August in South Carolina pulls the entire eastern seaboard toward the same stretch of Ocean Boulevard, and US-501 between Conway and Myrtle Beach makes everyone feel it. A ten-minute drive at the right hour. A forty-minute crawl when the weekend rush hits and every lane sits bumper-to-bumper. The 2026 Chevrolet Traverse is built to make that journey comfortable for eight people and all their gear, but only if you’ve actually set it up right before you leave the driveway.

We’ll be straight about it. A badly loaded Traverse is a frustrating Traverse. Pack it with intention and you’ll roll into the Grand Strand with kids who aren’t fighting, bags that haven’t avalanched, and a cabin that isn’t roasting at 85 degrees before you hit the bridge.

What You Need Before You Start

Plan your configuration against these verified numbers before you touch a single bag, because the Traverse’s flexibility is real and the gaps between builds matter more than they look on paper. We’d rather you sort that in the driveway.

A note on the 4-cylinder: Chevrolet swapped the old 3.6L V6 for a 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder producing 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. The EPA rates the FWD Traverse at 26 mpg highway. That number beats the outgoing V6 configuration, which matters when you’re sitting in stop-and-go on US-501 burning fuel with the AC maxed out in August.

Honest tradeoff: the turbo four doesn’t sound or feel like the old V6 under hard acceleration, and you’ll notice it when you merge onto SC-22 at speed. 328 horses is 328 horses, but the character is different, and some drivers find it takes getting used to. For a highway cruise to the beach, it won’t matter. On a fast pass, plan the moment. The truck isn’t slow.

Setting Up Your Traverse: Six Steps for a Grand Strand Run

These steps follow the same sequence our team walks through on the lot when a family is configuring a Traverse for the first time. We keep it in this order for a reason.

Step 1: Decide your seat count first, not last.

The step that’s easy to skip sits right at the front. If you’re running a full house of seven or eight, the LT trim’s optional second-row bench gives you that eighth seat at no extra cost. The RS, Z71, and High Country come standard with captain’s chairs and seat seven. That gap between the captains looks roomy, and it’s also a highway for loose cargo under a hard stop (coolers, bags, and beach chairs have a direct path to the second-row footwells if there’s nothing blocking that channel). Make the seat decision before you start packing, because it changes everything about how you secure cargo behind it. Browse our current Traverse inventory to see which trims are on the lot right now.

Step 2: Load the third row first, then work forward.

Fold or deploy the third row based on your headcount, and then start loading from the back toward the front. With the third row up, the EPA lists 22.9 cubic feet behind it. Flat, that opens to 56.6 cubic feet. Both rows flat gives you 97.6 cubic feet of flat cargo floor. Load heaviest items (the cooler, the duffel bags) flat against the floor of the cargo well, closest to the liftgate. Lighter items stack on top. This keeps the center of gravity low and reduces what slides forward when you brake hard approaching the US-501 / SC-544 interchange.

Step 3: Secure the captain’s-chair gap if you’re using that configuration.

With captain’s chairs and the third row folded flat, anything in the cargo area has a clear opening between the second-row seats to slide through under braking. Hard stops make that a real issue, not a hypothetical one. A cargo net, a flat cargo tray with side walls, or even a firmly placed hard-side cooler positioned across the gap keeps gear behind the second row. The Traverse’s available cargo packages include a vertical cargo net and a cargo tray with a divider. If those came with your trim, use them. If not, a third-party adjustable cargo barrier fits the cargo well and costs nothing compared to a soft bag catching someone in the shins.

Step 4: Manage AC load strategically for the Conway-to-Myrtle Beach run.

Plan your AC load for the Conway-to-Myrtle Beach run, because August means running it at max from the moment you start the car. That load affects real-world mpg meaningfully on a short urban trip. The Traverse’s 17.7-inch touchscreen gives you a real-time efficiency display, so glance at it before you commit to the route. If you’re running FWD with a 19.4-gallon tank and plan to stay parked at the beach for several hours, cut the engine rather than idling the AC. The Grand Strand sun will heat a dark-interior cabin fast, so park in shade when you can find it and crack the rear windows a half-inch before you shut down. That small pressure release drops the cabin re-heat time noticeably when you return. Check that your AC system is serviced and refrigerant levels are current before a long beach season run. A poorly charged system works twice as hard in August and pulls harder on your mpg.

Step 5: Pre-load your route in Google Maps before you leave Conway.

The Traverse comes standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means your phone’s navigation mounts wirelessly to the 17.7-inch display. Set the route before you put the car in reverse. Conway sits inland from Myrtle Beach on US-501. Two reliable options run from Conway to the beach. US-501 east is the direct shot, but the SCDOT identifies the corridor between Conway and Myrtle Beach as one of the most consistently congested routes in South Carolina, with weekend backups that can turn a thirty-minute trip into more than an hour. SC-22 (Veterans Highway), the 28-mile Conway bypass, links US-501 west of Conway to US-17 north of Myrtle Beach and runs faster when US-501 is backed up. Load both as alternates and let the live traffic view decide. If you’re shopping smaller for a solo or couple’s beach run, the Equinox is worth a look for its more compact footprint on the Grand Strand’s tighter parking lots. For a family of six or more with gear, the Traverse is the one with enough room to not regret the decision before you hit the city limits.

Step 6: Run a quick weight check before you pull out.

The 2026 Traverse carries a payload rating of roughly 1,669 pounds (that’s the combined weight of passengers and cargo). Eight adults plus beach gear can approach that number faster than you’d expect, particularly if someone brought the full-size pop-up canopy and the wheeled cooler. Chevrolet lists 5,000 pounds of towing capacity when properly equipped, and that number assumes a correctly loaded and configured vehicle, so verify the door-jamb label for your specific build. Don’t skip this step if you’re also towing a small boat trailer or a personal-watercraft rig down to Murrells Inlet.

Print-and-Go Road Trip Setup Checklist

• [ ] Confirm seat configuration (bench for 8 or captains for 7) before loading anything
• [ ] Deploy or fold third row based on headcount
• [ ] Load heavy items (cooler, duffels) flat against the liftgate floor, lightest on top
• [ ] Secure captain’s-chair gap with a cargo net, tray, or hard-sided barrier
• [ ] Check AC system function and refrigerant level before peak-season runs
• [ ] Pre-set wireless CarPlay/Android Auto with US-501 and SC-22 as alternate routes
• [ ] Confirm Google Maps live traffic is active before departing Conway
• [ ] Verify total passenger-and-cargo weight against the door-jamb payload label
• [ ] Charge all devices before departure (the Traverse has USB-A and USB-C ports throughout the cabin)
• [ ] Stow sunscreen, wipes, and a trash bag within reach of the second row

A Quick Recap Before You Hit the Road

The 2026 Traverse genuinely earns its place as a Grand Strand family hauler. Ninety-seven and a half cubic feet of flat cargo space, 26 mpg highway on the FWD build, a 17.7-inch screen that doubles as a navigation hub, and 5,000 pounds

If you’re shopping a Chevrolet Colorado near Longs, the drivetrain question comes up fast. Snow barely touches the Grand Strand, so the gut reaction is to skip 4WD and save the money. On the surface that logic holds. But Horry County throws a few things at a truck that pure snow logic misses, and we’ve watched shoppers talk themselves into 2WD for the wrong reasons and into 4WD for the wrong ones too.

