Which Chevy SUV Is Best Suited for Your Family?

It’s not always easy to figure out how to meet the needs of your family. You have so many options to choose from, whether it’s essentials like clothing and food or fun things like movies and vacation spots. One of the most crucial decisions you will make for your family is the vehicle you choose for daily driving and all your other needs.

For many families, an SUV is the perfect choice that gives you a terrific combination of interior space, functionality, and safety. This is something Chevy clearly understands, which is why they offer so many terrific options for you to choose from—and while we love the freedom that the Chevy lineup gives you, it can also make things a bit overwhelming when you start exploring all of these options at a used Chevy dealer.

Choosing the right dealership can make things easier since you get friendly people who are eager to work with you and help you find everything you need. Here at Rusty Wallace Chevrolet, we love getting the chance to help someone get the perfect vehicle for their family, so let’s have a look at the kinds of models you’ll find among used Chevy SUVs and see what might work best for your family.

The Chevy Trax: Your Smallest Option From Chevy

A family of six or seven people will need a three-row or full-size model, but there are plenty of families looking for something smaller. If you are just starting out or don’t have kids, then the Chevy Trax is a terrific choice, as this is a subcompact SUV with two rows of seating. That means you can still get up to five passengers inside the Trax, so even with a couple of kids, this can be a great choice with a lot to offer.

For reference, looking at the 2021 model as an example, the Trax has about 18 cu.ft. of rear cargo space and more than 48 cu.ft. of total cargo volume inside. This gives you a sense of how much stuff you can bring along with you, and we’ll look at this year for each model to make our comparison easier.

The Chevy Trailblazer: Small in Size, Big on Space

If you want something with more room inside but don’t want to move up to a much larger SUV, then the Trailblazer is a terrific choice. This is also a subcompact model, much like the Trax, with two rows of seating inside, so it’s very similar. This SUV has multiple engines available, so keep that in mind when looking at used models, but it always delivers a good time on the road.

Even though this SUV is in the same class as the Trax, it provides you with more than 25 cu.ft. of rear cargo space and more than 54 cu.ft. of total cargo volume inside. You can see that there is quite a bit more room inside, making it a terrific option for going camping, getting supplies and projects to class for kids, or running errands.

The Chevy Equinox: Great All-Around Option

Next up, we have the Chevy Equinox, which is a terrific choice if you want a larger SUV than the first two but you’re not interested in going to a midsize model. As a compact SUV, the Equinox is in a larger class than the Trailblazer, which means it gives you more room to take advantage of.

Again, looking at the 2021 model, the Chevy Equinox has almost 30 cu.ft. of rear cargo space and nearly 64 cu.ft. of total cargo volume. That’s a substantial increase over the Trailblazer, especially when you look at the total room, giving you a lot more space for the stuff you need to bring with you. This is still a two-row model, however, so keep that in mind if you need something for a bigger family.

The Chevy Blazer: Midsize Design, Elegant Style

Next up, we have the Blazer, which is a midsize SUV and one of the most popular models in the Chevy lineup, which makes it easy to find when looking at used options. The Blazer is an interesting option that’s larger in size than the Equinox, but you get very similar cargo space inside for stuff—about 30 cu.ft. in the rear and 64 cu.ft. overall.

This tells you how Chevy has designed the Blazer to be an incredibly comfortable option, giving you plenty of room inside for your family. One thing to note is that this is the last two-row model we’re looking at today, so if you’re looking for a spacious ride for five or fewer passengers, then this is a great pick.

The Chevy Traverse: More Seating Inside

With the Chevy Traverse, you enter a segment that has been increasing in popularity over the last few years: a three-row SUV. The Traverse isn’t as large as the next two we’ll look at, but it still has a third row of seating that’s perfect for a growing family.

One thing to note is that the third row is not necessarily ideal for adults, especially those with long legs, but kids can be quite comfortable in the back. You’ll find 23 cu.ft. of rear cargo space in the Traverse, with just over 57 cu.ft. of cargo room behind the second row and about 98 cu.ft. of total cargo volume inside. This gives you plenty of space for the things you need to bring along with you.

The Chevy Tahoe: Full-Size Design

For a significantly larger vehicle, the Tahoe is the first of two full-size SUVs from Chevy and a terrific option for big families. Once again, we have three rows of seats here, but with its larger design, your passengers in the second and third rows will be able to stretch out a lot more.

You’ll find impressive engines offered on the Tahoe, and in recent years, it’s been able to tow more than 8,000 lbs when properly equipped, so keep that in mind when looking at used models. The 2021 Tahoe has more than 25 cu.ft. of rear cargo area inside, with more than 72 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the second row and nearly 123 cu.ft. of total cargo volume.

The Chevy Suburban: Your Largest Chevy SUV

Capping things off, the Suburban is the largest SUV in the Chevy lineup and one of the largest SUVs on the road overall. If you need an SUV with a lot of room inside for passengers and cargo alike, then you can’t beat the Suburban and the incredible amount of space it offers.

For example, the 2021 model has more than 41 cu.ft. of rear cargo room inside, with almost 94 cu.ft. of cargo space behind the second row of seats and more than 144 cu.ft. of total cargo volume inside. Just the rear cargo space is almost as much as the total volume of the Chevy Trax, which tells you how massive this remarkable SUV is.

Find the Perfect Used Chevy SUV for Your Family

Obviously, interior space isn’t the only thing that matters when you’re looking for an SUV for your family, but it’s an important consideration and a great way to narrow down your options to just a few that will work well. You want an SUV that’s safe and will help protect your family.

In recent years, the Chevy Safety Assist suite of advanced safety technology has been available on every Chevy model, and it’s become standard on many of them, which makes these impressive systems easy to find on used SUVs. You can even get a Teen Driver mode that’s perfect if you have a kid who’s about to start driving, as this tech limits certain features to encourage safe behavior and even gives you an in-vehicle report card so you can see how your new driver is doing.

With all of these great features available, finding a used Chevy SUV that’s perfect for your family is easier than ever before.