# improving the suspension



## superdad (Apr 3, 2015)

Looking to improve the stock suspension on my 14 LT. I don't want to lower it because the snow we get around here would turn it into a snow plow. LOL

Looking or a more comfy tighter ride, shocks, wheels, tires?


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

Without lowering you can try bilstein HD shocks and struts. If your looking for tighter handling without lowering you can try that and possibly a front rear combo of sway bar upgrades. Upgrading tires can change every aspect of your car to some degree. Gotta decide what aspects you want to improve the most before, you can really move forward.


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## superdad (Apr 3, 2015)

Ok, so lets say I want to lower the car "not much", tighter suspension with out sacrificing ride quality. I don't care to feel every bump in the road. LOL


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

That's going to be different for different people. Some will say a set of k sport coilovers set on the highest setting will do this, if it were my money, is got for the bilstein B12 kit. It's a set of eibach lowering springs and some sport series shocks and struts. Well lower you about an inch and a half, which isn't much, and the ride will be a bit suffer, but not like racecar.


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

When I had my 2011 ECO 6M I found that adding front and rear lower chassis braces and front and rear strut tower bars made the car more solid feeling and definitely improved the driving dynamics. Pretty inexpensive and easy to do upgrade. So I thought I would share this link I found on Bimmerfest - it lists the torsional rigidness of numerous cars including the current Cruze. Car Body Torsional Rigidity - A Comprehensive List (Updated: Oct. 1, 2015) - YouWheel.com - Car News and Review I found the embedded video pretty informative as it shows all the factory stock chassis bracing on a current BMW M4.


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

I was thinking the same thing actually.. I didn't want to lower the car but wanted less body roll/ a firmer feel when whipping around corners and dumbass drivers lol! I was thinking about adding front and rear sway bars but wasn't sure if that would help much. I've got great winter and summer rubber for the car so I'm not concerned in that aspect.

Suggestions?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

CDNCRUZIN said:


> I was thinking the same thing actually.. I didn't want to lower the car but wanted less body roll/ a firmer feel when whipping around corners and dumbass drivers lol! I was thinking about adding front and rear sway bars but wasn't sure if that would help much. I've got great winter and summer rubber for the car so I'm not concerned in that aspect.
> 
> Suggestions?


Boost your tire pressure to 40 PSI (regular) or 45 PSI (LRR).


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## Overspray (Jun 16, 2014)

Stiffer shocks will help, even coil overs set to a higher height. Sticky rubber and wider wheels for the summer, but for winter you're on your own (thinner tires cut through snow, and winter compounds are hard as a rock).

Sway bars will help drastically, as will body/suspension stiffening. 

I wonder if the stiffer drop springs would work with a coil spacer at top or strut spacer to bring the height back to stock.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

A rear sway bar on a FWD car is generally one of the best modifications you can make, as it allows the car to rotate, rather than push, in a turn. 

I have a large 1.25" rear bar on my Cobalt, and that was the final piece to my puzzle (well, aside for going from a 195/60R15 all season to a 225/40R18 Direzza ZII tire) to complete the handling package.

This is a good thread, though. I am in the same boat with our diesel. I'm not going to lower it, as I know how dealing with driving a lowered vehicle through a Michigan winter goes - it sucks (drove my lowered Cobalt through about three or four of them). But I'm up for sway bars, braces, etc.


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## Overspray (Jun 16, 2014)

I haven't been able to find any info on if the undercarriage braces fit the diesel cars, I don't see why the strut tower braces wouldn't. Even if they don't they're easy enough to modify. I plan on lowering mine this spring just to alleviate some wheel gap when I put my wheels on. I also have driven plenty of dropped vehicles in Michigan winters and it indeed sucks sometimes.


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

I think I'll try sway bars in the spring.. I've got some pretty wide sticky rubber going on it in the summer so that's when the real test will take place!


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

Good deal! Size and what kind?


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

170-3tree said:


> Good deal! Size and what kind?


LOL! That's why I post here! I'll be doing some research and taking suggestions from the fine folks in this forum.. I really don't have a clue off the top of my head.. I know how I want the car to feel, I just don't know exactly how to get there! LOL!


