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Chevy Cruze review

6K views 25 replies 12 participants last post by  steve333 
#1 ·
Full review here. I got a loaner for the day.

I just got a used 1LT Cruze for a free loaner today from a local dealer. These are my observations:

Looks-it was white and the front end looked good to me. Not crazy about the rear end but it's not that bad, but that chrome bar looks out of place. They should at least make it less shiny.

The interior looks nice but that cheesy cloth on the dash is just not needed. Blah.

The cloth seats were hard on the cushion and they were a little too narrow and too short (seems to be a Chevy thing) I'm not a big guy and I don't know how a large person could fit in them comfortably. The lack of lumbar controls is a glaring omission that even my 2006 Cobalt has. I think it's ridiculous that with the attention they paid to the interior they would leave something as necessary and obvious as this out of a brand new car that will cost around 20 grand. Ridiculous and inexcusable. (Rant over.)

The inside rear view mirror should be one inch wider to cover the entire rear window easily (my Cobalt's is wider).
The Center stack A/C vents are awkwardly placed so that the air has to pass through the steering wheel to get to your face. The lowest fan speed is worthless, can't even feel it.
The push button controls for the airflow directions are not as intuitive or as easy to use without looking at them as a simple rotary dial.
The volume knob for the stereo is a little too small. The sound was fine.
The center console is child size. Pretty worthless. What were they thinking?

The speedometer is hard to see through the steering wheel so it's a good thing they have the digital speedo in the middle on the LED screen (I like that feature, all cars should have it)
I don't like that green light that stays on when automatic headlights are used. Who needs this? I know they're on.
Side visibility is not very good because when you turn your head there is that thick pillar there. I guess that's why they're adding a side lane warning system (how about just make the car easier to see out of?) Ditto for the rear-not so bad but could have better visibility.
There seems to be no place for me to put my left foot, while the Cobalt has a dead pedal that was placed in a good spot. I also find that the center console intrudes on my right leg space.

Now for the ride-the car feels like a bigger car. It takes bumps well but kind of wallows a bit like a larger car. It glides over imperfections on the Freeway like they aren't there (unlike my Balt which gets into a groove and stays there). The steering is a little too loose for my taste but it's not bad.
The engine was a little rough at idle-was not expecting that.
The brakes are kind of mushy and not very confidence inspiring but probably par for this class.
The engine is the glaring weakness in the Cruze. While it seems to have enough pickup for everyday moves, the tranny skips too much at low speeds It's impossible to drive the car smoothly and while it speeds up fine to get into traffic if you have to slow down and then speed up again the engine complains loudly (very loudly) and takes too long to get up to speed again. Basically this feels like a good riding car waiting for a good power train.
There was a surprisingly large amount of wind noise coming from the driver's door.
I also noticed some odd actions when going into reverse and then switching to drive and taking my foot off the brake the car seemed to drift backwards even on a slight incline.

When I brought the car back I mentioned the seat comfort and wallow and they had me test drive a 2LT. The leather seats are very hard, even harder than the cloth and the seat back didn't hit my back in a good way-it didn't conform to the curve of the back like the cloth seats did. I would have to say I prefer the cloth, imperfect as they are. Very disappointed because I was thinking the leather seats would be better. The suspension was a little sportier but the erratic shifting was there on this car as well.

So, the situation as it stands is that I'm not crazy about this car. I don't hate it, I could live with it, but do I want to spend new car money on a car I'm not crazy about?
I think (my opinion only) that GM made a mistake trying to make this car behave like a midsize and increasing the size (and shrinking the engines). The Sonic cannot take the place of the Cobalt and smaller Compacts like the Elantra, Civic and Corolla because it simply is not good enough. It feels and rides like a subcompact.
For the next generation Cruze I hope Chevy makes it feel and ride like a Compact (sportier, more toss-able) and put a decent engine-tranny combo that shifts smoothly and has plenty of power to move the car without making the engine cry.
I'm going to test drive the new Civic and Forte when they come out and see how they compare.

