Somehow I have owned two American cars, which is unusual for me and for my family. My wife has only had one, and my parents did have a Pinto but mainly had French, British, and Japanese cars. As some of you know, I’ve leaned towards Honda and VW. But a couple of American vehicles slipped in there in the 20-teens: a 2012 Fiesta I was never a fan of, and a 2013 Cruze which I liked a lot.
In 2016, the Cruze was what I needed at the time. Small, but big enough for trips, economical, and priced right. The dealer gave me a good amount for the Fiesta, and the Cruze was a former rental, two years old and with only 10,000 miles on it. Still under warranty for a few years, and in good shape. In fact, pretty close to brand new condition, inside and out. I figured a rental would have been roughed up, but it hadn’t been. It was, also surprisingly, fun to drive (for what it was) and fancy (for me): Power everything, and heated seats. (I had just left the world of old VWs and Hondas, and was still getting used to buttons for the locks and windows). I also think Cruzes are pretty sharp, for a sedan. Later they offered a hatchback that I would have liked better, and an idea for an El Camino floated around based on a Holden Ute and looking a lot like my Cruze, but it never got up here.
I’m not saying it looked better, but it would have been more practical for me, and maybe avoided the only minor issue I had with the Cruze, the trunk popping open randomly.
Oh, how I lusted after this.
The Cruze was a great commuter, and good for trips. I want to say “surprisingly” yet again, because my expectations for American cars have always been low. So, surprisingly agile and quick on the road. I really enjoyed driving it, and since I was on the road for a couple of hours a day, that was important.
And, (Shockingly? astonishingly?) reliable. I had not a single mechanical failure with it. There was one weird little issue, partly electrical: the trunk kept popping open at random when it sat. My neighbors would call or stop by and say, “Your trunk’s up again.” At first I thought it was my fault, not being used to remotes instead of keys, and the trunk button perhaps sensitive enough that being squished in my pocket pushed on it and popped it. So I started carrying the key in my work lunchbox or elsewhere, and leaving the car in the garage more for security when it did pop up. It happened less, but still happened. Several trips to the dealer finally brought a cure. I can’t remember what they did, swapped the latch switch maybe?
This was the car I brought my daughter home from the hospital in. We hadn’t been planning to have a kid when I got it, and the back wasn’t ideal for a carseat; that swoopy roofline and rear door made things awkward. Oh, well.
Half of my cars have been red. I’m not sure which shade this is; there are bright red Cruzes, but this is a bit darker. Take a good look at that front end; you’ll want it for comparison later. Oh, and this is not my car- I never have sunroofs, because I’m a wingnut and would be distracted looking up at planes.
I worked nights, often very late. One cold night in late 2017, I left work around 3am, got on the highway, and was just getting up to cruising speed (70 in a 65) in the right lane when a deer jumped in front of a semi that was passing me on the left. It cleared the semi, barely, and then exploded into assorted limbs and chunks when it hit my car. I barely had time to register that it was there, didn’t even try to maneuver. Just blammo, and then I pulled over.
The car absorbed the punishment, mainly with the hood. Not a scratch or crack on the windshield. Not a scratch on me. The Cruze sacrificed itself to save me. I sat in a sheriff’s car to keep warm till the tow truck came and took me to the nearest shop. My wife (and baby) came to get me around 4am. The Cruze was done. The insurance payout was more than I expected and they were very helpful and understanding. I ended up taking over my wife’s Sentra and we got her an Element, which was much better than either the Sentra or the Cruze as a kidmobile and which she only recently retired.
Didn’t look totaled to me, but it was, since there’s some damage underneath.
I liked that car, which surprised me. I don’t know if I’ll ever get a Chevy again, but I am jealous when I see a Cruze on the streets. I still think they look sharp. I still miss this one.
