# Look what showed up in my driveway this morning...



## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

GM dropped off this car for me today to drive around as my own vehicle for a week, and first tank of gas is free. It's a 2012 Cruze LTZ and appears to be fully loaded with the exception of the RS package. I'll be writing a review on this and comparing it to my own Cruze Eco. Expect that in about a week.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Mmm...steal the wheels for your Eco!!! 238497234789278942978427984 times prettier 

Too bad it's an auto


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

jblackburn said:


> Mmm...steal the wheels for your Eco!!! 238497234789278942978427984 times prettier
> 
> Too bad it's an auto


LOL. Yeah, it is an auto, and I have to admit that the wheels are very nice. If 18" tires didn't cost so much, I'd be looking to trade someone my Eco wheels for their 18" wheels. I threw it around a few corners pretty hard already and the tires definitely grip better than the LRR tires on the Eco. When those LRR tires are gone, I'll be looking for some much stickier all season tires with stiff sidewalls. 

My first impression is that the car hauls pretty hard off the line in 1st and 2nd. In the manual, I rarely notice the acceleration off the line because I'm always trying to stay in a low RPM out of boost, but with the automatic, the torque converter stalls at a higher RPM than my clutch launches are which puts you into a high boost level immediately. Not too great for fuel economy purposes, but you immediately forget that the car is a 4-cyl. It pulls like my N/A 3800 did. Sure, the manual can do that too and probably even put down more power due to less drive train loss, but not without wearing the clutch more than it would normally wear during a moderate launch. 

It will be a very interesting comparison. So far, I'm liking it despite it being a automatic. I can honestly say I prefer driving the manual for the simple fact that I shift where I want to and when I want to every time, but my first impression so far has been quite positive.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Can you also report on your impressions of how smoothly it shifts compared to other cars. Nice looking car.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Definitely want to hear your thoughts on "transmission shifting" while making a U-turn from the left-turn lane at an intersection...I'll not mention ANYTHING so you have no pre-conceptions to tarnish your evaluation.


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

just woke up that is truily awsome
what are your plans .


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## Macman (May 4, 2011)

I wish they'd swap mine for a 2012 that runs decently. Let us know how it goes.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

XR - run 87 octane in it. That's what the owners' manual says we should be able to run.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

obermd said:


> XR - run 87 octane in it. That's what the owners' manual says we should be able to run.


It got dropped off with a full tank of gas and I get to keep it for a week. I only drive ~250 miles a week, and don't have to re-fill the tank, so...


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## silverls (Nov 12, 2011)

So, why did this happen? Did i miss something?

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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

silverls said:


> So, why did this happen? Did i miss something?
> 
> Sent from my DROID BIONIC using AutoGuide.Com Free App


GM Social Media/PR has chosen me for their "cars to consumers" program, to spend some behind-the-wheel time in their vehicles and drive them on a daily basis for a week or so to get a good feel for them. I basically drive the car instead of my own car. The hope is that I talk up their products based on my experience. It's not asked of me, but I'll be writing a formal review of this car, my own Eco, and a comparison between the two after I've been able to drive this car for a while.


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## socalcruze (Aug 4, 2012)

I've tested both the LT2 and the LTZ, and the LTZ tires are noticeably "grippier" and give a stiffer ride quality.

If you run the auto trans in "manual" mode, you can keep the boost from coming on early - starting in 2nd gear works best. In heavy freeway traffic I go manual pretty often. The automatic downshifting in manual mode takes some getting used to.


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## Beachernaut (Mar 27, 2012)

Nice. I'm curious about the direct comparison between this and the Eco from an owners perspective.


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## silverls (Nov 12, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> GM Social Media/PR has chosen me for their "cars to consumers" program, to spend some behind-the-wheel time in their vehicles and drive them on a daily basis for a week or so to get a good feel for them. I basically drive the car instead of my own car. The hope is that I talk up their products based on my experience. It's not asked of me, but I'll be writing a formal review of this car, my own Eco, and a comparison between the two after I've been able to drive this car for a while.


Im also curious and would love to use your writeup for my reviews on youtube. Have a comparison of the ls, eco, and ltz would be nice for it

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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Enjoy! Looking forward to hearing your review!


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

My 1LT RS is same color as that car, man those rims would look nice on mine. 

Since your new to the Cruze automatic one hint is to let that launchy feeling torque converter use 1st & 2nd gears to get you moving & forget about the RPMs so much, trick with the auto is just get upto speed quickly & maintain an easy foot after that. Think I hit 3000rpm at least half the time I take off from a stop sign & still get really good MPG. Best highway MPG speed 45-65mph. Best city 25mph in 4th, 35mph in 5th.


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

....Now to drive a _*tuned*_ LTZ *hands over my keys*

Any comments on the steering? It should be more precise.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

ErikBEggs said:


> ....Now to drive a _*tuned*_ LTZ *hands over my keys*
> 
> Any comments on the steering? It should be more precise.