The straight answer runs like this. 2WD’s the right call for a work truck or daily driver that stays on maintained roads and carries light loads. 4WD earns its keep the moment your regular route touches sand, unpaved shoulders, or a flooded stretch of SC 90 after a summer storm.

Browse the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado at Palmetto Chevrolet

How Does the Colorado’s Drivetrain Actually Work?

The two drivetrains differ in more than wheel count, and each one changes how the truck behaves on Horry County roads. In 2WD the engine drives the rear axle alone, which keeps things light and efficient, while 4WD splits torque to both axles for grip when the surface won’t cooperate.

In 2WD, which is rear-wheel drive on the Colorado, the engine sends all its power to the rear axle only. The front wheels just come along for the ride. That keeps the drivetrain simpler, lighter, and more fuel-efficient. The EPA rates the 2026 Colorado in 2WD at 19 city and 24 highway MPG. On dry pavement it stays predictable, and it’ll tow confidently because the rear wheels do the pushing.

Switch to 4WD High and the front driveshaft engages through the transfer case, splitting torque between both axles. That gives you grip on sand, mud, or slick wet roads. 4WD Low multiplies torque further for technical off-road work, crawling out of a sandy boat ramp, or pulling a trailer up a rain-softened grade. The EPA rates the 2026 Colorado in 4WD at 17 city and 22 highway MPG. That’s a 2 MPG gap on the highway. Real, but not dramatic.

Then there’s 4Auto, the mode that trips up a lot of buyers. It doesn’t switch between 2WD and 4WD based on slippage the way some folks assume. In 4Auto the front driveshaft stays engaged at all times, and the transfer case uses an internal clutch to vary how much torque goes forward. Think of it as a heavy-duty all-wheel-drive mode you can run on wet or mixed-surface roads around Longs without worrying about drivetrain damage. What it’ll do is nudge fuel economy toward the 4WD figures even on dry pavement, because that added rotating mass is always working.

EPA figures above are for the 2026 Colorado WT and LT configurations without mud-terrain tires. The ZR2 wears heavier off-road rubber, so it’s rated at 17 city and 17 highway across the board.

Which Drivetrain Do You Need Near Longs?

Your route decides this more than the weather does, and both answers are legitimate depending on where the truck spends its day. Stay on maintained highway with light loads and 2WD is the smart, efficient pick. Touch sand, soft shoulders, or a flooded back road with weight in the bed, and 4WD starts paying for itself.

Longs sits at the intersection of SC 9 and SC 905, with the SC 90 corridor running through the broader community area. That mix puts you on well-traveled state highway and on the rural shoulders and unpaved side roads that Horry County’s still upgrading through its RIDE 3 dirt-road paving program.

The roads here are getting better. They’re not all there yet.

Summer flash flooding matters more than winter snow here. In summer, heat and heavy rain damage Grand Strand roads in ways that create localized flooding and surface hazards, a pattern well-documented by SCDOT and local emergency management. A 2WD Colorado in 4Auto handles wet pavement just fine. Load a half-ton of job-site material into that same bed on a flooded stretch of SC 905, and you’ll feel rear-wheel traction go thin.

Sandy access roads are the more constant issue. The Waccamaw River corridor and the waterways near Longs generate real boat-ramp and fishing traffic year-round. Sand is the off-pavement surface you’re most likely to meet, and rear-wheel-drive trucks are notoriously hard to manage on loose sand under any meaningful load (the rear tires just dig). Drop your tire pressure a bit before a soft-sand ramp and air back up once you’re on pavement.

The honest case for 2WD. Run US-501 to Myrtle Beach and back, keep your cargo light, and never touch a gravel driveway or a boat ramp, and 2WD keeps you at 24 MPG on the highway. When you need more tow capacity than a midsize truck offers, a Chevrolet Silverado 1500 steps in. For a daily hauler on maintained roads, though, 2WD Colorado is a capable, fuel-sensible choice, and it’s a real one, not a compromise.

The honest case for 4WD. Tradespeople working job sites with soft or sandy ground, anyone pulling a boat to a ramp off SC 905, and drivers logging regular miles on rural Horry County roads where surface quality varies all get genuine value from 4WD. The Trail Boss trim comes standard with 4WD, a factory 2-inch lift, all-terrain tires, and a transfer case shield. That’s a meaningful capability package without reaching for the ZR2.

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Quick Glossary: Colorado Drivetrain Terms

What This Means for Your Next Colorado

Every trim makes the same power, so the drivetrain choice never costs you an engine, and the 2026 Colorado’s TurboMax produces 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque in every single trim. What changes is how that power reaches the ground when the ground isn’t ideal.

Towing capacity reaches up to 7,700 lbs when properly equipped, and your door-jamb label carries the exact number for your specific configuration. Whether you’re pulling a center-console boat down SC 905 or hauling landscape material to a job site around Longs, the drivetrain choice shapes how confidently that tow capacity performs on the surfaces between you and where you’re headed.

Our team at Palmetto Chevrolet in Conway can pull the window sticker on any Colorado on our lot and walk you through exactly which transfer case modes, tires, and ground clearance each trim includes. The Trail Boss and Z71 both come standard with 4WD, but they’re set up differently for different buyers. Worth having that conversation before you decide. And if you’re trading in a current vehicle, knowing that number early can shift the trim math in a real way.

See What Your Trade Is Worth

Climb from Auburn up I-80 to Colfax and you won’t find much drama by Sierra Nevada standards. Call it 18 miles, roughly 1,100 feet of elevation gain, and you’ll run it dozens of times a year if you live out here, give or take. Repetition like that is the part the spec sheets don’t account for.

A fair question before you buy is which Subaru handles the mountain commute best. Our straight answer depends on what you’re loading it with and how far past Colfax you’re headed. Below is how the 2026 Forester, the 2026 Crosstrek, and the 2026 Outback each handle that specific run.

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How Do the Forester, Crosstrek, and Outback Compare for This Route?

All three handle the run well, though the right one depends on your load, because the Auburn-to-Colfax route via I-80 is paved, frequently traveled, and gains roughly 1,200 feet of elevation from Auburn (around 1,200 feet above sea level) to Colfax (about 2,422 feet). No gnarly trail here. You get a sustained grade at freeway speed, often with a fully loaded vehicle, and the road keeps climbing from there if you’re headed toward Emigrant Gap or Donner Summit (at 7,057 feet). Below the three models shake out side by side.

