Used 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Sedan Consumer Reviews
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Uber driver gives thumbs up
James Keen, 11/21/2015
updated 12/12/2024
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
164 of 169 people found this review helpful
All though built for a 19 year old college girl, my 240 lb 5'10" frame rides well in it. I purchased the car in January of 2013. As of November 21, 2015 I have logged over 63,000 miles. This car is the 1.8 liter mated to the 6-speed manual tranny. I log every fuel up utilizing the gas tracker app available on iTunes. Average is 30.5 MPG and I am not the most conservative driver. Only mechanical issue I have encountered was a broken thermostat housing and thermostat. The issue was covered under warranty. Car rides well and handles very well. It is under powered but expected with only 138 horsepower. I recently began driving for Uber. I have received a ton of compliments on the car. The 6-speed manual tranny is a real conversation starter. This is the base model and does not have blue tooth or cruise control. The stereo is somewhat inadequate. It is difficult to hear stereo with the windows down and only having 6 pre-set stations really blows. The car is silver ice and the windows are tinted as dark as the law will allow. It looks brand new. Something very remarkable is that I still have the original tires. Firestone FR710. Over 63K miles and still a good ways away from the tread ware indicator. I would recommend this car to anyone.....Most notable downside is resale value Update 5/22/16 79,000. Finally put new tires on it at 70,000 miles. Car is still performing as expected with no issues. Update 5/23/17 mileage 97,000. No mechanical issues at all. This past year I've changed the oil and rotated the tires every 5k miles. No other maintenance performed. I have experienced a vibration during heavy braking so I'll have the brakes checked at my 100k oil change. 11/24/19 update 147,000 miles. PM’ed the timing belt at 100K The AC condenser went out at 140K. While at dealership they offered me $1,000 which was insulting. the car still operates as it did when new. I’m still averaging over 30mpg 6/1/2020 160,000. Car is holding up well. 32MPG on last fuel up. No issues. 12/1/2020 170,000 miles. Car is still holding up well. The shifter knob fell apart other than tgat it’s holding up well. Does not use a drop of oil. I change the oil every 5k mikes with semi synthetic. Interior and exterior are still in excellent shape. 30-32 mpg per tank still. 6/3/2021 179000 miles. Still running strong. Original motor, tranny, and even the stock clutch. Does not even have any leaks. Last fuel up was 33mpg. 6/6/22 198000 miles. Still no issues or major repairs 12/10/24 240,000 miles. Still going strong.
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Just Cruzin'
just_a_chemist, 05/29/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
24 of 24 people found this review helpful
Great job in engineering. Have 6-speed auto and get 28 mpg commuting on side roads to work, got 38 mpg overall on 1400 mile treck from east coast to midwest, even 40 mpg on the flat interstates at 75 mph and the air conditioning blasting. Handles very well, turbo kicks hard at ~30-35 mph to 65 mph. Very good overall. Better mirrors than that of the Impala and better acceleration and fuel mileage than the Malibu.
Nitemare
Rex miller, 01/15/2019
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
28 of 29 people found this review helpful
This car has drained our bank account and caused my wife to lose her job based off its unreliability!!! 2 turbo chargers, a complete engine block, water pump, intake manifold, cataytic convertor, idle tensioner assembly and serpentine belt in the last 14 months alone.... if i sold it i wouldnt be able to sleep knowing what a terrible car i would be dumping on some poor soul... i have been a Chevy man my whole life but they have lost my business the engineering on this car is so bad that a 2 dollar pcv valve will break loose from the plastic tit it resides on in the intake and cause you to replace the WHOLE INTAKE ($300.00) as well as tear up your valve cover i would not wish this car on my worst enemy!!! GM needs to bail out all of us poor saps who purchased this retched bank acct draining joke of a car!!! They laugh all the way to the bank seemingly engineering simple inexpensive parts to fail miserably while incorporating them into parts that cost several hundred dollars to replace DO NOT PURCHASE ONE OF THESE THE TOW TRUCK EXPENSES ALONE WILL BREAK YOUR BANK ACCT
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Super safe car
L. J., 06/11/2016
updated 12/13/2019
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
16 of 16 people found this review helpful
My mom had a Cruze also. She was T-boned by a city bus. Airbags deployed fully. At 86 years old my mom had broken bones but required no surgery. I bought my Cruze for just over $16,000. I can drive from Davenport, Iowa to Cincinnati, Ohio easily on a tank of gas. I get much better gas mileage than the automatics do. The shift is smooth and easy to use. I love everything about my car! The only negative is the idiot shift light is annoying. I've only had one recall since I purchased it new in 2013. A big bonus for me is the trunk size and set up. With the back seats down, I can easily fit large items through the frame. Makes it a great car for hauling when you just need a few 4x4x8 for a fence. I'm keeping this car. Its not ever going to be for sale. Still lovin my Cruze! I've had my Cruze now for over 4 years. Still in love with it! Won't be trading it in ever! Car companies can keep their expensive gas guzzlers. I'm keeping my Cruze! I've kept up my maintence schedue,had several oil changes and rotate my tires every oil change. No issues mechanically at all. 12/2017 Struts had to be replaced but were covered under my warranty. Still the best car I've ever owned! 2019 still running great! Had the brakes replaced last year. May need new tires this year. No issues to report. Sold the car to my brorger in law after an at work accident made it difficult to drive with a clutch peddle. Car is still great and he loves it.
