Considering purchase of 2021 Chevy Traverse or Honda Pilot. What can u say about reliability and handling issues from personal experience? ?

Well, if you drive by your local Honda dealer you will see lots of cars in the back lot waiting for service. Same with your Chevy dealer. If you stick with the models with the fewest bells and whistles you will save money up front and in the long run. I prefer a reliable vehicle that has with an engine, transmission, four wheels, and a steering wheel. Anything extra will bleed a lot of money from your pocket year after year after year. I prefer the GM vehicles since parts are easy to find and are much cheaper and most mechanics know how to work on them.  

Get the Honda. It's pretty reliable.

Get the Nissan Pathfinder, all new.  Or a Toyota 4Runner if you are keeping the car until Alabama bans college football.

The Honda will be more dependable but not by much. You may not like the way it one or the other drives and rides. You will need to drive both vehicles and see which one you like. Dependability is great as long as you like to drive the vehicle. 

I would buy the Chevy.  A Chevy dealer is two miles from my home and it is downhill all the way.  Otherwise, I think the vehicles are equally good.

Nothing, because I don't own either of them. It's doubtful that anyone else here does either, so go to one of the major websites like Cars.com or Edmunds or Forbes and read reviews there.