# How easy is Cruze manual to drive?



## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I hadn't daily-driven a manual transmission car in about 3 years when I got mine. But I hopped in and drove. The clutch is easy to work on this car. You'll learn quickly. 

Best bet is to get a friend who can drive manual to give a few lessons (offer to help them replace the clutch when needed), and maybe drive the car off the lot to an open parking lot where you can learn.

The hardest part is getting going from a dead stop. Shifting once you're going is quite easy. 

The manual Eco is a lot of fun to drive. The fuel economy is also better than the automatic.


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## shawn672 (Oct 31, 2010)

sciphi said:


> The fuel economy is also better than the automatic.


Way better


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## Kruise (Sep 28, 2011)

I agree with Sciphi. If you have a good teacher, learning stick will be much easier and faster.


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## Marshall Media (Jul 31, 2011)

Seriously, it's like riding a two-wheeler bike without training wheels (remember the first time you did that?) Once you give the manual a try, and then do it a couple more times, it'll be "what was I concerned about?" I bought a 2011 Cruze Eco MT, the first manual I've owned in over 15 years when I had my last one. Everything came back to me in an instant. Give it a shot... you seem pretty intelligent by the way you write! You'll be fine, and you'll love it. I still believe the Cruze is at its best when driven as a manual.


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## yourdoinitwrong (Aug 7, 2011)

As far as manuals go the Cruze is a very easy one to drive. I have had quite a few cars with manuals, everything from a Focus SVT to a Pontiac GTO, and I like driving the Cruze. The engagement point on my clutch is pretty high in the pedal travel so you don't have to push it all the way to the floor which makes stop and go driving much easier. The shift lever itself has a nice positive feel with very little slop so you aren't left wondering if the lever is going where you intended. Get a patient teacher and a big parking lot and you will be just fine.


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## TravsCruze (Aug 4, 2011)

:iagree: with everyone else


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## Cruz3r (Jul 13, 2011)

i wish i would have went manual on my cruze...never had a manual but always have wanted one. I could use those extra 5 or 6 MPG's


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

ive had manuals my entire life and found there to be a bigger learning curve in the cruze then other cars ive had. I think mainly because of the super short 1st gear, it wants you to change gears in the middle of a turn.


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## Family0 (Mar 18, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> ive had manuals my entire life and found there to be a bigger learning curve in the cruze then other cars ive had. I think mainly because of the super short 1st gear, it wants you to change gears in the middle of a turn.


I have had manuals all my life too. I only had learning curve on the first one.


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## CHUV (Jun 25, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> ive had manuals my entire life and found there to be a bigger learning curve in the cruze then other cars ive had. I think mainly because of the super short 1st gear, it wants you to change gears in the middle of a turn.


I disagree, compared to cars that have short clutches, the cruze is much much easier to learn in. I test drove numerous manuals and found that sporty cars with short clutches are a bitch to get used to. Even the dealer agreed. The cruze has a long clutch engage point and makes it easy to get a feel for. Also shifting during a turn is not all that uncommon.


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

I've driven manuals for many years and find the Cruze is a little tricky dealing with uphill starts because the torque is kind of low on my 1.8. On a big motor manual you can just let the clutch out at idle speed but that won't work on a Cruze. I've never stalled my Cruze but uphill starts are a little tricky. My car does not have a hill holder feature and that would make a difference. On really steep hills you might have to use the handbrake to keep the car from rolling back, which is feasible. If 2012 cars have a hill holder you shouldn't have any trouble.


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## cruzeman (Mar 13, 2011)

i have actually stalled the car putting it into 2nd gear while rolling slowly. That has never happened in any other car ive driven. I could start from a stop in 2nd gear in other cars.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

Easiest manual transmission I have ever driven. The shifting gate is smooth and very managable. No learning curve for me! Only thing that threw me: I am used to 5 speeds where reverse is where 6th gear is on the Cruze. I tried to back up in 6th gear a couple of times other than that happy I bought it. I was sick of my automatics!!


