1st Gen Chevy Cruze: The Oppositelock Review and Buyer's Guide

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 12/23/2019 at 11:59 • Filed to: Chevy Cruze, Chevy, Chevrolet, oppositelock review, compact, oppo review, Cruze, Car Review, 2012 Chevy Cruze, 1st Gen, Chevy Cruze review, Chevy Cruze buyers guide

12

25

Most pictures come from my first day of ownership. The car’s dull paint is due to dew.

This is a review of my personal 1st gen Chevy Cruze drawing from 18,000 miles and over 2 years of experience. Mine is a 2012 base model with the 1.8 liter NA engine, automatic transmission, and painted a curious shade that may or may not be autumn red metallic (I’ll get back to this). This post also features !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ’s take on his higher trim 2012 Cruze LT with the manual gearbox and turbo engine.

Most importantly, I picked up my pristine example with 100k on the odometer in July of 2018 for just $4,900 ! The Cruze is a fantastic value used and is unmatched in modern design and features at that price. It also has a surprising amount of character for a modern compact. The first generation is easily the most competitive small car GM has ever made.

The black plastic behind the rear windows is the only part of the exterior that feels cheap. Additionally, the chromed plastic suffered UV damage

What is it?

The Cruze is GM’s small world car for the early 2010s, based on the ubiquitous Delta II platform. Designed in a collaboration between Opel and Daewoo , it was also badged as a Holden . The US did not receive the wagon or hatch bodystyles. The US market models were all manufactured in Lordstown Ohio (RIP).

The Cruze blurs the line between compact and midsized, in an attempt to get Americans into small cars again. It largely worked, selling over 250,000 units every year of its production run.

Essentially, it is a largish compact that fits 4 Americans comfortably and 5 in a pinch. The overall minimalist design is also surprisingly Germanic (Opel roots) but with South Korean running costs (Daewoo roots). The Cruze was one of the first cars to get Chevy’s new design language for the 2010s.

How does it drive?

Ride

It drives way bigger than it is, which was always the point. The steering is firm and slower than expected, with almost no on center dead spot. The car does not encourage you to drive it fast, but doesn’t complain too much when pushed hard. It doesn’t understeer much until pushed hard, but body roll is significant. The tuning puts its limits well outside its comfort zone, but hard cornering can still be rewarding.

Overall steering feel is good and the front wheels are easy to place. You forget how small the car is behind the wheel. However, most road feel comes from the rear end and not the front.

The suspension is very soft and soaks up most bumps well. The ride is much more comfort oriented than many compacts, but unsophisticated suspension dampening detracts from the experience. Vibrations from the suspension, particularly during rebound, are readily felt on bumps. Additionally, wind and tire noise are noticeable.

Surprisingly, the car suffers from some highway instability at high speeds. Semi backwashes and strong winds can push it slightly off course.

The front approach angle is very bad. Also note the attractive hubcap design. The car’s paint is great at hiding dirt and grime without being silver.

However, this is the easiest to see out of modern car I have ever driven. Visibility is fantastic, and completely effortless. There is no backup camera, but the rear window is large, low, and close, making backing easy.

Unfortunately, the front approach angle is very poor. I scrape the rubber air dam under the bumper on everything.

Engine

My Cruze has the base naturally aspirated 1.8 liter Ecotec engine making 138 hp and 125 lb/ft of torque. A turbocharged 1.4 was available that produced the same horsepower and 23 more torque at a higher RPM. The 1.4 has slightly better fuel economy, but significantly decreased reliability. I have had no problems whatsoever with my NA 1.8 engine, and parts and repair costs are low. The engine is not powerful, but can move the 3,000 pound (1360 kg) Cruze along without fuss, with about 22 pounds to a horse.

The optional 1.4 suffers from several problems, as related by Oppositelock’s own !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

The problem is, that in the long term, the Cruze has been one of the least reliable cars I’ve owned. In 140k miles I have to repair/replace the turbo, camshaft VVT actuators, radiator & hoses, intake manifold, and 2 valve covers. The intake and valve cover thing in particular really chaffs me. It’s such a dumb design - the PCV system has valves built into the intake, valve cover, and a hose at the turbo inlet. GM says it’s a “lifetime” system, but they go bad, often in as little as 50k miles, and when one valve goes bad it usually takes the other 2 with it. Unlike other cars that use a $5 check valve you can get at the auto parts store, you’re stuck replacing the entire intake manifold ($155), and/or valve cover ($75), and/or intake hose ($55).