Related CC reading:
Curbside Rental: 2014 Chevrolet Cruze LTZ – This Isn’t Quite So Easy
I once rented a 2nd generation 2018 Cruze when my car was in the body shop for repairs. It was a nice car. Too bad GM abandoned the compact sedan market since. Maybe the profit for them wasn’t there, but buyers of these cars might have been loyal to the brand and moved up to larger and more expensive SUVs, or bought another compact. Toyota and Honda still offer that option.
They always reminded me of an A3. I like the styling also, sharp looking little cars for sure.. Supposedly they have a timing belt that needs changing eventually.. I would own one.. Another chevy favorite of mine is the Malibu of three gens ago.. They remind me of my e34 BMWs of which i’m on my 5th. Plain simple good looking functional styling…
Mark, happy to read you were unhurt. A semi passing you in the left lane at 65 -70 in the dark is a big no-no. My drivers are trained not to but their dash cams tell a different story. It’s an uphill battle. When the Cruze was introduced, I was elated. GM finally had sharp looking, well built small car. The RS trim is my favorite. At 6 feet tall, I felt the cabin was a bit tight although well appointed. I still smile when I see them on the road.
I was merging, had recently entered the highway; he had gotten over into the fast lane to allow me on. I don’t think he did anything wrong. The timing was just bad.
I saw several today. They look good, and I have good memories of it.
Thank God you came out ok from the deer collision. Had a friend who suffered through a head injury from a deer collision in a second generation Prelude.. The passenger seat. broke. when the deer’s carcass entered through the windshield. Anyone seated. there would have been killed. The Honda was totalled by the insurance company.
I’m slightly sad GM Chevrolet division abandoned the Cruze, along with the Impala. I’ve rented both.. The Cruze got surprisingly good mpg’s, and felt more upscale than I expected. The ride was tight, and the turbo kicked hard when needed. The Impala had a decent interior, the V6 had serious guts, and the ride was near Lexus quality to me.
I know the sedan isn’t dead, but I guess the domestic maker’s bean. counters disagree. When my older VAG built car gets tired, I will seriously consider the Chevies, especially since there would be no used Japanese brand or German parts replacement mark up.
I had a rental Malibu last year, and it was good too- though too big for me! I miss the Cruze. It was surprisingly fun to drive.
I know how lucky I was to not even have the deer hit the windshield. Very grateful to the Cruze.
Considering that we don’t have a Chevy dealership in my town, I was always surprised at the popularity of the Cruze locally. Perhaps it was the name … I live in Santa Cruz. Though the same popularity hasn’t extended to the Hyundai Santa Cruz.
I had a 2015 for a few years and was very pleasantly surprised at how stable and solid it felt on the highway. The backseat was very very tight but that was the only fault I could find.
I don’t remember ever sitting in the back, but I’m sure that contributed to the awkwardness of getting the carseat in and out.
I had a super basic used one about 5 years ago in the rare orangy red called autumn metallic, the 1.8 NA engine, and steel wheels. It was a great car to drive and the interior was a much nicer place to spend time than its competitors. Probably the most competitive small car GM has made since the Corvair. Sadly, this car’s Achilles heel took effect. The transmissions on these cars are infamously weak. It got a new transmission and is still in the family. They’re much more pleasant cars than you’d expect. Glad you liked yours. I’ll always defend the first gen Cruze.
I didn’t quite have it two years. Maybe that was good, and I got lucky and avoided serious issues. Never had any with the engine or transmission.
Something must go wrong with those Cruz cars they simply dont hold their value here, sold new as Holdens that brand is gone so that may have affected them, Ive never seen one turned into a ute, we got that in Commodore which is bigger.
When I was car shopping in 2018, I drove pretty much everything in the sub two litre class. That included the likes of the Cruze and the Nissan Sentra.
The Cruze was better than expected. It was smooth and comfortable. It was also one of the most expensive options in the class.
I passed on the Cruze because of the price and GM’s “legendary” reliability. The 1.4 turbo is not knowing for its longevity.
