# Cruze Rated 5th in a 5 Car Comparo By Motor Trend



## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

I can't believe no one's talking about the Motor Trend comparison between the Cruze TD, Honda Civic Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Volkswagen Jetta Hybrid and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. After all the blah, blah, blah...they rated the Cruze last because of it's lack of interior space. The winner was the Jetta TDI because of it's pricing (they tested it with no options at $23K compared to the Cruze at base price). Also intimated that the VW was better on fuel mileage and faster in acceleration. They mentioned that the Cruze exceded the EPA rating, but didn't say by how much...I wonder why?

Also, gave no credit for the Cruze's 100K mile drivetrain warranty or upgraded interior (leather vs vinyl) or far superior brakes. 

Chevy and maybe all of GM rarely get good ratings on comparisons by Motor Trend. They also hit the Cruze hard on it's depreciation rating...duh, it's only been out for a few months, how can they rate it on depreciation...I bet there aren't ten used TD Cruzes on car lots nation wide...lol.

Anyway, read the biased article in the December Motor Trend.


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## prince_bigd (Jul 16, 2013)

I read it and looked over the numbers. I also found it odd they tested a manual jetta tdi despite every other car being auto or cvt. The cruze is dinged for a small back seat which is true, but ive sat in a new model jetta and the base models are worlds behind in content and feel. While the jetta may drive nicely I found the cruze just as confident and quiet. I havent driven a TD cruze yet and can imagine the extra weight of the diesel over the nose may affect handling balance some but the cruze is still one of the most solid and stable platforms in the compact market.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

When MotorTrend did their comparison of 40 MPG cars, the Cruze ECO MT was the clear winner for fuel economy, even beating out the Jetta TDI, but it didn't "win" the comparison. MotorTrend's editors and reviewers have a definite bias towards foreign cars.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

obermd said:


> MotorTrend's editors and reviewers have a definite bias towards foreign cars.


Yeah, but those MT editors & reviewers are getting PAID for their *'technically (biased) opinions' *whereas you & I aren't (wink,wink)!


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

When was the last time a motor writer had to buy a new car? It is amazing the difference it makes to the view one gets of a new car when it is your own money paying for it. I wanted a new VF Commodore when I bought my Cruze only the price difference was more than I wanted to pay. Having previously owned a V6 Commodore I wasn't really interested in either 4 cylinder cars from the Cruze range and then I saw the torque figures of the TD and ordered one without even taking it for a test drive as the only one they had was being detailed in a holding yard somewhere. That has been the best decision I could have made as now 15 months later I still really enjoy driving it. I would still prefer a Commodore but not by much RWD being the biggest attraction for me.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

The Jettas have nice driving dynamics but that's all I can really say about them. The interior looks like an old Civic - cheap plastic abounds. The TDI and a MT is a fantastic combination - I drove a Golf with one and loved everything about the car but the price. 

I can't believe the Prius placed above anything. Those cars are abysmal to drive and make even a Corolla look nice on the inside. 

The Cruzes rear seat is small, but the interior and driving dynamics are great. That's why I bought one. There are times I wish there was more passenger room though. And the diesel has so much torque on tap compared to anything else there, even the TDI.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Usually you can tell how a 'comparo' will end by looking at who purchassed the most pages of advertising over the year.

Dynamics and overall useability and operating costs without loading resale into the equasion are all I pay attention to.
Resale is meaningless.....never purchassed a car using selling it back as a purchass criteria......what has that to do with enjoyment of operation?

Use the articles to get a feel for what you may want to see in your driveway every morning.

Rob


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Yeah VW price and I was afraid of electrical gremlins. I drove the eurospec diesel and fell in love with it after I got used to shifting gears with my left hand. Most the issues I seen across the board was back seat space(volt isn't any better) and brake feel.


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## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

I feel bad for people that believe everything these magazines say and buy solely based on their opinion. I drove a SEL Passat awhile back when I was interested in buying a new car. The time came to actually buy one and I drove a Cruze TD. The interior is so much nicer in the Cruze and feels so much more comfortable. The interface of the German cars is not something I like or would ever like. Like I have told everyone thinking about getting a new car, DRIVE EVERYTHING. Just because Joe Blow over there did not like the car does not mean you won't. YOU are spending the money, get what YOU want.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

DieselMan33 said:


> YOU are spending the money, get what YOU want.


Buying *CARS *is *a lot *like buying *HAMBURGERS*...always get'em _"...YOUR WAY..." _(wink,wink)!


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

I have to tear IT apart several times down the road to get IT to become MY WAY .....
BY the WAY ...

So start with some thing you know you can TEAR Apart !


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

prince_bigd said:


> I read it and looked over the numbers. I also found it odd they tested a manual jetta tdi despite every other car being auto or cvt. The cruze is dinged for a small back seat which is true, but ive sat in a new model jetta and the base models are worlds behind in content and feel. While the jetta may drive nicely I found the cruze just as confident and quiet. I havent driven a TD cruze yet and can imagine the extra weight of the diesel over the nose may affect handling balance some but the cruze is still one of the most solid and stable platforms in the compact market.


Obviously, everyone on this TD Cruze forum would agree that the Cruze is the better car. I've ridden in jettas and can't agree that they're more spacious. I was surprised that anything in the comparo came close to the Cruze's acceleration potential and I find it hard to believe they didn't get better fuel mileage on their test car. Oh, well...someone else said it: MT is getting advertising bucks from someone...could it be VW?


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

Well October sales of VWs are down 18% year over year. So not every is buying hype that the car magazines are publishing.


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## Nellie (Oct 27, 2013)

blk88verde said:


> Well October sales of VWs are down 18% year over year. So not every is buying hype that the car magazines are publishing.



that could be good news for us, hopefully we got the 18% loss from VW 

ive test drove the jetta i thought it was a dog compated to the cruze TD
the Prius for god sake is the worst car out there- ugly as **** not comfortable and of course the whole hybrid thing im not crazy about 
my buddy has a prius and ive driven it many times-would never buy who and never rate it higher than the cruze TD


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I just read this article last night. All of the "complaints" they had about this car except maybe for back seat room are not at all valid. I have put 26,500 miles on one of these and I find it a delightful car to drive in all respects. It's quiet and comfortable on the highway, has plenty of power and gets fantastic fuel mileage. I also find the handling to be quite good and solid/stable. I test drove several Jetta (and Golf and Passat) TDI's before I bought they Cruze and in my opinion they are definitely decent cars, but the Cruze overall was a much better car to drive. As for the depreciation, there is no way they can calculate that accurately. A gas Cruze and a diesel Cruze will no doubt follow a very different depreciation curve. Also, some other magazine got 8.0 0-60, can't remember which, for the Cruze.


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

I'm a pretty good judge of "car flesh", and this Cruze is a far better car than MT gave it credit. For what's at stake, a good or bad review could account for a sizeable number of sales. The stakes are high, folks.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

ParisTNDude said:


> I'm a pretty good judge of "car flesh", and this Cruze is a far better car than MT gave it credit. For what's at stake, a good or bad review could account for a sizeable number of sales. The stakes are high, folks.


Most buyers seem to take MT/C&D tests and ignore them. Toyota products consistently rank near the bottom of their groups in tests for driving enjoyment, while Mazda is usually near the top. Their sales record says people's priorities are elsewhere.

I take them with a grain of salt at best, especially those of Consumer Reports. 

The reviews are good to read to know what you're in for when shopping, but ultimately, the decision is YOURS to make. There were definitely mixed reviews on the gasser Cruzen, some saying that the likes of the Honda Civic, Focus, or Elantra placed above it. Not in my book.


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