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DO NOT BUY
Laura, 10/25/2018
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
15 of 15 people found this review helpful
I bought this car, brand new, with 16 miles on it. I have had it for 6 years. As far as comfort and driving go, the car is great. It’s a fun car to drive, and eye catching, but the engine needs to be scrapped, if I’m being completely honest. The coolant system has been the bane of my existence. I replace the thermostat every 6 months-a year and neither the dealer nor GM can figure out why. I keep up on regular maintenance, but even so, there’s no reason a thermostat should need replaced 6 months into owning a brand new car and every year after (it’s on its fifth thermostat, no recalls, no help from the dealer). The constant leaks that pop up in the coolant system seals the deal on why I will not be replacing the thermostat again (the only reason I was is due to being upside down in my loan very soon into financing the car due to the extreme rate of depreciation). I am getting away from this car as fast as I can. Really wish GM would help the customers who have had to deal with all of these issues, because I’m not the only one. I bought this car for safety and reliability. It has left me stranded and/or scared to drive it more than I would care to deal with, and it cost me about $22k to enjoy that. Trust me, stay away from this car.
50 mpg on the road!!
pharlap007, 04/07/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
32 of 34 people found this review helpful
Great car! I have 9 cars, and some have a lot more features than this one, but here's the skinny. The ECO's milage is real. I'm averaging 42 combined, and I've gotten as much as 50 MPG on a 50 mile highyway trip. These numbers are not from the computer. I fill up, and do the division with the actual miles driven. I'm probably going to trust the oil life monitor, and if you don't use your 6 months free turn by turn, you're missing out on a lot of fun! I signed up for 300 minutes of phone time for my new cars phone number for $9.00, since it goes to $114.00 after the one year expiration!!! Take advantage of that. If you forget your cell...or if you are in a dead spot.
This car is a nightmare a couple years in
Steve, 12/18/2017
2012 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
40 of 43 people found this review helpful
We ll not much to say but this car has problems, at 50,000 miles its all downhill from there. Camseals leaked, oil pan leaked, need new valve cover because the intake manifold has a check valve that goes bad which screws up the PVC system in this car. Transmission seal leaked at 77,000. Now at 97,000 miles and out of warranty for 3 months and need a new valve cover again, oil pan leaking again. Never in my life have I had a car that has had so many leaks and engine problems.
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Great car with great features
jseejr, 09/11/2011
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
I was never a fan of Chevy products except their trucks until now. I looked at a Chevy Cruze and really fell in love. So many great options and fully loaded for under 23K. This car easily averages over 30mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. Can be as high as 44 mpg with a lot of highway driving, even at 75mph. Chevy really did great with this car and hope they keep it up for the future!
I love this car!
dr_jim1, 02/17/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
41 of 45 people found this review helpful
My previous car is a Volvo C70. The Eco had a lot to live up to. I have 16,000 miles with a lifetime average of 44 mpg. I commute 250 miles (RT) over mostly two lane highways in the frozen North. The acceleration makes passing easy, the car is beautiful and comfortable. I went to the test drive expecting to be under awed, but I had to get better gas mileage. A hybrid was not going to do it with my driving conditions. The car impressed me at every turn. It still does.