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## jp375 (Nov 4, 2011)

Ok, I’m starting to be convinced that manual is the way to go. My only remaining reservations:
1) Eco or 2LT Manual? I would really like the brown/tan leather interior, but wondering if I can actually hit mid to upper 30’s for MPG on 2LT
2) No autostart really hurts. I’m in Minnesota and in the winter, autostart is a nice comfort. Especially since you can start it from your phone with the OnStar app. 
3) Hills. Slippery, snowy hills. The Cruze doesn’t have hill hold does it? Too bad they only put that feature on the lower cost Sonic. 

I’m sure I’m capable of adapting to the manual, but it does make me nervous. I’ve been consumed by this decision for 2 weeks and I realize it’s a personal choice, but your comments are helping me get some clarity, so thanks everyone!


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> i have actually stalled the car putting it into 2nd gear while rolling slowly. That has never happened in any other car ive driven. I could start from a stop in 2nd gear in other cars.


I agree on both points. I've actually also stalled mine once by not downshifting soon enough while slowing down (but I was still going fast enough to jump start it before comming to a stop). When I had my Contour SVT it was actually stated to start in 2nd gear on snow and ice and it worked great. 

And to Dale-K - even the 1.4 is tricky on a up hill start if you don't like riding the clutch (and I don't!). I have a few good size hills (all with stop signs) on my way to work that I really am not looking foward to when the snow hits.


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## scidork (Jun 1, 2011)

Although it's not available from Chevy, with a little tinkering you should be able to get a remote start set up. I believe I've heard of such although it presumably requires you to park without the car in gear (safety incase the parking break disengages) and removing the sensor which prohibits starting without the clutch depressed.


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## Kruise (Sep 28, 2011)

cruzeman said:


> i have actually stalled the car putting it into 2nd gear while rolling slowly. That has never happened in any other car ive driven. I could start from a stop in 2nd gear in other cars.



that happened to me too! I've compensated for that by switching to 1st while rolling slowly, but that breaks the old adage of "never shift to 1st when car is moving." How do you handle it?


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## Cavere (Sep 11, 2011)

This is my first manual I have ever owned. The only other manual I have driven is my girlfriends crappy 03 ford focus. She was not the best teacher so I mostly learned on my own. I find the shifting to be pretty comfortable in my eco. First is pretty short so I do find myself shifting a little hard into second sometimes. It's not super smooth going into second or third sometimes but that could just be my inexperience.

The hill hold would be nice to have. But I feel like I felt a lot more comfortable driving a manual in general after I gave my first couple hills a try. The only time I have stalled out was when I went to pick up the car after buying it and the staff had left it in first and when I turned the key I got the lunged forward and thump. I always shut off my car in neutral so hopefully that will remain my only time.

I say go for the manual and enjoy! It's fun to drive and I have been loving it.


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## Cavere (Sep 11, 2011)

Does anyone else though feel a little vibrating in the shifter when it's in third? It's nothing too bad just an odd thing I've noticed just in that gear.


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## Gritts (Jan 23, 2011)

If you live in hilly country or do a lot of city driving, then shifting all the time gets tiresome. You will give up the remote start as well. I have an LS with the manual tranny, but it lives in a garage at night and my driving is limited to a few miles each day. Longer trips (100 miles +) do take a toll. Maybe you could rent a manual Cruze for a week and see how it fits.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

_"...row, row, row your boat (Cruze)..."_

_"...gently up the stream (freeway)..."_


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

I drive up/down a lot of hills. It doesn't bother me to shift. Just personal preference.


