Dear Chevrolet Travers(e) - Welcome to the family

I'd like to take a moment to thank the good people of Chevrolet for naming their latest SUV after me. I'm deeply moved. Really.

I'm so moved I hate to have to point out a couple of problems, but here goes: The first is, as some of you know, employees of Consumer Reports cannot accept gifts from manufacturers—not even small ones. However, given that the Traverse is a clear tribute to my paternal name, it does feel like a gift and it creates an ethical quandary. The second thing is, they spelled my name with one "e" too many. (A clear sign of excess budget.) For the record, it is "T-r-a-v-e-r-s."

Still, it's the thought that counts. And making it all the more of an honor, the Chevy SUV is based on the excellent Buick Enclave and Saturn Outlook, which scored highly enough in our ratings to become our highest ranked recommended large SUVs. I trust our ranking didn't have anything to do with Chevy naming their version after me, but still, it would be more comfortable having my name pasted on the flanks of this thing than say the Chevy Uplander—the minivan with the lowest owner satisfaction rating of any vehicle in our annual survey.

Curiously, this is not the first time I've been so honored. The GMC Jimmy was a popular rebadging of the Chevy Blazer SUV back in the '90s. I could go out and buy a Jimmy and a Traverse and have a garage full of namesakes if I could find a Jimmy still on the road. But then again, it's bad enough having my last name spelled wrong. Nobody gets away with calling me Jimmy.

What really bothers me is people have been spelling my name Traverse since at least as long as I've been able to notice. Given the expected popularity of this latest Chevy, I suspect that situation will get only worse. One of our own engineers has already adopted the spelling when addressing me. The only way things might improve is if car enthusiasts rally for the Travers cause and remove the silent E from the end, much like Toyota truck owners removing the "ota" decals from their tailgates.

So thanks again, GM. But honestly, you shouldn't have. Couldn't you have gone with Bivouac? Or Suburbanite?

Dear reader, what about you? Is there a vehicle you'd like named after you? Post your suggestions in the comments below.

—Jim Travers

Comments

[Eddie]

After spending some time in Europe last summer, and humming around in my buddies VW Polo, I would really love for that car to make it across the pond. Of course, they would have to rename it, the Eddie. Room for four (five in a pinch) and 90 miles to the gallon. PLEASE BRING THE POLO TO THE US! I wont even mind if you don't rename it. However, now living in San Diego, I'm afraid that many people might start to nickname it the Pollo, which means chicken in Spanish for all you northerners. So really calling it the Eddie makes a lot of sense don't you think?

[Cale Johnson]

I've never had a car named after me but they once did a Cale-ndar with a different car every month! ; )

[Richard Herndon]

My middle name is Fleetwood, and is a family name dating to the mid 19th century when a Mary Fleetwood married a Richard Herndon. I'm the fourth generation Richard Fleetwood Herndon. Cadillac fans will remember the Fleetwood series, going back to the 20's or 30's with Fleetwood being a body supplier to GM, and finishing in the mid 90's with the rear wheel drive Chevy Caprice based Cadillac Fleetwood. The name is not in keeping with Cadillac's current letter series designation for its models, like STS, CTS, etc., but there's always hope for revival. It may still be used on hearses and limousines.

[Jeff Bartlett]

Eddie - If VW doesn't take your marvelous moniker suggestion, perhaps they'd consider bringing the Polo over to foster a green image and offset the Touareg's impact on their CAFE numbers. If so, I'd suggest "Marco" as the name for the edition with an optional navigation system. ;-)

[Christopher Schnell]

My last name "Schnell" means "fast" in German--a perfect name, at least here in the US. (Might sound corny in Europe.) Perhaps the turbo version could be "Schneller". Maybe if the word appeared on enough vehicles here I wouldn't always have to say "Schnell: S-C-H-N-E-L-L".

I've been dying to get my name on a custom license plate, but alas, someone in my home state beat me to it. I suppose "schnell" wouldn't be appropriate on my minivan or my little old economy sedan anyway.

[Michael Cunningham]

Well Mr. Traverse, should it be silent, we know and enjoy you not being silent about the autos that are manufactured now. Good for you! Having been a subcriber for over 40 years, your comments and explicable reporting on new vehicles is the best Mr. Travers!
Now, my suggestion, if a car manufacture, well maybe a truck, my suggestion would be "Buzzard". It flys down the highway with ease, has great vision for the road, supension that floats on wing tips, eats only regular (road kill) fuel, keeps our highways clean,can be nested at home outside on a dirt road (no need for a garage), so there you are Mr. Traverse, ops, Mr. Travers my unasuming name of the newest truck to hit the marketplace.