I honestly can't say I felt any difference in steering. I took it out for about 10 minutes. Then again, my tires on my Eco are at 50psi, so my steering is pretty precise as it is.


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## UpstateNYBill (Jan 14, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> It will be a very interesting comparison. So far, I'm liking it despite it being a automatic. I can honestly say I prefer driving the manual for the simple fact that I shift where I want to and when I want to every time, but my first impression so far has been quite positive.


You definitely won't be able to shift up until you've reached approx. 2000 rpm's, but once you pass that 2k mark on level ground, letting off the gas will generally cause the transmission to shift up. Or you can do it manually with the sport shift, of course.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I honestly can't say I felt any difference in steering. I took it out for about 10 minutes. Then again, my tires on my Eco are at 50psi, so my steering is pretty precise as it is.


The steering is no different; it's the tires, sport suspension, and Z-link that will make the difference in corners vs the Eco.

As I've never driven an LTZ, I'm curious what the ride is like compared to the Eco at normal tire pressures (not 50 psi, holy crap that must hurt your spine).


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Congrats xr that's a big thing man your reviews are usually bias so that will really help

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## Bohdan (Apr 28, 2012)

The Auto LTZ with its 18" tires make a great handling car I run my tires with 35 psi and it rides great.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

jblackburn said:


> The steering is no different; it's the tires, sport suspension, and Z-link that will make the difference in corners vs the Eco.
> 
> As I've never driven an LTZ, I'm curious what the ride is like compared to the Eco at normal tire pressures (not 50 psi, holy crap that must hurt your spine).


the 50psi doesn't really hurt at all. The larger bumps still get absorbed fairly well. The difference really is only in how much of the small road irregularities you feel, and I can't complain. My wallet certainly isn't. Just wait till I post the tread depth measurements I took on Sunday at 14k miles. 



H3LLON3ARTH said:


> Congrats xr that's a big thing man your reviews are usually bias so that will really help
> 
> Sent from my Droid using AutoGuide.Com Free App


Did you mean to say unbiased? lol.


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## H3LLON3ARTH (Dec 16, 2011)

Yes sorry for thay haha a lil tired

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## mabzmuzik (Jul 19, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> It got dropped off with a full tank of gas and I get to keep it for a week. I only drive ~250 miles a week, and don't have to re-fill the tank, so...


You can always pick me up and take me to work and then back home. 600 miles a week minimum for me. Then we can split gas costs for the week. 

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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Congrats man! Great looking car. Some guys have all the luck! Look forward to the review. See if somehow you can keep that car and you I can make a deal that I can get your Eco. Been looking for a reason to trade up from my LS. LOL


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

What a great opportunity! I'm very interested in hearing comparisons to the Eco and ways to drive the LTZ like an Eco.

I drive mine in manual mode 95+% of the time. I always start out in second, which is plenty without even struggling. It usually won't go into 3rd until about 15 mph, 4th and 5th seem to go in right away without much trouble, and then 6th won't go in until about 41/42 mph. It generally seems to be a rev min of around 2k, but that's not necessarily the case- it seems more speed/gearing driven. I have the DIC screen with speed, miles to empty, and instant MPG showing.

I'm also annoyed that when I have to slow down, the car will automatically downshift right away. Sometimes this is good, but if I'm going along on a side road with a 40 limit, if I drop to like 39/38, it'll go out of 6th and into 5th.

One nice thing, and maybe it has learned me too, when I slow down for a light, assuming I can slow down gradually like usual, it'll only drop to 2nd when completely stopped, instead of first.

Have fun with it!


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## jsusanka (Jan 31, 2011)

Pictures of the engine splash shield.


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## mrbean8686 (Jun 23, 2012)

Looking forward to your review, always informative and a good read

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## BerettaZ (Jul 1, 2012)

Nice! Looking forward to your critique as well!

A couple things....surprised they didn't give you a '13 since they are out already, to give you an opportunity to try MyLink. Also surprised they have a blue granite press car, considering they only made the color a half a model year (love the color though!)


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

BerettaZ said:


> Nice! Looking forward to your critique as well!
> 
> A couple things....surprised they didn't give you a '13 since they are out already, to give you an opportunity to try MyLink. Also surprised they have a blue granite press car, considering they only made the color a half a model year (love the color though!)


I'm glad you asked about the 2013. When I asked if they would be sending me a 2013 for media purposes, I got this response:



> We won't be getting our 2013s for a couple months. Once we do, I'd be happy to set that up as well (I believe it's an Eco).


In other news, I drove it 20 miles today. No issues with the automatic transmission. I wouldn't call it the most comfortable automatic I've driven, and the downshifts are hard to miss at times, but it's not as bad as some of the Hondas I've driven, and it is an economy car. I don't have any gripes with it yet.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> GM dropped off this car for me today to drive around as my own vehicle for a week, and first tank of gas is free. It's a 2012 Cruze LTZ and appears to be fully loaded with the exception of the RS package. I'll be writing a review on this and comparing it to my own Cruze Eco. Expect that in about a week.


