Chevrolet Cruze

garv214 · November 2011

All great and valid points to consider.

I have owned a number of cars with Interference engines (mostly hondas). As long as you know going in that there is a belt and that it needs to be checked and replaced, then it shouldn't be a problem. Now if you are the type of owner that does not keep up on the maintenance of your car...well...getting a car with an interference engine may be an expensive decision.

In my case, the decision to go with the Cruze ECO really was driven by financial payback as much as it was driven by a desire to get a car that delivers great fuel economy and was enjoyable to drive. My wife has a Lexus RX330 AWD, which we love but can be a bit discouraging when it comes time to tank up :surprise:

I hope you enjoy a great Thanksgiving!

shipo · November 2011

"The Cruze 1.4 has a Turbo Charger, on Gasoline engines these tend to wear out quickly compared to Diesel, however it has a timing Chain instead of a belt."

While I would have agreed with that statement back in the era of conventional oil; when synthetic oil is used there is no evidence to suggest that a turbocharger will have any negative inpact on the life of a gasoline engine.

drvette · November 2011

Agree w/Shipo on the quality of oil used..

Also my poor grammar indicated Engine Life problem, Sorry I should have stated "Turbocharger Life"
As you said Engine Life is NOT the issue here.
Also to point out again, the 1.4L Turbo engine has a Timing Chain, per Gates which will prolong maintenance intervals.
http://www.gates.com/part_locator/index.cfm?location_id=3598

The most common cause of Turbo failure is shutting the engine down after a run where the Turbocharger is at "High Temperature"
The engine should be allowed to idle for several minutes to allow the oil to cool the turbo. Even water cooled turbo's need time to shake off the extreme temperatures to minimize coking.

Failure to utilize some method of cool-down results in "oil coking".
The oil burns and solidifies to the Turbo shaft causing abrasion to the oil seals.
Then turbo lubrication/cooling oil pumps into the exhaust, this is obvious only on a cold engine, upon fully warmed up engines, this will Not be visible as the Catalytic Converter is "Flamed On"
Eventually the Converter will stop up, hopefully before the engine seizes.

Some oil additives claim the ability to ward off Oil Coking in this situation.
Pro-Blend in South Carolina is my personal favorite additive mfg.
I think Z-Max has this claim also.

Also just FYI, "Mobil 1" Oil is a synthetic oil ONLY in the US.
European Specs disallow it from claiming to be a true synthetic.

Waaay back when it first came out, it was called a "Pseudo-Synthetic"

As you stated, real synthetic oil will help coking problems on turbo's however MOST owners don't even change oil on suggested schedules.

drvette · November 2011

WOW!!
15 psi boost @ 1850 rpm !!

Dat seems like a lot, that is good to hear though.

DrVette

drvette · November 2011

Regarding your personal dislike of the Intake Roar,

In "87 & up GM Trucks with the 350[TBI] Throttle Body engines, many customers liked the bellowing intake roar under full Tilt.

This "moan" that was so reminiscent of a Quadrajet on a High Compression 327 Chevy that many "motorheads" found a twist of the distributor and some 93 octane allowed drag-racing Trans-Am's, Mustangs etc with success.

Now find Crown Vic's and most vehicles with some legacy of speed to have dropped the intake noise suppression tube in favor of a muscular sound.
IMHO, the mfg's have intentionally done this for those who enjoy this particular style of music.

Keep in mind, this sound is ONLY made when your foot is in front of the radiator

DrVette

drvette · November 2011

Q
The Oil Filter is on TOP of the Engine ?

Wow, what a mess, they could have done like my "94 GMC 4X4 Jimmy and ran some lines and put the filter next to the radiator, neat and clean, no drip, no fuss, no mess.

From your description, it's a paper element placed inside of a "non-replaceable' canister/housing, correct ?

DrVette

drvette · November 2011

Obviously Hard Driving uses more fuel, here's a quip from "Top Gear"

A while back they ran a Prius Hybrid around the track WIDE OPEN for some extended period of time.
Following closely behind the Prius was a BMW with some massive 400~HP engine.