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## dacruze (Jul 15, 2011)

it's super easy, not bad at all. Steep hill starts can be tricky , bu you'll be glad you learned!!! If you choose to go manual, seriously consider the ECO cuz of the MPG difference. I'm getting 42 mpg's (calculated) combined city/hwy, and others are gettign better than that. - Dan


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## jp375 (Nov 4, 2011)

I did it! Just ordered an Autumn Metallic ECO with the manual transmission. Let's hope I don't smash it up when it comes in December. Luckily I have a 2nd vehicle so if the weather is really bad, I can leave it home during the day and just practice at night for a few days. Figured I should just man up and do it because if I go through life not having owned a manual car I will probably regret it. The downgrade from all the bells and whistles I have now might be a bit odd, but it also feels good to simplify. 

Are you guys getting the really good mileage really working at it, or can you drive normal and get mid to upper 30's?


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## jp375 (Nov 4, 2011)

Couple other questions...how is backing up? Do you have to give it gas or is it geared such that it will take off from idle? How about parallel parking, nightmare?


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## dacruze (Jul 15, 2011)

jp375 said:


> I did it! Just ordered an Autumn Metallic ECO with the manual transmission. Let's hope I don't smash it up when it comes in December. Luckily I have a 2nd vehicle so if the weather is really bad, I can leave it home during the day and just practice at night for a few days. Figured I should just man up and do it because if I go through life not having owned a manual car I will probably regret it. The downgrade from all the bells and whistles I have now might be a bit odd, but it also feels good to simplify.
> 
> Are you guys getting the really good mileage really working at it, or can you drive normal and get mid to upper 30's?


Congrats on the order, i bet you won't regret it. Yeah, to get 42+ you have to drive fairly conservitive, but in my experience, you can "drive it like you stole it" and still get close to 40 mpg's, taking into consideration you do a good bit of hwy, and not just city. And yes, you do have to give it some gas in REV, but you don't have to really gas it. Hpw long didi the dealer say before you should get it. I know i'm a rare case, but i ordered mine and was driving it a few days over 3 weeks. - Dan


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## jp375 (Nov 4, 2011)

Don't know how long the wait will be, dealer is going to let me know soon. As long as I can drive without babying it too much and still get mid to upper 30's I'll be happy. For the next year and a half I'll be driving 120 miles/day with 85% highway, so it should be hugely beneficial.


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## yourdoinitwrong (Aug 7, 2011)

A few things to keep in mind that can help your fuel economy in addition to the way you drive:

- Properly inflated tires
- Ventilation fan speed (try to keep it on 1 or 2)
- Minimize amount of heavy stuff in your trunk (for city mpg)
- A/C usage
- A new engine can take 1,000 miles or more to be truly broken-in so you may not get the highest fuel economy right away


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## Rootbeer Girl (Nov 3, 2011)

I took possession of my 2012 Autumn Metallic Eco 6spd on Thurs and it's a dream to drive. I've driven manuals all my life and this one is by far the nicest one to shift. Upgraded from a 98 Cavalier with 349,000 km and looking forward to driving this one just as far. Enjoy your new ride!


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## TravsCruze (Aug 4, 2011)

scidork said:


> Although it's not available from Chevy, with a little tinkering you should be able to get a remote start set up. I believe I've heard of such although it presumably requires you to park without the car in gear (safety incase the parking break disengages) and* removing the sensor which prohibits starting without the clutch depressed*.


yeah, this isn't quite that simple. I just had to wrestle this monster, because of the twin disc setup and I went through 3 different variations of modifying this switch to allow the car to start while Vince was attacking the problem from the PCM side.
1) I modded the OEM switch (it worked but the computer didn't like it)
2) built a circuit board using resistors to get it to supply the correct voltage back to the car to allow it to start. (worked.. computer didn't like it either)
3) lastly was running a DPDT switch and two potentiometers wired into the harness. Flick the switch.. turn the key to start it.. flick it back so the cruise control worked and it didn't throw codes. Worked but was not exactly what i wanted. You should have seen me starting it before i got that switch built, i looked like i was hot wiring my car every time i started it. 

