Got a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco with the 6-speed manual coupled to the 1.4 turbo engine today from a dealer in the Buffalo, NY area. These are from driving the car around the Buffalo area, and about 110 miles back home over a mix of interstates and major 2-lane highways.
First impressions from driving it around, and the highway drive back:
Engine: The 1.4t is rated at 138 hp/148 ft/lbs torque. It feels far torquier than that! Accelerating quickly is a breeze in this car. Merging with traffic was not an issue once the turbo spooled up, which happened pretty quickly. Off-boost, the engine does provide leisurely acceleration. Keep this engine in its powerband, and it'll move along pretty quickly.
Transmission: The 6-speed manual has a predictable and light clutch, and the action is positive when changing gears. It's not "snick-snick" like a Honda or Mazda shifter. The throws are short, and shifting can be done while resting one's arm on the center armrest. So far I like this box.
Handling: The Eco weighs 100 lbs less than the LS, and 200 lbs less than the LT and LTZ trim levels at a hair over 3000 lbs. The tires are 215/55-17's, which make the handling pretty good. It'll take an onramp pretty quickly with no drama. The rear springs seemed soft, which isn't good for hauling stuff. For a commuter car hauling a briefcase and maybe a kid home from school, it'll do just fine. Avoiding potholes was easy. The steering was precise, if not offering a lot of feedback. With some stickier tires this car's handling will improve.
People have gone over the Cruze's interior before, so I'll leave that alone. It's comfy for me, but the electronics will take a gander of the manual to learn.
My first impressions are that this car trumps our Honda Fit for both power and fuel economy. Reported fuel economy for the trip back was 51.3 MPG, and 48 MPG overall for the day. Knock 10% off those numbers since the Cruze MPG readout is known to be 10% high, and we get 45 mpg highway and 43 mpg overall just driving sanely, changing speeds constantly, and not using cruise control.
Here's an Ipod photo of the car. I'll get better pictures once the camera's charged. This photo really doesn't do it any favors:
Eco badge:
First impressions from driving it around, and the highway drive back:
Engine: The 1.4t is rated at 138 hp/148 ft/lbs torque. It feels far torquier than that! Accelerating quickly is a breeze in this car. Merging with traffic was not an issue once the turbo spooled up, which happened pretty quickly. Off-boost, the engine does provide leisurely acceleration. Keep this engine in its powerband, and it'll move along pretty quickly.
Transmission: The 6-speed manual has a predictable and light clutch, and the action is positive when changing gears. It's not "snick-snick" like a Honda or Mazda shifter. The throws are short, and shifting can be done while resting one's arm on the center armrest. So far I like this box.
Handling: The Eco weighs 100 lbs less than the LS, and 200 lbs less than the LT and LTZ trim levels at a hair over 3000 lbs. The tires are 215/55-17's, which make the handling pretty good. It'll take an onramp pretty quickly with no drama. The rear springs seemed soft, which isn't good for hauling stuff. For a commuter car hauling a briefcase and maybe a kid home from school, it'll do just fine. Avoiding potholes was easy. The steering was precise, if not offering a lot of feedback. With some stickier tires this car's handling will improve.
People have gone over the Cruze's interior before, so I'll leave that alone. It's comfy for me, but the electronics will take a gander of the manual to learn.
My first impressions are that this car trumps our Honda Fit for both power and fuel economy. Reported fuel economy for the trip back was 51.3 MPG, and 48 MPG overall for the day. Knock 10% off those numbers since the Cruze MPG readout is known to be 10% high, and we get 45 mpg highway and 43 mpg overall just driving sanely, changing speeds constantly, and not using cruise control.
Here's an Ipod photo of the car. I'll get better pictures once the camera's charged. This photo really doesn't do it any favors:
Eco badge:
