You’re leaving Conway on a Friday afternoon. The luggage is piled by the door, the kids are already in the car arguing over playlists, and US-501 is about to get interesting. The right Chevy SUV handles all of that without drama. A wrong fit turns a good trip into a headache somewhere past the Waccamaw River bridge, and so can a skipped prep step.
Want the short answer first? The 2027 Chevrolet Equinox is the road-trip pick for solo drivers and couples who want to stretch their fuel dollar. For the full crew and all the cargo, the 2027 Chevrolet Traverse is your three-row family hauler. When there’s a boat trailer in the picture, the 2027 Chevrolet Tahoe is the right answer. Once you know which one fits your trip, the checklist below gets it ready to roll.
What Goes on the Checklist?
Everything on this list earns its place before you back out of the driveway, and we’ve grouped it by category so you can print the page, fold it in half, and check items off at the lot or in the garage without losing your spot.
Vehicle Match (Do This First)
- [ ] Confirm passenger count. The 2027 Traverse seats seven standard, or eight with the optional second-row bench on the LT. If you have six or more people, the Equinox simply doesn’t fit the trip.
- [ ] Confirm cargo needs. Chevrolet lists the 2027 Traverse at up to 97.6 cubic feet of maximum cargo space. The 2027 Equinox tops out at 63.5 cubic feet. That gap matters when you’re loading a pack-n-play, a cooler, and three full-size suitcases.
- [ ] Confirm towing needs. Pulling a jon boat or a small camper? The 2027 Tahoe, properly equipped with the Max Trailering Package and 5.3L V8, is rated by Chevrolet at up to 8,400 pounds of towing capacity. Properly equipped, the Traverse handles up to 5,000 pounds. The Equinox tows 1,500 pounds. Know your trailer weight before you hitch.
- [ ] Skip AWD if you’re staying coastal. We say this one plainly on the lot, because South Carolina coastal roads don’t ask for all-wheel drive. The EPA rates the 2027 Equinox FWD at 26 city / 29 highway mpg. Step up to AWD and that drops to 25 city / 29 highway. On the 2027 Traverse the spread is wider. FWD gets 20 city / 27 highway, and AWD drops to 19 city / 24 highway. Over a 700-mile weekend, that’s a real difference. Save AWD for the mountains.
Fluids and Tires
- [ ] Check tire pressure. The EPA’s own guidance notes that underinflated tires increase rolling resistance and lower fuel economy. Use the placard spec on your Chevy’s driver’s door jamb. The number molded into the tire sidewall is only the maximum rating.
- [ ] Verify oil life monitor. Chevrolet’s oil life monitoring system is percentage-based, not mileage-based. If it’s below 20%, book the oil change before you leave rather than waiting until you’re back.
- [ ] Top off washer fluid. Coastal SC in late summer means bugs and humidity. You’ll use more than you think.
- [ ] Check coolant level. A hot engine in stop-and-go beach traffic needs a full reservoir.
Tech and Safety Systems
- [ ] Pair your phone via wireless Apple CarPlay or wireless Android Auto. All current Chevy SUVs include both as standard. Set it before you pull out of the driveway so you’re not fiddling at the first stoplight.
- [ ] Calibrate your destination in Google Maps or Waze before the trip. Veterans Highway, also called SC-22, bypasses US-501’s worst Saturday congestion and runs you straight from the US-501 corridor near Aynor directly to the north end of Myrtle Beach. If your nav app doesn’t know your habits, it defaults to 501 and you sit in the tourist wave. Tell it your preferred route before you leave.
- [ ] Test the backup camera. Standard on every Chevy SUV in the lineup. If the lens is dirty, and it will be after a coastal summer, clean it now.
- [ ] Confirm Forward Collision Alert and Automatic Emergency Braking are active. These are standard on the 2027 Equinox and 2027 Traverse. Check the Driver Assistance menu in the infotainment screen to make sure neither was accidentally turned off.
Cargo and Comfort
- [ ] Load heavy items low and forward. Physics doesn’t negotiate. Keep weight toward the floor and toward the front seats for the flattest handling.
- [ ] Pack a reusable grocery bag for beach gear. Sand gets into everything. One bag by the door means towels and flip-flops don’t migrate to the cargo area permanently.
- [ ] Charge devices before departure. The Traverse and Equinox both include USB-A and USB-C ports. Know which devices need which cable before the kids ask you mid-trip.
Fuel Range Planning
- [ ] Calculate your highway range. The 2027 Equinox FWD carries a 14.9-gallon tank. At an EPA-estimated 29 mpg highway, that’s roughly 432 miles of highway range before the low-fuel light becomes urgent. The 2027 Traverse FWD holds 19.4 gallons; at 27 mpg highway, you’re looking at around 524 miles of range. Plan your stops around those numbers, not around habit.
- [ ] Note fuel grade. All three SUVs covered here run on regular 87-octane. You don’t need premium. Don’t let a station upsell you.
Schedule a Pre-Trip Service Check
Why Each Item Matters for a Grand Strand Road Trip
Every item on that checklist ties back to a real condition Conway-area drivers hit on the way out of Horry County, so nothing on it is filler, and each line reflects the coastal heat, flat terrain, or traffic pattern you’ll actually meet.