GM is letting you drive this car for a week? And is a 2012, not a 2013 to get valued input on what should be changed? And definitely GM, not your dealer hoping you will like it and trade off your Eco.

Sure, GM loans out vehicles to major automotive publications as do others, perhaps you may have observed, the larger the ad these companies pay for in these magazines, the more positive the review.

I did many articles for Automotive Rebuilder's Magazine, the larger the ad, the more pressure from the editor to say positive things about the product I was doing the article on. Ha, they would UPS the product to me, real expensive ones, had to return, cheaper ones, well they just said keep it. 

If I stated anything negative in my articles, with a high paying ad, it was edited out.

My dealer told me all new Cruze's come with a full tank of gas from Lordstown. Best tank of gas I have ever received with both performance and fuel economy. Thereafter, had to buy this winterized oxygenated reformulated crap in Wisconsin. Sure made a difference overall.

So what is the deal on getting to drive this last year's Cruze model? For you to buy or your impressions? Could say I am envious in a way, but not really. But all I get from my dealer is a 2000 Impala to drive while my Cruze is in for service. Has 160K miles on it, burns gas like crazy, comes with a fuel gauge that moves to the left when you turn on the ignition, but is a gas station a block up the road. That is the first stop.

Ha, if I put in 50 cents worth, gauge still goes to the left, but not quite as far.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

NickD said:


> My dealer told me all new Cruze's come with a full tank of gas from Lordstown. Best tank of gas I have ever received with both performance and fuel economy. Thereafter, had to buy this winterized oxygenated reformulated crap in Wisconsin. Sure made a difference overall.


No car manufacturer ships cars with full tanks of gas. If there's an accident during shipping that would make a lot of highly flammible liquid potentially spilling. Cars are shipped with about a two gallons of gas and the dealerships have to fill them. My Montana was a special order and the fuel empty light was on when it arrived. (I got to drive it before dealership prep.)


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

NickD said:


> GM is letting you drive this car for a week? And is a 2012, not a 2013 to get valued input on what should be changed? And definitely GM, not your dealer hoping you will like it and trade off your Eco.
> 
> Sure, GM loans out vehicles to major automotive publications as do others, perhaps you may have observed, the larger the ad these companies pay for in these magazines, the more positive the review.
> 
> ...


Yes, GM is letting me drive the car for a week. I drove it to work this morning. It's not to get valued input or anything, it's just to put me in a car so I can drive it, experience it for myself, and if I like it, to talk the car up to other friends and family should I choose to. There's no obligation on my part, but I'll be writing a review anyway because it's a great car. 

No, this is not a dealership trying to get me to trade off my car. The request for this came from Connie in GM Social Media/Public Relations, and the delivery was scheduled by a Director of Media Relations for G. Schmitz & Associates, Inc.. I will be able to do the same with a 2013 model in a few months. These cars are part of GM's media fleet. 

The purpose of me driving this is simply to get experience for this car, and to tell others about it. I do have experience with my Cruze Eco naturally, but it's nice to see the differences with the LTZ, and it will be nice to see the differences they will have on the 2013 model.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

Any chance they could give you a Verano for a week so you could compare it to the Cruze. Anothor question how many miles are on the LTZ that you have.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

2013Cruze said:


> Any chance they could give you a Verano for a week so you could compare it to the Cruze. Anothor question how many miles are on the LTZ that you have.


I can ask about the Verano. This LTZ had ~7,170 miles when it was dropped off.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

2013Cruze said:


> Any chance they could give you a Verano for a week so you could compare it to the Cruze. Anothor question how many miles are on the LTZ that you have.


That would really be a nice comparison.


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## David1 (Sep 16, 2011)

A Cruze is a Cruze, I don't see what the big deal is about a review on a 4 year old vehical at this point.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> I can ask about the Verano. This LTZ had ~7,170 miles when it was dropped off.


I test drove a 13 Verano about a week or so ago but it kind of hard to tell the difference between the 2 in a five or six mile test drive but the once difference I can say it shifts really smoothly sticker for it was almost 29000$ though.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

David1 said:


> A Cruze is a Cruze, I don't see what the big deal is about a review on a 4 year old vehical at this point.


The different trims and transmissions have significantly different driving feels. I can tell you from driving my son's LS MT that it feels a lot different from my ECO MT.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

Xtreme does the LTZ have any rattles or any other nosies?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

David1 said:


> A Cruze is a Cruze, I don't see what the big deal is about a review on a 4 year old vehical at this point.


Are you here to troll, or are you asking a genuine question?

You're more than welcome to test drive a Cruze Eco and an LTZ Auto back to back and tell me that "A Cruze is a Cruze." I can tell you immediately that there are significant differences. 4 year old? Maybe in some parts of the world, but only 3 years in the US and that includes the earliest orders for 2011 models in 2010. 

