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 the 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, sure -I mean, 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.