After running quite a while they figured the economy of both vehicles.

The BMW got 19+mpg
The Prius got 17~mpg

I'm an old wrench, in the early 70's I had a 72 Datsun 1200 that I modified it to 198# Compression[stock was 165], Carburetor Jets to match and about 34 degrees ignition advance.
Man was it FAST !

On the highway I could get 48mpg~
Running hard, I have gotten as low as 14mpg

It's all in the right foot :shades:
DrVette

drvette · November 2011

oNE of my Hyper-mile tricks[on 4-lane rds] is when a light changes RED 1/8 mi. or More away, I let off the gas hoping the light is GREEN by the time I get there.
Some guys FLY by, SLAM on the brakes, then I PASS them while I hear their engine turning 4200 rpm at WOT trying to get back up to speed.

On multi-lane roads where traffic lights are a mile or two apart, it does absolutely NO good to run 128 mph between lights. 65-70 in a 55 works just fine.

I only Hyper-mile when I do not Pizz off folks behind me, on multi-lane roads with light traffic,, PASS Me if I'm going too Slow

Speaking of driving FAST, I go from Atlanta to Denver pretty often.
It's like 1500 miles, more or less.

If I drive "Breakneck Speeds" like 20 -40 over, I can do it in like 22 hrs.
Driving 10-25 over, it takes 24 hrs~

Is it worth it ?
To save a couple of hours, burn LOTS more fuel, not to mention the very good odds of making NEW Friends with Badges :shades:

On shorter drives, like 20~miles or less, do the MATH, driving like an idiot saves just a couple of minutes, wears out your brakes early and makes you generally bitc*y

DrVette

m6user · November 2011

If I drive "Breakneck Speeds" like 20 -40 over, I can do it in like 22 hrs.
Driving 10-25 over, it takes 24 hrs~

I find it interesting and slightly contradictory that you will go to the extreme of coasting for great lengths to catch a green light but consider your "normal" highway driving to be say 75-90mph. 90 mph is not only dangerous but is obviously terrible on the mpg.

gpara · November 2011

Boys you are forgetting one thing, turbo is "COOLED" buy water on this engine, your heat buildup should not be a factor and coking should not happen because of this. I would run synthetic oil anyway just to be sure the turbo and engine has the best lubrication it can. Mobile-1 is dexos certified and I have used it for yours in my Grand National Turbo.The wait time for the turbo to spool down usually is not a factor, you would have to be running high boost and pull off the highway and shutdown immediately to see any spool effect and if you are running synthetic you are protected. Yes the turbo will put in 15+ lbs of boost at load but it drops back to about 12 after the initial surge. In order to hypermile I try and stay out of the turbo boost buy holding engine vacuum at"0" in the tallest gear that allows some speed increase, but it is sure nice when you need power, the turbo works well and should last many years with the new materials for seals, bearing.

shipo · November 2011

Completely spot on with your comments. I've been driving turbocharged cars since the mid 1980s and never once had to A) be overly conscious about spooling down the turbocharger (except when pulling into a rest area for fuel while climbing a steep grade at altitude), or

replace a turbocharger (even with over 100,000 miles on the clock).

Why? Water cooled bearings and Mobil 1.

drvette · December 2011

The 2012 ECO IS available with the Auto Tranny for about $1,100.00 more

DrVette

drvette · December 2011

The "Grill Shutter" is on the lower portion of the grill only..

Also it is lowered for improved aerodynamics.

DrVettte

shipo · December 2011

Why on Earth would someone want a slush box ECO? :confuse:

drvette · December 2011

IF the Diesel Cruze gets 50~mpg Hwy vs the Gas @42~mpg this makes them basically EQUAL.

Yup, Diesel Fuel is approx 20% more than Reg Gasoline
A 20% increase of the 2012 ECO's 42~mpg[with Stick shift] yields NO Gain.

More initial Cost
More upkeep
Etc

So What is the Real Problem Here ?

The EPA insists that Gasoline & Diesel powered cars get the same CO2 and particulate footprint.

This after spending $B's on BioDiesel research.