Worst car I have ever owned
Karin, 03/25/2016
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
25 of 27 people found this review helpful
I love the look and interior of the car, beautiful. It has pretty good acceleration, but lags and the turbo sounds like a weedeater. The weird jumping forward while braking is kinda scary. At 50k miles driving down the highway the turbo blew- without warning. No lights came on until about 10 minutes later, the famous catch all- stabilitrac light. Folllowed by a bevy of every light in the car. The turbo also caused the engine to blow. Pulled into an NTB (nearest thing) they looked at for $100 determined it was something to do with engine- so warranty. Towed it to dealer. After some run around, turning in every maintenance record- they decide to replace engine and turbo. Then would not reimburse me for the tow or the $100 fee I paid at NTB- very long BS story even after I gave them receipts. 2 days after I got it back- the car would not start. I panicked, called dealer and had it towed again. Guess what- just the battery went dead. So, not warranty and would not pay for tow. Six months now- on the brand NEW engine- coil pack has gone bad, not warranty and the coolant hose is leaking- not warranty. DONE!
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Great small car
karl_swift, 04/28/2015
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LT Fleet 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
39 of 43 people found this review helpful
I use this car on a daily basis, for both city and highway driving. I average about 35 MPH, and the cruze does not use a drop on oil, between 6,000 mile changes. Most of my driving is highway in excess of 70 MPH. The vehicle currently has over 40,000, and i have no complaints.
CJ Cruze Eco Automatic
cjcruze, 05/28/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
43 of 48 people found this review helpful
I have driven the Cruze 5000 miles since purchase in late Jan., 12. I am very pleased with the car. No problems on delivery or since then. The car is comfortable, quiet, and economical. I have had several Chevys over 45 years of driving. The Cruze is by far the best Chevy I have owned. Measured gas mileage (not computer based) is 38.5 in a mixture of urban, exurban, and interstate driving. I do drive carefully to achieve high mileage and rarely engage the turbo or exceed 65 mph. I would not hesitate to purchase another Cruze.
Great car with great MPG but if you have manual watch out for cultch problems
smbaylor, 08/07/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
My husband and I bought this car on May 31st 2012. We love this car; it gets great gas mileage which was perfect for us with my husband being in the National Guard and has to drive over an hour for every drill weekend and with both of us being full time college students. Saving this much money is gas every month if great. The one problem we did have with the car is that when I drove the car to Peoria which is an hour and a half from our home it broke down about 10 miles from where I was going. I had the car set on cruse on the highway and all of a sudden the RPM's shot up and the speed started going down quickly. Mind you both my husband and I learned to drive with a manual transmission so
2012 Chevrolet Cruze
Mario, 04/17/2017
2012 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I love the Chevy cruze . 80.000 miles in 4 years with almost no big issues . nice looking car and good MPG
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Don't buy a Cruze!
Brent Matthew, 06/19/2018
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LT Fleet 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
Owned a Cruze for 2 years. 1 week after purchase the problems started. Trunk wouldn't stay closed. Coolant started boiling over/leaking. Water pump and associated parts were replaced. I thought it would be okay for awhile with new parts. No! It happened 2 more times. Researched Cruze coolant issues online, and this is a VERY common problem, they are notorious for it. When I was getting the coolant issue fixed, the dealer found a oil leak. More parts replaced. Recall after recall. Parts that aren't recalled you will pay for repairs, because they are low quality. MPG was way less than EPA rating, 20-25 MPG. Engine was weak. At 137 horsepower it struggled getting up hills if I had 2 people and a couple luggage bags. GM cars depreciate so much that many find they owe more than the car is worth. Within months this happens. My car lost half it's value in 2 years! This is my 4th GM vehicle and I'm done! From all the complaints I've read, I think the Cruze will be GM's downfall. It obviously has many many quality issues all around.
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Gas Mileage Superhero
Ron Potter, 08/02/2016
updated 08/05/2019
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
From day one I averaged 50MPG or better. Driving is mixed city and highway, usually with no other passengers. On a trip from Ohio to Florida with two passengers plus driver and luggage, running between 75-80 interstate with air on we still averaged 49 MPG. I have saved enough on fuel expense over my Ford Crewcab Gas to pay for the car. I have always driven either Mercedes or BMWs for daily use and this was my first new American car in 15 years....wished I had tried them before.
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Car needed a new clutch at 4 years and 40,000+
Jane Silver, 12/14/2015
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
I have driven standard shifts for over 40 years, several cars, etc. NEVER has the clutch had to be replaced. Ever! Of course a new clutch is not under the warranty, so that is $2000 (yes $2000), and if not under warranty they won't provide you with a rental car. Thank goodness my dealer gave me a loaner. Also why is it taking 2 weeks to get a new clutch? This is very scary to me and I have to warn other owners that this DID happen - and it should not have. I have had good mileage - 30+ in town, 35+ highway.
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2012 chevy cruze issues after 80000 miles.
