Review: The Chevy Cruze turns in a solid performance on the road
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The coin was in the air, figuratively at least.
Planning an 1,100-mile trip to Maryland for a family event, we wondered whether to drive Mrs. G’s 2015 Subaru Legacy, which would have given us fuel economy in the mid-30s.
The other option was this week’s test car, a resdesigned-for-2016 Chevrolet Cruze, which promised 40 miles per gallon on the highway.
The contest was between a proven, comfortable, midsize sedan and a well-equipped-but-unknown compact sedan.
We chose the Cruze because it offered the opportunity for a long road test with a variety of traffic and road conditions.
The Cruze’s mileage figures turned out to be surprisingly strong, 42.4 mpg for the round trip. The car’s onboard computer allows you to check fuel economy over 25- 50- or 450-mile segments.
Going through the mountains of Pennsylvania, mpg dropped into the mid- to high 30s. On the other extreme, we snuck past 50 (50.2) during a 25-mile segment while trying to maximize economy.
Our test vehicle was hardly a bare-bones Cruze; instead, it was a Premier, the top of the L, LS, LT, Premier model lineup.
Base price was $23,995, including destination, but these days the trend is to well-optioned compact cars. So it is with the Cruze: Air-conditioning, Bluetooth, rearview camera, and a first-class 7-inch touch screen are standard on base models.
Our test vehicle had LED running lights, heated mirrors, cruise control, steering-wheel mounted controls, a rear center armrest, keyless ignition, heated front and rear seats, 17-inch wheels, special rear suspension tuning, heated steering wheel, and leather upholstery as standard equipment.
The Premier trim level gives the Cruze a high-quality look and comfortable feel with leather, a large information screen, and intuitive controls.
The Sun and Sound package ($1,995) added sunroof, color driver information display, larger (8-inch) touch screen with navigation, plus a Bose premium audio system.
An enhanced convenience package ($895) added automatic climate control, wireless charging, and heated rear seats. Siren red paint ($395) brought the bottom line to $27,250.
A thousand miles and two long days at the wheel imprint you with a list of vehicle idiosyncrasies. For me, the Cruze had a few, none of which would be deal-breakers.
The brake pedal was about an inch too high, making it tough to pivot my oft-broken right foot and ankle from gas to brake repeatedly in traffic. It WAS good exercise in increasing that joint’s flexibility, however.
The electronically assisted power steering didn’t have a solid center position—something you especially miss on long highway stretches and becomes obvious when the car seems to move every time you glance to the right or left at road signs, other cars, or scenery.
Cruze’s six-speed automatic transmission performed flawlessly in normal acceleration, but sometimes would hunt for the right gear when asked for sudden acceleration.
Chevy has done a nice job with the Cruze’s exterior styling, making it more aerodynamic and giving the sedan a sleeker silhouette with raked front and rear windows. The Cruze shares a family styling look with the Malibu and Impala; indeed, it can be mistaken for the larger Malibu.
The flip side of the styling is that rear visibility is just adequate, especially with a high rear shelf under that window, meaning that properly adjusting side mirrors is a must. We got them right after some tweaking.
Chevy offers a pair of Driver Confidence packages, one of which adds blind spot warning and rear cross traffic alerts. The second, available on the Premier, adds automatic high beam control, forward collision alert, and lane departure warning/intervention. I’d check those boxes if I were looking for a Cruze.
Would I buy this car? If I were in the market for a compact vehicle, the Cruze would have to get prime consideration, maybe even more when a hatchback gets added to the lineup for 2017.
Power comes from a new 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 153 horsepower and 177 lb.-ft. of torque. It doesn’t sound like much, but the Cruze weighs in at only 2,932 pounds.
We found the engine performance competent, though it worked hard when asked for max output. It was a solid mix of ability and economy. Part of the engineers’ economy equation is start/stop technology, a feature they must feel adds enough economy to offset its cost and bit of delay when starting from a stoplight.
The brakes stopped just fine, though they had a slightly grabby component, similar to the feel of a regenerative brake system.
The car’s aerodynamic shape is especially visible from the rear.
Ride quality was good, especially for a compact, and the slightly longer wheelbase (over the prior model) tended to help smooth things out in most situations. On my torture test of washboard road, the Cruze fared OK, which actually translates to a good score in this market segment.
Interior quality in the Premier had a true upscale feel with leather, soft-touch surfaces and intuitive controls. Chevy kept its dual-cockpit dashboard look but did away with the wraparound-curves design that always felt confining.
Rear legroom was adequate. You might not want to do a thousand miles back there, but it’s fine for a two- or three-hour drive.
Likewise, the seats were surprisingly comfortable for a compact vehicle. We found fanny fatigue didn’t set in for a few hours, about the time it was advisable to make a pit stop anyway.
The Cruze had ample time to bury itself on our long trek; instead, it performed admirably.
[You can find local deals on Chevrolet here].
2016 Chevrolet Cruze Premier
THE BASICS
Price, base/as tested (with destination): $23,995/$27,250. Fuel economy, EPA estimated: 30 city/40 highway/34 combined. Fuel economy, Globe observed: 42.4. Drivetrain: 1.4-liter 4-cylinder, 6-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive. Body: 5-passenger sedan.
THE SPECIFICS
Horsepower: 153. Torque: 177 lb.-ft. Overall length: 183.7 in. Wheelbase: 106.3 in. Height: 57.4 in. Width: 70.6 in. Curb weight: 2,932 lbs.
THE GOOD
Combination of economy and performance, nice quality cabin, strong overall compact package.
THE BAD
Steering could use better calibration; drivers need to be able to adjust and trust their side mirrors for rear visibility.
THE BOTTOM LINE
A must-consider if shopping for a compact sedan.
ALSO CONSIDER
Dodge Dart, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Kia Forte, Mazda 3, Nissan Sentra, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Golf.
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