The big deal about a review is that it gives prospective owners a chance to read a more detailed overview of the vehicle than they normally would. To be frank, most online reviews are very superficial, possibly due to their limited automotive knowledge, and many of them compare multiple cars on an even more superficial level. I go into considerable detail when reviewing something, and I do so unbiasedly. The Cruze is still on sale, and people are still looking for information on it.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

2013Cruze said:


> Xtreme does the LTZ have any rattles or any other nosies?


No rattles, but I will certainly say there's more road noise with the 18" Michelin tires that are on it than the 17" Goodyear LRR tires that are on my Eco. However, those tires make up for the noise in grip. With that exception, there is no discernible difference between the Eco and LTZ with regard to noise.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> No rattles, but I will certainly say there's more road noise with the 18" Michelin tires that are on it than the 17" Goodyear LRR tires that are on my Eco. However, those tires make up for the noise in grip. With that exception, there is no discernible difference between the Eco and LTZ with regard to noise.


Good to know have you kept track of your mpg?


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

obermd said:


> No car manufacturer ships cars with full tanks of gas. If there's an accident during shipping that would make a lot of highly flammible liquid potentially spilling. Cars are shipped with about a two gallons of gas and the dealerships have to fill them. My Montana was a special order and the fuel empty light was on when it arrived. (I got to drive it before dealership prep.)


My dealer lied to me? Said wow, a full tank of gas with 1.8 miles on the odometer, said it came that way from Lordstown.

It's a sin to tell a lie.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

NickD said:


> My dealer lied to me? Said wow, a full tank of gas with 1.8 miles on the odometer, said it came that way from Lordstown.
> 
> *It's a sin to tell a lie*.


...which _explains_ the large numbers of *politicians* and *car salespeople *in *Hades* (wink,wink)!


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

2013Cruze said:


> Good to know have you kept track of your mpg?


Without spending the time to calibrate a Scan Gauge (which I don't have) and spending my entire Saturday filling up tanks to the brim and driving around to see how it does, I won't be able to get a valid comparison of MPG, so I just decided not to. Fuelly.com prints a decent picture of what these cars do in the real world, so I'll just reference those numbers.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

obermd said:


> That would really be a nice comparison.


I test drove a 13 leather group Verano 9 days ago it shifts really smoothly & extremely quiet I took a few pics of my 13 LTZ & 13 Verano side by side just to compare the different body styles.


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## Hatje (Jun 23, 2011)

obermd said:


> XR - run 87 octane in it. That's what the owners' manual says we should be able to run.


it sure does! not sure of what your post is trying to do? mock somebody?> either way its pretty pointless


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## David1 (Sep 16, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Are you here to troll, or are you asking a genuine question?
> 
> You're more than welcome to test drive a Cruze Eco and an LTZ Auto back to back and tell me that "A Cruze is a Cruze." I can tell you immediately that there are significant differences. 4 year old? Maybe in some parts of the world, but only 3 years in the US and that includes the earliest orders for 2011 models in 2010.
> 
> The big deal about a review is that it gives prospective owners a chance to read a more detailed overview of the vehicle than they normally would. To be frank, most online reviews are very superficial, possibly due to their limited automotive knowledge, and many of them compare multiple cars on an even more superficial level. I go into considerable detail when reviewing something, and I do so unbiasedly. The Cruze is still on sale, and people are still looking for information on it.


It's genuine. I have an auto eco and it drives basically the same as the LTZ I just drove. Only real difference is the wheels and tires at the end of the day for better grip. Oh and leather seats, sunroof, and some trim stuff.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

David1 said:


> A Cruze is a Cruze, I don't see what the big deal is about a review on a 4 year old vehical at this point.


A 1.4T car with a manual will drive differently than a 1.4T car with an automatic, and both of those will drive differently than a LS with its 1.8, and either transmission. It's just like how a 3.7 V6 automatic Mustang will drive differently than a 5.0 V8 manual transmission Mustang. I could say "A Mustang is a Mustang, they all drive the same." That would be misleading. 

Looking forward to hearing the opinions about a top-line automatic Cruze coming from a mid-level manual Cruze.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

What really counts is the long term reliability, that can be done with accelerated testing and plenty of thermal cycling, but still would take at least six months.

Consumers report won't find any loose screws in the door panels, Cruze ain't got no screws in those panels.

Another way is to take the vehicle completely apart and do a component by component analysis, also extremely time consuming.

Or just wait five years for history reports, that tells the story. A lot has changed over the years, use to be a lot of pretesting for components, today, its all about rush to market. Our vehicles are also consumer grade products.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

sciphi said:


> A 1.4T car with a manual will drive differently than a 1.4T car with an automatic, and both of those will drive differently than a LS with its 1.8, and either transmission. It's just like how a 3.7 V6 automatic Mustang will drive differently than a 5.0 V8 manual transmission Mustang. I could say "A Mustang is a Mustang, they all drive the same." That would be misleading.


This is why there are different models of cars - to target as much of an audience/price point as possible!