A few things stand out. The Crosstrek gets Dual X-MODE across all trims, not just the Wilderness, which is a genuine advantage if you often drop off I-80 onto a wet Forest Service road above Colfax. Subaru’s specs put the Outback’s turbo engine at 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque, and that’s the meaningful separator when it matters. Forester cargo volume sits in a different class from the other two.

Does the Grade Actually Change Which Subaru You Should Choose?

Yes, the grade matters, though only past a point, because a sustained 5 to 7% grade at 70 mph with a loaded roof rack or a rear seat full of gear puts every 180-hp Boxer through its paces and tells you which one you’ll want under load. The CVT will hunt for a gear ratio, hold revs higher than you expect, and the engine note tells you it’s working. No problem there. Just physics.

Standard Forester and Crosstrek handle this the same way, since they share that 180-hp 2.5L Boxer and the same CVT. Weight is what you notice. The Crosstrek runs lighter and shorter, so the same 180 hp moves it up the grade with a little more urgency than it does a loaded Forester. The Forester pays you back with the cargo and passenger room to justify the full load in the first place.

Outback XT changes the equation. Subaru’s 2.4L turbocharged Boxer in the XT and Wilderness trims produces 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, a meaningful difference on the American River Canyon stretch where you’re climbing and passing at once. Run that grade often with a bike rack, kayak boards, or a light trailer, and the turbo earns its place. The trade is the Outback Wilderness dropping to 21 city / 27 highway per EPA, which adds up on a route you drive every week.

See 2026 Outback trims at Gold Rush Subaru See 2026 Crosstrek trims at Gold Rush Subaru

What the Auburn-Colfax Pattern Actually Demands

The Cape Horn section of I-80, those tight curves just east of Colfax, asks a different set of questions than a straight freeway climb, so power matters less here and composure matters more. Body roll counts. Visibility counts. So does the ability to make a confident adjustment when a slower vehicle shows up on a corner.

Our team notices a few things about each model’s behavior in those conditions:

• Forester’s upright boxy shape gives you genuine sightlines on curves. Those large windows earn their keep on a curvy road.
• The Crosstrek sits lower to the ground (8.7 inches, same clearance as standard Forester but a shorter, lighter platform), which gives it a slightly tauter feel through quick corners.
• Outback’s redesigned 2026 body runs taller and wider than its predecessor. You get a composed drive in a bigger vehicle through tighter lanes.
• All three carry Subaru’s EyeSight safety suite as standard. Adaptive cruise on the I-80 approach from Auburn proves useful on days when traffic stacks through the Clipper Gap section.
• None of these feel like performance vehicles on that road, and that’s fine. They feel competent, planted, and secure, which is what a route you drive in November rain and August haze demands.

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Picking the Right Subaru for How You Use This Route

The matrix below maps your actual use case to the right model, and the pick shifts less on paper capability than on the real pattern of the Auburn-Colfax commuter, so read your own week before you read the chart.

One tradeoff runs across all three. The CVT rewards planning over aggression, transferring power smoothly and holding the hill without drama, though it won’t give you a traditional downshift the way a stepped automatic does. On a long descent from Donner Summit, Hill Descent Control does the work the gear selector used to do. Use it.

One thing worth flagging. If your runs often go well past Colfax toward Emigrant Gap or the summit, the Wilderness trims on all three models earn a harder look. The Forester Wilderness and Outback Wilderness each bring 9.3 and 9.5 inches of ground clearance respectively, Dual X-MODE, and shorter gearing designed to climb grades up to 40 percent (per Subaru). Standard trims are fine for I-80. The Wilderness trims are built for when you turn off it.

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Park the 2026 Chevrolet Trax near the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk before 10 a.m., aim for the lots along Mr. Joe White Avenue between Business 17 and Ocean Boulevard, and you’ll slide into a spot that would stress out a bigger SUV. That’s the plan. Everything else is just enjoying the walk.

The boardwalk earns the trip. You get 1.2 miles of oceanfront promenade running from the Second Avenue Pier all the way up to 14th Avenue North, and on a summer Saturday it’s genuinely packed. The parking around it reflects that. Still, it’s navigable once you know where the open spots really live, and it gets a lot more navigable when you’re not maneuvering a vehicle that’s pushing 193 inches.

What’s the Plan at a Glance?

The Boardwalk Parking Reality, Honestly Stated

Parking near the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk during peak summer is competitive, and we won’t pretend otherwise, though the corridor is compact enough that a good plan and an early start put the odds firmly in your favor before the meters even wake up. The metered spaces on 8th and 9th Avenues North and along Ocean Boulevard run on paid city meters from March 1 through October 31, monitored from 9 a.m. to midnight. The City of Myrtle Beach enforces those meters actively, and citations begin at a standard rate. Miss your meter by a few minutes and you’ll find out quickly.

The good news is the corridor around the boardwalk is compact, geographically speaking. The lots that serve the SkyWheel and boardwalk area cluster along Mr. Joe White Avenue (formerly 10th and 11th Avenues North) between Business 17 and Ocean Boulevard. ParkMB runs ten private lots in the Boardwalk Entertainment District, and most of them sit right in that corridor. The Pavilion Parking Garage sits at 914 North Kings Highway, between 9th and 10th Avenues North, and you’ll be within an easy walk of the whole promenade. A public city lot also sits between 14th and 15th Avenues North for the north-end approach.

None of those spots feel generous, and you’ll notice that fast. Older resort-district infrastructure means tighter lane widths, cars parked on both sides, and pedestrians crossing constantly. Arriving in something 14 feet 10 inches long rather than 16-plus makes every one of those moves less stressful.

Why the Trax Footprint Fits This Corridor Specifically

The 2026 Trax measures 178.6 inches long and 71.2 inches wide without mirrors, small enough to thread this corridor yet roomy where it counts, and Chevrolet lists 25.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat, which grows to 54.1 cubic feet with the seat folded. You’ll have enough room for beach gear, a cooler, and the chairs nobody wants to carry but everyone brings.

Why do those dimensions matter here? The Joe White Avenue lots and the metered grid between 8th and 14th Avenues North weren’t designed with modern large crossovers in mind. The lane widths and stall depths in the boardwalk corridor suit a compact footprint. At nearly 15 feet long, the Trax is genuinely shorter than a Honda Civic (which runs about 184 inches). For context, our own Chevrolet Equinox is about 14 inches longer. That gap doesn’t sound dramatic until you’re nosing into a tight angled stall with someone waiting behind you.

The Trax’s Electric Power Steering gives it a tight turning radius that makes reversing out of those stalls (with pedestrians passing and cars queued) less tense than it’d be in a longer vehicle. Tight spaces are where you stop noticing the Trax’s modest 137-horsepower figure and start appreciating what the compact package does for you.