Mehrdad Zadehahmad, 08/23/2018
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
after 80000 miles, chevy has a lot of issues that sometimes is very dangerous. Recently my chevy cruze 2012, has a big safety issue that during the driving the camputer show the stabilitrak, traction control system error, power steering error along with the check engine light that causes the transmission to fail in changing the gear. I almost had an accident during driving in the highway today. I have seen many others who have the same issues with 2012 chevy cruze and I believe that all 2012 chevy cruze have to be recalled for this electronic issues.
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Reliable good-looking car
Taylor B., 07/24/2016
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
I love my 2012 Chevy Cruze. I fell in love with the interior the second I sat in it. I bought the car used and have had it for nearly 2 years now with NO problems at all. Has about 64k miles on it at this point as well. For the price, it is a great car. Even survives the harsh NE winters - which was surprising. The only problem is the shifting is pretty poor in most situations. It will often feel like the car is lurching forward when shifting. Strange. Other than the weird shifting, this car is great.
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Don’t buy this unless you get have a spare tranny
Kyle p, 11/28/2018
updated 12/05/2019
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
We bought this car for 8000 from a Lexus dealership with 100k miles as certified pre owned junk, it only lasted 3 months and 3k miles until it left us stranded and our pockets emptied. It always was from the start a slow shifter if the engine had even the slightest bit of power the transmission did the sure job of making sure it never showed, after it started slipping and smoking I changed the fluid and drove it around for a week and it drove normal except for the constant downshifting and the lack of power and efficiency from that god awful transmission, even if I am soft on the gas it doesn’t shift gears until it hits 3k rpms! So much for improving the fuel economy. What I noticed about that car is if you’re not on the gas it is almost painful to drive (I was told the downshifting and slow shifting was normal) the only good thing about that car was it’s low center of gravity for handling and it’s looks, now since the transmission literally broke into pieces from normal driving that car has been sitting as a 8 grand yard decoration, (FYI in the manual it won’t even tell you when the transmission fluid needs to be changed all it tells you is that it is not necessary to check the fluid and have a dealer change it when it is needed but how are you supposed to know when it is needed if it gives you neither a specific mileage or a dipstick to check!) don’t buy this car and expect it to last to 150000 miles without putting in serious time and money to the power train, I wouldn’t even take this car again if it was free UPDATE: we purchase a new transmission for the car and the total was 4K we’re about 8k miles on that new one and it’s already starting to shift poorly and clunk, the motor has began to tick slightly which is likely a precursor to timing issues to be had in the future. So our adventures with this atrocity will continue!
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Best Car I have ever Owned
luvmy2012cruze, 06/26/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
18 of 20 people found this review helpful
I love my 2012 Cruze LS 6 Speed Manual! This car is by far the best car I have ever owned, its trumps both the Honda Civic and Honda Accord that I have owned previously. Great gas mileage, handles like a dream, and has amazing get up and go.
Known transmission issues!
skavfive, 05/09/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
38 of 44 people found this review helpful
Car rides well and looks nice, but the transmission has known issues--slow and delayed shifts, and in manual mode downshifts into first are very harsh at times. These issues were confirmed and documented by the dealership: transmission downshifts hard in manual mode .confirmed that three like vehicle do the same harsh downshifting. Call GM TAN, case # ., GM is aware for the condition and trying to correct called GM TAN GM is working on a change to correct this condition. Chevy was aware of the problem redid the software package on the LT model for 2012, but no change was implemented in time for the 2012 LS Cruze. No other automatic I have ever driven has performed as poorly.
Capable of amazing gas mileage
floridadrive1, 12/26/2011
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
12 of 13 people found this review helpful
I was looking for a car for commuting....and I like a manual transmission. I have been a bit of a hypermiler (coast in neutral when slowing for long distances - or approaching a turn). So far, in the first week of 1/2 city, 1/2 country roads, I've achieved better than 47 mpg. You can get that easily by driving gingerly. This car is an ideal commuter.....I am just floored by how nice of a car this is....and I'm blown away by the gas mileage. Again, the manual is awesome - especially if you're a commuter. I love this car.
I never set out to buy a Chevrolet Cruze
southlandhb, 03/01/2013
2012 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
25 of 29 people found this review helpful
I did not have the intention to buy this car. However, I did have the intention of test driving and exploring a broad mix of vehicles across many makes and vehicle classes. So I drove a lot of cars from Audi to Volkswagen, because like excellent Italian food- you can't know how close or how far you are until you've tasted the good stuff! That said, the Cruze unexpectedly met my expectations offering what I felt was an excellent balance of features, driving dynamics all at a very fair price.