Transmission

The 6 speed automatic suffers loss in horsepower and torque over the 5 speed manual. Additionally, it can suffer from rough shifts on low speed coasting. The transmission is geared very low to allow for better low speed acceleration, but ample torque allows it to retain sixth gear on most roads.

The manual mode on the 6 speed auto is the most difficult semi-auto I’ve used but also the most rewarding. The car responds well to shift inputs and there is great tactile feel. Sometimes, the automatic gets upset during low speed coasting, ignores your inputs, and puts it in first at slightly too high an RPM.

The 5 speed manual is not easy to find, but would be a vast improvement over the automatic with its superior fuel economy and horsepower rating.

The interior

The car really shines with its cavernous interior and modern technology. The cabin has an upscale feel and attractive design with a large airy greenhouse.

4 American adults can fit comfortably, and 5 in a pinch. Headroom and knee room is unparalleled in the compact segment. The narrow deeply bolstered seats are reminiscent of a VW Golf’s, and hold you in place in the corners while remaining comfortable.

The cloth seats are supportive and highly adjustable. The seats can be a bit hard on long trips however. The tan cloth inserts are a different, harder wearing material than the black cloth. Leather seats were available.

The rear has ample leg and headroom, but the front seats are far back in this picture

The biggest difference in interior volume over a much larger car is not in headroom or leg room, but in elbow room. The car is narrow, and you will knock elbows with your passengers.

The two tone interior design works well and appears upscale. The bright tan cloth lightens up the cabin, but differing trim levels came with various combinations of single or multi color interiors. The trim is mostly plastic with a medium quality glossy finish, but soft touch materials on the dash and armrests give the cabin a premium feel.

Additionally, the car has an absolutely enormous trunk. The same handle that lifts the trunk floor up doubles as a hook to hang the carpet from the trunk opening lip. It is a really clever feature, and saves taking the whole carpet out to remove the spare tire. I have found that a basketball can be wedged perfectly between the wheel well and side of the trunk.

The quad tail lamps both light up at night. The car also has amber turn signals in the rear

The exterior

The most striking feature of this car is its color. Due to a strange issue where the paint code was not printed in the proper place, I have no way to verify what color exactly it is. My research indicates autumn red metallic , but I could be wrong. The Cruze also came in several brighter reds, a deep blue, and British racing green. However, finding one not painted white or black is difficult.

The steel wheels are uncommon, but have some of the better modern hubcaps I’ve seen. I have since repainted the steel wheels black, because the paint tends to wear off where exposed.

The large greenhouse, subtly aggressive grille, and quad taillights combine to create an understated but distinct enough design. Not overly remarkable but not boring either.

The car has a digital display for the radio and one integrated with the gauge cluster

Features and quirks

The Cruze boasts many features not present in other $5,000 used cars. Automatic engine oil life tracking, tire air pressure sensors, OnStar, and Bluetooth are standard. The doors lock automatically when put into drive, which I have grown to like.

I have found the steering wheel stereo and hands free calling buttons to be useful. On the center stack, commonly used switchgear has great tactile feedback, particularly the volume knobs and lock button. The lesser buttons do not feel as well dampened, but still fall to hand better than many cars more expensive than it.

The only lock/unlock button in the car. Very satisfying to push

In addition to the RPM and mph gauges, a digital display is nestled in the instrument cluster. It can be configured to any combination of digital mph readout, trip info, and mpg tracking. A compass next to the odometer is a useful touch.

My pre-facelift Cruze has Bluetooth connectivity, but only for hands free calling. Music cannot play over the Bluetooth. Fortunately, both a USB and aux jack are found in the center console. There is a cigarette lighter in the front, as well as one in the back for the kiddos. The car has OnStar capability through a trio of buttons on the rear view mirror that all seem to do the same thing. I have never bothered to find out much about it, though.

The car has only one lock/unlock button , located on the center console. The doors unlock after 1 pull on the handle, but guests always look for the lock button unsuccessfully. Also, the trunk cannot be opened from inside the vehicle . The key button does not work while in the ignition, and there is no interior trunk release. The only way into the large trunk is a button located above the license plate on the outside of the vehicle. Also, the seat sliding adjustment handle is ergonomically molded for easy grip, but is placed off to the side where no one can find it.

Safety and fuel economy

The Cruze is easily the safest car you can buy for less than $5,000. It not only received 5 stars overall on both the American and European crash testing cycles, but received 5 stars in the then new Small Front Overlap Crash Test! This means the car was one of the first to ace the most difficult crash test used today. Only recently did most modern cars begin to regularly pass this test. You can watch a video of this !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It also received marginal scores on the European pedestrian impact tests.