• The EPA rates the 2026 Trax at 28 mpg city and 32 mpg highway. The run from Conway down US-501 is almost entirely highway, so your fuel burn on the trip is low
• Cargo room with the seats up (25.6 cubic feet) beats several vehicles in this class, per Chevrolet’s spec
• The 7.3-inch ground clearance handles the speed bumps that mark almost every private lot in the boardwalk district without drama
• Standard rear cross-traffic alert (available in the Driver Confidence package) helps on the way out of tight stalls when foot traffic is heavy
• The 61.4-inch roofline clears any parking structure in the boardwalk area without a thought

Making the Trip Work from Conway

The Trailblazer is another compact option from our lot that handles the same corridor well, so you’ve got a real choice here, though the Trax’s slightly shorter length makes it the one we’d send to the boardwalk first when parking ease is the priority. The honest tradeoff is simple enough. The Trax is a front-wheel-drive, city-oriented vehicle, and it’s not the pick for someone towing a boat or needing all-wheel drive for a trail. What it is good at is the trip from Conway to Myrtle Beach and back (a highway run on US-501, a tight parking situation at the destination, and a full day of walking with beach gear in the back).

The boardwalk meters go free from October 1 through February 28 each year, per a City of Myrtle Beach ordinance passed in late 2025. If you’re flexible on timing, a fall or winter weekday at the boardwalk is a different experience than a July Saturday. You’ll find quieter lots, free street parking, and a promenade that lets you walk at your own pace. The Trax handles all seasons, just bring a jacket in January.

We keep the Trax on our lot in Conway because it’s built for how this trip runs for Grand Strand families. One practical compact SUV, a city that asks you to park in tight spots, a beach that rewards people who get there early. It fits.

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The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is worth the trip in any season. Get there in something that makes the parking part easy, walk the 1.2-mile promenade from Second Avenue Pier up to the 14th Avenue Pier, and let the vehicle worry about nothing more than a tight stall and a metered block. That’s about all it needs to do.

The 2026 Chevrolet Suburban is genuinely built for what Grand Strand families ask of it every summer. Load eight people, every suitcase, maybe a trailer, then put 600 or 800 miles behind you in a single day. It can do all of that. What trips people up is that leaving Myrtle Beach in August takes a little more strategy than pointing the nose toward I-95, and the Suburban rewards a driver who understands its systems instead of trusting it to sort things out.

Below is the short version our team at Palmetto Chevrolet runs through before you’re loaded up and rolling out of Conway or the Grand Strand.

Do’s and Don’ts for a Long-Haul Suburban Trip

The moves in the table below are the ones that actually change your day, and most of them are small, so skipping any single one on a cool morning probably costs you nothing, while skipping two or three together on a hot August Saturday is how a family ends up parked on an I-95 shoulder instead of a mountain cabin. Read it before you load the truck.

The One Thing That Matters Most: Leave on the Right Route at the Right Time

Your route out of town and your departure time decide whether the trip starts smooth or starts stuck, more than any other single choice you’ll make that morning, because US-501 is the obvious artery from Myrtle Beach toward I-95 through Conway, and on a summer Saturday afternoon it can stretch a 90-minute drive to the interstate into a two-and-a-half-hour crawl. We know it, visitors know it, and people still leave at 2 p.m. on a Saturday in August.

Take SC-22 (the Conway Bypass) to SC-31 (Carolina Bays Parkway). SC-31 runs as a limited-access highway alongside the Intracoastal Waterway, heading west without a single traffic light until it ties into SC-544. From there you slide onto I-95 at Florence and skip the US-501 tourist drain entirely. It adds roughly ten minutes over a theoretical direct shot, and it spares you the standstill everyone else creates by running the same math at the same time.

Once you’re on I-95, north or south, the Suburban settles in beautifully. Diesel-equipped trims give you a Duramax 3.0L pulling 495 lb-ft of torque at 2,750 rpm, and the EPA puts highway fuel economy at 26 mpg (RWD) or 24 mpg (4WD). Pair that with the 28-gallon tank and you land on Chevrolet’s stated 728-mile highway range. On the diesel you can leave Conway and pass through Florence, Santee, Columbia, Charlotte, Statesville, Wytheville, and be closing in on the Virginia-West Virginia line before you need fuel. V8 buyers should plan stops every 400 to 450 miles based on 19-20 mpg highway.

A pre-trip service check before you leave is never wasted on a big run. Fresh oil, a correct coolant level, and cold tire pressure take about twenty minutes and pull a lot of uncertainty out of an 800-mile day.

The Chevy Tahoe is worth a mention here as a comparison point, since it shares the same powertrain family. What sets the Suburban apart is its 16 additional inches of length behind the third row, which means you carry real luggage without folding seats. You get 41.5 cubic feet of cargo space with all three rows occupied (enough for actual suitcases and a stroller without an argument).

Keep Everyone Comfortable and Stay Aware

Long trips reward preparation over willpower, so the comfort you set up before you roll matters more than the toughness you try to summon at mile 400, especially with a full third row of kids and a low-country sun loading the cabin from every angle. Small habits carry the day here.

The Suburban’s third row offers 36.7 inches of legroom, per Chevrolet’s specifications, and that number holds up in person instead of reading like brochure math. Plan a stop every 90 minutes when kids ride back there, no matter how roomy it feels. Kids need to move. The I-95 North Carolina Welcome Center near the state line keeps clean facilities and covered parking. Kenly 95 Travel Plaza gives you amenities without leaving the interstate corridor at all.

Comfort systems for an August drive:

• Available ventilated front seats and rear-row climate controls help when the SC low country sun loads the cabin from every angle.
• Pre-cooling the Suburban while it’s still in the shade lets the system hold temperature efficiently at 70-75 mph.
• The efficiency hit is measurably lower than clawing your way down from a 100-degree interior.

Check the National Weather Service forecast for the full corridor before you depart, and don’t stop at the Myrtle Beach beach forecast. South Carolina summer heat runs hot, and the Grand Strand sits close to hurricane-track weather, so the sky over the sand tells you very little about the sky over I-95. An I-95 thunderstorm between Florence and Santee is a different animal than afternoon clouds at the beach.

Our Chevy Traverse serves families who need three rows in a smaller, more maneuverable package. But if your crew fills all three rows and you’ve got beach gear to haul, the Suburban is the honest answer. There’s no substituting for 144.5 cubic feet of maximum cargo volume when everyone’s bringing actual luggage.

Your 2026 Suburban’s ready for wherever US-501 and I-95 take you. Schedule a Pre-Trip Service Check before a long run, and our service team’ll make sure everything’s ready to go.

if you’re thinking the Suburban might be the right upgrade for the trip you’ve been putting off. We’re right here in Conway.

