Found this out tonight, just letting you all know that if anyone is interested, the Cruze with the 1.8L, uses a Timing BELT, instead of a timing chain (1.4 has a chain). Figured I would pass along this info.

Thanks Nick

What kind of car enthusiast would buy the 1.8 over the 1.4T anyway.

i wonder what other 2011+ cars have timing belts on their engines still.

i would buy 1.8, it gets much better mpg...performance might be another story

Cruze 1.8L Auto is 22/35
Cruze 1.4T Auto is 24/36

Timing belts are quieter, use less power ans supposedly easer on the valve train. However: from my experience the extra maintenance cost to replace and the potential for catastrophic engine failure (interference engine), I really don't want an engine with them. What is the change interval on the Cruse?

Low maintenance
Measures contributing to lower running costs include: timing belt change intervals every 10 years or 160,000 km;

I would bet the water pump also drives off it. So it's usually replaced at the same interval.

I'm sure the service departments love that they went with a timing belt for it. Charge 2.5 hrs. labor, do the job in 1 hr.

And then the service writer will talk people into drive belts, oil change, trans service, coolant, hoses, a leaky gasket, struts, etc. etc. and people that don't know will keep throwing money at them. Perhaps money they don't really have, which was why they bought this so called 'economy car' in the first place.

I would buy 1.4T over [censored] 1.8L.Don't you guys have the diesel Cruze?

That car of legend is rumored to be hitting our shores in 2012 as a 2013 model. While I'd like to believe that, we've been burned on diesels so many times before.

Maybe the 1.4T isn't selling as well because someone buying the new car knew someone else with a problematic turbo engine.

Timing belts are a turn off for me after a bad experience I had with a used Honda Accord that with a lot of luck and me paying attention did not end up with a blown engine. All because the previous owner did not want to pay for a proper timing belt job and went to some hack that damaged an oil seal on one of the idler pulleys, which resulted in a total oil loss when the seal popped off.

Haven't seen a 1.8 in dealer stock yet. Probably because you can't get one with factory cruise control.

Until you need to replace the timing chains, tensioners, guides, etc. Pepople seem to think timing chains last forever, but given the other timing chain issues on GM engines, I wouldn't be sold on a car one way or the other based on this use of a chain or belt.