Installing Exhaust/Intake 2011 Chevy Cruze

[JMac101]

Hey Everyone.
I decided to post a new post about a different topic.
I know my car is not made for performance, it is made for fuel economy but I was thinking about a few things to do to it.

I have a 2011 Chevy Cruze LT 1.4L 4 Cylinder.

I was thinking about installing the following:

K&N 69 Series Typhoon Short Ram Intake ($250.00)

Magna Flow Exhaust with 2-1/4" pipe - 3.5" Polished tips Dual split rear exit. ($689.00)
(Single exhaust is $579.00)

Im not looking to compete or race. I would just like a throatier sound, better gas mileage and deeper sounding exhaust. I would like to free up a little hp and possible get a little more get up and go. Do you guys think it is worth it? It is a $1,000 investment. Im financing the car to own I might as well customize it. Its good as it is but why not go better? lol. Just dont want to shell out the cash for no improvement.

Thanks Guys

 

[Quest]

Good luck on your endeavours.

don't mean to rain on your parade: you won't get the kind of gas mileage increase with these "add-on" mods...

my 2c's worth

Q.

 

[sir1900]

Could you realistically see an actual increase in MPG?

I'm many years removed from "modding" cars, but back in the 90s, people did it for the look and the added HP. Rarely,, if ever, would you see a savings in gas.

If you are modifying your car to achieve a different look and sound, then maybe it's worth it. If you are looking to save gas, then it wouldn't be worth it.

 

[1999nick]

Also, hope that you have no need to make a warranty claim on your modified engine.

 

[Lead Shoes]

For $350 Trifecta performance sells a tune for your Cruze that nets 30+ hp and 50+ tq on a bone stock Cruze.

Heres the thread on Cruze talk
http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/10-engine-technical-discussion/345-cruze-tuning.html

Heres there site

http://trifectaperformance.com/default.aspx

You won't see a mpg gain worth spending 500 dollars on and voiding your warranty for anything on that car.

 

[meangreen01]

Originally Posted By: Brenden
For $350 Trifecta performance sells a tune for your Cruze that nets 30+ hp and 50+ tq on a bone stock Cruze.

Heres the thread on Cruze talk
http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/10-engine-technical-discussion/345-cruze-tuning.html

Heres there site

http://trifectaperformance.com/default.aspx

You won't see a mpg gain worth spending 500 dollars on and voiding your warranty for anything on that car.


Looks like this is a better route to go if bang for your buck is a priority. It's your car and money, mod it as you see fit.

That trifecta package is a nice bump in performance in such a small car. I bet it really livens it up.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Just remember it's a NEW platform.

There are sometimes a few of the 'early adopters' who test these tunes for the providers. I'd be cautious and let a few others run it for a year first!

But as said above I fully support your right to tune the car any way you like.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: JMac101
Im not looking to compete or race. I would just like a throatier sound, better gas mileage and deeper sounding exhaust. I would like to free up a little hp and possible get a little more get up and go.

With the K&N hot air intake/rock strainer combo you will not only gain zero HP, performance or economy, you will sandblast your MAF & turbocharger compressor wheel, possibly also the valves, pistons & turbocharger turbine. But it may make the engine a little louder.

The Magnapoot will not gain you any HP, performance or economy as the turbocharger controls backpressure to the engine - and it depends on it to operate correctly! But it will make your exhaust louder.

So you will make it louder, yes. And you will think that makes it sportier, so you will drive more aggressively which wastes more fuel. And you will be also quicker to put it upside down in a ditch or into a crub/fents/bursh driving it 'sportily'.

You bought an economy car with a tiny milk crate engine. Drive it like a normal person and you'll squeeze acceptable performance, good economy and hopefully excellent longevity out of it. I understand these principles and I love cars like that - driving my wife's unmodified 11 year old 90 horsepower diesel Beetle is awfully fun and hysterically economical. The Fiat Bravo I got to drive in Slovakia was similarly equipped and a real giggle to drive.

If you want the engine or exhaust to be a little louder, turn your radio off and roll the windows down.

Originally Posted By: JMac101
Do you guys think it is worth it?