For most Saturday-morning lumber runs and mulch hauls around Conway, the 2026 Chevrolet Colorado does the job and fits your driveway. The moment you’re hauling full 4×8 sheets flat, pulling a loaded dump trailer, or stacking drywall by the bundle, the 2026 Silverado 1500 is the truck you truly need. Payload and bed dimensions decide this, not the trim level.

Horry County’s construction market is booming right now. New subdivisions are going up along US-501, there’s a Coastal Ready Mix concrete plant coming to the Conway area by end of 2026, and homeowners all over the Grand Strand are tackling backyards, additions, and storm-prep renovations. We see the downstream of that activity on our lot, with contractors grabbing Work Trucks at opening time and DIYers trying to figure out whether they need a full-size rig. This guide answers that question with real numbers, not brochure-speak.

What Do You Actually Get at Each Tier?

At each tier you get the same core powertrain and plenty of everyday hauling, but the honest split shows up in bed geometry and maximum payload, so the right pick depends on whether you need sheets to lie flat and heavy pallets to ride legally more than on any trim badge. The Colorado and the Silverado 1500 share the same 2.7L TurboMax engine, and Chevrolet lists 310 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque for both. Where they part ways is bed width and payload ceiling. Below is how the two trucks compare across the scenarios Conway homeowners run into:

Smart Buying: Matching the Truck to Your Real Project Load

Match the truck to the load you truly carry, because the easy trap here is buying up or down on the headline towing figure when payload and bed dimensions are the specs that decide your week, and both trucks tow more than most homeowner trailers will ever ask. Towing capacity grabs the attention. Payload and bed dimensions are what bite you on a Tuesday at the hardware store.

The Colorado wins for homeowners who run one or two project loads a month, need a vehicle that parks in a normal garage, and plan to drive the truck daily. At up to 1,710 lbs of payload, Chevrolet’s published figure for the 2WD WT and LT trims, it handles most landscape supply runs cleanly. Its 7,700 lbs towing capacity with the Advanced Trailering Package means a loaded utility trailer or pontoon boat is no problem whatsoever.

Step up to the Silverado 1500 when three things are true. You’re regularly hauling full sheets of plywood or drywall, your project loads approach or exceed 1,500 lbs, or you’re towing anything over 8,000 lbs with margin to spare. Chevrolet’s published max payload on the Silverado 1500 reaches 2,260 lbs. The extra 550 lbs of headroom isn’t theoretical (it’s a full pallet of pavers you don’t have to split into two trips).

One thing our team notices at Palmetto Chevrolet is that buyers who overlook bed width end up frustrated. A standard 4×8 sheet of plywood is 48 inches wide. The Silverado 1500’s Durabed measures 50.6 inches between the wheelhouses, a Chevrolet spec. Those 2.6 inches decide whether the sheet lays flat or wrestles diagonally on every run. The Colorado measures 45.5 inches between the wheelhouses. Neither is wrong. You just need to know which situation you’re in.

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The Smart-Choice Framing: Conway Projects, Conway Conditions

Conway summers put a loaded truck under real thermal stress, so the smart-choice framing here comes down to how hard you push the cooling system, and both trucks handle a flat coastal run without strain while the Silverado gives you more margin when you tow near the ceiling on a hot afternoon. Sustained heat and humidity push engine cooling harder on any vehicle sitting in stop-and-go traffic on US-501 during beach season. Both the Colorado and the Silverado 1500 use the same 2.7L TurboMax. At 430 lb-ft of torque from a four-cylinder, neither truck is straining on a flat coastal run. The difference shows up when you’re towing near the Colorado’s ceiling on a hot afternoon. The Silverado’s larger cooling system and heavier-duty running gear give you more thermal margin. Not a deal-killer for the Colorado, but worth naming plainly.

The honest downside of the Silverado 1500 for a homeowner is that it’s a lot of truck if you’re not using it like a truck. Longer, wider, and harder to park in a tight subdivision, with fuel economy that drops as well.

The Colorado’s TurboMax usually returns better real-world highway numbers than the Silverado running the same engine in a heavier body. If your “home projects” consist mostly of one trailer pull per season and monthly trips to the landscape supply yard off SC-544, the Colorado may be everything you need.

Our recommendation for the classic Conway situation runs like this. A homeowner with an active renovation or landscaping calendar, pulling a utility or dump trailer a handful of times a year and needing sheet goods regularly, should be looking at the Silverado 1500 configured with at least the standard bed, 78.9 inches of interior length, and the 5.3L V8 for towing headroom. The homeowner doing lighter seasonal work who commutes daily is the Colorado buyer. Both are the right answer. They serve different people.

Browse our current truck lineup through our Work Truck Solutions page if you’re shopping for a commercial or fleet configuration. It covers upfit options the standard product pages don’t.

If you run a trade in Horry County right now, you already know the pace. New subdivisions going up on every corridor out of Conway, a new ready-mix concrete plant coming online in 2026 on Mount Pisgah Cemetery Road, and US-501 backed up from the beach every Friday afternoon from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Your truck isn’t just transportation, it’s the tool that keeps everything else moving.

The 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 fits that reality in ways that matter on a job site, not just on a spec sheet. The short version comes first. It offers four distinct engines that match three different work profiles, a bed system with 12 standard tie-downs and built-in corner steps, and a towing ceiling of up to 13,300 lbs when properly equipped. The longer version is what this post’s about.

Why Does This Truck Actually Fit Horry County Work?

Yes, and the fit here isn’t generic. The conditions on the Grand Strand are specific (tight residential lots, coastal heat, long inland runs), and the Silverado was built around all of them rather than one idealized job somewhere else. What follows maps each local condition to the feature that handles it.

The Engine Choice Is Where Most Tradespeople Get This Wrong

Pick the wrong engine here and you’ll either overpay for towing capability you never touch or come up short on the heavy days, so on a Horry County job site the engine choice matters more than the trim badge. We see both mistakes in the service lane. Someone bought a Silverado spec’d for weekend camping when what they actually needed was a work truck, or the other way around. The 2026 Silverado 1500 has four engines, and they’re four different tools for four different jobs.

The Silverado 2500 HD is the right call if you’re pulling a skid steer or dump trailer every day. But for the broad range of Horry County trades, the 1500 lineup handles the work.

Match them to the real trade profiles this way.

The 2.7L TurboMax (310 hp, 430 lb-ft of torque). This is the one worth a second look. Chevrolet rates it at up to 2,260 lbs maximum payload in the right configuration, which is the highest payload figure in the 1500 lineup. It tows up to 9,500 lbs when properly equipped. If your day is a landscaping trailer, a pressure washer, and a bed full of sod, this is the sensible pick. The tradeoff’s simple. It’s a turbocharged four-cylinder, and like any turbo, it rewards steady maintenance intervals.

