2,000 Mile 2017 Premier Hatch Review w/ comparison

I’ve had my 2017 Cruze Premier Hatch, for a little over 3 weeks, now. In this review, I outline my pros and cons with this car. This being my 4th Cruze, I can offer some comparison and contrast, to the Generation 1 Cruze.

First thing, the car. I was interested in the Hatch, from the second I saw it. This being my 4th Cruze, I wanted something totally different from my last 3. Which were all 1 Gen Ecos. See Signature. The redesign was definitely due.

Pros:

Premier Hatch. I went fully optioned. Every available package.

Smooth Trans
Z-Link rear
Brakes are 100 times better than Gen 1
Steering is flawless
Smooth ride
One of the roomiest interiors of any car I’ve owned. More than previous Honda Accords.
18” wheels 40 series tires. Stylish
Leather.
Lane keep assist (physically steers you back into the lane)
Heated seats, front and rear
Apple car play completely new MyLink
Color DIC
Rear cross traffic alert, is a godsend.

Cons:
It moves like a fat old man (more on this later) Premier only.
Every time you touch the throttle, it wants to downshift.
The gas mileage on the Premier Hatch, is absolutely horrid. Having trouble averaging 25 on the highway. I commute with it, and most of the highway speeds are 70-75, in a 70 zone. My Ecos used to get 37 easily, doing the same drive. Of course, I don’t just get on the highway, and drive to work, if I want to pass someone, I pass them, quickly.
Luckily for me, the tank is larger, so, I get about the same distance before fill up. But, I’ve already filled the tank about 6 times.
It dives into a corner like Jesus himself is pulling the rear bumper off the ground, to help you around the corner. It plows like crazy.
The collision mitigation gets confused often. Doesn’t work well, at slow speeds, like when creeping in traffic. Maybe you should get one audible when you’re getting closer to someone. When you’re trying to pull out into another lane, to go around a lane that’s stopped, you could crash into the car, in front of you, trying to watch for a clearing to get over, and the car will let you.

Now for the comparison section:

Currently, I’m in a rental, provided by the dealership, as my car is in for a 2 day full clear bra and window tint. Of which I will do a thread and pictures of, when I get the car back. I’ll have it tomorrow. Expect a review in a short period of time.

Items getting installed
Full clear bra (full hood, fenders, mirrors, A-pillars, front edge of roof, back to the sunroof. Rockers, door cups, headlights, cargo deck on rear bumper etc)

Window tint: Llumar Formula One Stratos. Stratos 15 back half windows. Stratos 35 side roll-ups. Stratos 70 on the entire windshield. Outer wing mirror glass, Stratos 70.

Now, for the rental:
2016.5 Cruze L Fleet in Blue Ray Metallic Auto, of course.

Pros:
It RIPS!! This thing is better than my car, in every way. First thing I noticed, when pulling out of the dealership, into traffic, is, it was digging for traction, and it was losing. Hearing 4-6 tire chirps, just under straight line acceleration. My Premier, I’ve never even heard it sqeek a tire. This thing takes off, like a bat out of ****. The trans shifts smoother, it feels like it’s tuned, compared to my Premier Hatch. Second thing I noticed. The DIC. Average fuel consumption over 25 miles. 31.3. 39.9 max. And, I was driving it like a rental. My Premier, has never seen 30! The trans knows what gear it needs to be in, and it will actually accelerate, using the power of the turbo, and not freaking out, like my Premier, and jumping down 2 gears, and jerking your head back. I wish my Hatch drove like the rental. And it doesn’t plow into the corners, like the Hatch.
More interior room, than you’d ever imagine in a mid sized car. It feels like you’re sitting in an Impala. And I’m 6’3 260 pounds.

Cons: it’s a rental, it smells like stale interior. There aren’t any “no smoking” signs in it, so, it smells like stale smoke @10,840 miles.
It’s gutted. Not even one steering wheel button. It does have a backup camera, which I think is mandatory in new cars, now. And the radio is shot out, junk. It’s plastic as ****. But it’s a fleet rental.

Now, for some contrast:

The first gen has some quirks it could never really shake. The steering was horrible, in all 3 of my cars. They all suffered from sticking on Center. The 2014 has the repair done, and it still didn’t work correctly, all the time. All 3 of the Ecos also had a rattling noise, in the front right corner, of the car, at highway speed. Sounded like there was a loose panel, or something.

The auto dimming rear view mirror. Hated it. Functional and worked well, however, it was sloppy and loose, which drove me crazy.

The transmission, grinded second gear, from day one. In both my 2013- and 2014. 6MT

The parking sensors, to me, are far more functional than the backup camera, which I only had in my 2014. The camera was just visual, and it was hard to adjust to, when you’re used to the sensors going off in your ears. You really have to pay more attention, backing up and watching what you’re doing.

The 2014, saw far more time, getting repaired. The eco shutters stopped working, it blew the IC hoses off twice. (BNR tuned, 22psi) the shutters were hard to diagnose. The CEL didn’t exactly point to the shutters being the problem. The check engine light, was intermittent.

Neither of the other 2 Ecos ever had CELs. So, with well over 200,000 miles on 3, Gen 1 Ecos, the 2014, saw actual dealership repair time, where it had to stay one night, in service for the eco shutters. The 2014, over 90,000 super hard, tuned miles, the car went 107,720 before I traded it in. Over 60,000 tuned miles on the 2013, all without even a hitch. Many times, I thought, at 107,000 miles, “this turbo could go at any time.” Especially seeing well over 10mph hundreds of times. And the engine, performed flawlessly, for all of those miles.

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