I think I got a really good deal on this one. Decent price with my trade-in, some warranty remaining. Sentra post next week! Though a previous generation. Another untimely end…
We rented a Cruze LTZ many years ago and I was impressed by how it drove as well as the standard features… I was disappointed when Chevy decided to cancel the model but we were able to buy a 2017 (red) low mileage hatchback Cruze. It has been reliable, economical and comfortable. We went on a recent highway trip with my brother in his new Honda Civic – the Cruze is way quieter and (we thought) more comfortable.
Glad you liked it! A little jealous that you got a hatchback. I think I would have liked it.
The Cruze was certainly good enough to win both the British and The World Touring Car Championship in 2010, as well as being voted best touring car of 2010 by Touring Car Times readers.
My brother rented a Cruze for a US vacation ca. 2014 and was pleasantly surprised by it.
The Cruze, IMO, deserved a better fate.
Small cars = small profits. As good as the Cruze might have been, GM was just following the market with more profitable crossovers and small CUVs.
Now, if someone is looking for a small, affordable sedan, they’re limited to the Pacific Rim or VW.
I had a couple of these. My first one was a ’12 LTZ, purchased 2 years old., KDM spec with the 1.8, full load, plus a pile of mods like exhaust, intake, 18″ wheels, and more. The first owner spent a pile on this stuff which I got essentially for free. I bought it 36,000 Kms and only put another 36,000 km on it over the next 7 years. In that time I had a coil pack go, and ABS sensors on the front wheels. When the sensors went it developed another strange problem where the trans locked in 4th, rendering it undrivable. It had too be towed in. It was the hottest day in SK to date. I blamed it on the heat. After a cool down at the service center, the trans returned to normal, but not before they ordered a new shift lever assembly, which was (mis)diagnosed as the cause. Another strange issue was the radio. I only ever listened to music on a thumb drive, and sometime the radio woud spontaneously turn off them come back on in FM mode some minutes later. I just learned to live with it. The retirement age at my university just happened to be at the peak of covid, and nobody else was hiring. I was forced to sell the car in February ’21 and return (sentenced?) to Canada for 355 days. I found another one at the local Chevy dealer, a 2015 so called Certified pre-owned that was priced right, and no turbo, which I was avoiding. It was bottom-rug LS, the only way to get the NA 1.8. It served me fine until I was able to leave (escape) Canada again. Thanks to the used car situation during Covid, the same dealer gave me pretty much what paid for it the year before.
The main issue, other than a window regulator that snapped in minus 40, was the heating. It was the worst I have ever encountered in a modern vehicle . Letting it idle to warm up was a fools errand. It would only eventually get warm inside at highway speeds, making short trips a very frigid affair.
Wow. I only had it a couple of years and never had any major problems, and the only minor one was the trunk popping open. Guess I got lucky.
I had one as a rental for a couple of weeks. The exact car was featured in a review article I saw about a month after I had the car, which had 50K on it when I had it, 53K when the author had it. Other than just being too small for me, being built like a Gorilla, it was one of my favorite rentals. It was in great condition, no rattles, and everything seemed to be holding up well. The author of the review said the same thing, he liked it, and he didn’t even complain about lack of shoulder room like I would have, if I wrote the article.
I’m 5’10”, so it was a good fit for me. Better than the Fiesta I had before it. Back seat was awkward to get a carseat in; not sure I ever sat there. My wife is shorter and had no complaints. I was surprised by how good a shape it was in, being a former rental, and how low the miles were.
We had a Cruze ECO with 6 spd manual which was amazing! It handled great and frequently would get me, my wife and 3 kids 45 mpg on long trips. Eventually my kids out grew it and I swapped it for the sleeper hot rod Chevy SS sedan with 6.2 V8 and 6 spd manual. Both cars were bullet proof reliability wise.
I had never had a Chevy, and didn’t know of any in my extended family. But the Cruze and a Malibu rental were solid cars, and I have driven Chevy trucks that were reliable for work. The Ford cars I and my family have owned were not great. My opinion of Chevrolet definitely went up.