I would rather set fire to $1000 than install that junk on a perfectly operating vehicle. So I guess I would say... no.

Originally Posted By: JMac101
It is a $1,000 investment.

No, it isn't. You will never (ever) recoup the $1000. If you never get out of it what you put in it, it isn't a good financial investment tool, is it?

Cars are not investments - except in astoundingly rare cases cars always lose value and do so hand over fist for many years. Most will never recover much of their original value in real money terms. Bling parts are not investments.

Real estate can be an investment, as can gold, money market mutual funds, stocks, bonds, etc... in the right market, blue jeans, ammunition, alcohol and tobacco can be investments.

Originally Posted By: JMac101
Im financing the car to own I might as well customize it.

I also heartily disagree with this statement. You're better off putting that $1000 toward a lump sum payment on the principle and keeping the car bone stock. You'll own it MUCH sooner and then you can freely decorate it with all the autozone special gaudy trinkets you can buy. Don't forget the fuzzy dice or hula girl bobblehead.

Originally Posted By: JMac101
Its good as it is but why not go better? lol. Just dont want to shell out the cash for no improvement.


You will shell out the cash and be worse off if you buy that junk. If you want to spend $1000 on something, put money toward the principal of your loan (in addition to your regular payments). Done up front, it will drastically reduce the amount of money you spend on the car versus taking the full term to pay it off.

 

[sciphi]

Won't do a thing for gas mileage. The best hardware mod for gas mileage is an UltraGauge or ScanGauge II. Now for sound, yes, those will indeed help out there. My Eco MT, even with less sound deadening than your LT AT, is still very quiet unless I get on it. Then it's mostly engine noise, not exhaust noise.

What I did in lieu of the intake was remove the resonator ahead of the airbox. The airbox draws air from the fenderwell then. It's free, takes about an hour to do, and is perfect sound-wise for me. It's louder than stock when gotten on, and stock quiet the rest of the time. It also uses the factory air filter, so no worries about a potentially dodgy aftermarket filter.

From all I've observed, the Trifecta tune does increase gas mileage and performance. That is, when it's kept in the less-aggressive economy mode and not the more aggressive sport mode. It's also supposed to help out with shifting on the 2011's. I'd look hard at that chip-tune before hardware bits.

 

[72te27]

Bitog is not the place to post questions about bolt-ons for a particular vehicle. You end up getting worthless opinionated drivel. Note scurvy's response for evidence. If you want facts about a specific application like yours, you have to go where they are performing mods with data collection. Doesn't happen here.

 

[hardcore302]

Originally Posted By: 1999nick
Also, hope that you have no need to make a warranty claim on your modified engine.


The dealer has to prove that the modifications which he installed failed the part he's looking to fix.

Just because you modify something doesn't mean they deny your warrannty. I had an x-pipe, intakem shifter, exhaust, tune, and suspension on my mustang almost since day one.

 

[beast3300]

For what it's worth my friend had a turbo Cobalt with a Trifecta tuned PCM (mail order) and it ran 13.3 in the 1/4. This is with I believe just a downpipe upgrade.

 

[hardcore302]

Do it. It sounds like you want to. It will sound cool and you might turn a few heads. There's just something about modding a car, it gives you that feeling. I think you want to feel it!

[censored] it I'm gonna get those cams I wanted now!

DO IT

 

[WANG]

Yeah, I predict about 4 pages of, "If you wanted a fast car you shoulda bought a ZR1" and "Your warranty will be void and your milk will turn sour" and "If you have an accident and the insurance company finds out your vehicle was non-standard..." and etc.

That said, it is amazing what a good tune can do for a late model vehicle that is otherwise standard. I would personally look into that before spending all that loot on the intake and exhaust.

 

[4x4chevydude]

I believe that a tune is your best option, the K&N and the Exhaust will give your car a different sound but not too much else. If the sound is what you really want then go for that but otherwise look into tunes and computer modding for MPG improvemnts and even then dont expect great improvemnts.