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

I had a 2012 LT as a rental for a week, and they very much drive differently. There are subtle differences between trims that the average person _*will not*_ notice, but a 30,000 mile owner like me _*will*_ notice. And like XTreme said, the 18'' Michelins are quite noisy tires but they handle beautifully.


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## NYCruze2012 (Jan 16, 2012)

I think that's pretty **** cool that you get to do that XR! I can't wait to read your review!

I'm telling you the truth officer! I wasn't speeding but I sure passed a whole bunch of people who were!


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## sedanman (Dec 10, 2010)

Wow congrats. Looking forward to your full review.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

Andrei, I'm curious- did you disconnect the battery cable to reset the trans? They say it'll learn a driver, and since it's a press car, the trans is probably almost as confused as a rental Cruze's.


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## 2013Cruze (Aug 4, 2012)

Sunline Fan said:


> Andrei, I'm curious- did you disconnect the battery cable to reset the trans? They say it'll learn a driver, and since it's a press car, the trans is probably almost as confused as a rental Cruze's.


Stacy from Chevy customer service when I asked her that question about having different people driving the car her answer was the trans always learning.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

Throw a tune on it and let us know how many kills you get :th_coolio: Drive the S*** out of it like a rental!


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

LOL. No, I didn't reset the trans. I didn't actually find anything wrong with it. Granted, it's not a cadillac or a buick, but it's not bad. I made a dozen u-turns and tried to subject it to all kinds of conditions, and I only have two complaints. 

1. It's an automatic. If I take a hard corner and floor the gas coming out of the corner, I'll get a bit of lag between when my foot hits the floor and when the engine downshifts and I start to accelerate. 
2. It downshifts automatically coming to a stop as a result of DFCO, and the last couple of downshifts can nudge the car a bit. 

That little bit reminds you that it's an economy car and that if you wanted absolutely luxury, you should have paid $5-$10k more and bought a Buick, but if you forget about it, you very, very quickly forget that it's a Chevy and not a BMW. In fact, you get pretty caught up in the cornering and stability that you question the purpose of a BMW. GM wasn't kidding, it is very well planted on the road. 

Fun fact though: my Eco with 17" tires at 50psi is more comfortable over both large and small bumps than the LTZ is with 18" tires at 30psi. Might have something to do with possibly stiffer shocks in a "sport suspension," but it was an interesting observation nonetheless. I took my Eco to work today just to see if I'd notice a difference, and there was a difference. 

The leather in the LTZ was also stiffer than the leather in my Cruze, but I did have it aftermarket reupholstered from factory cloth seats, which is much nicer and softer leather. It was interesting to compare the feel of aftermarket and factory leather. The aftermarket leather does hold you in better though. I'll try to see if I can find a leather conditioner that isn't as slippery for my car. 

Navigation is nice, I will admit. It's intuitive enough to get you started without needing to read a manual, but if you start wandering off into random settings and poking around, there's a small learning curve. I started panning around randomly to see things and couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get the screen to center around my car as it was moving, till I pushed the physical "nav" button. It is much more accurate and responsive than google maps on my phone, and there are some very nice features. 

As I was driving on my usual work route, my music partially muted, and the nav said "caution: lanes narrow ahead." Sure enough, they did. As I kept driving toward the highway, again it said "caution: construction on I-55." This was before I got to the onramp. I didn't need to get onto I-55, but if I did, I would have known to find an alternate route to avoid the construction traffic. I was impressed by this. The navigation controls and buttons could be a bit snappier, but overall I was pleased with how it worked. 

I'll stop here, or this post will turn into my complete review of this car, lol. It is in many ways very different from my Cruze, but in many ways very similar.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

There was a post a couple of weeks ago from a CT member who said his low fuel warning light came on and his Cruze's navigation system immediately popped up with locations to nearby gas stations, one of which he was currently driving to.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

obermd said:


> There was a post a couple of weeks ago from a CT member who said his low fuel warning light came on and his Cruze's navigation system immediately popped up with locations to nearby gas stations, one of which he was currently driving to.


I will certainly call this "navigation" system more of a driver assistance center, and it is very effective at that. You can't replace it with a typical GPS like a Garmin.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I get gas stations and restaurants on my Android phone as overlays with the current version of Google Maps and Navigator. Tested this last night and it identified the station I use as soon as it came into the 2 mile preview range I see.


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## socalcruze (Aug 4, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> 1. It's an automatic. If I take a hard corner and floor the gas coming out of the corner, I'll get a bit of lag between when my foot hits the floor and when the engine downshifts and I start to accelerate.


Try not flooring the gas and you will have less TC lag. I find there is a lot more lag if you floor it vs. just going to about 1/2-2/3 throttle and getting the TC to spool up normally. Even for quick highway passing, I've found it is counter-productive to truly "floor" the pedal on this car.


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## titan2782 (Nov 4, 2011)

socalcruze said:


> Try not flooring the gas and you will have less TC lag. I find there is a lot more lag if you floor it vs. just going to about 1/2-2/3 throttle and getting the TC to spool up normally. Even for quick highway passing, I've found it is counter-productive to truly "floor" the pedal on this car.