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

CDNCRUZIN said:


> LOL! That's why I post here! I'll be doing some research and taking suggestions from the fine folks in this forum.. I really don't have a clue off the top of my head.. I know how I want the car to feel, I just don't know exactly how to get there! LOL!


oh? well theres tons of info on tires here and everyone has their opinion on them. Most people on here enjoy continental tires, then its just a matter of size which is easier to decide once you know about your wheel selection.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

You want sticky rubber, you're talking a Michelin PSS, or even stickier (but also much louder) with a Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec or Bridgestone RE-71R.


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

170-3tree said:


> oh? well theres tons of info on tires here and everyone has their opinion on them. Most people on here enjoy continental tires, then its just a matter of size which is easier to decide once you know about your wheel selection.


Sorry 170-3tree! I misinterpreted your last message.. size and what kind of TIRE! thought you meant sway bars lol! Unfortunately, I'm a high mileage driver 40,000+ kms/ year so I have to balance sticky with longevity.. which sucks! I currently have Altenzo 225/45/18 going on fast wheels FC04's in the spring. I've run with Pirelli, Bridgestone and Goodyear all in the past and although I love the grip, I am not a fan of dropping a butt-load of money on rubber every summer on my daily driver. The Goodyear Eagle RS-A's were the best as far as treadwear, grip, handling and price but my tire guy suggested the Altenzo's last summer when I blew out one of my Pirelli's.. They've been great so far despite mixed reviews on them and treadlife also seems to be above par too. We'll see how they are on the Cruze and maybe they'll get swapped up for something better at some point!


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

MP81 said:


> You want sticky rubber, you're talking a Michelin PSS, or even stickier (but also much louder) with a Dunlop Direzza ZII Star Spec or Bridgestone RE-71R.


Should I change tires, I think the Michelin PSS might be the way to go for me.. 30K mile treadwear warranty would definitely get me through 2 seasons which I think is about the max I'll see from any performance tire out there. Thanks for the advice!


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

CDNCRUZIN said:


> Should I change tires, I think the Michelin PSS might be the way to go for me.. 30K mile treadwear warranty would definitely get me through 2 seasons which I think is about the max I'll see from any performance tire out there. Thanks for the advice!


Yep - the PSS is an absolutely fantastic tire. You'll get easily two seasons. ****, my ZIIs, which are a 200 treadwear, still have plenty of life left, and I installed than last May.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

If you want to firm up the ride, chassis reinforcement is cheap and easy to do,get your self some light weight oz rims to cut almost 40lbs of rotational mass, combo it with better compound tires, im going with continental dws or bridgstone potenzas re11. Add in a whiteline rear sway bar and top off with bilstein b14 coil overs. This will make a great handling and fun car. WITH EACH every modification go to the local track for autocross and drive it, feel how the car has changed and see if your happy or want more all in gradual steps


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

pandrad61 said:


> If you want to firm up the ride, chassis reinforcement is cheap and easy to do,get your self some light weight oz rims to cut almost 40lbs of rotational mass, combo it with better compound tires, im going with continental dws or bridgstone potenzas re11. Add in a whiteline rear sway bar and top off with bilstein b14 coil overs. This will make a great handling and fun car. WITH EACH every modification go to the local track for autocross and drive it, feel how the car has changed and see if your happy or want more all in gradual steps


The Fast Wheels are made using a new forging process that makes them super light but super strong! Can you explain chassis reinforcement? The rear sway bar is going on for sure. I'm thinking about the coil overs too..


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

i stick with oem and well known brands like O.Z. BBs , enkie ext... the chassis of a car naturally flexes so instead of holding firm and letting the suspension work more precisely it has play. the link is a good explanation

How sway bar work | How Stuff Works | How do stabilizer bars work | How Strut Bars Work | Ultra Racing | Ultra Safety Bar

[ FEATURE | Chassis Reinforcement Guide ] J.D.M. OPTION INTERNATIONAL


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

pandrad61 said:


> i stick with oem and well known brands like O.Z. BBs , enkie ext... the chassis of a car naturally flexes so instead of holding firm and letting the suspension work more precisely it has play. the link is a good explanation
> 
> How sway bar work | How Stuff Works | How do stabilizer bars work | How Strut Bars Work | Ultra Racing | Ultra Safety Bar
> 
> [ FEATURE | Chassis Reinforcement Guide ] J.D.M. OPTION INTERNATIONAL


Oh yeah.. forgot.. Fast Wheels is Canadian.. LOL! They are very well known here and hold a high rep! I'll read up! Thanks very much!