You CANNOT run pure BioDiesel in VW's TDI or Any other Diesel Engine that uses a DPF Clean-Out shot of fuel.

Why ?

Modern Diesel auto engines have up to 5 Shots of fuel per power stroke.
4 for the Power Stroke and the last shot is with the exhaust valve OPEN to Burn Off the DPF [Diesel Particulate Filter] .

BioDiesel does NOT atomize as easily as Crude Based Diesel
When fired for the DPF cleaning cycle, it collects on the cylinder walls and washes into the crankcase diluting the oil.

VW will NOT warranty engines running BioDiesel stronger than B-5 [5% BioDiesel.

B-100 does NOT require a DPF or other methods to eliminate particulates yet the EPA has seen fit to basically eliminate the modern Diesel Passenger Car from the US market,

BTW
Big Oil has a vested interest here.

The cost to mfg Ethanol is 4.0 BTU's per 1.0 BTU of Product

The cost to mfg Bio-Diesel is 0.25 BTU's per 1.0 BTU of Product

That's right, it takes FOUR times as fuel to get each BTU of Ethanol produced
BioDiesel has a Four Hundred Percent profit margin,, hmmm,

I wonder just WHO would be against such a High Profit industry ?

Keep in mind, large OTR Trucks use approx 25% of the Diesel in the US.

Any Thoughts ?

DrVette

m6user · December 2011

Probably because they can't or don't want to learn to drive a stick, hate manual transmissions or like them but find them totally impractical for urban/surburban rush hour traffic. However, they still want to save on gas. There are lots of people that can drive sticks just fine but for one reason or another want to drive an auto tranny. Nothing wrong with that. That's why we have choices. I drove a lot of sticks until one blizzardy winter day many years ago in Chicagoland where it took me over 6 hours to crawl 35 miles home from work. My left leg was literally ready to fall off. That was my last stick.

drvette · December 2011

I assume you have a 1.8L w/Automatic ?

Still seems low to me, your terrain or traffic conditions may dictate harsher acceleration.

DrVette

drvette · December 2011

Read my post #760,
I think "Politics" and "Big Oil" have more to do with the CO2 emissions particulate requirements than Clean Air !

drvette, "Chevrolet Cruze" #760, 1 Dec 2011 10:24 am#MSG759

brueggie · December 2011

My wife and I love MT vehicles. We both commute ~45 min depending on traffic in North Dallas without freeway driving and we can't complain. When looking to replace my 05 Camry, I chose a 6-speed Fusion because Toyota didn't have any MT Camry's available. Today we both drive Cruze Eco's with MT and have never looked back!

drvette · December 2011

Cruze 1.4L Turbo Cost

Checking with my dealer on the "Retail" price of the Cruze's Turbo, I was pleasantly surprised.

Turbo - $650.00~ Retail
Labor Time R&R - 2.0 hr~

The Turbo comes as an "assembly" including the exhaust manifold, plumbing for oil etc.

It has a "Core-Charge" so obviously they rebuild them, which usually only involves seals & bearings and tolerance inspection..

Shocking this was, after checking the "Other" brand turbo offering some 20+years ago at a outrageous $2500.00~

If owners of the 1.4L Turbo engine will observe common and simple operator usage instructions, they should last a very long time..

Typically, owners should note driving/operating situation just prior to stopping the vehicle.

If High-Engine-Speeds, High Ambient Temps, High Engine Temps or any combination of operation variables that result in ;;

1. High Turbocharger Temps
2. High Turbocharger RPM's
3. High Engine Coolant/Oil Temps

You should IDLE the engine for several minutes to allow the oil in the Turbocharger Lines to Cool Off and the Turbo allowed to cool down so that the oil does not solidify [Coke] onto the shaft of the Turbo which will destroy the seals.

Sorry for the lengthy posting
DrVette

drvette · December 2011

Who said I drive 90mph Now ?

Many of the years going from Atl to Denver were during the 55mph max days, lots of the divided Hwy's from the MidWest to I-70 were down as low as 50 in the day.

