Test Drive: 2012 Chevy Cruze

We got our hands on a 2012 Chevy Cruze LTZ to put through it’s paces. Our Cruze came equipt with the 1.4L turbo ecotec motor which makes 138hp and 148 ft-lbs of torque. Chevy is implementing this 1.4L turbo engine in several of it’s new cars. Chevy Claims the Cruze isn’t a direct replacement to the Cobalt but it’s Cobalt size, Cobalt power, and Cobalt price, so the Cruze is the replacement for the Cobalt. We liked the old Cobalt so the Cruze has to be good if it wants to replace it.

Our tester Cruze came pretty well equipt with a six speed automatic, keyless entry, keyless start, and 17inch wheels. The interior is well appointed with automatic climate control, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, uplevel instrument panel with chrome trim rings, driver and front-passenger illuminated vanity mirrors, outside heated, power-adjustable, body-color mirrors, front fog lamps, chrome door handles, 18-inch alloy wheels, available navigation and premium audio and available power sunroof.

For our complete road test hit the jump and see what we think of Chevy’s Civic fighter.

The first thing we noticed is our tester car was pretty stylish. Gone is the awkard round, bubbly shape of the sedan Cobalt. The Cruze is sleek and sporty and looks as good as anything in it’s class. We can’t help but dream about what a hotted up SS version might look like.

Climbing inside it’s more improvements over the out going Cobalt. The interior has a much more European feel with nicer materials and colors that compliment each other. The center stack with it’s futuristic curves takes a little getting used to but the buttons are well laid out and easy to reach from the drivers seat. The seats are comfortable and there is plenty of room inside for a rather large person like myself. All of the controls are easy to reach and well thought out which make operating the Cruze pretty easy.

We loved the instrument clusters cool blue glow at night and easy to read dials in the daylight. The large hoods that over hang the cluster block any glare in bright sun and look pretty cool. All in all it’s a huge step up from econo Chevy’s of yesteryear and as good if not better then many cars twice it’s price. You spend alot of time looking at the gauge cluster so it’s nice to have an appealing one, something that with the exception of the Corvette has been lacking in Chevy’s line up.

We were less enthused to try GM’s six speed automatic but it turns out that when mated to the 1.4L turbo it works pretty well. Shifts aren’t harsh and are decently quick but there is some left to be desired when really getting on it.

That brings us to the engine, which is more then adequate. It won’t set your pants on fire but we netted a 0-60mph time of 9.1 seconds. On paper that seems pretty slow, and it is, but out on the highway when merging into traffic the 1.4 turbo gives you enough confidence to get into traffic with ease. Did we mention we are dreaming of an SS model?

Handling is surprisingly good with the Cruze, it inspires confidence in the corners and is quite fun to drive. Chevy claims to have done a lot of work to make the Cruze’s handing more precise and crisp and clearly they have. The seats while very comfortable cruising are a bit of a let down in the corners. SS model anyone?

All in all we like the Cruze, it’s 22,000 dollar price tag for our top of line model is on par with it’s competitors and it’s a good car. Ecotec motors are known for being reliable and largely everything else in the Cruze is pretty tried and true. The Cruze is a pretty big step up from the Cobalt but I can’t help but feel it’s still a little behind the Ford Focus, which I have a little experience with but will do a full test of this spring. So for now we’ll just have to say the Cruze is a pretty good car in a small package for a reasonable price. Long gone are the days of the Cavalier when you got bargain basement everything to go along with the bargain basement price. The Cruze proves that the new GM is serious this time.