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

I run 245/40/18 bridgestone re970's on mine. They're sticky as heck with a 40k warranty. I've seen them last longer too. 

White line is the place for front and rear bars that are matched for each other and ultra racing strut bars will do you nicely. The bars and chassis bracing can be done around $600 u.s.


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

The rear beam suspension in this car makes it hard to get good handling. It will never ride as nice as a car with independent suspension. The Cruze is lower to the ground than my old Saturn SL, but it handles much worse. I believe it is because of the rear beam suspension.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Do the new 2016 cruze get IRS?


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

dhpnet said:


> The rear beam suspension in this car makes it hard to get good handling. It will never ride as nice as a car with independent suspension. The Cruze is lower to the ground than my old Saturn SL, but it handles much worse. I believe it is because of the rear beam suspension.


False. The Cobalt SS/TC held the FWD production car lap record at Nurburgring for a few years (being knocked off by what is essentially a race car sold for the street) - and that has a torsion beam.

Just gotta know what to do with it. The Cruze isn't designed for razor-edge handling. Put a better set of struts and springs on there, beef up the front swaybar and add a rear one (clear signal it's meant for comfort rather than all-out handling - no rear sway bar from the factory), and you'll have something that handles like a completely different animal. Did the same thing on my Cobalt, and to say it's night and day is by far an understatement.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

> do the new 2016 cruze get irs?


unfortunate no. Again gm bean counters trade making a few bucks for better ride, more comfortable ride, and more performance


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

pandrad61 said:


> unfortunate no. Again gm bean counters trade making a few bucks for better ride, more comfortable ride, and more performance


I'd reckon it was more focused on weighing less. IRS weighs quite a bit more than a torsion beam setup. Less cost was just happened to be a benefit as well.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

ehh with today's aluminum double wishbone and coil-overs your maybe 10-20 lbs more. Its just harder and more expensive to engineer. its much lazier to use a solid axle


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Thing is, people buy an economy car for economy. It's not supposed to be a sports car. So for 98% of people it's perfect the way it is, myself included. For the other 2%, the aftermarket has your back with coil overs and whatnot.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

yes thats true, most don't care nor know how the suspension works. it is what it is, but its a common trend that even economy cars are going to pull independent for comfort and ride quality vs solid axles


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## 30 Ounce (Nov 18, 2012)

dhpnet said:


> The rear beam suspension in this car makes it hard to get good handling. It will never ride as nice as a car with independent suspension. The Cruze is lower to the ground than my old Saturn SL, but it handles much worse. I believe it is because of the rear beam suspension.


The rear suspension on the Cruze is a twist beam rear suspension and for all intents and purposes is considered and independent suspension. The trailing links are connected by a "beam" which acts like a sway bar. The links can move independently to a point just like any other independent rear suspension that has a sway bar. And to be frank you don't know what your talking about if you think a Saturn SL (which my daughter has) handles better than a Cruze. The Cruze out slalomed and out cornered the BMW 320i and VW GTI in Road and Tracks tests and Car and Drivers tests. Both cars I've driven a lot and are loads of fun but the Cruze is no slouch and mine is an ECO!


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

> The rear suspension on the Cruze is a twist beam rear suspension and for all intents and purposes is considered and independent suspension. The trailing links are connected by a "beam" which acts like a sway bar. The links can move independently to a point


this is a case like the ford independent solid axle in front of the bronco. yes it technically independent but in the real world application does not do its intended job well and has ever so limited independent moment its skates by using the word "independent".

i do agree the cruze handles impressivel well for having a solid rear axle and LRR tires, its no slouch but its not a sports car by any means, can be very sporty with a few modifications


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## CDNCRUZIN (Nov 24, 2015)

I've already looked into getting the rear sway bar done and it will run me roughly 300 installed (Canadian).. I figure I'll try that with my summer rubber and see if I need to do more to it.