More likely, I'm probably going to wait until 2013 and see if they're going to do a proper MCE on the car. If not, I will have to sadly look elsewhere.
Time to get new tires and a serpentine belt on my Cobalt.
 
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#2 ·
We've just hit 18k with our Cruze, and since we traded a G6 on it, I'd like to share our thoughts on the pluses and minuses of the two.

The pluses: The Cruze is twice as quiet, soaks up bumps way better, and seems to have a shorter turning radius. The G6 with it's V6 had more power, of course, and more interior room, particularly in the rear seating area.

The minuses: The Cruze is the most mpg throttle sensitive car I have ever owned. It will get 40 mpg with the cruise set at 60mph. 70 will cost you 3.5mpg. At 75, the V6 G6 with it's 4 speed auto will get the same mpg. We got the computer reflash for excessive low speed shifting in the Cruze. It cost us 2mpg in city driving. Haven't checked to see if it can be reversed to the original setting yet.

Addressing some of the OP's complaints, the car is basically an Opel from Europe where engine sizes are generally smaller because fuel is up to $8 a gallon. Seats and interiors are smaller because interiors are smaller. No one makes the cushy seats your Cobalt came with anymore. (We tried them all before we bought the Cruze). I've sat on park benches softer than the Mazda 3's.
 
#4 ·
The interior of the Cruze is bigger than a lot of other Compacts though. All it would take is another inch wider and another inch longer. It would make a big difference, IMO.
The seats in my Balt are actually harder than the Cruze but the seat bottom is flatter so I don't get pinched in the thighs, plus the lumbar control lets me take out all the lumbar to make it fit my back better and to add some in if my back is bothering me.
My mother sits in my Cobalt comfortably but she said she could never sit in the cruze for a long drive (she's a senior and I have to take her places sometimes).
 
#11 ·
Have you not complained about the Cruze since before it even got here? You have had it out for this car since day one, and have been one of its biggest bashers on here.

As an owner of one (white, 2LT RS), and someone that has driven the Corrola, Civic, Elantra, I can tell you the Cruze is a great car, and when comparing the Cruze to its competitors (admittedly I have not driven a Focus...yet). The same things you are quibbling about, are the same things I find great about the car in comparison. Seats are very comfortable. The interior is great, the switchgear is great, the smooth power out of the 1.4 is great (you need to keep things in perspective about what class this car is in). NVH is very good inthis class. If the tranny has been re-flashed the tranny works fine. It shifts early, like every other car reaching for higher MPG’s. Clearly your opinions and judgments were preconceived. I could go on and on.

I guess there is no pleasing some folks. Sorry if I give this zero credibility.

Please go buy another car, there are plenty to choose from!!!!!
 
#13 ·
It's a review, I thought a fair one. reviews are by nature opinions. I wanted to buy one to replace my Cobalt so I gave it a fair test, drove it everywhere I drive daily, tested the pickup for passing after slowing down, gave the seats a good run, testing the ride on the Freeway and over rough roads (passed those 2 tests with flying colors).
People ragged on my Cobalt all the time but I never thought it was as bad as everyone says, test drove a Corolla that was so bad I couldn't wait until I got out of the car, tested a Civic which was fine except it was slow as molasses.
I don't take it personally, it's a freaking car. You shouldn't either.
What I get from this is the OP really wants to like the Cruze, but doesn't. He'd probably be happier in the Verano, but isn't wild about it or it's price.

Fair enough.

But, the real question is are his complaints representative? Or do they reflect a personal set of preferences? Is say some (transmission programming, desire for slightly more power) are pretty common, as is the comment about rear-seat room. The driveline stuff seems to be product of the need for high MPG ratings and perhaps can be addressed at the MCE (e.g. Adding DI). Steering feel may improve with enhancements to the electric-based power steering. But overall, sales and reviews indicate the Cruze is a pretty solid offering; addressing the commonly cited weaknesses with a solid update should keep it in the hunt for a couple more years.

