows, and greater flexibility for hauling cargo.

The Traverse handles like a car, but parking this beast is no easy feat. For those with limited SUV experience, tight spots in city parking garages are best avoided when starting out. Gas mileage is average for its class (16 city/23 highway for the AWD model) and the ride is incredibly smooth. The cabin is quiet, even on the highway, and the rear DVD with headsets, three-month trial of XM Satellite Radio, and USB input offer endless options for entertaining both driver and passengers. My husband was particularly impressed with the Bose speakers.

Perhaps most appealing to families will be the seating options. The Traverse can seat eight adults comfortably or two adults in the front and six kids in car seats or boosters in the back. For times when you’ve got a toddler in one arm and a bag of groceries in the other, the power remote liftgate is a true sanity saver. The rear camera system will ensure you never run over your kid’s bicycle or scooter, but the parking assist alarm might incite sudden panic when parallel parking.

The doors on the Traverse are heavy. My boys who are 6 and 8 could barely open them from the outside on their own (this is one advantage mini-vans generally have over SUVs). However, there is plenty of room for parents to move about both the second and third rows to help younger ones buckle in without bumping heads. The dual-zone climate control in the LT and LTZ models is great for couples who routinely fight over the temperature in the main cabin. Rear controls are also available.

As for power and safety, the Traverse earned five-star frontal and side-impact crash test ratings—the highest government safety rating available—and gets high rankings from US News & World Report, Consumer Reports and was named a 2010 Consumers Digest Best Buy. To hear what my husband and sons thought of the Traverse, be sure to listen for their audio review at the end of next week’s podcast.

Since we already own an SUV, it’s unlikely my family would buy another one right now. The starting MSRP for the Traverse LS is $28,990. The LTZ  model I test drove has a sticker price of (gulp) $42,280. If you’re in the market for an SUV, you owe it to yourself and your kids to test drive one. You will not be disappointed.