Still going strong after 90k miles
rbeach, 01/08/2017
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
I purchased my 2012 Cruze brand new and sold it at 38,000 miles because I needed a minivan. I'm in touch with the new owner, who has been cross country a few times with it. The car has been very good to both of us, with no major issues other than routine maintenance.
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Oil cooler failure but no permanent damage!
DRThoreau, 09/01/2016
updated 03/09/2023
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
15 of 17 people found this review helpful
Having bought Japanese cars for more than 30 years after a bad GM experience in the 80's I read that GM had finally built a car in this class/price range worth buying! The Cruze has proven that early assessment to be true. A recall and two other repairs were covered under warranty, a failed battery after only two years was not! It's replacement has lasted for 3 thus far! Front seats are a bit short on the base and can catch some drivers mid thigh and after extended periods become uncomfortable, back seat okay for kids or one adult passenger. Trunk space is exceptional and the 1.8 liter 4 though noisy when pushed operates pretty quietly otherwise. Tires are critical to road noise in this vehicle as road surfaces vary. Here in South Carolina where the pavement seems to be some of the most noise producing I have traveled on, a tire with too much wear transfers all that noise right into the passenger cabin. regular recommended oil changes, tire rotations and a replacement set of OEM tires at 60K and that is the sum total of expense thus far. Upcoming spark plug change, transmission flush and new front disc brake pads will be needed soon. That being said i think that I will be able to get another 100K out of this vehicle! Another 8,000 miles on the clock and after replacing plugs and timing belt as recommended the Cruze continues to serve us well! Now at 118,000 miles and counting. Another set of tires will be due to be put on. Brakes were changed and probably had a few thousand more miles in them. Regular oil changes, tire rotations and all is well. The interior of the car has also held up well with only the wear you would expect from nearly 6 years of use. New tires at about 122k, another failed battery(covered by warranty this time) and just the usual oil changes and tire rotations and the Cruze continues to provide reliable, trouble free transportation. Interior wear commensurate with age and use. Replaced the windshield as I live in what is called the Sand Hills area of SC and the windshield sparkled when the sun shone directly through it. I suspect I need to have the suspension(shocks and struts) renewed if I want to keep the car in top form. Now at 141,000 miles, the Cruze continues to deliver 34 MPG on the highway. Around town with the a/c it only gets about 26MPG. Recommended oil changes and that's been about it for the last 19,000 miles. A problem has arisen with the key fobs as both have deteriorated and will have to be replaced as the portion that opens the trunk on mine and the one that locks the doors on my wife's are no longer there. Interior continues to wear well and it does not use any oil between changes. The Cruze is no longer our only reliable car. It is now used pretty much around town and for short trips only. At about 145, 000 miles the oil cooler failed and filled the crankcase and radiator/cooling system with a mixture that looked like chocolate milk. I thought that the car had a cracked head or failed head gasket but it was an oil cooler I wasn't aware this non-turbo engine had. The repair was about $800 and after driving it again for about a 1,000 miles since, seems no worse for having had the failure. I credit my wife, who was driving the car at the time with getting out of traffic and stopping the car as quickly as possible when the warning lights came on with the fact that no serious damage to the engine seems to have been done. 151,000 miles and the Cruze continues to be reliable. There is minimal oil use between changes and all systems continue to function well. At 155,000 the use of the Cruze as a second car continues. Though it has had some concerning battery and charging issues it continues to be reliable transportation otherwise. We no longer use it for travel of more than 75 miles or so. At 160,000 miles we are noticing increased oil consumption and an ignition glitch that probably will require a set of plugs and maybe a new coil. Still a reliable vehicle otherwise, the interior shows wear but the car is almost 9 years old and has 160k on the odometer. Cruze still used for trips less than 50 miles at around 164,000. This has been the most trouble free car I've ever owned. A failed aftermarket cruise control resulted in problems but when it was removed and a ne w coil set and plugs were put in the Cruze continues to get 33 mpg on the two lane 55mph roads where I now live. Trips to the recycling center and an occasional 150 mile round trip to my brother's home but at 166,000 miles the A/C still functions and in all other ways it's still reliable. Pity GM quit making them!
