Used 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Consumer Reviews
Cruze Eco is a Great Buy for College Grad
I bought my Chevy Cruze Ego after graduating college. I did my research and when between the Hyundai Elantra and the Cruze, I think I made the right choice. The size of the car is perfect, I got the MPG I wanted (averaging 36.8 right now), all without sacrificing my jackrabbit starts off the line. I have always driven a manual transmission and didn't want to sacrifice that - so I didn't. It's not flawless, but not bad and works great with turbo. For the price I paid, I couldn't ask for more. Also, it should be said that the status updates (tire pressure, remaining oil life) make managing the vehicle a breeze. No excuse for not meeting your car's needs.
My first cardefinitely a good choice
My family had always been all about Honda's (and my dad a BMW person). This car has impressed me. 13,000 miles, no issues. The six speed manual is fun. My drives from Chicago to Champaign get me ~43 MPG at 75 mph cruise ctrl. I have seen as best as 46 MPG (65mph hwy) and worst 36 MPG (city). I see mixed 39-40 avg. These numbers are from my own calcs. Solid drive for a 1.4, turbo picks up, the interior isn't great but looks decent. Good lines looks elegant for a compact sedan. Bluetooth works all the time for me, good sound, very quite ride, and smooth. Takes awhile to learn how to use the gears properly, 4-6th are all O/D gears so I use 3rd to pass a lot. Overall, good, I recommend.
I drive it like I stole it!
I did alot of research into this car before I decided on it...and am glad I chose it. I am by no means a "hyper miler". The actual mielage that ive been achieving has been great. I have been averaging 34 mpg since i got it. On a recent highway trip i acheived 45 actual mpg. That was at 75 mph! I cant imagine how much better my mileage would be if I was gentler on it. The entire car inside and out is great. The interior is phenomenal for the class and the price. The exterior is also very stylish.
Comfortable but poor engine, poor transmission
First, before I won't forget to mention, the worst thing on this car is its driver side blind spot. I'm 5'8" and I have owned around 6 cars in my life and driven at least 100 (worked on a mechanic shop for a while), and this car has a horrifying blind spot. Not sure why but basically I have to look out every 5 min even if I'm not changing lanes , by leaning up and over my shoulder, because it's been countless times that there was a car driving beside me and I didn't notice it. It's a huge blind spot, probably the shape of the mirror, the size of the window and lack of blind spot mirror piece and the way the seat is. I would say, shorter people would have it worse with this. It has to be a horrible oversight in design how the A pillar is positioned and the size/shape of the driver window, compare to the seat position. Just to make a point, I am releived when I drive ANY other car, because I don't have to deal with this. The engine, despite it's 1.8L, is poor performing and considering the weight/size of the car - has a poor fuel economy. I get 30mpg at best, but my wife's with a full sedan twice the size and almost same engine, she gets 33mpg while far quicker and more powerful. The 6 speed manual is just bad. Driving any other manual cars feels like a relief, after 3yrs of driving this car, I still have to look down which gear I'm in. 1st gear is just super short and I have to rev the car so it won't stall from a dead stop. Embarassing if it does, especially for someone who drove manual cars since age 16. I don't think it's my fault. Between 5-6th gear, there is hardly any difference. Again, I have to look down and see if I'm in 6th or 5th, hard to tell since there isn't much difference in ratio. It's like the 5th gear is pointless. You gonna be either in 4th and 6th, and will frequently up shift just like that, skipping the 5th, if I'm not scaring you enough to buy this car. To make a point, GM dropped this engine in 2017 and dropping this manual transmission in 2019 and you can guess it, for probably a good reason. Electronically, there are some failures. the cooling system is a frequent problem, I see others complaining of the thermostat failing or the car overheating. I had 1 overheating, right now it's ok, but my gauge is stuck. I really think, these sort of issues should have not been a problem in 2012 when the car was made, I mean come on, Ford T model came out 100 years earlier and they still can't make a gauge to be working? So in a nutshell: Buy this car for looks and comfortable seats. Don't expect to accelerate quickly (this car has to be one of the slowest cars on the road) and be prepared to check your blind spot every 5-10 minutes if you want to stay out of accidents and scary surprises.
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Typical cheap Americans car
98000 miles almost entirely highway Under warranty repairs: water pump, radiator, oil pan, stearing column and battery cables. Great for the first three years like the other review, but the A LOT of major repairs after. GM did extend the power tran warranty but after warranty ends the car will go at first major repair. Not a reliable car after 3 years, would not recommend it unless you got a 100k warranty. For your money, you could buy a more reliable Toyota or Honda. GM continues to disappoint the Americans looking for an americn made reliable car.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value