Overview & Reviews

The Chevrolet Cruze does not have history on its side. The Chevrolet division of General Motors has historically done "big" well: big trucks, big family sedans and big V8 muscle cars. When it comes to small cars, though, the General hasn't been so good, with the lamentable Cavalier and Cobalt being the two most recent examples. But that's changed with the compact Chevrolet Cruze sedan, an honest first-class upgrade that meets its world-class competition head-on.

The Cruze's handling is sharp and precise, and its fuel economy is potentially quite high. There's even a diesel version that should give Volkswagen Jetta fans something to think about. With a variety of truly impressive competitors available these days, we wouldn't exactly call the Cruze a class leader, but its well-rounded nature shows that Chevrolet can now do "small" as well as "big."

Current Chevrolet Cruze
The Chevrolet Cruze is a five-passenger compact sedan offered in LS, LT, LTZ, Eco and Diesel trims. A 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine generating 138 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque motivates the Cruze LS, while the LT, LTZ and Eco models upgrade to a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine with 138 hp and 148 lb-ft. The diesel features a 2.0-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder rated at 151 hp and a formidable 264 lb-ft. The LTZ and Diesel come standard with a six-speed automatic transmission; the other trims have a six-speed manual, with a six-speed automatic as an option.

Regardless of trim, the Cruze is well equipped, as even the base LS gets air-conditioning, full power accessories, Bluetooth phone connectivity and a six-speaker sound system. Like many modern compact cars, the Cruze can be equipped with a variety of comfort and convenience features previously reserved for luxury cars. These include blind-spot monitoring, leather upholstery, heated seats, a power driver seat, a rearview camera and a 7-inch touchscreen with smartphone integration. Just because you're buying a small car doesn't mean you can't have all the bells and whistles.

In reviews of the Chevrolet Cruze, we've praised its athletic handling, even on standard-suspension cars. The available sport-tuned suspension predictably provides a firmer ride, but it compensates with downright sporty responses on winding roads. Less appealing is the regular automatic transmission; it's reluctant to downshift at times and not particularly smooth. Happily, the torque-rich Diesel gets a different six-speed automatic that's more responsive -- this is one of our favorite Cruze models due to its excellent fuel economy and spirited acceleration.

Taking center stage inside is a dual-cowl dash layout seen on some other Chevrolets, combining with two-tone color options to create a stylish environment. However, the Cruze uses some plastic trim that seems cheaper and harder than that of its competitors. The Cruze's front seats are a bit narrow, which might be an issue for some drivers, but they offer plenty of adjustment and are both supportive and comfortable. A low cushion for the backseat diminishes comfort for longer-limbed riders, whose thighs will have minimal support. Actual legroom is average for the segment, but the trunk is surprisingly large.

Used Chevrolet Cruze Models
The current, first-generation Chevrolet Cruze was an all-new model for 2011. A few new features arrived for 2013, including a rearview camera and Bluetooth streaming audio. The Diesel model didn't debut until the 2014 model year.

User Reviews:

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  Great little cat - 2012 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Lora Kirk - January 27 - 3:38 pm

  This a great sporty looking car. It drive nice,great gas mileage and comfort to sit in.

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  If auto shopping steer clear of this expensive car - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Jeffrey Horstman - January 17 - 1:32 am