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Glad I bought the Cruze instead of a Honda Civic
dmrock1, 07/19/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
After buying the Cruze Ls model and reading the reviews I thought I made a mistake by not upgrading to the Eco 1.4 turbo model.Some reviews said the Ls got nowhere near the expected mileage.I drive approx 70 mi (mainly highway) each day to work and so far I am VERY impressed with the mileage without air I am getting 38 mpg and with air a little over 35.I'm 6'4" and alot more comfortable than if i would have bought a Civic.Understand I was driving a Dodge dakota truck everyday and spending $80 dollars a week on gas,so now you can understand my point of view.I bought the Silver met. Ice and had the windows tinted and it looks great!
Buyer beware
Debra, 10/11/2018
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
I purchased this car new in 2012. In February of 2017 the transmission went. The car was out of warranty by approximately 3000 miles. The dealership told me i would have to pay for the rebuilt transmission, which i did. I then filed a complaint with chevy and was told they couldnt do anything about it because i had already paid for the repairs. So now 18 months after Lunghamer Chevrolet fixed the transmission it is shot again. I again called Chevy and was told they couldnt do anything about it. DON'T buy a 2012 cruze!!
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Just Cruzin'
just_a_chemist, 09/20/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
Edmunds did not have choice of 1LT with 6-speed auto, but that is what I own with RS package. The car delivers great value and performs way better than others in the class. Good ride, great power, great gas mileage, and good looks. Average 28 mpg in local commute with 38-42 on the highway with 87 octane. Suggest using mid-grade or premium for highway driving as the turbo will perform better with higher octane. I have had no problems at 7000 miles in 6 months. The complaints about the sleeping shifting are due to the gas saving transmission linkage allowing the car to coast increasing fuel economy, all cars will be going with this technology.
Beats the imports
regular_renter, 02/15/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
I travel on business frequently and rent lots of cars in this category. The Chevy Cruze beats the pants off the Toyota Corolla and Nissan Sentra in EVERY area. It looks and handles great. It has excellent pickup. The interior seems much nicer than its class and way more comfortable too. I wish the rental company would dump the imports and only carry this car. I choose it over the Malibu too. Way to go Chevy.
Cruze Eco is a Great Buy for College Grad
lucky_emma, 09/19/2011
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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
jlm14, 12/05/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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!
troublesome3, 01/19/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
16 of 19 people found this review helpful
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
Frank SZ, 05/13/2018
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
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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There's Hope For GM
gep10, 02/24/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
IMHO, this is the best compact car GM has ever made (been 25 years since I bought a Chevy compact). A friend (BMW 5 series owner) asked if I wanted to trade cars after he drove it. It is fun to drive, looks contemporary, has outstanding features for the price, and is averaging over 34 MPG for the first 1,400 miles of mostly city driving (47 MPG is best 50 mile average). The Eco 6M is one of the most sophisticated cars GM makes; virtually every aspect of the car was optimized for (MPG) performance to make it lighter, more efficient and more aerodynamic. These changes also improve handling. My only problem with the car is that my wife won't give it back after driving it for several weeks!!
Typical cheap Americans car
Melissa.ginesi@gmail.com, 10/03/2015
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
9 of 10 people found this review helpful
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.
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Chevy Cruzes into the top tier
bytes220, 12/11/2011
2012 Chevrolet Cruze 2LT 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
My Cruze 2LT is simply the best new car I've ever owned. I and I have owned Acuras, Hondas, Toyotas and others. For my money, the Japanese Koreans, or Germans have nothing to compete with the Cruze. The interior is that of a premium near luxury car with stellar engineering that rides and handles well, has plenty of power when you need it, is very quiet and comfortable and, last but not least, delivers incredible mpgs read(29 - 44). I truly love this car. It is everything I could possibly hope for at this price point.
Best Purchasing Decision I Ever Made
ratrbridin, 08/26/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
For the first time in my life, I have made a WISE decision when purchasing a new vehicle. I was very skeptical giving up my truck and buying an "Economy Car." I'm 6' 215lbs, but my new career has me driving a personal vehicle to make sales calls. I am overly impressed with my Cruz Eco. Very stylish, and the biggest surprise is from the 1.4L Turbo. It is very responsive and I am AVERAGING 35MPG, with my best score on the highway being 42.6MPG. I thought I would be embarrassed to drive an economy car. Chevrolet has made a believer out of me, however. I love this car and would and am recommending it to all my friends and associates. Way to go Chevy.