Just FYI

drvette · December 2011

Does the Cruze 1.4L come with a Boost Gauge ?

drvette · December 2011

I found a site where the Cruze is outfitted with a Diesel Engine, man oh man those folks seem to be having a real issue with fuel economy and the DPF cleaning cycle.

You'll have to convert the Litres per Km to MPG to get an idea of how severe the problem is.

http://www.chevroletcruzeforum.com/index.php?/forum/25-cruze-20l-diesel/

DrVette

gpara · December 2011

No boost gauge, I added a combnation vacuum/pressure gauge used for testing usually to the 2011cruze so I could monitor the engine load/vacuum/ and watch the turbo boost. The gauge has "0" at the 12 o-clock position which is perfect. The car needs the gauge in order to hypermile with it , otherwise you are constantly in the turbo boost and there goes the economy but you have the power when called for.

m6user · December 2011

Speaking of driving FAST, I go from Atlanta to Denver pretty often.
It's like 1500 miles, more or less.

If I drive "Breakneck Speeds" like 20 -40 over, I can do it in like 22 hrs.
Driving 10-25 over, it takes 24 hrs~

Is it worth it ?

Nothing above was indicated to be in the past. You're the one that said "if I drive" which indicates to me present tense and would be different from "when I used to drive" for example. How was anyone supposed to know this was "in the day"? Most current interstate speed limits are 65-75. You never said you were talking about 30 years ago.

litesong2 · December 2011

From an older post by overbrook:
The idea that you could get a car with a bigger backseat for just a few thousand more doesn't really matter to folks who WANT a small car.
//////////////////////
litesong wrote:
I've always been a small car person. But with this surge of higher mpg ratings in bigger vehicles other than sub-compacts, I've been looking at the larger vehicles like Chevy Cruze, Elantra, Focus, etc. I want a vehicle I no longer have to apologize to passengers because 3 people are compressed into the backseat. One note no one talks about...... Chevy Cruze has fairly good interior rear seat shoulder room, but Elantra has about one inch MORE shoulder room, altho the Elantra exterior width is narrower than Cruze. Narrowness of exterior width is very important to small car drivers who are thinking about purchasing a larger vehicle. Additionally, Elantra turn radius is less than Cruze, altho Elantra has a more comfortable & longer wheel base than Cruze. That Elantra rear seat leg room is more than the Cruze also is a factor in favor of Elantra.

elias · December 2011

almost at 10k with my LS/1.8L/M6. hypermiling never happened again except for that single three mile drive, so the realistic mpg is apparently 33.6 with leadfoot and daily stop&go commute. No roadtrips, no vacations, just work work work makin the donuts.
I have found that tiny bit of torque available at high rpm and use it daily.

Doc Vette i sure do like your style/facts/presentations especially relating the current diesel+adblue vs gas+ethanol structure and the arithmetic/power-mechanics/tax-structure/$ behind it. no apology necessary to me for length of posting or anything else. your points/questions are spot on!

i still want to testdrive a diesel cruze! the car is so well balanced with the gas motor... how much more does the diesel drivetrain weigh compared to gas drivetrain, for both auto & stickshift. (probably there will be no stickshift diesel cruze? that would be tough to resist just for drivability fun, no matter the price of gas vs diesel . )

drvette · December 2011

Thanks for the kind words, you and I both separate the posting into paragraphs by hitting the enter button often, making reading much easier.

For the Cruze Diesel to be attractive, it will have to get "super" economy to surpass the Gasoline Cruze's efficiency.

Note the vast array of vehicles that get poor mpg for the size/weight
i.e. Jetta Gasoline, Nissan Versa and too many others to name.
The Focus is plagued with tranny probs on the "AT-6" and instrument cluster issues for some.

IMHO, the Cruze is the thinking mans choice for a long-term transportation.

