[RS LTZ]

We were seduced by this Cruze’s two-tone interior, its brown-and-beige scheme a refreshing change of pace from the black in every other car here. We were disappointed, however, with the fat-pixel displays situated in the middle of the instrument cluster and atop the center stack, particularly after seeing the high-resolution screens in the Focus. As pleasant as it is inside, though, the Cruze isn’t a jaw dropper like the Ford and the Hyundai are.

The brakes also came under fire—and nearly caught on fire, judging from the smoke pouring off of them—after the pedal turned to mush.

That’s not to say the Cruze can’t handle. It tied for the top spot on the skidpad and was the lane-change champ by a significant margin. The avoidance-maneuver heroics were in large part due to the immediacy of the steering, but otherwise, we had little positive to say about the tiller. It is too light, with very little feel. Competent, the Cruze is. Fun, it is not.

There are the worst things they said about it. You can't compare the standard stereo screen in the Cruze to the Focus, it's not a comparison. Add the nav (albeit an expensive option) and then compare. And all the other cars had the Navigation systems as well (minus the Mazda), so it's not a fair comparison from the get go.

As for looks, I think the Cruze takes that department hands down between the other 4, the Mazda not too far behind. The other cars look like their entry level vehicles, the Cruze (in my eyes) looks like a step or two above. The VW also doesn't necessarily look like an entry level either, but I like the Cruze Better

I don't agree completely with their conclusions but they aren't terribly far off. Subjective tests like this are hardly noteworthy though.

Also, here is the link to their full write up:

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...011_volkswagen_jetta_2.5_sel-comparison_tests

 

[RS LTZ]

I wish they would have used a Eco with a manual trans for this...

Or at least the LTZ so they would have had the Z-Link

 

[RS LTZ]

what do you mean?

they all have z-link except for the eco.
the ltz just has different rated springs and shocks.

Oh my bad, I thought the z-link was the suspension difference for the LTZ. I stand corrected.

In either case, I believe the LTZ would have put out better handling numbers and responses than the 2LT. I drove both, and the LTZ felt more solid and agile than the 1/2LT.