  Okay so I bought mine brand new back in July of 2011, literally the first 30,000 miles were okay. First 15,000 miles i had numerous recalls and recalls, about 8 total. At 16,000 miles the car died when backing up into the street? by The time my vehicle reached 35,000 miles , the " check traction control" & " engine power reduced " light illuminated on the dashboard and my vehicle stalled in the parking lot at work. The Throttle Body malfunctioned and failed. Towed to the dealer and a day later it was fixed under power train warranty. Cd player and Navigation screen went out at 47,000 due to some short, so another trip to the dealer Navigation system replaced and new cd player replaced as well as the negative battery cable terminal. At 49,500 miles on the vehicle had to have the coolant system serviced, awful coolant smell in the cabin numerous times, found the leak fixed under warranty. At 51,000 Coolant leak again near the Reservoir tank. Both the hose and tank replaced under power train warranty. At 53,000 miles again Coolant system need flushing because another leak. At 55,000 miles the Coolant system was leaking again near the radiator. At 57,800 miles the coolant Reservoir tank replaced again as well as Radiator cap. At 59,000 miles Coolant serviced again for mysterious vanishing coolant no leak apparant yet horrendous smell in the Cabin. At 65,755 miles the Defrost Actuators failed loud popping sound when changing modes from defrost to feet etc. About $875.00 later fixed. Oil leak at 69,000 miles in multiple places, the oil cooler lines replaced as well as the Valve cover gasket and some seals as well. At 72,000 Speedometer in cabin makes ticking noise and constantly stuck. At 72,800 miles the car mysteriously died at 1 am, no power and key was stuck in the ignition. Towed to the dealer and two days later confirmed no issues and vehicle started for them? Oil leak again at 81,000 miles. At 85,000 miles 90,000 oil leaking again as well as coolant. At 93,000 miles the "Theft alert system" went crazy, car alarm was going off for no reason at sporadic times throughout a couple of days, as well as hood latch broke and trunk latch. At 96,000 miles rear window defogger went out, At 97,500 miles the rear passanger power window broke. At 107,000 Miles the car had to be towed 45 miles to the dealership From Madison due to coolant completely leaked out and left my family and I stranded for two hours in the winter. At 115,000 another coolant leak. At 116,000 Oil leak again, dealer seems to think PCV valve is going bad. Unfortunately i have $5,000 in negative equity Thanks to general Motors or also known as Governement Motors. The value of Cruze is basically Worthless , a lot of Cruzes are sitting on used dealer lots going unsold for this reason. I know Im not alone , Ive heard lots of people have had more problems too! Please do your self a favor, steer clear and buy anything else other than the Cruze. I have always been a Chevrolet man, after my experience with this car, I cant wat until its paid off in two years and i can get out of it! Its a money hog and its pathetic as well as annoying having to be in the service shop what seems to be like every other month or so. I hope the next two years of ownership hurry up!

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  Cant believe how much I love this little Chevy! - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By James - December 31 - 4:03 pm

  The last year was a bit of a roller-coaster in our lives, and involved selling a bunch of stuff and relocating. Kept one vehicle, sold another (a Porsche Boxster) and I leased a Chevy Cruze Premier hatchback for myself to use daily. Moved to a colder climate and didnt want/need a convertible anymore, and our fully loaded car is SO much nicer than Chevrolets of the past and is amazingly comfortable. Honestly, its easily as nice as our 2007 BMW 3-series was inside, and handles almost as well, incredibly. The car has been flawless so far, and feels incredibly solid and quiet, especially considering my expectations. Winter driving has also been beyond expectations, even though its just a front-drive car with all-season tires. Our mileage approaches 40mpg on the highway, although for city driving in cold weather its been in the low 20s. We test-drove a Cadillac ATS at the dealer with the 2.0L turbo engine, and this car could compete with a VW GTI if that engine were an option (Ive had one of those, as well)

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  The longer I have it the more I like it! - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By BH - December 24 - 2:00 am

  When looking at the Cruze I was somewhat impressed. However; the longer I have it the more I am impressed. The car is great! The attributes I appreciate most are: low/no noise-very quiet, smooth driving, fun to drive and for the tall in size, it has more leg room than most large cars. This is one of the first cars I have owned that I have more leg room than needed. Great American built car - try it.

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  A gorgeous car bad resale value - 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Wen b - November 21 - 10:16 pm

  The value of the car dropped $10,000 in less than a year its terrible because the rental car industry is flooded with them thats why they are devaluated. they are worth more than market value they do not hold value

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  Delivers as Promised - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Good Car - November 12 - 2:00 am

  I have been reading about this car for the past 18 months. I have owned one now for about a month and I can say it performs as promised. Quite, smooth, fun to drive, stylish, and efficient. I can get the 36+ mpg on the highway provided I drive slower than 70 mph. Anything over that and it drops quite a bit (70 mph is about 2800 RPM). At 55 - 65 (common speed on my daily commute), its closer to 39. I checked the computer against the manual way of checking mileage and its accurate. I am also quite pleased with the feel of the electronic throttle and 6 spd auto transmission. It accelerates nicely without any gear hunting.

