Autoblog First Drive: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze sails into new era of small cardom

[Mazda 3s]

Now THIS is a good-looking car. Aggressive without being over the top like the '10 Mazda3. The only thing that looks out of place is that huge strip of chrome on the trunk. Jetta VI who?

But it's the interior that does the heavy lifting in a small car. Typically, designers and bean counters wage a tireless war over material quality and convenience goodies, and nearly without fault, it's the accountants who stand victorious over their art-school foes. But this time, the halls of GM headquarters were lined with a carpet of lifeless forms still desperately clutching their adding machines. There are expletives to describe how nice the Cruze interior is compared to the long parade of Dollar General cabins we've seen in the past, but since we try to keep this place as family friendly as possible, we'll just say that it's fantastic. And it's about time.

In LTZ trim, the dash is dominated by a tech-laden but well-sorted center stack and accented with broad swaths of leather. We're not talking vinyl with real leather grain here, either. The dash trimmings, seats and steering wheel are all coated in hide that was once roaming a hillside. Their touch has the effect of distracting you from the fact that the rest of the dash and door panels are hard plastic. Nicely grained, sure, but the material is more along the lines of what we expect out of a GM compact. Put the two together, though, and you're rewarded with a duo that looks gorgeous. Simply put, we love it – especially in the dark brown/cream combo of our tester.

What you're left with is more of a teacup breed of Malibu rather than an evolutionary step in GM's small car species, and that's fine. The Cruze manages to do more than nail all of the basics of transportation. For the first time in GM's history, it's created a compact car that's a pleasurable place to spend time in. American buyers used to a plush ride and a quiet cabin will likely feel right at home in the driver's seat, and judging from the MSRP, we're guessing that it won't take much convincing to get them there. GM says that the Cruze will start at $16,995, complete with the 1.8-liter four-cylinder and a six-speed manual transmission. If you want the cozy leather interior, you'll still only have to shell out $21,395. Our tester, complete with four-wheel disc brakes and LTZ trim, came with a very manageable $22,695 price tag.

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/31/2...iew-road-test/

[Nourdmrolnmt]

inb4

"same story, new name"
"GM always makes cars that match up with what the competition has currently avail, not the future"
"GM still cant make small cars"
"holy crap $16k?"
"bah, why cant two 6' people fit in the car"
"FIESTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"
"FOCUSSSSSSSSSSSSS"
"Gubmint Motors"

[Wilhelm R32]

Great looking car and interior

[hugoaswho]

can somebody lower it with some 19"s with photoshop, tnx!

[J-Tim]

It's a good looking car.... well that's all that's good about it really. It's rubbish to drive, the engine makes nasty noise and it's all over the place over bumps.

Oh yes, this Daewoo is cheap too, so I guess that makes it second best thing about it.

[Mazda 3s]

can somebody lower it with some 19"s with photoshop, tnx!

This should be close enough. This is the Cruze RS (I don't know if these are 18" or 19" wheels, probably the former):

[Nourdmrolnmt]

It's a good looking car.... well that's all that's good about it really. It's rubbish to drive, the engine makes nasty noise and it's all over the place over bumps.

Oh yes, this Daewoo is cheap too, so I guess that makes it second best thing about it.

because the Cruze you got over there in wherever the hell you are from is IDENTICAL to the one we get in the states...

[Hajduk]

I'm not a fan of the high hood-line, which is made worse by the giant Chevy truck grill. The sides are nice nice though. The interior -real leather and hard plastics - is hit and miss.

[Mazda 3s]

because the Cruze you got over there in wherever the hell you are from is IDENTICAL to the one we get in the states...

I think he got kicked in the head by one of these:

[Merc63]

It's a good looking car.... well that's all that's good about it really. It's rubbish to drive, the engine makes nasty noise and it's all over the place over bumps.

Oh yes, this Daewoo is cheap too, so I guess that makes it second best thing about it.

the American car may indeed be tuned differently than your Asian car.

[jwaters943]

Looks very good overall, and I LOVE the dash. I just don't care for a few of the details. There is too much chrome at the rear of the car and I don't like the black plastic trim piece in back of the rear door (reminds me of the prior-gen Sonata). Make it a window or do away with it all together. Also, the positively huge parking brake handle is a distracting blemish on an otherwise sleek and modern looking interior.





