We’ve had the pleasure of driving our 2011 Chevy Cruze 2LT for a bit over 12,000 miles — and have concluded that the absolute best thing about it is its ride and handling.
Simply put, the Cruze drives and handles better than any other mainstream compact car we’ve sampled — and we’ve tried all of them! No matter if we’re in the twisties — where the Cruze remains surefooted and controlled — or on the freeway — where it’s just as stable as a much more premium (and expensive Lexus IS) — the Cruze is a blast to drive.
The ride is firm and composed but not overly stiff — which speaks to the architectural rigidity of the vehicle’s Delta II platform. We contrasted this to the loose body and rather stiff suspension of the Cobalt on back-to-back mountain drives, and the difference in ride quality and handling characteristics is night and day. We also have the Cruze’s Z-Link rear suspension and sport-tuned option to thank for the sporty yet collected behavior.
Some other aspects of the Cruze that we find outstanding include:
Exterior Styling
Clean, sexy, yet mature. It’s not overly busy (like that of the Focus) or terribly feminine (like that of the Elantra). It’s just right.
Quiet Cabin, Low NVH
Outside noises and other vibration and harshness elements are kept to a minimum. Squeaks and rattles are non-existent — at least at our 12,000 miles.
Interior
The cabin is another element that makes the Cruze such an excellent car. It’s well-appointed, has a clean layout, and can suit the design preferences of teenagers and business folks alike.
Steering Wheel
The grippy wheel makes us want to drive the Cruze even when we have nowhere to go, especially when it’s 1 am on a Thursday night and the roads are unoccupied. Specifically, the grip points at 10 and 2 make for one of the most comfortable wheels we’ve ever held, perhaps with the exception of Alcantara units on high-end luxury sports cars like BMWs and Cadillacs.
Optional Sound System
The available 250-watt Pioneer unit with nine speaks and high-frequency tweeters doesn’t have the wattage of a Kicker 1,000 system on paper… but that doesn’t stop it from producing stellar sound, especially when playing high-bit-rate AACs from an iPod or iPhone, or when listening to the GM Authority podcast.
OnStar RemoteLink
Nothing beats starting your Cruze using your smartphone from the comfort of a (warm) home or restaurant when it’s 35 degrees outside, letting the cabin warm up. And engineers tell us that remote start is actually good for powertrain longetitivty and fuel economy, alike. Plus, it never hurts to impress your friends with the perfect merger of the two hottest topics in the (first) world — your car and your phone.
Those are the qualities we feel to be the Cruze’s best. Tune in tomorrow for its worst qualities. Only at GM Authority.
Comments
I’d have to say for me it would be the Eco package. Love the custom 6spd manual and grill shutters. And I agree I think the interior of the Cruze is a nice place to be. I remember liking the steering wheel when I drove a 1LS when they just came out.
The Eco is a bit weird to me simply because it sacrifices features/options for the sake of fuel economy. For instance, it’s lighter due to thinner weld points. It also lacks the Z-Link rear suspenders and doesn’t offer the Pioneers or leather. Granted, those may be features that no one even knows or cares much about, but they make the Cruze that much more enjoyable. At least for someone like myself who appreciates a sporty suspension. 🙂
Also, the stick is available for 1LT and 2LT 1.4T Cruzen, making it that much more fun to drive. I should have waited ’till the 2012 model year to get mine. Oh well.
Love my 2011 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ RS. I get over 40 mpg’s on the highway headed to work. Can’t beat that. I traded my 2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Safari for the Cruze and that was a hard move, but a great move.
Definitely agree with you on the styling. I’ve always said the Cruze design will age much better than the Focus or Elantra. Those have lots of shock value, but the designs are so out there/in your face that they get old very quickly. The Cruze won’t shock you initially, but it grows on you the more you see it. It’s like the 3rd generation (04-08) Acura TL. That car will always be a looker, despite its Acura badge.
As for the interior noise, I definitely agree. I hate to say it, but from what I remember when I test drove it, the Cruze is actually very comparable to, and I’m even leaning on saying better than my 05 CTS Sedan on the freeway. That said, my CTS is 5 years old and does have quite a few miles on it, so that could be why. But it’s definitely way more quiet than the 2012 Civic and Corolla. My 01 Grand Am GT is more quiet the those 2 cars.lol
Yeah, you’re spot on about the last-gen TL. Man how much I wanted that car. I almost got a used one with 70,000 miles on it. But common sense and the misfortune of someone else getting the unit prevailed.
Question about your CTS: do you get many squeaks or rattles on the interior?
I had a rattle in the around the steering wheel. I eventually fixed it by removing the lower part of the dash and stuffing some blue paper towel in where the metal was rattling (i’m guessing a failed weld). In the back I have 3 rattles, one is from the door panel having been taken of in the past (also fixed with a blue paper towel). The other is kind of a mystery. I’m thinking one of them is from the plastic coverings for the wire tips of the rear defogger. The other may be an temperature expansion issue since it only happens sometimes. And of course, the radio drowns them all out.
No squeaks though.
The car seems to be a bit vibraty sometimes around 75-78 I’ve already had the wheels balanced, so I’m thinking the tires currently on the car are not a good fit or the motor mounts may be ready for replacement. You can tell when the car is going around 75-78, but can hardly feel it above 80. I once went to pass a tractor trailer and I didn’t even realize that I cracked triple digits.lol
Gotta love these “old” cars.lol
Almost 12k on my Cruze Eco and still loving it. My only complaint is that it is overly competent; quite and smooth like a midsize car (better than the 2008-2011 Malibu), amazing gas mileage like a hybrid (with the price and batteries), huge trunk (perfect with two teenage daughters), and overall great handling. 0 issues, 0 squeaks and rattles and consistently getting above 42 mpg on the highway and never below 36 mpg, even when flogging it around the city with the AC on.
I do wish the Eco models had the rear armrest for additional cupholders for the backseat passengers and that I could have opted for heated leather seats.
Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I don’t like the Eco — it sacrifices certain features for the sake of dropping weight. Unfortunately, those features are a prerequisite for me (leather, heated seats, Pioneers). Otherwise, I would have gotten it.
That said, the Eco is perfect for those who put fuel economy first and foremost — and don’t care about any of the other features.
Jeff, let’s hope your motor mounts are not bad, how many miles on the CTS.
Me too, seems like you add a several hundred dollar premium to this car just cuz it’s a Caddilac.lol
It’s got around 136,000 miles. Still haven’t even gotten around to doing the 100K tune-up yet since it’s such a “big” job (gotta pull the intake manifold) so what would have been a $150-$200 job at the dealer or $70 job if I do it myself turns into a $500-$600 job at the dealer or a $130+ and 2+ hour job if I do it.lol
Still wouldn’t trade it for anything, except maybe a brand new CTS Sedan AWD.lol
I hear you loud and clear on that one. 136,000 miles is impressive, though!
GM — and the entire industry, I believe — has come a long way in terms of interior quality and design over the last few years. When a mainstream compact like the Cruze has such a great interior that has a great design, is free of rattles and squeaks, and actually seems like it will stay that way given proper cleaning/upkeep, that’s a testament to true improvement.
By contrast, my other car is a 2006 Volvo S40 with 65,000 miles. As you would expect, the interior is spotless and has been pampered in leather cleaners and conditioners. But it has several noticeable squeaks and rattles. Compared to the Cruze, the design is superior on the Volvo (because it’s a $30,000 vehicle, you know?) but the durability and build quality is far superior on the Cruze.