The tire-pressure check matters more here than in most markets. Coastal SC heat, routinely above 90 degrees Fahrenheit from June through September, causes air to expand inside tires, but beach parking lots and slow beach-road traffic generate enough sidewall heat that underinflation is the variable to watch. The EPA notes that proper tire inflation is one of the most consistent factors in maintaining rated fuel economy.
The AWD question on coastal trips:
- Stays mostly at sea level on flat coastal plain.
- Roads are straight and mostly dry, apart from summer thunderstorms.
- AWD makes sense heading to the Upstate, Blue Ridge, or Smokies.
- Doesn’t make sense for the Myrtle Beach run or Charleston route down US-17.
- FWD is the fuel-smart default for the Conway market.
For couples and solo travelers doing 400 to 500 miles round-trip who want the best efficiency in the Chevy SUV lineup, the Equinox is the right call. At an EPA-estimated 26 city / 29 highway mpg on FWD, it’s a genuinely efficient compact crossover for the kind of trip a Conway driver actually takes, whether that’s down US-501 to Myrtle Beach, out to a barrier island, or up to Wilmington, NC, for a long weekend.
Where the Equinox runs out of room, the Traverse seats a full crew and carries everything they brought. Chevrolet lists the 2027 Traverse at 41.4 inches of second-row legroom and 32.1 inches in the third row. That third row is usable for adults on shorter legs (not a penalty box), which is a real distinction in the midsize three-row class. A 17.7-inch touchscreen and wireless device integration keep the back seat entertained. The 328-horsepower 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gives you confident passing on US-378 and SC-22 even with seven aboard.
The Tahoe earns its spot on a road trip only when something is attached to the back. Its 5.3L V8 produces 355 horsepower and 383 lb-ft of torque, and Chevrolet’s 24.0-gallon fuel tank means the V8, EPA-rated 15 city / 20 highway on the 5.3L RWD, can still cover roughly 480 highway miles per fill. If you’re pulling a boat to a South Carolina lake, a pop-up camper to the mountains, or a trailer of equipment to a job site, the Tahoe is the only one of these three that does it at scale.
| SUV | Best-fit trip | Max cargo | Tow rating | Highway MPG (FWD/RWD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Equinox FWD | Couple or solo, 400-500 mi round-trip | 63.5 cu ft | 1,500 lbs | 29 mpg (EPA) |
| 2027 Traverse FWD | Family of 5-8, beach/mountains, light trailer | 97.6 cu ft | 5,000 lbs | 27 mpg (EPA) |
| 2027 Tahoe 5.3L V8 | Boat or camper in tow, family-size cabin | 122.9 cu ft (all rows folded) | 8,400 lbs (properly equipped) | 20 mpg (EPA) |
Our service team can inspect tires, fluid levels, and brake condition before your trip, all in one stop.
Your Print-and-Go Road-Trip Recap
You don’t have to reread the entire post before you leave, since the recap below boils it down to four moves you can run right in the driveway, and getting those four right is what keeps a Grand Strand run smooth instead of a roadside scramble past the Waccamaw River bridge. Tear this off mentally and bring it to the driveway.
Pick the right SUV first. Equinox for two, Traverse for seven, Tahoe for the trailer. Everything else is downstream of that decision.
Check the four things that actually affect your trip. Set tire pressure to the door-jamb spec, confirm oil life is above 20%, plan fuel range around your tank size and EPA highway number, and get your tech set up, meaning CarPlay or Android Auto paired before departure and the nav route confirmed for the SC-22 bypass if you’re heading to the beach on a Saturday.
Don’t pay for AWD you don’t need. For a coastal SC trip, FWD is the rational choice. The fuel penalty is real and the traction benefit on flat coastal highways is minimal.
Book a service check before the long run. Our team at Palmetto Chevrolet in Conway can knock out a multi-point inspection quickly, and catching a low brake pad or a slow tire leak before the trip is a lot more convenient than catching it on US-501 with a car full of people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the 2027 Traverse a better road-trip vehicle than the Tahoe for a Conway family?
For most Conway families who aren’t towing, yes. The 2027 Traverse seats up to eight, carries 97.6 cubic feet of maximum cargo, and is rated by the EPA at 27 mpg highway on FWD. The Traverse’s number is meaningfully better than the Tahoe’s EPA-rated 20 mpg highway with the 5.3L V8. The Tahoe earns its place when you have a boat, a camper, or a large trailer. Without a tow need, the Traverse’s size, third-row legroom, and fuel economy are more practical for the typical Grand Strand trip.
Do I need AWD for driving from Conway to the mountains or the Upstate?
Your answer depends on the season and the destination. For a summer or fall trip to the Upstate or toward the Blue Ridge, AWD gives you meaningful traction benefit on wet mountain roads and any gravel surfaces. For a coastal trip staying on the Grand Strand, it’s an unnecessary fuel cost. The 2027 Equinox FWD is rated 26 city / 29 highway mpg; the AWD version is 25 city / 29 highway. On the 2027 Traverse, FWD is 20 city / 27 highway, AWD is 19 city / 24 highway. Know your destination before you choose your drivetrain configuration.