Funny, I've noticed the same thing.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

socalcruze said:


> Try not flooring the gas and you will have less TC lag. I find there is a lot more lag if you floor it vs. just going to about 1/2-2/3 throttle and getting the TC to spool up normally. Even for quick highway passing, I've found it is counter-productive to truly "floor" the pedal on this car.


I don't think this has anything to do with the torque converter "spooling," and everything to do with having to change gears to a much lower gear than what one is currently in and the consequential change in RPM. There is no delay time in the revving of the engine up to the stall point of the torque converter, but there is a delay time in shifting to a lower gear.

If I put it in manual shift mode I can downshift right before I enter the turn, so I will be in the gear I want to be right as I exit the turn.


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

So the automatic can act a bit funny doing its fuel-efficiency things. And doesn't like to be floored when needing peak power. All good things to know.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

sciphi said:


> So the automatic can act a bit funny doing its fuel-efficiency things. And doesn't like to be floored when needing peak power. All good things to know.


To be fair, no automatics like to be floored when needing peak power, but the Cruze's automatic has over one full second of delay between the time when your foot hits the floor and the time 1st gear engages. Its saving grace is the ability to "sport shift" the automatic transmission manually, which allows you to force the transmission into the gear you need to accelerate in and time that gear change according to your acceleration needs. This automatic does not respond well to spirited driving in fully automatic mode.


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## socalcruze (Aug 4, 2012)

XtremeRevolution said:


> This automatic does not respond well to spirited driving in fully automatic mode.


I thought that at first too, but after a couple weeks of driving it and my muscle-memory learning how the AT behaved, I find I can push it just as much in auto as in manual.

And the 18" wheels make pushing it pretty fun... Too bad you don't have any mountain roads near you to really run it out.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

socalcruze said:


> I thought that at first too, but after a couple weeks of driving it and my muscle-memory learning how the AT behaved, I find I can push it just as much in auto as in manual.
> 
> And the 18" wheels make pushing it pretty fun... Too bad you don't have any mountain roads near you to really run it out.


We have a few places with large windy roads where I pushed its limits a bit. It was enjoyable, and the wheels definitely make it quite fun. 

With the auto, you can get used to it, but you are always at the mercy of what the transmission wants to do and how fast it can do it, not what you want to do or your own abilities. Going into a turn, I can floor the gas during the turn - something I would never do in the manual for fear of heavy understeer in the manual - expecting the power to kick in immediately as I'm exiting the turn. With the manual, I have the power exactly when I need it, and as quickly as I can get it, and I'm not at the mercy of what the automatic transmission thinks I want it to do. The manual transmission knows exactly what I want it to do. I could get used to it, but it would be a nuisance. 

To top this all off, I can shift the manual more smoothly than the automatic shifts itself. 

One interesting bit I noticed while I was out today is that the Eco actually feels quicker in 2nd gear than the auto does. This may have a lot to do with the additional drive train loss of the automatic and the weight reduction in the Eco, but it was certainly there.

If I was still in SoCal, I would have taken this car on a road I used to drive out there for fun. Mulholland Canyon Road.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

I may have to make a road trip


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## Beachernaut (Mar 27, 2012)

Sounds like the auto trans has a similar brain to the 6spd auto in my 07 1 ton pickup. If you're just cruising along and floor it, it's like waiting on a 5 year old in a candy store. Just can't quite decide which gear it wants.

Anyway, XR when you get a chance can you check the plate in the glove box for the paint code. Mine says 04Y. I used that to order some touch up paint, and it was waaaayyyy too dark.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

XtremeRevolution said:


> With the auto, you can get used to it, but you are always at the mercy of what the transmission wants to do and how fast it can do it, not what you want to do or your own abilities. Going into a turn, I can floor the gas during the turn - something I would never do in the manual for fear of heavy understeer in the manual - expecting the power to kick in immediately as I'm exiting the turn. With the manual, I have the power exactly when I need it, and as quickly as I can get it, and I'm not at the mercy of what the automatic transmission thinks I want it to do. The manual transmission knows exactly what I want it to do. I could get used to it, but it would be a nuisance.


Like someone said above try easing into the pedal instead of mashing it, car responds much quicker. Driving in corners, be on the gas ever so slightly before you get to the apex & need to power through, that way you can ease into the gas harder & get instantaneous response right when you need it. also don't even bother with automatic mode & corners, it always will have you in to high of gear. 5th gear is ok at corning in no real power is needed, and is good for 30mph-top speed(not tested). otherwise bump it down a gear or two depending on speed & power needs. 

The only real quirks that take getting used to is knowing at what speed the automatic downshifts & what speeds you can manually upshift. The 2012 auto 5th gear can be shifted into at 30MPH, but will automatically downshift at 27mph. 6th gear 41mph shift into, stay above 40mph. 