The 5.3L EcoTec3 V8 (355 hp, 383 lb-ft of torque). Call it the proven all-around pick. Chevrolet rates it at up to 11,500 lbs of towing capacity. Dynamic Fuel Management deactivates cylinders at light throttle, which helps real-world economy on those in-town runs between Conway subdivisions. If you want a V8 rumble and a simple, long-proven drivetrain, this V8’s the easy answer.

The 6.2L EcoTec3 V8 (420 hp, 460 lb-ft of torque). You’re buying maximum gas power here. Up to 13,300 lbs of towing when properly equipped. It prefers premium fuel, which adds to operating cost beyond the base fuel economy. The buyer who lands here wants the most the gas lineup offers, period.

The 3.0L Duramax Turbo-Diesel (305 hp, 495 lb-ft of torque). This one deserves a longer look for tradespeople running the Grand Strand corridors daily. The EPA rates it at 23 city / 28 highway mpg (2WD), which is the best highway fuel economy of any full-size half-ton pickup. It also ties the 6.2L V8 for maximum tow rating at 13,300 lbs when properly equipped. The honest downside is real. Diesel maintenance and emissions-system upkeep cost more per visit than a gasoline engine. Run the numbers before you commit.

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The Bed Is a Real Work Tool, Not a Marketing Feature

The Durabed earns the work-tool label for real and not in a brochure way, though not every bed length and trim suits every load, so it’s worth matching the configuration to the material you actually move around Horry County job sites. Our Work Truck Solutions page covers fleet and commercial configuration in more detail, but here’s what matters for the day-to-day tradesperson.

The Silverado 1500’s Durabed comes standard with 12 tie-down points, each rated at 500 lbs per corner (per Chevrolet). That number isn’t incidental. Tie-downs rated to hold at the corners mean your lumber package doesn’t shift when you brake hard coming off SC-544 into a subdivision. The CornerStep rear bumper, built into both rear corners, gives you a stable step up in work boots without hunting for a wheel or a trailer hitch to stand on.

Open the available Multi-Flex tailgate on LTZ and High Country trims and it works six ways. A basic drop, a raised load stop (handy for keeping pipe and boards from sliding out), an inner gate position that lets you reach farther into the bed without climbing in, and a full step-up configuration. On a busy site day of quick stops and pulls, it earns its keep.

The length spec deserves one honest note. The standard bed at 78.9 inches of interior length can handle a standard 4×8 sheet of plywood with the tailgate down. The short bed at 69.9 inches needs more overhang. If you’re hauling full sheets regularly, the standard bed is the practical choice.

The Chevrolet Colorado is worth a look if your work runs lighter and you want a smaller footprint. But for full-payload hauling in a county where new construction made up 33.7% of closed sales in 2026 (per the CCAR MLS), the Silverado 1500’s bed dimensions and tie-down system are built for the actual volume of material moving around Horry County right now.

What the Grand Strand Climate Does to a Work Truck (and How the Silverado Holds Up)

It holds up well in the heat and salt air, with a couple of caveats worth knowing, because coastal exposure is harder on a truck than most inland duty and the Silverado was engineered with that in mind. August in Conway isn’t abstract. You get 95 degrees, 90% humidity, and a truck that bakes on a job site from 7 a.m. onward. For the 1500 buyer, here’s what the coastal climate means in practice.

The roll-formed high-strength steel of the Durabed resists the kind of surface damage that starts the corrosion cycle in humid coastal environments. That matters more here than inland. The available spray-in bed liner, applied at the factory before pickup, seals the steel before salt air and concrete dust get a chance to start working on it.

Towing-system integration is the other piece. Running a loaded trailer on US-501 in August traffic, stop-and-go from Conway to the beach, puts a specific kind of thermal stress on a transmission. The Silverado’s available integrated trailer brake controller (available on equipped models) shares braking load with the trailer, and that’s not just convenience. It keeps your stopping distance safe and your drivetrain cooler over a long haul day.

We’ve seen what happens to trucks that are undersized for the work. It shows up fast. The transmission records, the trailer hitch components, and the brake pads all tell the story. Set up right for the job, the Silverado 1500 gives you the rated headroom to work within, not against.

Spend five minutes on any car forum and you’ll run into it. Someone tells you to “get something bigger if you’re doing beach runs.” The Trailblazer gets written off as a commuter-only city car, too cramped for a real haul and too soft for anything past a quick grocery stop. We hear that same worry on our lot.

The forum take doesn’t hold up, and we can show you why, in numbers you can check.

Downtown Conway is walkable by design. The 2026 Trailblazer is sized to match it. Let’s walk through the actual case.

Is the Trailblazer Actually Too Small for a Real Grand Strand Errand Run?

No, it isn’t too small, and the worry does make sense, since a “small SUV” sounds like a built-in compromise, yet the Trailblazer’s footprint tells a very different story the minute you measure it against what downtown Conway demands day to day. The dimensions do the arguing for us.

Main Street and 3rd Avenue run through a National Register Historic District where the city protects century-old live oaks by ordinance, and those trees shape the streets. Parallel parking under a canopy of Spanish moss looks charming in photos and feels genuinely tight when you’re trying to fit a Suburban into a 22-foot spot. The Trailblazer is 174 inches long and turns within a 37.3-foot diameter (Chevrolet and KBB list that figure). A full-size Tahoe runs over 210 inches long with a considerably wider turning circle. That gap is real, and it shows up the moment you back into a spot on 3rd Avenue with a delivery truck parked at the corner.

Parking in downtown Conway is free, on-street, with two-hour limits. Compact SUV wins that equation every time.

Every figure in that table comes straight from Chevrolet’s own specs or the EPA. We’re not editorializing. Those are the numbers.

What the Trailblazer’s Size Means for a Real Conway Coffee Morning

Knowing the numbers is one thing, and living with them on a Tuesday coffee run in Conway is another, so what that compact footprint buys you in practice is a vehicle that parks in one pass, stays low-stress on the narrow historic block, and sips fuel on a ten-mile loop.

Picture the routine. You head downtown, pick up coffee at A Coffee Movement on 3rd Avenue (they moved into a permanent brick-and-mortar spot on 3rd Ave after years of operating their van near the Riverwalk), maybe grab something from The Trestle Bakery and Cafe, then walk the Riverwalk extension before heading back out on US-501 toward work or home. Call it a 90-minute loop, maybe two hours. The vehicle you need for it parks in a single pass, doesn’t stress you out on the narrow historic block, and isn’t burning a notable amount of fuel on a short errand.

The Trailblazer covers all three. Fold the front passenger seat flat (Chevrolet lists it as accommodating cargo up to 8.5 feet) and a bag of farmers market finds, two coffee cups in the center console, and your gym bag all coexist without argument. With a 13.2-gallon tank, you’re not stopping for gas on a ten-mile round trip to downtown.