Still, none are fatal flaws, and it looks to be rather large step up from the current Cobalt. If it drives as good as it looks I'd strongly consider one over the other cars in the class.

[Mazda 3s]

The interior -real leather and hard plastics - is hit and miss.

Then the Jetta VI with its hard plastic everywhere must be a real big miss then

[vwlarry]

A home-run for Chevrolet.

[Hajduk]

Then the Jetta VI with its hard plastic everywhere must be a real big miss then

Relative to GM plastics, I'm sure the Jetta is just fine. My old Brazilian MK4 Golf had a hard plastic dash - compared to a Jetta's - but it was still better than other cars in its class.

[eweu]

Then the Jetta VI with its hard plastic everywhere must be a real big miss then

Please note it was a Mazda fanboi that first brought the Jetta VI into this discussion.

Just sayin'.

[NitroNSX]

It's a good looking car.... well that's all that's good about it really. It's rubbish to drive, the engine makes nasty noise and it's all over the place over bumps.

Oh yes, this Daewoo is cheap too, so I guess that makes it second best thing about it.

In ride and refinement, the new Cruze is far superior to the similarly sized new Jetta. It's much quieter, with minimal vibration from the 138-horsepower turbocharged 1.4-liter four, compared with the VeeDub's 170-horsepower, 2.5-liter I-5.

...

The company says the Cruze is about 80-percent common with the global model. Its so-called z-link rear suspension, a trailing twist-beam with a Watt's link, comes from the new Opel Astra, which also is on GM's Delta compact architecture. Cruzes outside North America don't have the z-link.

On the highway though, it’s whisper quiet and incredibly smooth, thanks to both an abundance of weather stripping as well as a lengthy wheelbase, wide stance and an innovative rear end suspension.

[Seabird]

Please note it was a Mazda fanboi that first brought the Jetta VI into this discussion.

Did you see where that Mazda "fanboi" criticized the styling of the current 3 in the second sentence of this thread?

Just sayin'.

But not very well.

[Mazda 3s]

Did you see where that Mazda "fanboi" criticized the styling of the current 3 in the second sentence of this thread?



But not very well.

LOL

I'm not even a Mazda fanboy. I only bought the Mazda3 at the time because it was the best bang for the buck. With the exception of the Miata and the Mazda6, I don't care for anything else they produce. I used to like the Mazda5 before they raped it with the new model coming out this fall.

[eweu]

Overall not a bad looking car in pictures. I do like the red color pictured here. There are quite a few issues I see, though.

The exterior seems to have good proportions all around. The front end seems marred by the way it looks at certain angles, though. For instance, the fog light area looks very odd in that first picture. The chrome "bookends" around the light don't really work so far apart when you take into account parallax at that angle. I also feel compelled to complain about the gaudy goldenrod bow tie once again, though this isn't quite as obnoxious as some other Chevys we've seen recently, so it's a minor issue.

Perhaps it's just the pictures, but the door panels seem to be almost concave on this car, which is a bit odd. I prefer convex body panels to give a wider appearance and a more substantial feeling door. Regardless, the side profile and rear 3/4 profile look pretty darn good. I like the lower rear bumper treatment too.

The interior looks OK, but different sections appear to have been designed by different designers that forgot to share their notes. Why are the dash air vents round on the ends yet rectangular in the middle? Why is the gearstick lever so tall? Why is the hand brake on the passenger side? None of these are big problems, but my eye is drawn to these flaws.

The center stack looks pretty good in pictures. The nav screen is nicely integrated. The upper button cluster looks nice. I will be interested to see how well the ergonomics of reaching and using all those buttons work when seated and buckled in.

The overall shape of the center dash looks a bit troubling to me though. GM seems to make the sides of the center console encroach a bit too much into the footwell, losing some leg room. If you look at the interior shot you can see how close the ignition is to the silver plastic painted piece on the center console. When I drove the CTS (which has a similar design), I found my right knee kept banging into the center console. I'll have to wait to actually sit in this car to see if this is a problem again.

Finally, we can't seem much else on the interior shots, but it looks like the switch gear on the doors is pretty nice and I like the stitching and fabric panel treatment on the seats.