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  Dangerous Turbo Lag - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Nolij - October 18 - 3:13 am

  Not recommended. Purchased in 2012 with 20,000 miles. Currently at 49,500 miles in 2016. Needed a $1000 AC repair in 2015 but that could have been a fluke. Its good on gas and fairly comfortable for a small car. Cargo room is also decent for the size. Im 61" and the side pillar makes looking over my shoulder difficult (the pillar is right next to my head when the seat is back in a comfortable position). Those flaws are forgivable if the price is right. However, the inconsistent turbo response has almost gotten me in several accidents. Sometimes you have power off the line, sometimes you have absolutely zero power for 5 seconds. Ive had left turns become very scary as I essentially idle through the intersection while oncoming traffic approaches (pedal to the metal with no wheel spin and hardly any RPMs). Stop and go traffic at 30 mph is also super annoying as you go from zero power one second to full power the next when the turbo kicks in. If you value being able to predict how much acceleration you have, then dont get a Cruze with the turbo.

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  Cruze Premier Thank You Chevy Love it - 2017 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Giomar - October 16 - 1:37 am

  I Change From my Passat 2015 Limited to a Corolla SE 2017 Due to is the best car on the market but I only had it for 6 months and it make me to shop around due to car is to heavy and slow and boring even radio was bad only great on this Corolla was the P Sense Sucurty it works super duper great. So after I shop around Chevrolet Cruze was the one Love this vehicle is giving me everything the I can ask on a car love it great Int and Ext also drive like a Sedan only complaint I have is the Auto Engine Stop feature. But other than that no complaints. And all reviews from Cruze since 2012 are great no major issues so I recommend this vehicle. Is my new baby for long terms.

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  Terrified for when the warranty runs out - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Lee - September 3 - 7:40 pm

  Purchased this car 3 years ago with 40,000 miles, now its at 80,000. The experience has been miserable. When the car is running well, it can be a fun car to drive but it is still only a middle-of-the-road commuter with nothing noteworthy or outstanding. The shifting is notchy and the electric throttle leaves the revs hanging too high for too long to shift quickly. The 1.4T is very sluggish in low RPMs, especially accelerating from a stop. This becomes much more prominent in warm weather. Ive driven manual vehicles my entire life and have still stalled this car several times, even in stop-and-go traffic, simply because there is no power to accelerate. GM states in the owners manual that the car can run on 87 octane fuel, but from my experience anything above 70 degrees requires at least 89 octane. Even with conservative driving, freeway speeds (70mph) will return, at best, 32mpg. The only time Ive come even close to 40mpg is on two-lane roads keeping to 60mph or below. This is very disappointing for the Eco trim. The steering is reasonably responsive but the electric power steering really does remove all feedback. In all, I would say the strongest feature is the exterior styling, which GM really nailed in my opinion. Reliability has been abysmal, unfortunately. In my time of ownership, the car has been serviced three times for climate control issues, including a recurring noise that involved the removal of the dash multiple times. The blend door also had to be replaced due to binding. The 1.4T (Im not sure about the 1.8) has two PCV valves, one of which is built into the valve cover and is not removable without replacing the valve cover. This is a horrible setup, but I had it replaced under warranty. The plastic intake manifold was also replaced at this time as it was cracked, most likely due to excess pressure from the bad PCV valve. At around 70,000 miles the turbo had to be replaced due to a bad bypass valve that was preventing the turbo from building boost. At 75,000, I had to replace the water inlet valve because the plastic valves GM used tend to crack. I discovered this after I found a puddle of coolant in my garage. I am very worried about the experience after the warranty runs out this summer. I am constantly wondering what will break next or need addressing. There are numerous other small quality-control issues that Ive just learned to live with over the years. I am currently about $4,000 underwater on the loan due to insane depreciation and a too-high initial purchase price (GM certified pre-owned, all Cruzes in our area were similar quality, mileage and price). I prefer to do all of my own work and, prior to owning this car, historically I have performed all of my own maintenance, large and small. GM has tried to make their new cars as difficult to work on as possible for the average shade-tree or indy mechanic so I suspect that once the warranty is up I will still be going back to the dealer every 6 months for a 4-figure repair. I cannot wait until the day this car is paid off. It will be going up for sale that same afternoon, provided it is still running by that point.

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  Am in in my Lexus IS 250? - 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
  By Vette777 - August 19 - 10:00 am

  Got this baby for a couple of reasons, but the primary would be MPG. It is averaging 31+ in the city to date. No highway miles yet, but I am thinking with 31 city, I should be getting 40+. What a car! You really have to drive one to really appreciate what GM has done in the quality field. Shes quiet, comfortable, handles great with the electric power assist steering, and feels NOTHING like the cars in its class. We got the Metallic Red and Titanium interior, 250 watt Pioneer, automatic, which, by the way is SIX speed, and I have to tell you I really cannot believe we only spent $21k! Toyota & Honda really should beware.