I don't know if you had a chance to test it while in manual mode, but my car in manual mode you can use 100% throttle & get no automatic downshifts. Every other car I have driven if you were in second & floored it it would downshift to first in you were in that speed range for better acceleration. Reason I ask is another user on here indicated his car downshifts automatically when floored in manual mode. 
I love this ability, works great when I am in 6th gear on a slight grade & approaching that 40mph downshift point, can use as much throttle as needed & avoid the downshift. Also works great for keeping the cruise control from hunting for gears between 5th & 6th in a section of rolling hills. Will not downshift even with cruise set.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

spacedout said:


> Like someone said above try easing into the pedal instead of mashing it, car responds much quicker. Driving in corners, be on the gas ever so slightly before you get to the apex & need to power through, that way you can ease into the gas harder & get instantaneous response right when you need it. also don't even bother with automatic mode & corners, it always will have you in to high of gear. 5th gear is ok at corning in no real power is needed, and is good for 30mph-top speed(not tested). otherwise bump it down a gear or two depending on speed & power needs.
> 
> The only real quirks that take getting used to is knowing at what speed the automatic downshifts & what speeds you can manually upshift. The 2012 auto 5th gear can be shifted into at 30MPH, but will automatically downshift at 27mph. 6th gear 41mph shift into, stay above 40mph.
> 
> ...


My reference to power delivery and delay was due entirely to the shifting delay in fully automated mode. I noticed no such behavior in manual mode, and holding down the throttle part way like you mentioned ensured that my turbo lag would be minimal once I did mash the throttle. There are ways around it, which is why I don't mind it. If there wasn't a manual mode, it would be difficult to enjoy this car for any type of spirited driving. I'm very glad they have that feature. 

I tried to do about half of my driving in the manual mode. It was a bit weird as there was a delay there as well. The transmission still isn't a direct extension of your arm, but it was much better than fully automatic mode. I guess just going from a manual where the car is in gear the exact moment you move it in gear makes me partially impatient, lol.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Driving the automatic in some large hills with the cruise control set it seems smarter than most automatics I have driven. Most cars if you speed drops below your set speed the cruise kicks the car down a gear until your set speed is met again then it goes back to the highest gear. Not the Cruze automatic, once it downshifts it will hold that lower gear until you are at the top of the hill/the load decreases enough if the hill start to level out. 

With your foot(not the cruise control) on a hill it behaves very similar, its like the car as some sort of hill grade sensor or its programming makes a kick down last at least a set amount of time. You really have to ease out of the pedal to get it up shift while still on the hill grade.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The ECO MT has a shift up idiot light that is also sensitive to hills. If it's on and you start up a hill it turns off until you reach the top of the hill. I suspect the same input is used for both.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Hey Extreme, a how-to video for using the manu-matic in the cruze would be very helpful, great, and muchly appreciated by myself and others since you have a automatic for a bit.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Starks8 said:


> Hey Extreme, a how-to video for using the manu-matic in the cruze would be very helpful, great, and muchly appreciated by myself and others since you have a automatic for a bit.


While I normally would, I'm not sure what I would be able to explain in a video. You slide the shifter to the left, then tap it up to shift up, and tap it down to shift down. If you need further explanation, it would be more beneficial for me to explain how a transmission works in general, with regard to gearing.

Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using AutoGuide.Com Free App


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> While I normally would, I'm not sure what I would be able to explain in a video. You slide the shifter to the left, then tap it up to shift up, and tap it down to shift down. If you need further explanation, it would be more beneficial for me to explain how a transmission works in general, with regard to gearing.
> 
> Sent from my myTouch_4G_Slide using AutoGuide.Com Free App


Well in regards to showing at what speeds to upshift or downshift while in manual mode, showing how to downshift when slowing down or coming to a stop so to avoid the car automatically doing it for you and showing how to maintain the car in the gear you want to start from when leaving a stoplight. Also how to do the shifting when cornering or climbing up and down a steep mountain or something. 

I don't drive a manual and I'm not very good at it when I've had the chance to, lol. So yes, my knowledge of manuals and driving one isn't quite the best but I understand the basic knowledge of how a manual operates. But since I'm and others (I'm sure), are not as knowledgeable about driving manuals or even manu-matics for that matter, but want to get the feeling of driving one in the Cruze through it's manu-matic and reep the forum's noted benefits of driving it in manual mode, I thought it would definitely be nice to get a how-to video. But if not, that's cool, I just thought I'd ask.


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## rustinn (Jun 7, 2012)

I have a 2LT with the 17" tires, and I got to test drive an LTZ very briefly with its MUCH nicer 18" rimed Michelins. I can definitely say the 18" tires have A LOT more grip than the lower models, even when compared to the 2LT's 17" tires.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Starks8 said:


> Well in regards to showing at what speeds to upshift or downshift while in manual mode, showing how to downshift when slowing down or coming to a stop so to avoid the car automatically doing it for you and showing how to maintain the car in the gear you want to start from when leaving a stoplight. Also how to do the shifting when cornering or climbing up and down a steep mountain or something.