[vdubbug]

This truly looks great, even without the high trim option. It's interesting how GM and Ford are really going for the "premium" compact this time. And this Cruze seems like its really targeting the right group as the article describes a more "mature" target. I hate to bring up the Jetta but car shows that GM is not taking a chance on this market. This car has been delayed forever (probably due to economic reasons) but it seems that GM is really tailoring it to the US market with the right powertrain. Meanwhile VW who was developing the Jetta during the same timeline, under a healthier financial condition, gives the US market the privilege of the 2.0.

[2.0T_Convert]

I like the rear chrome strips. They add a slight touch of class to many otherwise boring designs. I notice most automakers use chrome as way to add some new flair into mid cycle refreshes. Breaks up some otherwise plain jane rear ends IMO - like the civic:





Hmmm and one final note. Reviewers need to stop with the fluff and list some stats when testings. Unless GM forbade them from mentioning fuel economy I don't see why there is no mention of it. I'm sure the Cruze displays will make note of the FE.

[BRealistic]

They didn't seem to find it fun to drive, but it was comfortable and well designed.
Hopefully they will have the transmission/turbo issue addressed before production.

[eweu]

This truly looks great, even without the high trim option. It's interesting how GM and Ford are really going for the "premium" compact this time. And this Cruze seems like its really targeting the right group as the article describes a more "mature" target. I hate to bring up the Jetta but car shows that GM is not taking a chance on this market. This car has been delayed forever (probably due to economic reasons) but it seems that GM is really tailoring it to the US market with the right powertrain.

I agree. Nothing about this car says "second string". It doesn't look rushed or like an afterthought. It's refreshing to see nice options available on a small car like this. GM has a winner here if they market it right.

[Skoll]

I've been a complete detractor of Chevrolet in the past, but this little car looks fantastic inside and out. I'm in love with Chevy's new steering wheels- which has been a complaint of mine in the past.

Let's get an interior like this in the Corvette, people!

[Wilhelm R32]

Let's get an interior like this in the Corvette, people!

I don't find the Corvette's interior horrible at all, and I've driven a 2008 base model. I find it so inoffensive I may buy one

[JustinCSVT]

I wouldn't worry about the C7.

[Wilhelm R32]

I wouldn't worry about the C7.

I couldn't afford a C7

[Swallow Doretti]

I'm not a fan of the high hood-line, which is made worse by the giant Chevy truck grill. The sides are nice nice though. The interior -real leather and hard plastics - is hit and miss.

What hard plastics? I've sat in multiple new Cruze models, both mid-line and top-spec, and there are no hard plastics.

[TurboWraith]

The interior looks OK, but different sections appear to have been designed by different designers that forgot to share their notes. Why are the dash air vents round on the ends yet rectangular in the middle? Why is the gearstick lever so tall? Why is the hand brake on the passenger side? None of these are big problems, but my eye is drawn to these flaws.

Hahaha....what you call flaws, I call home. I've owned this car for almost 6 months now, I really don't have any complaints about it.



That's a first gen Mazda3, complete with round side vents and rectangular centers, passenger side parking brake (a larger lever too) and a somewhat tall gearshift.

I wouldn't have it any other way, I really enjoy how it is laid out.

[koko12]

Not a bad little car, but this won't be the homerun GM is expecting. As it stands it is down in power to almost all its competitors save the honda civic, it's also priced a little too high. I know the as tested price was for a car with many options, but that price will put you in a bunch of others cars one class up like an accord, Fusion, and Kisazhi which can be had pretty loaded for about $22K

[JustinCSVT]

but that price will put you in a bunch of others cars one class up like an accord, Fusion, and Kisazhi which can be had pretty loaded for about $22K

And the Malibu. There's always going to be overlap. They aren't stupid.

[Numbersix]

It's really the small car for someone who wants the amenities and ride of a larger car.

Nothing wrong with that. I wish GM would offer a sport suspension option, though.

[Hajduk]

What hard plastics? I've sat in multiple new Cruze models, both mid-line and top-spec, and there are no hard plastics.

This what Autoblog said

Their touch has the effect of distracting you from the fact that the rest of the dash and door panels are hard plastic. Nicely grained, sure, but the material is more along the lines of what we expect out of a GM compact.

[BRealistic]

It's really the small car for someone who wants the amenities and ride of a larger car.

Nothing wrong with that. I wish GM would offer a sport suspension option, though.

It's the new MK4 Jetta.

[CannuckCorradoVR6T]

so what comes in the 17k model?

do you still get the wrapped steering wheel?
astra engine
manual trans
drum brakes
wheel covers