thinking of buying a 2012 cruze

IndyDiesel said:

Here is another angle. If you don't drive a lot and have decent credit. Leasing might be a decent alternative for a new car for a couple years. Sometimes on a base model those lease payments might be 150 for two years. I am personally not a big lease guy but given the right situation it might make great sense. The real benefit is no cost for repairs, maybe some windshield wipers, no brakes, no tires, no big repairs, a bit easier to budget if your money is tight.

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This is some good thinking. There are all kinds of people trying to get out of a lease. These lease takeovers are excellent bargains and may present a better value proposition in your situation.

yeah, I think id pass. When I was looking I could have had a 12 eco 6speed manual with 48k for around 9.


I second the cobalt thought. You should be able to get one in the 75k mile range for around 5k

IndyDiesel said:

Sometimes I buy older car with low miles, maybe from a widow. A couple years ago I bought a 2005 Cadillac Deville, was the base model with 53k miles, was a widow, it looked nearly new, drove like a dream, I payed less than 5k for the car, drove it for 13k miles and sold it. Wish I had the car back. It was very well cared for.

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Great car diesel brother. I almost ordered a 2005 Deville in Green Silk back in the day. Still have the colour sample kicking around.

I traded a 14 Eco 6 speed a month ago and got 10,500 on trade. It had 22500 miles. It was in great shape, I take great care of my cars. I wouldn't have traded for my 15 diesel but they gave me a great price, I couldn't say no. Got lucky and love the diesel...

Tomko said:

Great car diesel brother. I almost ordered a 2005 Deville in Green Silk back in the day. Still have the colour sample kicking around.

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I did a couple things to it, put Oem chrome wheels, new tires, had dent less repair done all around the car, it looked like a 2 year old car when I was done. I drove for 13k miles and was happy with price when I sold it. One of the best cars I ever owned, I just should have kept it. I like to buy and sell.

I can't afford a payment so lease is out the question. I'm looking for a family car and this seemed like a solid deal. It appears to be very well maintained. High miles don't scare me very much. It all depends on the car. I had a accord with over 200k on it when I bought it for 700. All I put into it over 3 years was a starter and a cv joint. This car at 132xxx would be the lowest iv owned.

A Honda Accord had some years that were very reliable. I hate to say it but I think a good Honda Accord has a better reputation than a 132k mile Chevy Cruze LS. No disrespect to the Cruze.

Wow zombie - your risk tolerance is in a whole other planet than mine. God bless you for it.

I think I have a client that has a Honda Accord with over 300k miles on it and no major repairs.

Iv owned 3 Hondas and all went well over 200k miles and all were bought 750 or less. 97 accord for 700, 91 accord for 700 and a 96 civic for 750

I'm currently driving a 01 xterra with 194k on it. I like but every year I find my self needing to invest 1000 into it. The only Japanese car iv owned that has been in and out the shop

We would love you to be a part of our forum. I might consider sticking to what you know and hold onto the extra cash or get a slightly nicer car you are very familiar with...just my thoughts. Tomko and the toothpaste is a very fair way to look at it. Maybe e cars you bought were made for longevity a little more? 2012 Cruze with that many miles may not have as much toothpaste left or will require more costly repairs.

Ok. That's the kind of input I was looking for. I average 10k miles a year so I figured it would last awhile for me. I hate car shopping. Nothing like buying someone elses problem

zombie said:

Iv owned 3 Hondas and all went well over 200k miles and all were bought 750 or less. 97 accord for 700, 91 accord for 700 and a 96 civic for 750

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zombie said:

I'm currently driving a 01 xterra with 194k on it. I like but every year I find my self needing to invest 1000 into it. The only Japanese car iv owned that has been in and out the shop

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At this point it's starting to sound like a lifestyle choice. A form of entertainment, if you will. See how low you can buy them and how long you can stretch them. You don't sound like the kind of guy to obsess over a burnt out glovebox lamp or a chip in the paint.

Most of us on here, as well as any other automobile web forum I've belonged to, are enthusiasts. It is our passion or hobby. It's just not a method of transportation. You've chosen to set priorities on other matters that carry greater importance to you. No harm in that at all.

I think if buying a car with that many miles, I would look for something widely known for being reliable. Ford Duratec V6, Ford 2.5 (the Mazda based Fusion was a great car), GM 3800, Honda 4 cyl, or Toyota anything besides the 2.4.

I would shy away from a high mileage Cruze unless I knew the service history - well. Some have been great cars to their owners and some have...not. I love my car, but would not recommend one to someone looking for a kitchen appliance.

Or find a Cruze with less miles within your budget. Let's us know what you decide. I had a 14 Eco 6 speed Cruze and loved it, now 15 diesel Cruze And love it more, wish you the very best of luck whichever direction you go. Keep us posted.

I'm a slave to what I can buy outright. The Hondas were when I was younger and all required very little work. Was hoping a newer model car would be something I could drive for several years worrie free even with 132xxx

zombie said:

I'm a slave to what I can buy outright. The Hondas were when I was younger and all required very little work. Was hoping a newer model car would be something I could drive for several years worrie free even with 132xxx

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Several years of worry free = manufacturer's bumper-to-bumper warranty = much lower mileage than 132,000.

And it's not that iv choosen other priorities. My sons day care cost over 650 a month wich puts a serious damper on being able to afford a new car payment. 3 more years till he's in school lol

Hey, what ever Your decision is, I would suggest to take a car with minimal equipments, with only the most necessary things. That way there would be the price lower and less possibilities to breakages.
If You are truly considering the Cruze, here are some thoughts. I am not an expert, but I'd think that the 1,8 engine has less parts to break and that for may be more reliable. But only if it has been driven carefully. I have 1,8 Cruze LT here in Finland, 3 years old, ~60000 km and the car itself seems to be quite reliable, only consern being the automatic heating/air conditioning. Manual air conditioning may have been better. It's also with manual 5 speed transmission, which I believe is more reliable than automatic.
But remember, old cars are always old cars and something may happen, even if the car would be most reliable. Fixing one thing and having trouble free driving for long time after that may be possible too.