The tradeoff is worth saying plainly. If you’re routinely towing a boat to the Waccamaw, hauling mulch for a big landscaping job, or loading five adults plus luggage for a longer road trip, the Trailblazer isn’t your vehicle. The Traverse handles the bigger family-and-gear load. The Equinox splits the difference if you want a mid-size daily driver. Where the Trailblazer earns its keep is downtown Conway most mornings, US-501 commutes most afternoons, and an occasional beach Saturday.

A lot of Horry County life looks exactly like that, and it’s the kind of driving we help people match a vehicle to.

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So What Should You Actually Look For Before You Commit?

Trim is where this decision gets interesting, and no version is truly a wrong pick, since the right one depends on your roads more than the badge, so start by matching the engine and drivetrain to how you drive most days.

Start with the LS and LT, your practical workhorses (standard 1.2L, FWD, CVT, and a starting point that prioritizes efficiency). If your commute runs mostly flat coastal roads and your cargo needs are coffee-run scale, that pair is a sensible place to land. The ACTIV adds the 1.3L engine, higher ground clearance (up to 8 inches per Chevrolet), and a skid plate, which makes more sense if you spend time on sandy or unpaved paths near the river. Move up to the RS and you get the same 1.3L engine in a sportier package with 19-inch wheels and a blacked-out look, though it drives a little differently in character and not much differently in capability.

A quick note on the infotainment is worth making. Every 2026 Trailblazer comes standard with an 11-inch touchscreen and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you’re not giving anything up at the base trim on connectivity. You’ll notice it when downtown Conway’s live-oak canopy blocks a GPS signal and the phone needs to take over cleanly.

If you’re weighing your options and want to see which trim is on the ground right now, the best move is to look at what’s on the current inventory and compare the trims in person. The gap between LS ride comfort and RS road feel is one of those things a spec sheet doesn’t communicate well.

For most Conway and Grand Strand drivers running SC 544 in the rain, the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox AWD is our pick. Its on-demand all-wheel drive engages on its own when rear traction drops, and Chevrolet lists over 15 standard safety features including Automatic Emergency Braking and Blind Spot Intervention, and that combination matters most on a flat, fast, flood-prone corridor like 544. Families needing three rows should step up to the Traverse, which earned a five-star NHTSA overall rating for 2026.

What Actually Makes an SUV Good (or Risky) in the Rain on 544?

SC 544 is a 13.7-mile, four-lane state highway that cuts straight across Horry County from Conway’s Red Hill area to Surfside Beach near US 17, and what makes an SUV good here isn’t hill-climbing traction but wet-road stability at speed. Flat. Fast. In a heavy coastal storm, it earns its reputation for ponding and runoff fast enough that SCDOT keeps two permanent live cameras right on the corridor at Dick Pond Road and Windsor Bay Road. For your SUV choice, the takeaway is simple. You’re not fighting a steep grade that demands traction. You’re fighting hydroplaning at highway speed and the split-second braking distances that wet asphalt creates.

The calculation changes because of that. Below is how our Chevy lineup stacks up on the factors that matter in those conditions.

Does AWD Actually Help in the Rain, or Is FWD Fine on 544?

FWD handles light rain on a mostly dry road just fine, and AWD earns its keep only when you hit the two-inch-per-hour rain event that turns the low-lying stretches of 544 into a hydroplaning corridor, where a system that shifts torque to the rear axle the moment the front wheels break loose is genuinely useful. None of it is magic, and no system replaces slowing down. But the physics of split traction across a wet four-lane highway favor four driven wheels over two.

One catch is worth knowing before you shop. The 2026 Chevrolet Blazer AWD system ships from the factory set to front-wheel-drive mode, and you’ve got to engage AWD manually with a console dial. Drivers who haven’t done that before they hit the standing water on 544 near Socastee get no AWD benefit at all. None of this is a knock on the Blazer as a vehicle. The manual step is a very real operational detail that’s easy to miss, and it’s why the Blazer lands lower on our rainy-day list despite its capable RS twin-clutch rear AWD when properly engaged. Know your vehicle, and set it before you leave the driveway.

• The 2026 Equinox AWD pairs its on-demand system with a standard Drive Mode Selector for all trims, new for 2026, letting you dial in added stability before you even hit the highway
• On the Traverse AWD, a Traction Mode Select system comes standard for real-time adjustments
• The 2026 Trailblazer AWD uses a 9-speed automatic paired with the 1.3L turbo, producing 174 lb-ft of torque, a figure Chevrolet lists. Not brute force, but more than enough to keep the front from plowing in standing water
• The 2026 Blazer’s RS AWD does feature a rear twin-clutch that actively splits torque to each rear wheel for improved wet-road handling, but only when AWD is engaged

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Which Chevy SUV Has the Best Safety Tech for Wet-Road Driving?

Safety systems are where the Traverse earns its keep for family buyers, and while every model here carries strong wet-road tech, the Traverse is the one that pairs a five-star crash rating with the full driver-assist suite standard on every trim. NHTSA gave the 2026 Traverse five out of five stars overall, and the IIHS named it a Top Safety Pick. Those ratings apply to the 2024-2026 Traverse generation. Standard equipment includes Automatic Emergency Braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, Blind Spot Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Warning, and Adaptive Cruise Control. All of it comes on every 2026 Traverse trim without needing an upgrade package. On a four-lane highway where the car ahead panic-stops in a downpour, that enhanced AEB at highway speeds matters more than you might expect until you need it.

The 2026 Traverse also gives you a 17.7-inch touchscreen, so you’re not squinting at a small display when rain is sheeting across your windshield and you’re trying to navigate around a flooded exit. Big screen, big safety suite, big footprint, and it’s the right tool for the family hauling three kids and a dog down 544 in August.

For buyers who don’t need three rows, the 2026 Equinox carries the same Chevrolet Safety Assist philosophy, meaning AEB, Forward Collision Warning, Adaptive Cruise, Blind Spot Intervention, Lane Departure Steering Assist, and Rear Cross-Traffic Braking Alert. Chevrolet lists 15-plus standard features. The AWD version pairs all of that with 203 lb-ft of torque (versus 184 lb-ft on FWD), which translates to more stable, linear power delivery on a wet surface rather than a jerky burst that unsettles the rear.

What About the Trailblazer? Is It Enough SUV for a 544 Commuter?

The 2026 Trailblazer AWD is the right answer if your priority is fuel economy and you’re running 544 solo or with one passenger, though it trades away some of the planted, heavy-car stability you feel in the Equinox or Traverse when the rain turns sideways. Chevrolet lists the 1.3L Turbo AWD at an EPA-estimated 31 mpg combined in FWD mode. That number drops somewhat in active AWD, but it’s still the most fuel-efficient option in this lineup by a clear margin. The 1.3L puts out 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque, which is solid compact-SUV territory. It won’t feel planted the way the Equinox or Traverse does at 65 mph in a sideways August rainstorm. But for a daily work commute on 544 in moderate rain, it holds its own.