The Eco trim can get up to 28/42 city/highway, but I average about 26/34 mpg in my car, which is the least efficient configuration. The car starts to run out of gearing at about 80 mph, and efficiency drops at those higher speeds.

A word about trim levels

The base LS trim still gets good equipment and independent rear suspension, but comes with steel wheels, crappy rear drum brakes, and is missing cruise control. The Eco trim is to be avoided. As per !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! :

My car in particular is fun because it’s an LT manual, so I get the 1.4L + close ratio manual, and good suspension, vs. the Eco models which are the same 1.4L engine, but a wide ratio gearbox with triple overdrives, crappier ties, a beam axle out back to cut weight, less sound deadening, etc. The trade off is that the Eco picks up a few MPG. But I’ll take my LT which is more fun and still gets great mileage.

Issues

This car is very well put together, and I have no quality or reliability concerns. A bad thermostat was the only failure in 17,000 miles of driving.

However, the plastics, chrome, and rubbers on the outside could have held up better from the elements. Inside, the dash is slightly warped on one side from many Georgia summers.

The climate control on the Cruze is not strong. The fan is loud, and does not have enough increments. The AC and heat take much longer to come into effect than expected. GM blames it on making the engine too efficient, but no one buys that. Here is !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ’s explanation.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Conclusion

I still believe that the 1st gen Cruze was the most competitive small car GM has ever made. Everything from the build quality to the driving dynamics is far superior to its predecessors and much better than most 5k used cars out there. I would recommend the Cruze to anyone who doesn’t demand sporty feel or horsepower. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!   feels similarly:

I bought mine brand new at the end of 2011 and I thought it was the best small car GM has ever made, and that’s probably still a true statement. I had a Cobalt before it, and the fit, finish, design, and quality of the Cruze was light years ahead of the Cobalt. I believe that, in terms of initial quality, the Cruze was just as good as the Civic, Corolla, etc. GM was also on the leading edge, making the jump to the small displacement + turbo formula - at the time the Cruze debuted most manufacturers were still running 1.8-2.2L non-turbo engines (at least in US models).

A solid car with a beautiful interior, let down slightly by weak engines.

Hey Cruze owners! Did I miss something? What did I get right? How does the second gen stack up? Let me know.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 01:39

1

did the/has the GF6 auto crap itself?

did the thermostat housing at back of cylinder head crap itself/leak?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 02:13

3

The Cruze impressed me with its  interior.  It was the first car I had seen with seat cloth accents on the dashboard.  Unique way of spicing up the interior without using the typical materials.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 04:20

0

did the oil cooler spring a leak? 

punkgoose17 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 06:58

1

A friend of mine is probably going to buy a Cruze LS today.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > pip bip - choose Corrour 12/23/2019 at 08:34

0

The only trouble has been the thermostat. The auto still shifts somewhat smoothly but could use a fluid drain after 100k

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 08:43

1

I moved it up in the feed because I scheduled it for midnight instead of noon. I think it deleted the comments for some reason?

dogisbadob > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 12:28

1

Nice writeup!

J ust so you know, every car since 2008 has TPMS because that is when it was first required.

Also, that trunk release method is more common in hatchbacks and wagons, but rare in a sedan. Maybe it’s GM parts sharing with the other body styles that are more popular elsewhere.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 13:44

1

This review is upsetting to me. You have made me genuinely consider a used Cruze. The two most unpleasant cars I have ever owned were both Saturn Ions (Slobalt), yet here I am seriously considering their success or. How dare you provide such an excellent enthusiast oriented review for such a ‘boring’ car.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > punkgoose17 12/23/2019 at 13:45

2

I will never not read ‘LS’ as LS motor swapped. 

punkgoose17 > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 12/23/2019 at 13:48

1

I thought the same thing typing it, and had to stop and think through the trims again to check it was correct.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > punkgoose17 12/23/2019 at 13:58

0

As long as it has the 1.8. It is probably the nicest base model of any car I have ever been in.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 12/23/2019 at 14:00

1

Thank you. Even enthusiasts want a comfo rtable and nimble car sometimes. Still slow, but with a better interior than any of its contemporaries and low cost of entry.

Grindintosecond > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 14:03

0

Im a tall dude. Not skinny. Rented one once . seat made my right leg loose feeling on drives over an hour.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Grindintosecond 12/23/2019 at 14:05

0

Do you mean numb? Or did your leg fall off?