There is no reason to downshift sooner to avoid the automatic from doing the downshift for you, it is really doing you a favor keeping you in the optimal gear for the speed you are going. Also waiting for it to automatically downshift in manual mode keeps you from any excessive RPMs downshifting to soon. If you watch what speeds it automatically downshifts you can really start to see what speeds/what gear to be in. Really the only time I will downshift sooner is if I am coming into a corner, stop or need the little bit of compression braking this car has. 

If I am downshifting sooner than the trans, I just wait until every gear is down to about 2,000RPM before downshifting again. I try to NEVER downshift into 1st because anything above 10MPH is to fast & almost seems to lock up the tires, just wait for it to automatically do it when I come to a stop. Taking off is as simple as giving it gas & shifting at the RPM you want(I usually do somewhere in the 2500RPM-3500rpm range in each gear). Hills are just a simple, just ease into the throttle & pull back on the shifter when you want to downshift for more power. 

5th gear is my favorite, can drop all the way down to 27mph & up to as fast as you want to go in this gear. If I hit all traffic lights right I usually never drop below this gear in town. Can also walk up any grade hill I have tried with ease in this gear. 

I never really use manual mode for just every day driving, I only use to keep the trans from hunting for gears. If your driving in town on a 40MPH road in automatic mode & hit 42MPH it will shift into 6th, but if your speed drops to 40MPH it will automatically downshift back to 5th. By going into manual mode I can just keep in 5th gear to avoid this hunting between 5th & 6th with slight speed fluctuations around 40mph, I never shift into 6th until above 45mph. One could also shift into 6th at 42mph in manual mode & use upto 100% throttle to maintain 6th & stay above 40MPH, in automatic mode anything more than 1/8pedal the trans will downshift anyway no matter your speed.


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## Starks8 (Jul 20, 2011)

Thanks spacedout! I really appreciate you taking the time out man to really explain it and help me get a better understanding and grasp of this whole manu-matic thing!


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

+1 on fifth gear. In my awful stop and go commute every day, I hang in the right lane or second to right, keep a little distance (but not too much where I have people cutting in), and try to stay in M4/M5. It'll slow me down enough where I rarely ever touch the brakes, and now that the plugs are gapped, I have decent enough acceleration too. I merge onto the highway from an on-ramp that's basically a 90 degree turn that dumps in, and I'm usually able to go into the turn in 5th and accelerate enough in 5th into traffic. My only complaint is that the engine is generally so quiet, if the traffic speeds up and I'm really focused on them at the moment, I sometimes forget to upshift because I can't really hear it revving high. I'm getting better with paying more attention to it though.


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

spacedout said:


> 5th gear is my favorite, can drop all the way down to 27mph & up to as fast as you want to go in this gear. If I hit all traffic lights right I usually never drop below this gear in town. Can also walk up any grade hill I have tried with ease in this gear.



Get the trifecta tune 

It clears up the gear hunting, I vouch for it. 2011 Auto has more aggressive gearing.. my car will hold 5th gear in town all the way down to 23 mph. Awesome for city mileage ^_^

Why buy an automatic to use manual mode all the time?


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Sunline Fan said:


> My only complaint is that the engine is generally so quiet, if the traffic speeds up and I'm really focused on them at the moment, I sometimes forget to upshift because I can't really hear it revving high. I'm getting better with paying more attention to it though.


same here, motor has to be turning about 3,000RPM before I even notice it. Figure some day when I get an intake & exhaust that will help.


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## socalcruze (Aug 4, 2012)

spacedout said:


> Really the only time I will downshift sooner is if I am coming into a corner, stop or need the little bit of compression braking this car has.


This car has any compression braking? I think a 3 mph headwind would provide more braking resistance than this engine! In fairness, it did seem to do ok in this regard coming down the extended grades from the San Bernardino Mtns here near LA, mostly in 4th, IIRC.


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## Sunline Fan (Jul 29, 2012)

ErikBEggs said:


> Get the trifecta tune
> 
> It clears up the gear hunting, I vouch for it. 2011 Auto has more aggressive gearing.. my car will hold 5th gear in town all the way down to 23 mph. Awesome for city mileage ^_^
> 
> Why buy an automatic to use manual mode all the time?


I've thought about a Trifecta and Injen, but I really want to retain my factory warranty. I'll consider it more after I have some significant miles on it and get closer to warranty end. That way I can find out if there's anything wrong with it to be repaired first. It's been hard to resist, because I've modded and tuned my other vehicles with no worries of this, but I've never had a new car before...

I thought about a manual, but I didn't know if I'd want the clutch all the time. I like to control it, but I'm not too thrilled about the footwork. More than anything though, I wanted all the goodies that come on the LTZ trim. I'll admit, there have been a few mornings where I was feeling kinda tired, and it was nice to just leave it in auto and not have to worry about shifting.


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