2012 Chevy Cruze LTZ
pjluke1, 09/05/2011
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
What a difference two years can make --great ride , fuel mileage and an unusually great interior quality and ride for a car this size,,,,it's about time!!!.this vehicle in its ride and comfort surpasses the Toyotas of my past....do not hesitate!!!! and it is mostly made in North America, how about that!!! PETE IN FLORIDA
Loved my cruze until now! beware
rae_xo, 05/12/2014
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LT Fleet 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
17 of 21 people found this review helpful
Traded my piece of crap dodge avenger in for another piece of crap. thought maybe getting a chevy would give me a better piece of mind. Got my cruze used with 32k miles and ive had it for 7 months now. The gas mileage is a complete joke! Ive never gotten over 35MPG even driving highway! Lately it lags shifting gears and take a few minutes to actually do so and it has also had alot of idling problem! chugging while sitting at red lights and drive-thrus. each dealership i go to tells me there is nothing they can do about it, but ive seen so many people with the same problems! please save your time, energy, and money
Great Car for the money!!
ginman522, 01/03/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
31 of 40 people found this review helpful
I just bought a 2012 Cruze LS w/ auto and the Connectivity Package, MSRP: $18,740.00. I test drove the 2012 Civic LX, 2011 Corolla LE(there is no 2012 version yet as of 01/02/2012), 2012 Hyndai Accent and the 2012 Kia Rio5, before I discovered the Chevy Cruze. The Corolla was the worst of the bunch, and the Cruze was the best (Dollar for Dollar on a lease), here is why: Only 2 Cons: 1. No Cruise control (LS only)
Honeymoon Is Over
John Philips, 04/10/2016
updated 10/11/2016
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
10 of 12 people found this review helpful
I have owned my 2012 Cruze Eco since 2012 and it now has 75,000 miles on it. Until recently I did not have one issue with the car that wasn't covered under warranty. The car has also been recalled about 5-7 times, again for free repair and not for anything that ever impacted the way the car operated. Recently I had a pool of oil under the car and was told it was a broken oil line which connected to the turbocharger. This in my opinion is that infamous Chevy "quality" rearing its ugly head. Something like this should not fail in any car with my mileage. This repair was not covered under warranty (it really should be!), but was relatively inexpensive to fix, only $120. I have owned two Chevys in the past (late 90's/early 2000's) and had horrible quality problems. It took me more than a decade to get back into my Cruze, which I still enjoy. It's fun to drive and has some points to it that are much nicer than any other car in its price class. The electronic button that opens the trunk has also failed recently, so there isn't any other way to open the trunk except for the button on the key fob. Again, this is a quality problem that should not be happening to any car. My friend owns a 2012 Cruze and his button has also failed as well. Not covered under warranty, and the quote I got to fix it was $360. It's more of an inconvenience than anything else, and I elected not to spend (waste) $360 on a simple button replacement. The recall letters keep coming fairly steadily, but the ones I am getting recently ask me to bring the car in only if I should start experiencing certain problems. I am afraid that I have more quality issues on the horizon. I'm beginning to question whether I should trade it as I am nervous that more repairs and out of pocket expenses are coming. I'll probably just drive it until that's not possible any longer. The fact is I have over 75,000 miles and it has run really, really well. I think that 100,000 miles will be easily achieved within the next few years. We'll keep our eyes on it and see what happens.
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Should have bought the Corolla
Jake, 05/10/2016
updated 05/14/2020
2012 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
10 of 12 people found this review helpful
This is a cheap unreliable car. Electrical problems, Numerous recalls, cheap interior, A transmission that cannot decide which gear it wants to be in, 5000 mile oil change intervals by me with Mobile One fully synthetic and now the Turbo is out with only 56,000 miles. THIS CAR IS A JOKE. My daughter is still driving this car. Coolant leaks have been a huge problem with this car, water pump, thermostat housing, hose fittings. I have all the leaks repaired at this time. My daughter traded this car in on a clean used Toyota 4 runner. She got a whopping $1500 for it and was proud to get it. Less than 80,000 miles were on it.
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Things start going wrong at 35k miles
jayleesummers, 04/03/2013
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
10 of 12 people found this review helpful
I am a home health nurse and I bought my car because it was supposed to have great gas mileage and so far I am happy with it. There is a weird noise coming from the drivers side front of the car that the service department has not been able to figure out. It idles rough at times. The service department replaced a valve cover that they said was faulty, but the car still has problems with idling. The transmission seems like it is slipping at times when I am trying to accelerate and lurches when downshifting My car has been in the shop for 5 days now for the noise and the idle. They also found a faulty water pump since it's been in there. All in all, I still love my car, just wish they'd fix
You WILL be replacing a transmission
rotary, 11/13/2017
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
10 of 12 people found this review helpful
I purchased a brand new (at the time) Chevy Cruze back in May 2012 and since then have put 70,000 miles on it over the course of 5 years. Pretty standard, I'd say. Last week I was on my way to work and the check engine light came on, the engine started revving high, almost like it was downshifting, and when I pulled it to the side of the road it no longer would accelerate. I turned the car off, turned it back on, it would drive a bit but then the same thing would happen. In a nutshell, I took it to a transmission shop and I have to replace the whole dang thing. $3400. Apparently these transmissions are notorious for doing this which leads me to this: Why hasn't GM fixed this in affected vehicles? Wanted to make all aware that are thinking about buying this vehicle.
