Used 2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M) Consumer Reviews
Used Cruze for sale
Glad I bought the Cruze instead of a Honda Civic
dmrock1, Rosedale, IN, 07/19/2012
Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
11 of 12 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!
Oil cooler failure but no permanent damage!
DRThoreau, Columbia, SC, 09/01/2016
updated 03/09/2023
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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Buyer beware
Debra, Howell, MI, 10/11/2018
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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Comfortable but poor engine, poor transmission
Frank SZ, Torrington, CT, 05/13/2018
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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Great Car for the money!!
ginman522, Delray Beach, FL, 01/03/2012
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)