Here's a link to one European Cruze Forum directly to the Diesel Page.
http://www.chevroletcruzeforum.com/index.php?/forum/25-cruze-20l-diesel/

My attempt to purchase a Cruze has been dismal and heartbreaking.
I've contacted many dealers, researched all avenues of incentives and still find the OTD price to be @ MSRP w/TTT

DrVette

elias · December 2011

you are most welcome, Dr. Z06 !
re cruze pricing, for the LS the difference between invoice and msrp is barely $700. i paid MSRP minus incentives/GMcard/etc. I suppose the car is so popular that # days they stay on the lot remains low - less than a month?
if you are willing to wait long enough you'll find cashback cruze incentives some day, but it might be a while... and in the meantime there is lots of driving to do!

backy · December 2011

For people who can live with the LS, I think there's big deals to be had. I regularly see ads for what I expect are stripped LSes for around $15k or even less. I expect those are "loss leader" ads and they may only have 1 or 2 cars available at that price, but it's worth a try. If you don't mind no cruise, no power mirrors, no automatic, and no turbo. Frankly I could go with the LS if it at least had power mirrors. Would really like cruise also but I could live w/o it.

Sandman6472 · December 2011

This would be the only model we'd even consider now as we want the extra goodies and don't mind paying for them. We've decided to start keeping our vehicles longer, our Mazda3s will roll over to 100k within the month, a first for us! Can't wait to compare the Verano with the Cruze to see if the extra few thousands is really worth it. From looking at the brochure I got last week, the nicer leather and 18" rollingstock seem to be the bulk of the differences, but am thinking the ride quality will be superior. There has to be more than the "perceived better quality" increase to warrant the upcharge. But so far the Verano looks like a winner and the ability to buy American again is a good thing. We shall see!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

backy · December 2011

The engine (and FE) on the Verano is much different than on the Cruze. Ride should be very nice on the Verano... and all the reviews I've read say that the interior is exceptional, if a little tight in back (but so is the Cruze).

m6user · December 2011

Try 180hp versus 138hp. Huge difference but less mpg. You've probably read the same stuff I have about the extreme quiteness(more sound deadening materials and thicker glass which also means more weight) and quality of materials and comfortable seats.

With the popularity of the Cruze it may be that you will be able to get a loaded Verano for just a bit more than a loaded Cruze if the Verano stays under the radar so to speak. I think it's a very good looking and optioned car. Unless you drive a lot of miles the difference in MPG wouldn't be that great per year.
Plus you get a 4yr bumper to bumper with the Buick. I've also found Buick service to be a much better experience in my area than Chevy but that may just be local.

drvette · December 2011

They may "claim" a shortage for the Cruze, but it's in Full Production.
Also, I've checked lots[in person] for 50-75mi.
Even in small towns, they have 4-5 and the larger cities have a row in the front, side and one in the back.

One dealer had 17 units in stock !

The so-called incentives listing is pitiful.

1 .USAA says as a son of a veteran I'm eligible, then say No.
link title
2. College Discounts don't apply to the "12 Cruze link title
3. Credit Union info is sketchy, salesman says it's valid, but he's talking, so he's Ly*** link title
4. As a GM Supplier Employee, "GM" says I'm eligible, but the HR says no go
link title
GM "Loyalty" discounts for the Cruze seem to be regional, in the NW and now have expired there.

I'm gonna hold my money till things ease up, or buy some junk from some other company.
I have a nasty e-mail word .doc telling the dealerships all about how I feel regarding the treatment of customers relating to their "appearance" [using a kind phrase if you will]
and have held off firing it just yet.

I was ready to drop the funds, but I freaking REFUSE to pay MSRP after TTT

DrVette

drvette · December 2011

Consider the driving elements of some users.. If stop and go traffic into Atlanta takes from 1.5-3hrs of stop and go,, pull up 50' and stop again, imagine how long the pitiful little ECO clutch will last !

Not to mention how aggravated some will get using 6 gears over and over and over and over for up to 100k-200k miles, in traffic!

I've driven stick shift's since 1966, still have one I use[S-10] and love a stick.

Dunno how I'd feel about a 6-grinder after a couple hundred thousand shifts.

I wonder about the life of the synchronizer rings in those trannys too.

drvette · December 2011

I have a good pal at a Non-Chevrolet- GM Dealer that sells other imports..

