The hardest reviews to write are the ones in which a vehicle doesn't connect with me.

Love one or hate one and the words flow like the Detroit River in the spring. Passionate cars create passionate critics.

But the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse is one of those vehicles that never tugged on my heart or ignited that certain .

I wanted to feel the man-machine connection, but after a week of testing the Traverse, I can honestly say that I may love it, but I'm not with it. It's not the Traverse's fault, it's mine.

Really, it's a great family hauler and beats the hubcaps off a minivan. There's room for eight with its three rows of seating. It has plenty of power and matches up well against serious competition like the Honda Pilot and Toyota Highlander. But I feel the same way about those vehicles as I do about the Traverse: very little.

Big hulking vehicles just aren't my favorite things on the road -- not even these toned-down crossovers that have replaced sport utility vehicles. They share the SUV's utility and higher riding position but get better gas mileage. The Traverse also offers a much better ride than any SUV. Its carlike handling and acceleration make it almost fun.

The key is the Traverse's powertrain. An improved 3.6-liter engine and six-speed transmission work perfectly together. The 281 horses under the hood and 266 pound-feet of low-end torque provide plenty of power to take off the line and on the highway. (The dual exhaust all-wheel-drive model adds seven horsepower and four pound-feet of torque due to better engine breathing.) In either vehicle, cruising at 70 mph is a breeze; driving is enjoyable and quiet.

The hydraulic rack-and-pinion steering is firm and confident. The suspension keeps the Traverse planted on the road and eats up the worst of Detroit's streets with ease. Even when you push this vehicle, it handles well with little body roll through big turns.

But it shares one characteristic with its big truck brothers: it's limited by its own bulk. The front-wheel-drive Traverse weighs in at 4,720 pounds; the all-wheel-drive model is 4,925 pounds.

It doesn't look fat; in fact, it carries its weight well. But still, the love's not there.

Maybe it's because it seems too familiar. I've seen this vehicle before. The Traverse is the fourth incarnation of General Motors Corp.'s Lambda platform. The other Lambdas (vehicles built on the same underpinnings) include the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook. Each has a distinctive personality. The Enclave is the most posh, the Acadia is the most trucky and the Outlook is the most Saturny.

The Traverse keeps its Chevyness with its Malibu front end and gold bow tie affixed to the dual port grille. The body-colored line splitting the grille makes the Traverse's bumper look oversized and optically raises the front end. There's a nice cut line across the doors but the exterior lacks that stylish edge I crave..

It looks best when wearing the optional 20-inch wheels and aluminum rims.

Anyone buying a big crossover most likely has a gaggle of kids and spends more time looking inside than outside the vehicle.

Here's where the Traverse delivers. Like its siblings, the Traverse offers tons of room. With optional second-row captain chairs, which offer nearly as much space as the front-row bucket seats, the Traverse can seat seven people comfortably. Get the bench second row and you can add another person.

I can sit in the third row, which is easy to enter for an adult or a child, thanks to the lower door sill and fold-up second-row seats with GM's Smart Slide feature. The cargo space is impressive too. Behind the third row is 24.4 cubic feet; fold that row down for 68.8 cubic feet. Need more? Fold the second row down as well and there is 116.4 cubic feet.

There are loads of creature comforts to satisfy adults and children. Kids can watch a DVD in the second-row optional entertainment system while adults can sit on heated or cooled seats up front and listen to Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The power liftgate makes loading up the Traverse easy and is especially handy when coming out of a store with an armful of bags or pushing a stroller.

Safety features start with leaving the parking lot. There's a back-up camera available without a navigation system and it mounts inside the rearview mirror, and parking sensors, something every big vehicle needs. On the road, the mirrors include turn signal indicators as well as blind-spot detection, which are very helpful when the vehicle is filled with a family's most precious and distracting cargo.

Traction control, anti-lock brakes and six air bags, including side-curtain air bags for all three rows, are standard. As is the high-strength steel in the body's construction to help during a collision.

With all of those features, you'd think the Traverse would ultimately strike a chord with me.

It offers everything a family needs at a very reasonable price. Out of all the Lambdas, the Traverse is the most economical, starting at $28,990.

But my feelings never changed. It's nice, but we never clicked. Without amore, I would park the Traverse and still want to drive other vehicles.

But a good vehicle doesn't have to win your heart. It has to work every day and let you do every thing you want, when you want.

And that's what the Traverse delivers. There was nothing I couldn't do in this vehicle. It rides great, adjusts to my needs and still provides 24 miles per gallon on the highway. It can even tow 5,200 pounds. Try that in a family sedan.

In today's tough economy, love should have less to do with an automotive purchase than practicality, and the Traverse is a solid practical choice. I may not feel that spark with the Traverse, but I hope we can still be friends.