BTW: the reviews seem to indicate that the ECO is the nicest driver of the bunch as it is about 200lbs lighter. You lose a bit of the quiet nature of the regular Cruze, but gain some responsiveness - while getting up to 42 mpg on the highway. Perhaps that would drive smaller and be more to the OP's liking.
I think a lot of people love the car, who knows how many people agree with me? A lot of times people with issues about a car gloss them over, especially when someone else is putting down the car they purchased. I'm sure I did this with my Balt.
The issues I have with the Cruze became a deal breaker because they were too many of them. I know no Compact car is perfect. I bought my Cobalt because the seats had lumbar control (although the seat cushion is too short), I felt it had a comfortable driving position and the car has plenty of pep. I could overlook the rest.
The Cruze for me has a good driving position but the lack of lumbar controls is a problem because I have a bad back (the cloth seats fit my back better than the leather though) and the lack of passing power made me nervous (I'm now used to driving a pretty quick Compact car). That Freeway incident happened by chance and I'm glad it did.
Now, on regular driving days and conditions the engine's pick-up would be fine, except for the gear hunting in lower gears, something I'm also not used to and IMO shouldn't happen in a $20,000 car (or any car).
Basically after a 10 minute test drive it felt fine, after a longer drive not so much. i think that's when you see people start complaining about the car even though they bought it after a test drive. Things crop up.
The Eco missing the Z Link would be an issue because of the bad roads where I live. The Cruze I drove took bad roads like a champ and that's one of my favorite things about the car.
My hope is that GM is paying some attention to the drawbacks in this car's design and improves them next year.
 
#12 · (Edited)
What I get from this is the OP really wants to like the Cruze, but doesn't. He'd probably be happier in the Verano, but isn't wild about it or it's price.

Fair enough.

But, the real question is are his complaints representative? Or do they reflect a personal set of preferences? Is say some (transmission programming, desire for slightly more power) are pretty common, as is the comment about rear-seat room. The driveline stuff seems to be product of the need for high MPG ratings and perhaps can be addressed at the MCE (e.g. Adding DI). Steering feel may improve with enhancements to the electric-based power steering. But overall, sales and reviews indicate the Cruze is a pretty solid offering; addressing the commonly cited weaknesses with a solid update should keep it in the hunt for a couple more years.

BTW: the reviews seem to indicate that the ECO is the nicest driver of the bunch as it is about 200lbs lighter. You lose a bit of the quiet nature of the regular Cruze, but gain some responsiveness - while getting up to 42 mpg on the highway. Perhaps that would drive smaller and be more to the OP's liking.
 
#15 ·
I was critical of some things that I didn't like but wouldn't keep me from buying the car, like the C Pillar.
I thought the engine was underpowered. In a short test it seemed fine, in a longer test it proved to be true in emergency maneuvers and the tranny jerkiness. All of these points were mentioned in reviews by the way.
I praised what deserved to be praised, mainly the ride ride quality and panned what deserved to be panned, according to my opinion. I also panned the Focus I drove in another review for some things.
The things I complained about are easily fixed if GM wants to fix them. They are oversights that shouldn't exist and that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.
I wanted to like it, I was hoping to like it, I was planning on buying one. Maybe next year, right now it's not there yet IMO
 
#18 ·
Hey Steve, I have to do a rebuttal here on your review as I went from a Cobalt as well to a Cruze.

The cloth seats were hard on the cushion and they were a little too narrow and too short (seems to be a Chevy thing) I'm not a big guy and I don't know how a large person could fit in them comfortably. The lack of lumbar controls is a glaring omission that even my 2006 Cobalt has. I think it's ridiculous that with the attention they paid to the interior they would leave something as necessary and obvious as this out of a brand new car that will cost around 20 grand. Ridiculous and inexcusable. (Rant over.).
As someone who deals with a bad back often, I've had the lumbar adjusted to max both on my G5 GT and Cobalt SS. I found it odd that the Cruze did not have the feature. That being said, we did a ten hour drive with the Cruze when it was virtually brand new and I had no issues. Now with over 4000k miles on it, I can safely say the seats are just fine and I don't miss the lumbar adjustment.

