I have a 2012 Cruze Eco. I only have about 1,100 miles on it, but that's long enough for me to notice what I call "quirks." These aren't necessarily bad characteristics or attributes, just weird little things about my Cruze. Overall, I really like the car, but this list represents some things that I could not have known from a test drive or two. Maybe the list will be helpful to new or potential owners. Check out my list and let me know if you feel the same or not.
+ The passenger airbag light in the center console is way too bright. It's a constant orange glow that can become distracting, especially during night driving.
+ During driving (perhaps with the defroster on), the left/driver's side of the center console gets warm to the touch, but the right/passenger side does not. If the driver's leg rests against the console, it can become uncomfortably warm, even with the thermostat set to cool.
+ The large "hole" in the trunk floor is actually quite useful (i.e., on the Eco model, there is an indented space where the spare tire normally goes). At first I was considering dishing out some cash to get the floor cover, but now I know that the indent actually serves an effective purpose: keeping my grocery bags in place. Bonus!
+ The front windshield defroster has trouble defrosting the extreme right and left sides of the windshield. This appears to be a result of the relatively narrow defroster vents (they do not extend far beyond the center of the dash). On maximum fan level, the defroster works fine. But at lower levels, fog can build up at the sides of the front glass.
+ For me, the Cruze has a significant blind spot. I say "for me" because it may be a result of my own seat and mirror placement. Anyway, what I've noticed is that when turning my head to check for cars, a small car in the left lane can be almost completely obscured behind the Cruze's B pillar. I've got a habit of double checking both the mirrors and the blind spot, so it's not a huge deal, but this could be a safety issue for careless drivers.
+ The rear license plate cannot be attached with 4 screws unless you drill two additional holes in the sheet metal. This is annoying because a license plate affixed with just two top screws will make an ugly rattling sound when you shut the trunk. Now I'm in the habit of pressing the license plate firmly against the trunk when I shut the trunk. This habit avoids the rattle noise and potential paint damage.
+ I don't trust the automatic lights feature at all. Sometimes it switches the Cruze's exterior lights between 'all on' and 'daytime running' (front headlamps only) when it shouldn't. Worst still, it sometimes doesn't turn all the lights on until it's quite dark out! Too dark for my tastes. To be safe, I usually resort to turning all the lights on manually. Unfortunately, this absolutely defeats the purpose of the auto light feature, and it also magnifies the annoyance of the next quirk on this list.
+ The dial to change the brightness of the dash lights/displays only works when the Cruze lights are set to automatic control. If I set the lights on manually (e.g., light knob set all the way to the right), the screens will be locked at a default setting of maximum brightness. I can understand this function from a safety perspective, but I still think it's absolutely BOGUS! In fact, this is the quirk that irks me the most. I want to be able to adjust the dash lighting whenever I want to! The car manual does not indicate that interior lights can only be adjusted when the lighting knob is set to automatic.
+ Having TPMS readout in the driver's information center for each individual wheel is awesome. I checked tire pressure manually, and I confirmed that the TPMS readings were accurate. I'll keep checking.
+ After 3 fill-ups, I have seen some inconsistency in the values for fuel used and fuel economy as reported by the car. Others have noticed this, also. I plan to keep a detailed record of my fuel use and compare the car computer readings with data from my fuel receipts. I'll post more on that at a later date.
+ I noticed that the front air vents on my Eco will close even at slow speeds, as long as the air temperature is cold enough. I initially thought that they closed at highway speeds only.
+ The shift light is dumb and not a replacement for the driver's experience (yes, I know this is obvious); oftentimes a "recommended" shift can lead to engine lug and poor performance. However, the shift light can definitely be a useful reminder that shouts "hey, you have a 6th gear!" Apparently, I still occasionally forget (I drove a 5 speed for many years).
Overall I am very pleased with my new Cruze, but this post was about the quirks! I'll add more as I find them. Please add your own!
+ The passenger airbag light in the center console is way too bright. It's a constant orange glow that can become distracting, especially during night driving.
+ During driving (perhaps with the defroster on), the left/driver's side of the center console gets warm to the touch, but the right/passenger side does not. If the driver's leg rests against the console, it can become uncomfortably warm, even with the thermostat set to cool.
+ The large "hole" in the trunk floor is actually quite useful (i.e., on the Eco model, there is an indented space where the spare tire normally goes). At first I was considering dishing out some cash to get the floor cover, but now I know that the indent actually serves an effective purpose: keeping my grocery bags in place. Bonus!
+ The front windshield defroster has trouble defrosting the extreme right and left sides of the windshield. This appears to be a result of the relatively narrow defroster vents (they do not extend far beyond the center of the dash). On maximum fan level, the defroster works fine. But at lower levels, fog can build up at the sides of the front glass.
+ For me, the Cruze has a significant blind spot. I say "for me" because it may be a result of my own seat and mirror placement. Anyway, what I've noticed is that when turning my head to check for cars, a small car in the left lane can be almost completely obscured behind the Cruze's B pillar. I've got a habit of double checking both the mirrors and the blind spot, so it's not a huge deal, but this could be a safety issue for careless drivers.
+ The rear license plate cannot be attached with 4 screws unless you drill two additional holes in the sheet metal. This is annoying because a license plate affixed with just two top screws will make an ugly rattling sound when you shut the trunk. Now I'm in the habit of pressing the license plate firmly against the trunk when I shut the trunk. This habit avoids the rattle noise and potential paint damage.
+ I don't trust the automatic lights feature at all. Sometimes it switches the Cruze's exterior lights between 'all on' and 'daytime running' (front headlamps only) when it shouldn't. Worst still, it sometimes doesn't turn all the lights on until it's quite dark out! Too dark for my tastes. To be safe, I usually resort to turning all the lights on manually. Unfortunately, this absolutely defeats the purpose of the auto light feature, and it also magnifies the annoyance of the next quirk on this list.
+ The dial to change the brightness of the dash lights/displays only works when the Cruze lights are set to automatic control. If I set the lights on manually (e.g., light knob set all the way to the right), the screens will be locked at a default setting of maximum brightness. I can understand this function from a safety perspective, but I still think it's absolutely BOGUS! In fact, this is the quirk that irks me the most. I want to be able to adjust the dash lighting whenever I want to! The car manual does not indicate that interior lights can only be adjusted when the lighting knob is set to automatic.
+ Having TPMS readout in the driver's information center for each individual wheel is awesome. I checked tire pressure manually, and I confirmed that the TPMS readings were accurate. I'll keep checking.
+ After 3 fill-ups, I have seen some inconsistency in the values for fuel used and fuel economy as reported by the car. Others have noticed this, also. I plan to keep a detailed record of my fuel use and compare the car computer readings with data from my fuel receipts. I'll post more on that at a later date.
+ I noticed that the front air vents on my Eco will close even at slow speeds, as long as the air temperature is cold enough. I initially thought that they closed at highway speeds only.
+ The shift light is dumb and not a replacement for the driver's experience (yes, I know this is obvious); oftentimes a "recommended" shift can lead to engine lug and poor performance. However, the shift light can definitely be a useful reminder that shouts "hey, you have a 6th gear!" Apparently, I still occasionally forget (I drove a 5 speed for many years).
Overall I am very pleased with my new Cruze, but this post was about the quirks! I'll add more as I find them. Please add your own!
