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About 2 years ago now I purchased my 2014 Cruze 1LT RS 6 speed manual. I just wanted to write a review to give my thoughts on what I like about it, what I don't like about it, and some of the issues I have had with the car. My car has about 17.5k miles on it now. One thing I have to disclose is that my dad is a GM tech, so when anything goes wrong I hand him the keys and tell him to fix it. So that may change my view more because I don't have to deal with a dealership for repairs.
What I like about my Cruze:
-Driving: I really think that the Cruze is a solid driving car. For being a compact econobox, I think it has good power and handles really well. Handling is especially good in emergency situations which I learned in my defensive driving class. Even my instructor was impressed with it. Stops really well too
-It's like a tank in the snow. With 4 snow tires I can drive just about anywhere in this car in the winter.
-Gas mileage: My MPG in this car is fantastic. I drive mostly in the city, and for the life of the car according to the DIC I've averaged 29 MPG. It's increased steadily since its been broken in, but the lowest I've ever seen is about 27 in the winter. On the few highway trips I've taken it's gotten about 42 MPG going about 70 MPH.
-It's easy to maneuver: the Cruze is really easy to park and can make U-Turns just about anywhere.
What I don't like:
-Blind spots: the Cruze definitely has some blind spots. The biggest is the B pillar and passenger seat headrest tends to block the rear passenger side door window. Another one are the thick a pillars. They are really only a problem going around left bends because you sometimes don't see the cars in the other lane (I've noticed this with a lot of cars)
- Paint quality: I have found that the Cruze paint is really prone to getting chips. Since I've bought the car, I've found paint chips in all kinds of weird places. It's even more weird considering I don't really drive on the highway.
-HVAC: I think that the HVAC in the Cruze leaves a lot to be desired. It takes forever to get heat in the winter. It's probably the slowest car to put out heat I've ever driven. However, it puts out really good heat once it gets up to temperature. Air conditioning is another thing. I feel that the AC is adequate, but it certainly is not ice cold like some other vehicles I've driven.
-Stock Firestone FR710 tires were crap
-Pioneer sound system distorts about level 20 or so. It sounds decent, but doesn't like to be played loud. It also doesn't like any bass heavy music like rap.
-Headlights were adjusted terrible from the factory. It was like the guy who adjusted them was blind. Once they were aimed properly, I could finally see down the road.
Problems I've had:
- Hesitation when AC is on in hot weather. Solved by switching to NGK Cooper plugs and running 89 octane or higher.
- Whine when turning the car off: When I first got the Cruze, something would whine when turning the car off. It was solved by a software update.
-M32 grinding into 2nd gear: This was a big problem for the first few thousand miles. My transmission felt really notchy going into second, and would grind sometimes. We solved this by switching to the Amsoil Syncromesh. It made the tranny shift a lot better, but it does sometimes still grind if I'm not careful.
- Brake pulsation: Around 12k they replaced my rotors because it sounded like a helicopter if I slowed down from 45 MPH+. I later learned from Xtreme's write up that it was the stock pads. Since I switched to the Centric Semi-Metallic pads its been braking very smooth.
- Rattle when going over bumps: This started about 2 weeks ago and I have yet to learn what it is. I only hear it with the windows down and over light imperfections.
- Brake lines and fuel lines rattled at about 2000 RPM. They solved this by putting a clip to hold them in place.
Overall, I like driving my Cruze. It was the best choice when I bought the car, especially considering the discounts I got. If I had to buy it again, I'm sure I still would have. However, I wouldn't buy it if it were sold today. I think there are a lot better choices out there now. I do have concerns about how well it will hold up in the long run with all the little things that seem to break. I hope this helps anyone looking to buy a Gen 1 Cruze and was a good read for anyone who already owns one.
What I like about my Cruze:
-Driving: I really think that the Cruze is a solid driving car. For being a compact econobox, I think it has good power and handles really well. Handling is especially good in emergency situations which I learned in my defensive driving class. Even my instructor was impressed with it. Stops really well too
-It's like a tank in the snow. With 4 snow tires I can drive just about anywhere in this car in the winter.
-Gas mileage: My MPG in this car is fantastic. I drive mostly in the city, and for the life of the car according to the DIC I've averaged 29 MPG. It's increased steadily since its been broken in, but the lowest I've ever seen is about 27 in the winter. On the few highway trips I've taken it's gotten about 42 MPG going about 70 MPH.
-It's easy to maneuver: the Cruze is really easy to park and can make U-Turns just about anywhere.
What I don't like:
-Blind spots: the Cruze definitely has some blind spots. The biggest is the B pillar and passenger seat headrest tends to block the rear passenger side door window. Another one are the thick a pillars. They are really only a problem going around left bends because you sometimes don't see the cars in the other lane (I've noticed this with a lot of cars)
- Paint quality: I have found that the Cruze paint is really prone to getting chips. Since I've bought the car, I've found paint chips in all kinds of weird places. It's even more weird considering I don't really drive on the highway.
-HVAC: I think that the HVAC in the Cruze leaves a lot to be desired. It takes forever to get heat in the winter. It's probably the slowest car to put out heat I've ever driven. However, it puts out really good heat once it gets up to temperature. Air conditioning is another thing. I feel that the AC is adequate, but it certainly is not ice cold like some other vehicles I've driven.
-Stock Firestone FR710 tires were crap
-Pioneer sound system distorts about level 20 or so. It sounds decent, but doesn't like to be played loud. It also doesn't like any bass heavy music like rap.
-Headlights were adjusted terrible from the factory. It was like the guy who adjusted them was blind. Once they were aimed properly, I could finally see down the road.
Problems I've had:
- Hesitation when AC is on in hot weather. Solved by switching to NGK Cooper plugs and running 89 octane or higher.
- Whine when turning the car off: When I first got the Cruze, something would whine when turning the car off. It was solved by a software update.
-M32 grinding into 2nd gear: This was a big problem for the first few thousand miles. My transmission felt really notchy going into second, and would grind sometimes. We solved this by switching to the Amsoil Syncromesh. It made the tranny shift a lot better, but it does sometimes still grind if I'm not careful.
- Brake pulsation: Around 12k they replaced my rotors because it sounded like a helicopter if I slowed down from 45 MPH+. I later learned from Xtreme's write up that it was the stock pads. Since I switched to the Centric Semi-Metallic pads its been braking very smooth.
- Rattle when going over bumps: This started about 2 weeks ago and I have yet to learn what it is. I only hear it with the windows down and over light imperfections.
- Brake lines and fuel lines rattled at about 2000 RPM. They solved this by putting a clip to hold them in place.
Overall, I like driving my Cruze. It was the best choice when I bought the car, especially considering the discounts I got. If I had to buy it again, I'm sure I still would have. However, I wouldn't buy it if it were sold today. I think there are a lot better choices out there now. I do have concerns about how well it will hold up in the long run with all the little things that seem to break. I hope this helps anyone looking to buy a Gen 1 Cruze and was a good read for anyone who already owns one.
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