A call to inform him of the bad news about the pending Cruze purchase got some interesting commentary..

I told him of my investigation of the models offered by his dealership [Japanese imports] and how I was not really impressed with them, even with tremendous savings offered..

His comment was a muted "Chevrolet makes a good product"
This told me that the imports, though Japanese, do not hold up as well as Chevy's in the long haul..

His position is pretty high up, a manager, and can get me tremendous markdowns on the Rice Burners, he did NOT make any attempt to encourage me to purchase one, instead complementing the Cruze.

Odd, yet truthful, in my opinion, now to get the Chevy dealers to discount the Cruze.

Edit to add:
Note to potential buyers of Korean vehicles, they are pretty, but be aware, these are NOT the quality of American or Japanese vehicles.
100k 7yr bumper to bumper to warranty's do not cover everything, like rusted out gas tanks, bad calipers, etc..
Only sensors and parts to maintain EPA emissions are covered, as many here have found out the hard way. .

fushigi · December 2011

This told me that the imports, though Japanese, do not hold up as well as Chevy's in the long haul..

To me it means that the import dealers consider modern Chevys to be competitive. Not necessarily superior. Basically they recognize the threat to their marketshare. That's a huge step forward from the days of the Cavalier, but doesn't mean GM stuff is actually better.

As to the Korean vehicles, none that I know of come with a 100K/7yr bumper-to-bumper warranty. If you meant Hyundai, their warranty is explained in some detail at http://www.hyundaiusa.com/assurance/america-best-warranty.aspx.

If you compare the fine details of Hyundai, Chevy, Toyota, etc. you'll find little variation in what's covered. Rust, for instance, is rust through in body panels and not structural components (which, as a potential safety issue would generally be covered via recall). Brakes other than sensors are considered wear items & are not generally covered under anyone's warranty beyond a brief break-in period that allows for defective parts to be fixed.

ab348 · December 2011

Early-mid 2000s Hyundais have an epidemic of rusted out gas tanks. Why they never moved to plastic tanks back then I do not know. However those are not covered by warranty.

gpara · December 2011

As to Cruze Quality, I purchased a 2011 cruze eco stick last May, I have run my own automotive specialty shop for 35 years and I am a member of thew SAE. The Cruze was the first car I have really been excited about in 20 years.
It truly is a "World" class car,. I researched the car for months and even gave a presentation at a Chevy dealer on the airo and mechanical package they have. I am super critical of design and performance with economy in mind. Everything was in order tat I saw and was duely impressed with it. After driving these months, only 2 issues come to mind, neither quality problems.
First gear is way too low, you only get 1/2 thru an intersection and have to [non-permissible content removed] and the gas tank fill is terrible, always shuts off at 9 gallons and you have to play with it another 10 minutes to get the stated used fuel amount off the DIC. I have yet to completely fill the tank to check the accuracy of the calculated value. Otherwise the car has been flawless. There is no way I would have spent that type of money for a car that I did not trust or did not have a good reputation already, remember sold off shore for some time before coming to the us. Many miles in testing and developement. I would put my Cruze up against any manufacturer as to quality, design and economy. I was impressed with the mileage and intended a 50mpg target for most of my trips, rural area, highway and it has done that so far and I drive 60 mph when I can. Most of the complaints I see are individuals who would nitpick anything they can, unrealistic expectation, no real problems that I have seen yet.
I think the question has been answered, if you l the way it looks and drives buy the car and don't worry about past designs, this in NOT a Cavalier or Cobalt!!!!!

backy · December 2011

Note to potential buyers of Korean vehicles, they are pretty, but be aware, these are NOT the quality of American or Japanese vehicles.

This is really off topic for a discussion focused on the Cruze. But since you brought it up... what is the factual basis for your assertion? And have you owned any Korean cars, especially within the last 10 years or so, to allow you to make a good comparison of the quality of Korean vehicles compared to American and Japanese vehicles?