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

Fact is. It's a Cruze. It may never be a real contender. It has vast unsprung weight in that rear beam and a poor suspension design for performance. But it can be made more enjoyable fairly easily. I'm trying to be realistic about what I can get with this car, but keeping it entertaining until I can move on to something more sporting.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

> Fact is. It's a Cruze. It may never be a real contender. It has vast unsprung weight in that rear beam and a poor suspension design for performance. But it can be made more enjoyable fairly easily. I'm trying to be realistic about what I can get with this car, but keeping it entertaining until I can move on to something more sporting.


thats the smartest thing to do. the cruze can be made to be sporty and fun to drive, it wont be a road racing master but it can be a fun time at autocross or track days all while consuming next to no fuel.


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## 30 Ounce (Nov 18, 2012)

pandrad61 said:


> thats the smartest thing to do. the cruze can be made to be sporty and fun to drive, *it won't be a road racing master *but it can be a fun time at autocross or track days all while consuming next to no fuel.


Well, that depends on how far you want to take it. The Cruze has dominated WTCC and BTCC for several years in a row. I know, they are race cars, but in both series the stock chassis is used and the stock suspension arms and links are used. They are reinforced to withstand the g-forces and other loads and they both chose to use the ECO rear suspension (reinforced to reduce flex) and not the Z link. They tested both but the Z link offered no improvement and added weight at the polar end of the vehicle, right where you don't want it. So yes it can be a road racing master with the right setup and driver.

Also you don't need to have independent rear suspension to have a great handling car. On a smooth race track or road a solid rear axle can outperform an independent suspension because it doesn't have any camber change during its travel. On a rough road is where independent rear suspension really shines. The old BMW 2002, 320i and Datsun 510 and 280ZX (all had the same basic rear suspension design) had to run really stiff rear springs to keep camber change in check otherwise they would unload half the tire and lose grip.

If you guys really want to improve the handling of your car you should take a high performance driving class at a local track. It's an eye opener. It's a lot more fun to drive a underpowered slightly loose car than a fully built track car like I have. The track car is a lot of fun but a 20 minute session is a serious workout. The nut behind the wheel should be the tightest!


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

30 Ounce said:


> The rear suspension on the Cruze is a twist beam rear suspension and for all intents and purposes is considered and independent suspension. The trailing links are connected by a "beam" which acts like a sway bar. The links can move independently to a point just like any other independent rear suspension that has a sway bar. And to be frank you don't know what your talking about if you think a Saturn SL (which my daughter has) handles better than a Cruze. The Cruze out slalomed and out cornered the BMW 320i and VW GTI in Road and Tracks tests and Car and Drivers tests. Both cars I've driven a lot and are loads of fun but the Cruze is no slouch and mine is an ECO!


Obviously I am not as smart as you are, but I drive the same winding road along highway 1 on the coast quite often and I cannot drive it as fast in my Cruze as I did in my Saturn. My Saturn didn't have power steering, which I liked, but maybe that had something to do with it. The Cruze feels a little sloppy and inaccurate in fast corners, and I don't want to fly off the cliff into the ocean. However, the Cruze does have a much more comfortable and much quieter ride than the Saturn, and is a much nicer car in general. 

Remember the old Chevy Caprice? You didn't steer that one, you sort of just aimed it and hoped for the best.


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

MP81 said:


> Just gotta know what to do with it. The Cruze isn't designed for razor-edge handling. Put a better set of struts and springs on there, beef up the front swaybar and add a rear one (clear signal it's meant for comfort rather than all-out handling - no rear sway bar from the factory), and you'll have something that handles like a completely different animal. Did the same thing on my Cobalt, and to say it's night and day is by far an understatement.


That's good to know. Maybe after mine is out of warranty I will consider doing some of these things. Also, I don't have the eco, but I wonder if the LRR tires are better for handling than the standard tires on the LT. I also don't want a race car, but a little improvement on the sloppy feeling I currently have would be nice.


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## 30 Ounce (Nov 18, 2012)

dhpnet said:


> Obviously I am not as smart as you are, but I drive the same winding road along highway 1 on the coast quite often and I cannot drive it as fast in my Cruze as I did in my Saturn. My Saturn didn't have power steering, which I liked, but maybe that had something to do with it. The Cruze feels a little sloppy and inaccurate in fast corners, and I don't want to fly off the cliff into the ocean. However, the Cruze does have a much more comfortable and much quieter ride than the Saturn, and is a much nicer car in general.
> 
> Remember the old Chevy Caprice? You didn't steer that one, you sort of just aimed it and hoped for the best.


