[Maxzillian]

Not quite the first post I had intended to make, but good enough!

About a week ago I bought a used 2011 Cruze Eco 6mt with 17,500 miles on the clock. Seeing as how I've autocrossed every vehicle I've owned since I started autocrossing, it seemed only proper that the Cruze get a proper "break-in" as well.

Overall, I'm impressed! Despite tires with a treadwear rating of 540, the car managed a H stock win against a 2009 Civic EX and 1989 CRX. While the car did not have much for lateral acceleration, it made up for it by being quick about transferring weight. That alone allowed the car to snake through the multiple chicanes and slaloms we had this weekend. My only real complaint was that despite disabling traction control and stability control, the PCM would still cut power if a wheel was spinning while turning. This managed to mangle a few of my launches out of the gate (including the fastest run showed in the video).

Regardless, for a compact "economy" car, I'm downright please.

 

[obermd]

Welcome to CruzeTalk. Nice run.

 

[jsusanka]

great job! this was one of the reasons I bought the car. the care always felt balanced and handles nicely IMO

 

[Mick]

Looks fun. Didn't notice bad understear, what do you think?

 

[OnlyTaurus]

It seems to let the wheels go as you please if you pull the fuse to disable wheels speed sensors. I forget which one it is though, ABS maybe?

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[Maxzillian]

Looks fun. Didn't notice bad understear, what do you think?

The car definitely settles into under-steer. Once the tires start talking, the car has very little more to give. I never tried to push it beyond that point, but I could feel in the steering and the way the car responded that it had nothing left to offer. The only time the back ever felt loose was while negotiating the chicanes near the finish line. On my second to last run, I was going a little too fast and the car started throwing the weight around. I never really over-steered, but I felt the back end jump a little with a couple of the transitions. I've yet to look underneath the car to see if it has one, but I imagine a stiffer rear sway bar would really balance the car out.

It seems to let the wheels go as you please if you pull the fuse to disable wheels speed sensors. I forget which one it is though, ABS maybe?

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I'd be curious to try that to see if it works, but I was relying on the ABS pretty heavily at the turn around to get the car slowed down enough while negotiating the last of that slalom. Truthfully this car will only attend a handful of autocrosses while I own it (I have another car that I usually use) so it's not too big of an issue, just a nagging point.

 

[Beachernaut]

Too bad Youtube is blocked at work, I'll have to check out your video when I get home. I too was surprised how nimble this little car is. I was expecting bath tub like handling, and was pleasantly surprised how nimble this car is. I haven't autox this car, but have had several spirited drives on curvy mountain roads.

 

[H3LLON3ARTH]

These cars are awesome autocross vehicles I do it on stock tires and pull better time that minis with racing tires and strut bars

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[OnlyTaurus]

These cars are awesome autocross vehicles I do it on stock tires and pull better time that minis with racing tires and strut bars

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That's awesome. Im definitely interested in crossing next spring. Just imagine how well it'll perform with grippy tires, upgraded sway bar, and chassis braces.

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[H3LLON3ARTH]

That's awesome. Im definitely interested in crossing next spring. Just imagine how well it'll perform with grippy tires, upgraded sway bar, and chassis braces.

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Yea I'm waiting for next season I did it this year with just exhaust and intake stock tires I'm alsi planning on coilovers with upper strut bars front and rear new swat bar linkage for front and sway bar upgrade for rear plus tires

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