If your opinion is based on the Chevy Aveo, a 10-year old design that was designed for one purpose, low price, that is not a good basis for a general comparison on relative quality.

fushigi · December 2011

I've not witnessed any issues with Hyundai gas tanks and I don't recall reading of any here on the forum (though I could have missed the posts). Which models were affected? I ask as my wife had an '01 Elantra and my sister still owns an '04 Sonata. We both live in the snow belt so our vehicles are exposed to road salt.

I am familiar with the Sonata subframe rust issue, but that was fixed free of charge. There was also a front strut assembly rust issue on the Elantra which was fixed free as part of a recall campaign.

So yes, I freely admit that Hyundai has had probably more than their fair share of rust issues since 2000, but the ones I have heard of have been handled free of charge.

In an attempt to make this about the Cruze, when my wife was looking for a car to replace the '01 Elantra, the Cruze was on her short list. We liked how quiet it was. Power from the 1.4T was good. Ride was overly firm, though, and sitting in the passenger seat I couldn't get comfortable due to the position of the door arm rest. It was too high to comfortably rest my arm. The Cruze wound up as her second choice due to a few factors, which I've detailed elsewhere in the forums.

Sandman6472 · December 2011

I'd put our car up against any others made today...this car has been the most reliable car we've ever owned...period! And with 100k coming within days, have no complaints about it. Excellent car which the wife might buy again. It'll come down to the Mazda3 and the Verano, but quality/reliability wise, I think Mazda will be the winner hands down. GM has done an admiral job with the Verano/Cruze but I still think the Mazda3 is the better car after owning one for over 6 years now.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

drvette · December 2011

gpara
Your posting was quite informative and compelling given your experience and occupation.

Eveyone needs to know the Cruze with the 1.4L Turbo engine does NOT have a timing belt that may break and destroy a $3-4000.00 engine like so many others ..

Also the engine block is Cast Iron, this is for a reason.

The Turbo is rather inexpensive to replace, earlier forced induction systems like the Ford Turbo T-bird of some 20+ years ago cost about $2500.00

The Cruze turbo is a mere $650 RETAIL and 2.0 hrs to R&R, btw it has a "core" charge so obviously it's an easy rebuild..

My attempt to purchase a Cruze has NOT been successful as of yet.

Dealership claims of "limited" availability yielded this:

www.cars.com
Your Search Returned the Following
1313 New 2012 Chevrolet Cruze models within 150 miles of your ZIP, 3016*

shipo · December 2011

The main item which moved the Cruze ECO up above the new SkyActiv Mazda3 on our short list was the exteme limitations Mazda puts on options for those of us who wish to stir our own gears. Prior to our discovery of how Mazda limits the options, the Mazda3 was our top choice for our new car; after said discovery, the Mazda3 was removed from the list entirely and every other car ratched up accordingly.

drvette · December 2011

backy;
Quote" what is the factual basis for your assertion? And have you owned any Korean cars, especially within the last 10 years or so, to allow you to make a good comparison of the quality of Korean vehicles compared to American and Japanese vehicles? "

Personally, no I have not but have several friends who own Mom & Pop repair shops and one pal with a 10~yr old Kia.

From my wrench pals, the Koreans have yet to match the Americans much less the Japanese in overall mechanical quality.

My pal who bought a Kia with a 100k "Bumper to Bumper" 7 yr warranty, well this may have been offered by the dealership in Atlanta, however it was NOT honored as it was explained to him.
[*note* read the fine print]

A stab at Japanese cars, while generally durable, WHEN they DO break, the parts costs are usually 2-4x more than similar American parts.

To be fair, compare parts for a Benz or BMW,, OUCH, the words Break My Wallet [BMW] are now painfully clear.

On the BBC show, Top Gear, the coil pack went out on a 12cyl Benz 2-door coupe, I forget the exact price but it seems like some 1200q or $1800~

I hope no one thinks I have issues with ANY country !
I'd buy a Chinese or Russian vehicle, given the right circumstances.