Vince stepped up to the plate though and hit a home run with this one, he got me a modified tune thursday that turned off the clutch interlock. So i just reinstalled a unmolested OEM switch ($15) and it starts exactly like its suppose to with no clutch. And the cruise control works as it should. So those that don't want to start with the clutch pushed in... Vince can change that for you. The man is awesome.




jp375 said:


> i*t also feels good to simplify*.
> 
> Are you guys getting the really good mileage really working at it, or can you drive normal and get mid to upper 30's?


congrats  and yes it does feel good to simplify. 

I don't try to get decent gas mileage. But I don't drive it like i stole it all the time, although i am quite aggressive in my application of the accelerator. I've been keeping a running total of gallons used since i bought my car. With just over 7k miles on it, i'm at 39.9 mpg. Which is another reason I don't try to hypermile... going from a car that got 11-16 to almost 40 mpg. Yeah.. i just drive it. The extra couple mpg isn't worth it to me for the headache of trying to keep the car out of boost range.


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## jp375 (Nov 4, 2011)

Picked up my cruze last saturday. Today was the first day i ventured to work with it. Stalled out a couple times which was pretty discouraging. Im pretty slow to take off since im trying to find the friction point, its clearly irritating the people behind me. Still terrified of hills but should be able to avoid them for a while. I think im going to like the manula, i just need to get more comfortable so im not worried about stalling it or being slow. How long would you guys say it took you before you became proficient? Weeks? Months?


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## Skilz10179 (Mar 22, 2011)

The fact is, automatics are for women and handicaps. MAN UP!

My last 7 or 8 cars were manuals and its fair to say i never want to drive another automatic again. Autos make you feel so disconnected from the car, i love having full control over the trans. 

As for your question, is it easy to drive... Compared to my other cars, yes, its very easy to drive. The only issue i ever had with this car was the fact it was a 6 speed and all my other cars are 5 speeds, but since you're not already used to rockin a 5 speed this won't be an issue. My last daily driver had a 3 puck unsprung race clutch in it, switching over to the Cruze felt like a luxury car lol.

*EDIT!

*i guess i should have read further than the first page lol. Glad you got the manual, a little more practice and soon you won't even have to think about it. Good luck and congrats!


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## blk88verde (Apr 30, 2011)

I have to agree that my Cruze ECO is one of the easiest manuals I have ever driven. Light clutch, light precise shifter and very low first gear. I have owned euro manual cars (Ford, SAAB, Alfa, Mercedes) and domestic (Pontiac, Ford). As far as mileage - car is great on the highway, I have managed 48.5 mpg at 72 mph on the relativley flat NY Thruway(upstate) and manage 43 mpg at 62 mph on the very hilly Taconic Pkwy.


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## VGT (Oct 9, 2011)

By far the easiest standard transmission I've ever driven.


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## tecollins1 (Nov 6, 2011)

I have driven manual cars but never owned one. I found o good deal on a cruze the only thing that was it was the manual. I honestly prob wouldn't have bought it if it wasn't for the extra mpg lol. 
So I told myself I will test drive it and if I stall it out I prob won't get it.lol I haven't even touched a manual in over 2 years but when I got in the seat and took off. I didn't have any prob.
clutch is so easy compared to the older cars I've driven. 


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone 4 app


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## Gus_Mahn (Aug 16, 2011)

It is a smooth easy shifting trans and clutch. It's not a racecar set up for sure. I switch between a Cruze and a CTS-V. The Cruze needs to be shifted way more often, you really need to be rolling to take a corner in third, don't even think of taking off in second, and be extra careful taking off with the AC on. The trans also doesn't like speed shifting much. It will grind if I try to shift with out lifting off the gas, but then again, it's not a racecar. My 16 year old son was able to master the Cruze in a couple of weeks from never having driven a stick.


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## toilet_monkey (Nov 30, 2011)

jp375 said:


> Picked up my cruze last saturday. Today was the first day i ventured to work with it. Stalled out a couple times which was pretty discouraging. Im pretty slow to take off since im trying to find the friction point, its clearly irritating the people behind me. Still terrified of hills but should be able to avoid them for a while. I think im going to like the manula, i just need to get more comfortable so im not worried about stalling it or being slow. How long would you guys say it took you before you became proficient? Weeks? Months?