Sorry man, not trying to be a smart ass. I grew up out there and love hwy 1 until I get behind some grandma or sight seer who thinks 20 mph is appropriate...or the fog rolls in and you can't see nothing! Anyway, I don't know what model you have and I've heard the stock Firestone tires on some model sucked rocks. If that's what you have then change them to a more sport oriented tire and I think you'll be surprised. Also if you have an automatic trans they soak up all the fun.:huh:


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## dhpnet (Mar 2, 2014)

30 Ounce said:


> Sorry man, not trying to be a smart ass. I grew up out there and love hwy 1 until I get behind some grandma or sight seer who thinks 20 mph is appropriate...or the fog rolls in and you can't see nothing! Anyway, I don't know what model you have and I've heard the stock Firestone tires on some model sucked rocks. If that's what you have then change them to a more sport oriented tire and I think you'll be surprised. Also if you have an automatic trans they soak up all the fun. &#55357;&#56853;


I know, but I had to dish it back. LOL! 

I do have the stock Firestones still. Maybe that is the real difference. I hate switching tires when they are still almost new, but maybe I will have to do it anyway. I also think it would be cool if I could adjust the power assist in the car's menu. I would turn it all the way down. 

You know my pain. Nothing worse than trying to get somewhere on Hwy 1 and getting stuck behind sight seers. I understand why they are driving so slow. It would be amazing to see that for the first time. But I got places to be, and its a highway. Similar to the sight seers on the cable cars. To me it's public transportation to get where I need to go. To them it's like Disneyland.


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## 170-3tree (Nov 4, 2014)

The wtcc and btcc cars are also more powerful than my Cruze will ever be, I presume. It autox I get classed with cobalt as and rx8's in street prep class. We're talking cars that are A) designed for sporty driving and B) more powerful with similar mods by far! I'm cool with this. I didn't but it thinking of track times, but it will definitely be a factor in my next car as I wanna run stock for a year or two.

But! This car is great for education purposes. You know what they say " more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow" people want a hellcat or whatever, but I NEED a car (and motorcycle for that matter) where balls go the walls is legal speeds on most roads.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

> I wonder if the LRR tires are better for handling than the standard tires on the LT


LRR have been known to not be sport friendly at all. softer sidewalls and less weight equals more "slopp" feeling in the steering, makes the car roll the tire under much easier, numbs up all that the car is trying to communicate with you... basically LRR tires are like performance Ritalin lol 



> I hate switching tires when they are still almost new, but maybe I will have to do it anyway


I feel the same way, my CTd only has 6,500 miles on it and im already wearing the sidewalls upfront crazy fast and this is me rotating the tires every oil change. these little tires are absolute junk and i too hate spending the money to replace brand new tires. I may have to because here in forida i can take my normal turn at 45 and they don't grip, i will under steer like no ones business and plow the turn. im able to keep composure since it aint that bad but a real performance all season heck a max performance summer would do better


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

> The Cruze out slalomed and out cornered the BMW 320i and VW GTI in Road and Tracks tests and Car and Drivers tests. Both cars I've driven a lot and are loads of fun but the Cruze is no slouch and mine is an ECO!


 That might be, however my experience around the Watkins Glen track with my current 2014 320i 6m w/m sport suspension compared to my previous 2011 ECO 6m (modded with UR front / rear upper / lower strut tower and chassis bars) does not jive with those test results. Granted for a slalom or skid pad you don't need strong brakes or power to achieve good numbers. On a track all three elements are needed - good chassis dynamics/brakes/power.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

money_man said:


> Do the new 2016 cruze get IRS?


No. Twist-beam/Z-link is carry over. Fine with me - good compromise between ride quality and handling.

My parents Accord actually has an independent rear suspension setup, and double-wishbone front setup. The Cruze rides AND corners better despite the cars being a similar weight (the Accord is just huge dimension-wise in comparison). However, despite its age and mileage (80K), the Accord has not worn out suspension parts that I would have expected to replace on other cars by now.


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## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Sorry, the 2016 is still like us. Does the 2017 cruze (2nd gen) get IRS?


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

> sorry, the 2016 is still like us. Does the 2017 cruze (2nd gen) get irs?


again yes, the 2016 limited 1st gen cruze is same, the second generation new body style is solid axle rear


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