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Used 2012 Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M) Consumer Reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars
33 reviews

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5 out of 5 stars

So far so good

Cruze gal, Keyser, WV, 08/18/2019
Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

I bought my 2012 Cruze LS 6 speed manual used with 56K on it in late 2015. It currently has 97K on it with no issues other then needing spark plugs/coil pack. I wasn't sure which one was the problem so I replaced both. Also replaced the thermostat. Nothing was an expensive fix. No clutch issues considering I'm not easy on a clutch. Rides good, gets great gas mileage but it's not by far a family car. It's rather small inside.

Safety
5 out of 5 stars
Technology
5 out of 5 stars
Performance
5 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
4 out of 5 stars
Reliability
5 out of 5 stars
Value
5 out of 5 stars
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3 out of 5 stars

Trouble tranny

Michael botelho, Keuka Park, NY, 09/16/2018
Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Transmission is bad and dealer won't help was always slow shifting and now at 71000 miles tranny blew it's only $3,700 But my dealer thinks it's ok for transmissions to go before 100,000 miles

Safety
3 out of 5 stars
Technology
3 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Interior
3 out of 5 stars
Comfort
2 out of 5 stars
Reliability
1 out of 5 stars
Value
2 out of 5 stars
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3 out of 5 stars

LS Cruze is a big disappointment!

smokum210, Akron, OH, 02/14/2012
Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
3 of 11 people found this review helpful

I bought my 2012 Chevy Cruze LS a couple of months ago. The transmission in this car is terrible it lurches from 3rd to 4th bad. The gas mileage is not what they advertise. I only average just over 25 combined miles per gallon. The back seat is to small for my teenage kids. If you are used to a car with more get up and go get the cruze with the turbo.

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3 out of 5 stars

Oh what high hopes I had for a GM vehicle

John S, Loves Park, IL, 09/01/2015
updated 03/10/2017
Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
1 of 2 people found this review helpful

So this is my first delve into buying a GM vehicle for about 15 years. But it probably will be the last one I will ever buy. My wife and I thought we were buying a good used 2011 Cruze LTZ. Only had 29,000 on it and looked great! Oh but how looks can fool you, turbo went out a month into ownership, how does a turbo fail with 29,000 miles? OK well then we think OK fluke right. No, then a few thousand miles later water pump leaking. OK, well maybe another fluke. No, water pump replaced 15,000 miles ago?? What? A water pump that lasts 15,000 miles? So these two engine parts should last well beyond what they have and obviously being on third water pump in 34,000 miles does not seem to indicate GM has done anything to actually fix this problem. Guess every third oil change I need to replace water pump? The car drives fine, but the 18" low profile tires are expensive to replace, why you would put 168 MPH rated tires on a econobox car I'll never figure out? Then you have the questionable turbo issues, oil sludge potential, I have seen these engines with less then 50,000 miles have total engine failure due to oil lubrication issues. Now you have the reduced value of the car because these issues are getting worse. I would not recommend this car to anyone at this point from my 4 months of ownership. If you do have one, make sure to change the oil, use synthetic if you want the engine to last to 100,000 miles, watch coolant levels, burn better gas for improved MPG and don't expect GM to do anything about these issues. Update 3/2/2016 So no major issues since Turbo at 29,000 and 3 water pumps. Have learned GM has "special warranty" on water pumps so I guess they do not have a real fix. I guess first year (2011) a real bear for these Cruze's. I even contacted the turbo maker Garrett about fixes and they fail to respond on why waste gate pin seizes? Again, no apparent solution I guess? Personally, I think the oil change schedule through the oil sensor is far too long. Were talking at least 10,000 miles on synthetic blend on a small engine with a turbo. Seems like GM wants them to fail early? My advice change the oil every 5,000 at least and use full synthetic oil! I am going that route now that my powertrain warranty is expired. Auto climate is a joke, takes forever on a hot day for AC to catch up, and on a cold start in Winter the little engine takes several miles before you feel heat in the car. Sadly the depreciation is happening much faster than my shrinking loan balance so I guess I am stuck with this car for a while. The bottom line on any compact car is don't buy with too many bells and whistles and get that price into the the mid twenties or even close to 30K. Because no matter what its a small car, with a small engine and all those options won't change that or keep depreciation from occurring.

Safety
4 out of 5 stars
Technology
2 out of 5 stars
Performance
2 out of 5 stars
Interior
4 out of 5 stars
Comfort
3 out of 5 stars
Reliability
2 out of 5 stars
Value
2 out of 5 stars
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4.5 out of 5 stars

Good Value / Decent Mileage

csb4, Lancaster, CA, 01/22/2013
Chevrolet Cruze LS 4dr Sedan (1.8L 4cyl 6M)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful

My '12 Cruze LS gets mileage as advertised. Mileage depends *heavily* on driving style. This weekend I drove the family to Disney and got 40 mpg round trip (EPA = 38 mpg highway). Driving more aggressively, I'd get 34-36 mpg highway. Like any car, numerous factors are at play: More passengers / more gas in tank = lower mpg. Lower temperatures = lower mpg. Air conditioner = lower mpg. More uphill than downhill = lower mpg (I therefore rely more on round trip values). I have even noticed mpg variations depending on the quality of the road. Some of the comments I've read probably don't account for these variables, and the many others, that do affect mpg.

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