[tots]

I test drove the new 2016.5 Cruze yesterday (Premier trim) and just wanted to share my initial impressions:

Good:
- Solid ride, managed bumps in road very well.
- Decent acceleration (heh, compared to my 2004 Pontiac Vibe, everything has good acceleration) The engine did not seem to labor on the highway when getting on and had plenty of pedal to spare.
- Lot's of tech, maybe too much (see below)?
- Interior finish was good (again for Premier trim, not sure about lower trim levels)
- Good interior room and much improved rear seat comfort compared to prior generation.
- The ride was quiet. It was a windy day and I thought interior noise was good even with the road noise and wind noise.
- If you buy LT or Premier trim you get a lot of service extras (2 yrs of XM radio, 2 yrs/24 GB LTE data, extended loaner car service,etc.)

Concerns / Comments:
- The stop / start technology requires a really big battery in the trunk (in fact it's the only battery for the car). How much will it cost to replace it and how hard will it be to yank it out?
- We noticed a very strong electrical burning smell when I was backing up the car (towards end of test drive). The stop / start had engaged and it seemed to happen immediately after the engine started again after beginning the backup.
- The smart screen navigation can be done via the really nice touch screen, but is also available via some really awkward behind the steering wheel buttons. Maybe you will be used to them, but not very intuitive at all.
- There is a LOT of information available on the touch screen and some of it is also available on instrument cluster. There seems to be a LOT of emphasis on being connected and having lots of tech in the car. I hope the same emphasis and more was put into overall reliability.
- As far as looks, I think the new design is sporty; it does remind me of the prior generation Honda civic though. I think its new look could become "dated" quickly. This is a very subjective thing of course.
- The new engine is really packed in under the hood (even with the battery now located in the trunk). I noticed that the oil filter is no longer accessible from under the hood, it's under the car. It points straight down, and should not be too hard to get to, but definitely not as accessible as the prior generation.

I am still trying out other cars in the same class, but the new Cruze is a contender.

 

[money_man]

What about engine noise? This is supposed to be way quieter

 

[tots]

I thought engine noise levels were low, I could hear it when accelerating but it was not a problem at all. During the test drive we were not using the Bose noise cancellation feature that is apparently available.

 

[jblackburn]

All new cars smell like burning plastic for the first few months. It's the brand new exhaust stuff.

 

[money_man]

Never noticed it on my ctd.

 

[jblackburn]

Never noticed it on my ctd.

Regen? Literally every CTD driver has said it smells like something burning when it does a regen cycle.

 

[tots]

I'm familiar with new exhaust burn and smell, this was definitely electrical. The car had more than 100 miles on it when we test drove it.

 

[sparkman]

I thought engine noise levels were low, I could hear it when accelerating but it was not a problem at all. During the test drive we were not using the Bose noise cancellation feature that is apparently available.

I drove the LS version here a few days ago. I thought the engine noise was louder than mine, there seemed to be a lot more clatter too.

 

[tots]

I drove the LS version here a few days ago. I thought the engine noise was louder than mine, there seemed to be a lot more clatter too.

What did you think of the stop / start tech? Did it engage during your test drive?

 

[sparkman]

What did you think of the stop / start tech? Did it engage during your test drive?

I just drove it from the lot to the tire shop down the road to pick up a trade in, so no it didn't engage.

The thing I worry about is how long will it stop-start before it stops stop-starting? I'm not sold on this tech quite yet.

 

[chevrasaki]

Nice review, glad it's quiet and comes with some XM and 4G. I am very skeptical about the stop-start technology. I would really prefer that technology stay with hybrids only. I'm just not sure it's worth putting it on a 1,364cc engine which is already so efficient at idle and I'm concerned about how it would affect driving with a manual transmission. I may have to just give it a try, or more likely, just wait and see what everyone has to say about it after it's been out for awhile.

 

[IndyDiesel]

Can the start stop technology be disabled? I really don't like the start stop. Just something else to go wrong in my view.

 

[MP81]

Can the start stop technology be disabled? I really don't like the start stop. Just something else to go wrong in my view.

Generally, yes. Any vehicle I've been in with it has the ability to turn it off.

Honestly, it's so seamless nowadays you never even notice. The worst start-stop execution I've had was the BMW 550i I drove a year or two back - especially when it turned the engine off as I was rolling a stop...

 

[tots]

I just drove it from the lot to the tire shop down the road to pick up a trade in, so no it didn't engage.

The thing I worry about is how long will it stop-start before it stops stop-starting? I'm not sold on this tech quite yet.

Agree - I am not keen on being an early adopter. The salesman kept telling me the engine doesn't actually go off, the system just stops the fuel line. I must be missing something because no fuel means no combustion and I could definitely hear it starting when I took my foot off the break

 

[30 Ounce]

They have been using stop start technology in Europe for years, it's hardly new.

 

[tots]

Can the start stop technology be disabled? I really don't like the start stop. Just something else to go wrong in my view.

I don't believe there is a way to disable it from a switch or touch screen control. Some Malibu owners report disconnecting the negative terminal on the trunk battery and leaving the battery under the hood connected. I did not see a battery under the hood of the new Cruze, but maybe I missed it, it could be buried.

 

[tots]

They have been using stop start technology in Europe for years, it's hardly new.

Newer to GM and definitely new to the Cruze.

 

[newsguy99]

When I looked at one the other day, and got the pictures of the oil filter, the dealer had 10 to 15 of the Gen 1 2016s on the lot, and only 3 Gen 2s. 2 were LTs, and 1 was a base LS.
The LS (or L) in a Gen 2, does not come with cruise control or audio controls on the steering wheel.
The seats felt OK, but, there is very little, to no lumbar support.
It did have the backup camera, and you can have the lines on or off, for backing.
It also comes with the tire pump as standard. Extra fee for the spare tire.
It also had 15 inch tires, with hub caps. You can of course upgrade almost all these options.
The onstar is no longer on the rearview mirror, but up near the map lights. This looks much better to me.

If you're looking for a car soon, I'd suspect the Gen 1, 2016s will be marked down to get them off the lots. You might find yourself a great deal, on a half year old car.

 

[money_man]

Regen? Literally every CTD driver has said it smells like something burning when it does a regen cycle.

Haven't smelled it yet.

 

[Snappa]

I got a chance to see one while I was getting my current Cruze serviced. I'd like to add to the quiet ride part that gm has made the the wheel well liners out of that felt type fabric used on higher end cars to dampen road noise. Was very surprise to see this. It's nice to see automobiles where you don't have to spend and am and a leg for features found in more expensive cars that's should be in less expensive ones ANYWAY.