The tradeoff is worth stating plainly. When the NWS is tracking eight-inch rain events in Horry County and the Horry County Government is posting road closures across the area, a compact SUV isn’t where you want to be if standing water is building up, because the Trailblazer is a smaller, lighter vehicle. A longer wheelbase and greater mass give the Traverse a genuine edge in stability then. Know your storm threshold, and know your vehicle.

The sedan doesn’t cut it anymore, and the question isn’t whether to size up. It’s whether you need the 2026 Chevrolet Equinox or the 2026 Chevrolet Traverse. Get that call wrong and you’re either paying for space you never touch or wedging a third car seat into a back row that wasn’t built for it.

Short version, if your family runs four or fewer and you’re mostly doing school runs, beach days, and the weekly US-501 grind to Myrtle Beach, the Equinox is sharper on fuel and easier to park. Add a third kid, regular visits to grandparents, or a jon boat waiting at the Waccamaw River, and the Traverse earns its footprint.

This guide walks you through the exact configuration decision, step by step, so you land on the right vehicle before you ever come see us in Conway.

What You Need Before You Start

Before you weigh a single spec, run through four quick questions about passengers, towing, your summer drive, and where you park. Those four answers do most of the work, and they’ll point you toward one SUV before the spec sheets even come out.

The table isn’t decoration, so come back to it after each step below. Your answer pattern will point one direction almost every time.

Specs at a glance

Configuring Your Setup: A Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1. Count your real passengers, not your best-case passengers.

Size for the family you’ll actually have, and skip the best-case fantasy. If you’ve got two kids now and a third on the way, plan for three from the start. The Equinox seats five across two rows comfortably, with rear legroom of 39.9 inches. That’s enough for a rear-facing infant seat plus a booster without cramping the front passenger, though it won’t hold three kids in car seats and a teenager in one row. The Traverse’s second row (captain’s chairs or a bench) gives you a genuine three-kid solution with a working third row for grandparents or friends.

For a couple with one or two young kids, the Equinox has the right footprint, and four passengers is the practical crossover number between these two.

Browse our current Chevrolet SUV inventory to see what trim configurations are in stock right now.

Step 2. Decide on your cargo loading pattern.

The Equinox holds more everyday cargo than its size suggests, so start by picturing how you actually load up. Its 29.8 cubic feet behind the second row fits two full-size roller bags, a beach cart, and a soft cooler. Call it a solid beach day rather than a camping haul. Fold the second row flat and you get 63.5 cubic feet, which swallows a stroller, a pack-and-play, and two duffel bags with room left over. There’s also a hidden under-floor storage compartment in the rear cargo area, where families stash wet towels, flip-flops, and whatever they don’t want rolling around on the drive home.

The Traverse’s numbers run bigger, though they’re structured differently. With the third row up, you get only 22.9 cubic feet behind it. Fold that third row and you jump to 56.6 cubic feet. Drop both rows for 97.6 cubic feet, which is legitimately minivan-replacement territory. There’s one catch worth planning around. If you’re seating passengers in the third row, the cargo zone shrinks noticeably, so plan your loading around whichever job comes first.

Step 3. Think about towing.

Towing draws the hardest line between these two, so settle it early. The 2026 Equinox tows up to 1,500 pounds when properly equipped with AWD, which handles a small fishing kayak trailer, a lightweight jet ski, or a utility trailer for mulch runs. The Waccamaw River’s public boat ramps are a real reason Conway families ask us about towing. A typical aluminum jon boat with a small outboard and a single-axle trailer runs 800 to 1,200 pounds, and the AWD Equinox can manage it.

Anything heavier and the answer flips. A pontoon, a bowrider, a pop-up camper, or a dual-axle trailer lands squarely in Traverse territory. Chevrolet lists the 2026 Traverse’s maximum towing at 5,000 pounds when properly equipped, which covers nearly everything a Grand Strand family would realistically pull. Just check your specific trailer’s tongue weight against the door-jamb label before you hook up.

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Step 4. Run the US-501 fuel math.

On fuel, the Equinox wins the daily math and the Traverse gives some of it back for space. The EPA rates the 2026 Equinox FWD at 26 city / 29 highway / 27 combined. The 2026 Traverse FWD comes in at 20 city / 26 highway / 22 combined. That five-mpg combined gap adds up fast if you’re making the Conway-to-Myrtle Beach run often. US-501 in summer is genuinely stop-and-go, and that stretch can turn a 10-minute trip into 40 minutes on a peak tourist weekend, which is exactly when city MPG matters most.

None of that makes the Traverse wasteful. Under the hood it’s a 2.5L turbocharged engine producing 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, and it replaced a V6 to hit those efficiency numbers. But for a two-adult, two-kid family on a daily commute with occasional beach runs, the Equinox’s fuel economy is a real, tangible advantage, worth naming plainly.

Step 5. Check the parking situation.

Both SUVs park fine, but one slots into more places than the other. The Traverse measures 204.5 inches long. The Equinox is 183.2 inches. A 21-inch difference matters in a beach-access lot or a modest home garage. Parking downtown Conway or a tighter neighborhood lot, the Equinox is noticeably easier to maneuver. The Traverse is sized for school drop-off circles and driveway parking. Both fit. One fits more places.

Quick-Reference Recap Before You Visit

Screenshot this or print it, then run through the list once before you drive to Conway, and let the pattern of your answers make the pick for you.

Choose the 2026 Equinox if:

• Your regular crew is 4 or fewer
• You mostly do daily commutes, beach runs, and school pickup
• Fuel efficiency on US-501 or SC-544 matters to your budget
• You park in tighter spots or a smaller garage
• Light towing (utility trailer, kayak rack, small watercraft under 1,500 lbs AWD) is all you need

Choose the 2026 Traverse if:

• Your family is 5 or more, or you regularly haul extra passengers
• You have a boat, camper, or trailer that exceeds 1,500 lbs
• Weekend trips mean packing for a crowd, not just a couple
• You want a genuine three-row SUV, not a stretched two-row

One honest tradeoff to name: the Traverse is the better long-haul family vehicle. Full stop. Three rows, more cargo, more power, and real towing. What it isn’t is more efficient or easier to park. If those two things matter to your daily life, going with the Equinox is exactly the right tool for the job.

Our team at Palmetto Chevrolet in Conway is glad to walk you through both on the lot. We can pull up what we have in stock, let you sit in both back rows with the kids, and make sure you leave with the one that actually fits your family’s week.

*By the Palmetto Chevrolet Team | August 2026*