Congratulations! I hope you enjoy your car. I drive a 2012 manual Eco, too. 

I have to make a few comments about all the discussion. First, I generally agree that the Cruze is one of the easier-to-drive manuals. Here is what I am comparing to: 1992 Honda Civic, 2002 Mazda Protege, 2009 Toyota Yaris. The Cruze beats all of these for manual driving ease (actually, the Mazda wins on ease of take off and gear shifter comfort, but the Cruze beats it in clutch smoothness).

Now, here is the thing. You are feeling discouraged because you stalled several times. Let me tell you something: that is NORMAL. Don't feel bad, buddy. What everyone seems to have left out of this discussion is that even though the Cruze manual is easy and pleasurable to drive, you will still have to master essential coordination skills in order to drive a manual trans correctly. Everyone who said that driving the Cruze manual is easy already knows how to drive a manual. And so, yes, it is easy (because the Cruze has a great manual transmission system). But for you who has not driven manual before, you will find mastering coordination to be CHALLENGING but rewarding. Furthermore, some of the features that make driving easy for the pros (smooth clutch) will actually make it harder for you (e.g., you will find it difficult to locate the clutch sweet spot).

Case in point: I took my new Cruze to show my brother. I offered to let him test drive (knowing he can't drive a manual). He was worried, but I reassured him that it would be fine. So we go to an empty school parking lot and I let him have a go. His biggest problem was on how much gas to apply when engaging the clutch. This is one of those coordination things that is challenging to master... if you give too little, you will get nightmare-inducing engine noises and stalling. If you give it too much gas, well, you can take off, but you'll be burning through your clutch and your tires might squeal. A few times my bro stalled. A few times he took off with engine speed at 3500+ (!). A few times I kind of yelled when I shouldn't have. =) But after only a few minutes he was driving laps around the parking lot. He had the basics down relatively quickly... but I guarantee that it would take him weeks to master the essential coordination skills.

Something that most people don't mention about learning manual is that you have to condition your leg muscles. It'll take a few weeks of driving before you can drive a manual without leg fatigue. Sometimes new drivers find that their left leg shakes a bit (muscle fatigue) in stop and go traffic. This will go away as your leg muscles adapt to the new task.

Earlier you asked about reverse. Here is a tip: reverse is NOT like other gears. You give it a little gas (and only let up a bit on the clutch) to inch backward very slowly. Then press the clutch to the floor and let it roll back nice and easy. Continue to modulate the clutch: up a little bit to get going backward very slowly, then press it back to the floor to let it roll a bit. You should NOT drive your car in reverse with the clutch pedal all the way up unless you are racing your car backward, which is something I presume you will never do. I don't mean to say that you should drive in reverse with the clutch halfway up either (that's "slipping the clutch"). Instead, modulate between clutch a little up, then clutch all down.

There are LOTS of little driving "rules" that are very difficult to verbalize, but easy to imagine (e.g., exactly when to push the clutch to the floor as you are approaching a stop sign or red light. Hint: it depends). You will learn these rules as you master the essential coordination skills required to drive a manual. You will find that in just a few weeks of regular driving, you will be able to drive on "auto-pilot." So, relax and enjoy your new car. You will be a pro very soon, and you will wonder why you never started driving manual sooner. A whole new world of cars and driving awaits you!


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## oasisdeb (Dec 7, 2011)

It is great, I even find myself skipping from 3rd to 6th sometimes, I looked a long time to find a manual. It is smooth and easy to drive.


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## jp375 (Nov 4, 2011)

Better day today! No stalling to or from work with even a couple minor hills. Felt good. Still a bit shaky and jerky but i can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just wish i hadnt waited 14 years to switch!