The One and Only issue I have with the Koreans is their treatment of canines. I do NOT object to the eating of dogs, I do however have a problem with the torture prior to slaughter.
For centuries the method has been to induce torture to the animal, this causes large amounts of Adrenaline to be produced, which makes the meat more appealing to a certain culture group in Korea.

www.thepetitionsite.com  Animal Abuse  Farm Animals  Pets

You will find several websites that claim this to be an urban myth, much like you will find many sites claiming the dispersant used in the Gulf of Mexico to be as harmless as dish-washing liquid.

drvette · December 2011

M6user'
Quote
"Nothing above was indicated to be in the past. You're the one that said "if I drive" which indicates to me present tense"

Sorry, you are correct, my continued and constant desecration of the English language continues to confuse those poor folks who attempt to decypher..

My apologies.

backy · December 2011

My pal who bought a Kia with a 100k "Bumper to Bumper" 7 yr warranty, well this may have been offered by the dealership in Atlanta, however it was NOT honored as it was explained to him.

It was not a manufacturer warranty. Kia has never offered a 7-year bumper to bumper warranty. I don't think much of warranties backed only by a dealer. I don't see what a dealer-offered warranty has to do with the subject of relative vehicle quality.

I also don't see how Korean dietary preferences have ANYTHING to do with a discussion of relative vehicle quality.

I hope no one thinks I have issues with ANY country !

I think you have made it clear that you have an issue with at least one country... which might be coloring your opinion of their cars?

I've owned or leased over 20 vehicles--American, Japanese, and Korean--including 3 Korean vehicles over the past 11 years. I'd put those Korean cars up against anything from America or Japan in the same price class over that time. And the quality has improved markedly in the past 10 years... really no comparison from what is available now vs. 10 years ago, or even 5 years ago.

Back to the Cruze... there's many things I like about it, including its quietness, well-trimmed interior, and great FE with the Eco. But I've decided to take it off my top-tier list for my next car after driving it in two one-week rentals recently. First, I found the steering more disconnected than I'd like. (These were LTs, btw.) Second, the rear seat is cramped for the size of the car--really no more usable leg room than in some smaller cars. Third, to get the Eco that I'd prefer will run around $19k. And I think there's some very good alternatives I like better for less money. If the Eco 6MT comes down in price before I am ready to buy, I might re-consider, but it would have to beat out the likes of the Mazda3 Skyactiv, Focus SE, Impreza, Elantra GLS, and Accent SE. And all of those but the Elantra are available as a hatch, which I prefer--another strike on the Cruze for me.

Sandman6472 · December 2011

I liked the SkyActiv auto I drove but the wife has since let me know that she wants at least the 2.3 liter on her next ride so that leaves the Mazda3s and the new Verano on her short list. I knocked the Focus off just because besides the leather, it's a Ford. The Elantra isn't entirely off the list, I do want her to drive one just to get her reaction. And even though she likes the 3 Series, she won't spend that kind of cash on any car.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

shipo · December 2011

Interesting, the new 2.0 liter has almost exactly the same power numbers as the old 2.3 which used to be in the Mazda3 s models. Consider the following:

----------------------- 2009 2.3 liter ---- 2012 2.0 SkyActiv -----
- HorsePower: ---- 156 @ 6,500 ------- 155 @ 6,000
- Torque LBFT: ---- 150 @ 4,500 ------- 148 @ 4,100

Given that the output numbers are almost a statistical dead-heat, and given that the SkyActiv motor produces its peak numbers at lower RPMs, my bet is that, all else being equal (which it rarely is), the 2.0 liter SkyActiv motor would actually "feel" faster.

As a point of comparison, even though the Chevy Cruze "only" puts out 138 horsepower, by virtue of its forced induction it twists out some 148 LBFT of torque at an extremely low 1,850 RPMs, and as such, even though it has by far the smallest displacement of the group, it might could well "feel" the quickest (once again, all else being equal).

Given that I didn't get a chance to drive either the Cruze ECO 6-Speed or the Mazda3 SkyActiv 6-Speed, I can only speculate on the above.

Sandman6472 · December 2011

When I drove it last week, our '05 2.3 car felt livelier and had more torque...it just feels faster when you push the accelerator...even my 1.8 in my Civic seemed to accelerate faster! The Verano is looking better and better to be really honest!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

Chevrolet Cruze

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