Edmunds Spies 2011 Cruze

[Astra RL]

Why can't Europe get it in July/August and North America get it in November as a 2010. Also I thought IRS was to be a big reason why it is Delta TWO. Hopefully it is able to stay competitive with they competition after they are updated, unlike the cobalt and the 06 Civic. Maybe they will put a flat rear floor in the car for better rear seat room.

[JazzyChef]

Lets hope the Mazda3 that is coming out early next year looks like crap...
cuz I really like this car and I would love to come back to an American vehicle, but as it stands I love my Mazda3 and i'm willing to buy the next generation of it.

[prowlerjc]

Originally Posted by 88ls1blazer

IRS on a fwd car doesn't make much sense to me. You have IRS, but then put a beefy sway bar on the back to tie the left and right together to improve handling. A torsion axle acts just like this, allowing a certain amount of movement from left to right...

You can really tell the difference when cornering on bumpy pavement. My old IRS Civic handled such situations much better than my torsion beam Sentra. The Sentra feels like the back end jumps a couple of inches to the outside. It feels unsettled to me.

[logansowner]

Ya know, all I'm interested in is 5 years down the road (Canadian winters kill suspension) when the suspension is starting to die, which is easier/cheaper to replace?

Because I changed the back suspension on my friends Mustang for him in about an hour, and the struts on my Dodge required two afternoons. How do torsion beams factor in when it's time to work on them?

[Saturn69]

Originally Posted by TheGeneral

The camry isn't fully independant in the rear but I'm not 100% sure.

The Camry is, the Corolla isn't - the Corolla/Matrix/Vibe and the Scion xD/xB use a torsion beam. VW used a torsion beam forever, until the current generation of Rabbit/Jetta. For 90% of the population, it's a non-issue - suspension design doesn't affect ride - that's more dependent on springs/shocks/bushings - but it does affect handling as the camber/caster/toe isn't adjustable. It shouldn't be a problem considering how fast the torsion beam-equipped HHR/SS and Cobalt SS are around the 'Ring. The only people who are seriously going to have a problem with it are the technophiles or poseurs who would never put the suspension to full use anyway, but they like to brag about the specifications.

[Saturn69]

Originally Posted by prowlerjc

You can really tell the difference when cornering on bumpy pavement. My old IRS Civic handled such situations much better than my torsion beam Sentra. The Sentra feels like the back end jumps a couple of inches to the outside. It feels unsettled to me.

Funny, my Ion with t/b rear suspension is light years more stable on bumpy corners than my SC2 with IRS. Tuning, perhaps? My Ion just sticks and carves a nice line through corners, but the SC2 skitters a little in the arse, especially in left-handed corners. As far as ride goes, the Ion is softer, quieter and less affected by irregular pavement while the SC2 is less susceptible to cross-winds and is relatively easier to place 'on the line'. T/B doesn't bother me, and truth be told, that Cruze may be my next new car. I like the way it looks, and it seems to go 'round corners pretty well. Throw in the 1.4T, a 6sp manual and 40mpg highway for about $16-18K and I'm there.

[jomo]

*Scratches head* Isn't GM closing down the 4speed transmission factory because they're no longer going to be making cars that use them? I clearly recall reading here on GMI a lament that a bunch of guys in the Detroit Metro area were losing their jobs/being bought out because the transmission factory where they worked was being shut down. Why does Edmunds think they are going to put in a four speed?

[Saturn69]

Originally Posted by logansowner

Ya know, all I'm interested in is 5 years down the road (Canadian winters kill suspension) when the suspension is starting to die, which is easier/cheaper to replace?

Because I changed the back suspension on my friends Mustang for him in about an hour, and the struts on my Dodge required two afternoons. How do torsion beams factor in when it's time to work on them?

My Ion has two bushings at the front, and the shocks bolt up just like those on Camaro rear end or a traditional RWD car. Relatively simple design, easy to fix and only one moving part (the beam itself). It would take about 30 minutes to remove it from the car, and that includes taking the wheels off.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by smokyn454

95% of the general population couldn't tell you what torsion bar suspension is.

Hey, doesn't the Almighty Toyota Corolla have a torsion beam in the rear? As well as the Saturn Astra?

Looking at the profile of the Cruze, I take back my comments about it looking like a Chrysler Sebring. It looks more Saturn.

[megeebee]

Well the text of this article is new, but the photos I've seen before.


.

[spidge]

Originally Posted by prowlerjc

You can really tell the difference when cornering on bumpy pavement. My old IRS Civic handled such situations much better than my torsion beam Sentra. The Sentra feels like the back end jumps a couple of inches to the outside. It feels unsettled to me.

I think that Sentra had a solid beam axle in the rear, as opposed to a torsion beam, which is flexible.

[FearTheDodo]

why show it at the '08 autoshow if it won't be out till 2011? This is why GM's concepts get stale and boring so fast

[espo19047]

Originally Posted by Hitman1970

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...hotopanel..1.*

Torsion rear suspension is projected. Any thoughts on what this will do to perception versus the imports?

Well lets see the price differences on the cars. If the Chevy is less money I don't see a problem.

[SkiD666]

From wikipedia regarding the current generation Honda Civic:

"Mechanically, the European Civic differs from the USDM and JDM variants in that it uses a simpler torsion beam suspension system for the rear wheels compared to the double-wishbone system in the USDM and JDM Civics. This change happened in this generation to allow the car to keep its large interior space, and actually reduce the length of the outgoing model Civic."

So if Delta II uses torsion beam (likely, but how will the Saab 9-3 have AWD?), if it's good enough for Honda (and most everyone else), why isn't it good enough for GM?

[WishIhadatruck]

Originally Posted by Saturn69

...T/B doesn't bother me, and truth be told, that Cruze may be my next new car. I like the way it looks, and it seems to go 'round corners pretty well. Throw in the 1.4T, a 6sp manual and 40mpg highway for about $16-18K and I'm there.

Me too. Great looking inside and out, high quality, and excellent fuel economy are what I'm looking for at a good price. I can't wait to see what the 1.4T and a 6-speed manual can do.