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## Dale_K (Jul 16, 2011)

I don't understand why GM doesn't use a "hill holder" function on the manual transmission cars. BMW has it, Chrysler has it on some vehicles and maybe other companies, too. It would not require any new hardware since the car's ABS system is capable of pressurizing the brakes independently from the brake pedal. All they would need to do is put in software that holds the brakes a little from a stop until the car detects forward motion. On the Dodge the system can be enabled/disabled through their equivalent of the Driver Information Center, so you can turn it off if you don't like it.

And to top it off I think I read somewhere that GM did establish a hill holder feature on the automatic transmission cars for 2012. Seems like they could do the same for the manual trans.


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## yourdoinitwrong (Aug 7, 2011)

Dale_K said:


> I don't understand why GM doesn't use a "hill holder" function on the manual transmission cars. BMW has it, Chrysler has it on some vehicles and maybe other companies, too. It would not require any new hardware since the car's ABS system is capable of pressurizing the brakes independently from the brake pedal. All they would need to do is put in software that holds the brakes a little from a stop until the car detects forward motion. On the Dodge the system can be enabled/disabled through their equivalent of the Driver Information Center, so you can turn it off if you don't like it.
> 
> And to top it off I think I read somewhere that GM did establish a hill holder feature on the automatic transmission cars for 2012. Seems like they could do the same for the manual trans.


I agree. GM saw fit to put the hill hold feature on 2012 Sonics with manuals so why not the Cruze? That and the streaming Bluetooth audio that the Sonic gets doesn't make sense when it is slotted below the Cruze in the Chevy lineup.


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## TwelveCruze (Nov 24, 2011)

When I test drove the 1LT manual, I was grinnin' ear to ear. I thought it was great and I found it superior to the Mini Cooper that I had just test driven before that.


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## jp375 (Nov 4, 2011)

Could have really used that hill hold feature today. At least the guy behind me was nice when i stalled it twice! Oh well, it has been a couple days since i stalled so i suppose i was due for the learning experience.


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## cashmoves (Oct 14, 2011)

Cavere said:


> Does anyone else though feel a little vibrating in the shifter when it's in third? It's nothing too bad just an odd thing I've noticed just in that gear.


yes, i just picked up my new 2LT last night and I noticed vibration sometimes in third through the shifter.

ill repeat, anyone else have this problem/know what it is?


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## lostmymind (Dec 15, 2011)

cashmoves said:


> yes, i just picked up my new 2LT last night and I noticed vibration sometimes in third through the shifter.
> 
> ill repeat, anyone else have this problem/know what it is?


Some transmissions have a little play in the slider assemblies to help ensure that it fully engages the gears. I'm sure that's probably all it is. It's somewhat common in newer cars


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## cashmoves (Oct 14, 2011)

lostmymind said:


> Some transmissions have a little play in the slider assemblies to help ensure that it fully engages the gears. I'm sure that's probably all it is. It's somewhat common in newer cars


ok great, thank you. i wasnt really worried about it, but its nice to know what the cause probably is. this car is awesome by the way!


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## UnknownBeauty (Nov 7, 2012)

cruzeman said:


> ive had manuals my entire life and found there to be a bigger learning curve in the cruze then other cars ive had. I think mainly because of the super short 1st gear, it wants you to change gears in the middle of a turn.


I had the same problem with 1st gear when I got mine. I got used to it pretty quickly, but it is slightly irritating. 

I switched from a manual Celica and found the transition to be easy for the most part. At first the shift lever almost felt "spring loaded" because it seemed to snap back to neutral much more quickly than my old car. The Cruze manual has a much smoother shift than the automatic. I drove an automatic for a week while I waited for my manual to arrive and noticed a slight lurch in shifting in the low gears. The salesman had mentioned that to me, and I was pretty surprised that it was so noticeable. Anyway, get the manual. It's worth learning to drive!


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## sciphi (Aug 26, 2011)

Bumping a year-old post. Please note the dates in the left-hand corner.


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