The lowest fan speed is worthless, can't even feel it.
The push button controls for the airflow directions are not as intuitive or as easy to use without looking at them as a simple rotary dial.
The center console is child size. Pretty worthless. What were they thinking?
The lowest fan speed is fine when set on only dash vents or floor. Doesn't blow hard for both, that's why there are more speeds. At the same time, high speed is too much for only 1 level but perfect for both. The push button controls are quicker to set than a rotory dial. Once quick glance and a push and the system does the rest. The center console is small in terms of storage but it has two great cupholders and the armrest slides forward making it more useful than it looks.

The speedometer is hard to see through the steering wheel so it's a good thing they have the digital speedo in the middle on the LED screen (I like that feature, all cars should have it)
I don't like that green light that stays on when automatic headlights are used. Who needs this? I know they're on.
Side visibility is not very good because when you turn your head there is that thick pillar there. I guess that's why they're adding a side lane warning system (how about just make the car easier to see out of?) Ditto for the rear-not so bad but could have better visibility.
There seems to be no place for me to put my left foot, while the Cobalt has a dead pedal that was placed in a good spot. I also find that the center console intrudes on my right leg space.
The steering wheel is both tilt and telescopic. I've had no issue at all finding a comfortable position to see all the guages just fine.
I'm not a tall guy at 5'10" but I noticed today when checking out the pillar "issue" and why I've not noticed it is that I have no issue because I can actually see everything out the rear side window that I can't see with my side mirror. And my Cruze has a dead pedal in the same spot my Cobalt did.

Now for the ride-the car feels like a bigger car. It takes bumps well but kind of wallows a bit like a larger car. It glides over imperfections on the Freeway like they aren't there (unlike my Balt which gets into a groove and stays there). The steering is a little too loose for my taste but it's not bad.
The engine was a little rough at idle-was not expecting that.
The brakes are kind of mushy and not very confidence inspiring but probably par for this class.
The engine is the glaring weakness in the Cruze. While it seems to have enough pickup for everyday moves, the tranny skips too much at low speeds It's impossible to drive the car smoothly and while it speeds up fine to get into traffic if you have to slow down and then speed up again the engine complains loudly (very loudly) and takes too long to get up to speed again. Basically this feels like a good riding car waiting for a good power train.
There was a surprisingly large amount of wind noise coming from the driver's door.
I also noticed some odd actions when going into reverse and then switching to drive and taking my foot off the brake the car seemed to drift backwards even on a slight incline.
I can't comment on some of these ones as I have the RS package with firmer suspension and rear discs.
I will agree that the engine is the glaring weakness in the Cruze. It's underpowered and noisy outside the car. Inside, you don't hear it.
The transmission thing is done on purpose. It shifts itself into neutral when you have your foot on the brake and stopped. It's disconcerting at first but as you get used to it, you realize the car doesn't roll more than few inches before the trans kicks back in.

The transmission and it's shifting seems to come up a lot. I'm lost on this one. The trans tends to shift a lot as it has 6 gears to go through and you can count the shifts one by one. I've had no issue with it at this point as I feel it's working as it should.

All in all, I'm happy with mine at this point. I feel it's a better car then the Elantra and easily equal to the Focus.
 
#19 ·
Points taken.
When i turned my head I couldn't see the rear window like i can on my Balt. I guess it depends on where the seat is.
The gauge being hard to see also depends on where you have it. having the digital speedo in the middle makes it moot though-I really like that feature.
The engine was pretty quiet until i had to do that quick speed up n the freeway then it got so loud it actually scared me for a minute
The shifting into neutral should be eliminated, IMO. Very very strange behavior and very unpleasant, IMO
I have big feet (12 wide) and for some reason I can rest me left foot more comfortable in the Balt than the Cruze.
I honestly couldn't even feel the air blowing on the first speed and it was set on those vents only
I guess when you get used to where the buttons are it would be easy but I'm a luddite, I still like the dials.
I had the center arm rest pushed out and I still found it too short but the Cobalt's is as well.
I found the cloth seats doable for my back but the cushion was uncomfortable for me and lumbar support should be mandatory, IMO. I actually take out the lumbar most of the time, but just add back a little. I found the leather seats didn't cradle the curve in my back at all-I preferred the cloth seats.
I think the Cruze is decent and in some ways much better than my car but mainly the engine and tranny irritates me. If they fix those with the MCE then I'm in.
 