In my experience, people over 6 feet fit comfortably. I’m sorry to hear about your “right leg loose feeling on drives.”

punkgoose17 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 14:16

1

Fortunately it is the 1.8. I had been sending him ads for 1.4t cars because the 1.8 felt under powered to me , but now that I know the 1.8 is a much better engine, it is the better engine for him.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > punkgoose17 12/23/2019 at 14:25

1

Glad I could help. the 1.8 actually produces just enough horsepower to stay out of trouble but still have fun under the speed limit.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > dogisbadob 12/23/2019 at 14:44

1

Yes, I always yell “open it like an SUV” to the people knocking on the rear window to get in the trunk. I like it, though.

I didn’t know about the TPMS though.

Your boy, BJR > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 14:53

0

I had a 2016 Cruze Limited RS

The limited was the leftover first gen cruzes, and tbh I can say I hated it. Some differences: it had lock/unlock on the driver and passenger doors. The trunk button inside is where your lock/unlock button is. This makes no sense. Most cars I’ve had have had the trunk button right underneath the HVAC vent on the left side between the seat and steering wheel. If you just wanted to grab something out of the trunk real quick, you’d open the door and the button would be right there. With the Cruze, I had to either contort myself low and forward like crazy to lean all the way in and hit the button or physically sit down in the car to get the button. It was also unreasonably   slow. Granted I had a Cadillac DeVille before that and a Chrysler 300 after that, and those are big fat heavy cruisers that eat highway miles like a fat kid eats a pizza. As you mentioned, the Cruze is easily pushed around by a stiff breeze, as well as pulling about 3500 rpm at highway speeds. This made it a very unpleasant commuter for the NJ turnpike and parkway every day. Sometimes it wouldn’t start. I’d turn the key and...nothing. No click like a dying starter, no check engine light, just turn the key and the car ignored it. I’d have to wait like 10 minutes and try again. Not helpful when your job requires hitting a certain amount of places in a set amount of hours. Also sometimes it would start up, but nothing in the center console was usable. Infotainment, hvac, phone charger, trunk button...everything would be dead. That is also shitty and annoying. It also was incredibly cheaply put together. I’m talking sharp unfinished edges not filed off of plastic interior panels and exterior panel gaps/alignments that made it look like it had been in a horrible accident and put back together by the cheapest body shop you could find. The paint was also super thin and would scratch if you looked at it funny, which was super annoying for a lease. All in all I leased the car for 2 years/24k miles, I had it for 10 months before I parked it for the rest of the lease and bought my Chrysler.

TL;DR the Cruze is cheap garbage that punishes you for not spending much money, and makes no sense as a brand new car. Fuck the Cruze. Fuck it. I hate it. I hate it so much. Anyone who willingly chooses it over any of its competitors is a fucking idiot for doing so (yes that includes me. I got it over a Sentra because I didn’t want a CVT but to be honest I almost wish I got the Sentra instead).

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Your boy, BJR 12/23/2019 at 15:26

0

So this was still the first gen with the 1.4? Sounds like you got a bad one with some electrical issues. Its true it is not quick but the build quality is excellent on mine, as you can see from the photos . I’m sorry to hear you bought a lemon.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 15:46

1

I find that extremely disturbing

All ours came from Korea or from there in kits assembled here and the autos crap themselves regularly 

Grindintosecond > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 15:54

1

numbing...sorry. One of those spellings that gets me.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > pip bip - choose Corrour 12/23/2019 at 16:18

0

Hmmm. Where is “here” exactly? Different markets got different engine and trans combos.

I’ ll look into the auto though

pip bip - choose Corrour > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 12/23/2019 at 17:29

1

Australia

We got 1.8 na man/ auto

1.4 turbo, 1.6 turbo and 2.0 diesel 

Snuze: Needs another Swede > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) 01/11/2020 at 22:13

0

If youre still looking and can swing it, Id say go for a Gen II car. Totally different engine (all aluminum, direct injection, turbo) that supposedly doesn't have nearly the issues the first gen turbo engines do.  Plus you could get it as a hatch!

John Semancik > dogisbadob 02/23/2020 at 16:02

1

If the car is in park, and the doors are unlocked, if you press the “trunk release” button on the key fob, you can open the trunk without getting out if the car, and keep the car running. At least on my 2011 LS. Although my car is an oddball. When I got the build sheet from the dealer, it’s a 2011, with a 2012 paint color, the wheels are the the wrong size for the LS trim, satalite radio (not available on LS trim) and cruise control (not available  on LS trim) and it has the LT insturment cluster. All documented on the original build sheet. The GM dealer guessed it was a special order for someone who worked for GM, or at the Lordstown Plant, since it originally sold from the Lordstown, Ohio Chevy dealer.