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Best higher mileage car I have ever owned.
Austin, 04/22/2016
2012 Chevrolet Cruze 1LT 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
9 of 11 people found this review helpful
My Cruze 1LT has 92000 miles and still performs like new! A couple of months ago I was T-Boned by a F-150 on the driver's side and I walked away without a scratch. The car held up very well, I elected to have the car repaired and it's back on the road like nothing happened. The only repair was a new waterpump under warranty at 90000 miles. The interior remains rattle free and quiet. The 1.4T has plenty of power and still averages 36 MPG and I don't baby it. I have gotten as much as 46 MPG on the highway. It has never let me down, even with no coolant when the waterpump failed it still got me home (I didn't realize all the coolant leaked out.) It starts the first time everytime without any drama. I was very surprised by how awesome it goes in the snow even without winter tires. I'm 6 foot 2 and 270 pounds, I have plenty of room in this car. I got a 2015 Impala as a loaner when my Cruze got it's waterpump replaced, the Impala was a great car but the Cruze seems more solid. Looking into a 2016 Cruze for my next vehicle.
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Safe, Reliable, Efficient
revjimmy, 05/14/2014
updated 05/15/2016
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
My '12 Cruze Eco is sneaking up on 30,000 miles, and I have no complaints. To date, I've driven it all over the South and Midwest; over its lifetime, it is averaging 33.4 MPG, and that's with a LOT of city driving. With one exception, I haven't had it in the shop once for service other than routine and recall work. That one exception was no fault of the car - an adult buck whitetail deer ran out in front of me while I was going 70 MPH, and even then, the car excelled - there was no frame damage, I was completely unhurt, and though it cost my insurance company a good chunk of change, the car was repairable to factory spec. UPDATED: Just passed 60,000 miles. A piece of the "Eco" system died a few months back, and it ended up costing me nearly $1,000 to have it fixed, but aside from that, the car continues to perform admirably. I will probably be trading it in within the next year, but it's been a fantastic car for me so far.
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45K Update for Manual Eco
gep10, 11/13/2014
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
My overall mileage is 37.5 MPG (computer) for 45,000 miles which is about 35 MPG actual. Not a single issue; just routine maintenance. On one leg of a 1500 mile trip last summer the DIC showed 52.4 MPG driving 5 MPH over Virginia's 55 MPH and 65 MPH limits with the A/C on. I added the Trifecta tune which adds 30% HP and 40% torque and, combined with the nimble handling, makes this car a lot of fun to drive. Overall, I highly recommend the Cruze Eco manual. Two of my BMW driving friends were very complimentary after a test drive. One wanted to trade his 5 series for it and the other, a 3 series driver looking for a sporty & fuel efficient American four door, is making this his next car.
Oh, the irony
Author Name, 12/04/2017
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I bought this car as a cheap commuter. I have about 60 miles, round trip, of commuting daily and wanted a basic vehicle with good mpg. My only real complaint with the Cruze is that there is no cruise. You would think that even in the base model, you would get the vehicle's name sake as a standard option. Other than that, I've put about 30,000 miles on the vehicle and required no maintenance other than oil changes and other routine work. It's not slow, but it's not fast. It gets competitive gas mileage. It does well in snow and icy conditions, for a front wheel drive vehicle. For the level of options, the price was competitive, except the lacking cruise control. Overall, it's been a great little a-b car that I plan to drive until it blows up. At the rate the car is going, that will probably be a while.
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I love my new Cruze
rooney10, 08/15/2012
2012 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 4dr Sedan (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I have almost 4,000 miles on my car and love the way it handles and the gas mileage is great. I average 41-43 mpg going 55-60 even with the AC on. I love all of the services, Onstar and Sirius radio makes being in the car a joy. I have used Onstar Navigation several times and it's so easy, I have always arrived at the right place too. I'm still learning new things about my car it has so many features. The 6 speed transmission works great if you drive the car correctly but it did take some getting used to. I still take off too fast from time to time. I love the Autumn Metallic color and have seen many people admire my car while parked.