 

[mechtech2]

2.25" is too large for that little engine. [Unless turbo!]
It can only help at WOT and high RPMs - maybe even then it's too much. It will hurt velocity and flow below that. Driveability and torque will suffer.
Short ram? Are you giving up factory cold air for this? many mfrs use cold outside air, and aftermarket use hot underhood air.

I'd look into a chip/tuning, and maybe go up in fuel octane with it.
Crank underdrive pulleys help . You also need a new belt with this, however.

 

[OldCowboy]

Originally Posted By: hardcore302
Originally Posted By: 1999nick
Also, hope that you have no need to make a warranty claim on your modified engine.


The dealer has to prove that the modifications which he installed failed the part he's looking to fix.

Just because you modify something doesn't mean they deny your warrannty. I had an x-pipe, intakem shifter, exhaust, tune, and suspension on my mustang almost since day one.



The thing that most people forget is that the manufacturer can deny warranty coverage on any thing they want. Then YOU have to take them to court to prove that they are wrong. If, and only if, you can prove them wrong will they pay all court/attorney costs and honor the warranty. In the mean time, you are without transportation for the months or years it takes to reach a final settlement.

Oh, and before you "chip" a vehicle under warranty, remember that can be detected too. And you'll never convince a court of law that adding horsepower and torque to an engine didn't damage it.

 

[PF52]

Originally Posted By: JMac101
Hey Everyone.
I decided to post a new post about a different topic.
I know my car is not made for performance, it is made for fuel economy but I was thinking about a few things to do to it.



Didn't you ask the same question about the same mods a couple months ago?

 

[sciphi]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
2.25" is too large for that little engine. [Unless turbo!]
It can only help at WOT and high RPMs - maybe even then it's too much. It will hurt velocity and flow below that. Driveability and torque will suffer.
Short ram? Are you giving up factory cold air for this? many mfrs use cold outside air, and aftermarket use hot underhood air.

I'd look into a chip/tuning, and maybe go up in fuel octane with it.
Crank underdrive pulleys help . You also need a new belt with this, however.


It's turbo.

16 PSI from the factory. The tune offers 22 PSI under certain conditions.

Even bone-stock, the 1.4T will benefit from running 91+ octane year-round. The timing/boost increases earlier due to less predetonation (also known as knock). This ultimately uses less fuel under acceleration and during cruise since the computer will advance timing as much as it can without knock. Running a turbo engine on 87 octane is asking for less power/MPG, even though it's "designed" to run on 87 and the owner's manual lists 87 as the recommended octane. I've run my 1.4T powered Cruze on 93 octane since its 3rd tank of gas. The two tanks of 87 octane were about 40 mpg, while every single tank of 93 since then has been 42 mpg or better. At a $2/tank premium, it's a wash financially to run premium. The better drivability every tank is worth it IMO. More boost = more fun.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: 72te27
Bitog is not the place to post questions about bolt-ons for a particular vehicle. You end up getting worthless opinionated drivel. Note scurvy's response for evidence.

Quite to the contrary of your worthless opinionated drivel

I provided sound financial advice.

Originally Posted By: 72te27
If you want facts about a specific application like yours, you have to go where they are performing mods with data collection. Doesn't happen here.


I can assure you that within measurement error of a dynomometer, the above-mentioned mods will not increase power nor will any real world fuel economy gains be proven (quite to the contrary I think fuel economy will go down due to the fun new noise). Turbocharged engines don't work that way - the turbo controls how much air gets into the engine, not the air filter. And the stock filter flows plenty of air with excellent filtration.

If you wanna cut the intake resonator off for more noise, that's free and harmless. But paying $1000 for blingy go-loud parts is silly in my opinion, and opinions are what the OP asked for.

I can wholeheartedly endorse competent chiptuning, as it has done my Golf nicely. At the end of the day it's your money and you are free to do with it as you please but I urge you to seriously consider putting that kilobuck toward the loan principal.

(Just for S&G, I looked up the spelling for the original part of a loan for which you borrowed money: It is spelled 'principal' and not 'principle' as it was in my original post; I will have to beg forgiveness for my past transgressions as I did not know that particular homonym was appropriately used in that way... and the edit timer is over.)