#22 ·
I test drove a Cruze last year, a 1.4t automatic model.....the one thing that stood out to me is how rough the ride was, It seemed I felt very little crack in the pavement, and on some of the bigger bumps the whole car shook. After reading that some people say it has a NICE ride, it got me thinking...did I test drive a model right off the truck where the tires were vastly over-inflated? If so, then shame on the dealership for letting someone test drive that car before fixing the issue.
 
#23 ·
That's interesting because I thought the ride was really good especially for a Compact. The tires were probably overinflated like you say.
You want to feel a rough ride, take my Cobalt over some bad roads and your internal organs will get re-arranged.
 
#24 ·
Test drove a Civic and Impreza

I have these 2 cars as a fall back option if Chevy doesn't make enough changes where it counts (to me) with the 2014 MCE.

I first drove a 2013 Civic Sedan. The seat is not comfortable at all and, like the Cruze, does not have lumbar controls. The Civic seat digs into my back more than the Cruze seat.
The dashboard has been improved but I still don't like the layout. The wrap around dash is intrusive and I've never liked the split dash. The pick-up isn't bad but there were vibrations throughout the steering column and the engine was very buzzy.
Little road noise and the steering was direct if not too reactive to inputs. Brakes felt fine, turning radius was excellent. Visibility was hard to gauge because the stickers were on the side window but I did notice that there is glass ahead of the A Pillars just like the Verano. Personally I don't care for it.
Uncomfortable seats plus vibration through the steering column takes this car off my list. Pushy saleswoman too-she was on me before I even closed my car door!

Next just down the block I drove a 2013 Subaru Impreza. No lumbar controls either (I guess car companies feel it's OK to remove this very important item that was previously found on Compacts more than 6 years ago). I think it's a big mistake, however these seats were more comfortable than the Civic and the Cruze. The cushion was wider and deeper than both. I found it to be a little too bolstered on the sides of the seat back, however. Still, not bad.
The dashboard is very simple and plain, which is how I like it. Everything is where it belongs without any stupid touch controls. The pick-up was surprising. It was fast off the line and sped to freeway speeds with ease. The one negative to the CVT is that it whines when you speed up. It would be nice if Subaru could do something about that noise coming into the cabin.
Handling was actually better than both the Civic and Cruze. The car took turns very well with very little lean. The Cruze was close behind and the Civic leaned more than both. Brakes were good and visibility was better than the Cruze and Civic however the side view mirror is oddly shaped. Again, there was glass ahead of the A Pillar and, again, I don't like it.
The Impreza Impressed me. This right now would be my Compact of choice if brand loyalty (and over 3 grand of GM Card Points) weren't an issue. The salesman was mellow, absolutely no pushing for a sale, which was another plus.

I also sat in a Hyundai Elantra (dual dealer) and found the seats comfortable but the dash cheap looking and the interior smelled like a chemical factory, which I find to be true of all Korean makes (including the old Aveo). Never was on my list and never will be.

I still prefer to wait until the 2014 Cruze comes out and keep my Balt until then. Now I know what my fall back option will be-the Subaru Impreza.
 
#25 ·
Interesting about the Impreza. I'll have to sit in one soon. I just this weekend checked out the new Nissan Sentra and was surprised how roomy and comfortable the seats were in that. It was the SL model with automatic and some options and stickered for 21,800 but had a window sale price of 19995. Check it out also.
 
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