![]() It’d be one thing if the Cruze were the fuel-economy champ, but it finished third, with 26 mpg.ĭon’t say we’re biased against Chevy a Cruze sedan finished third of five last year in a comparison, albeit against softer targets. Even at 4000 rpm, the maximum revs the computer allows with the clutch depressed, the engine fell down in a coughing fit when the driver dumped the clutch, producing the slowest zero-to-60-mph time in this test by far. The Cruze refused to be launched, its traction control interceding without invitation. Even mild grades forced downshifts, which provoked moans and vibration from the other side of the firewall but not much thrust. The torque shortage had us lifting the hood to see if the engine was indeed shipped with the advertised turbo. MARC URBANOĪnother weak point: that engine! On paper, the 1.4-liter is the limpest of our group, and on the road it’s just AWOL. We would forgive the Cruze's lack of sporting intentions if its competitors weren't just as practical, inexpensive, and efficient while also being fun to drive. In between, interiors remain the General’s weak point. We’ve seen amazing stuff from the new GM, but mostly on the surface or down in the guts. A floppy, ill-fitting headliner threatened detachment at any second, and the trim around the hatchback glass was made of two separate and badly aligned plastic sheets that would look sorry in a Lada. The strange dash fabric echoes the Malibu’s and is a novel and interesting flourish-the pattern comprises tiny Chevy bow ties, not fish scales as first thought-but too much hard, deep-grain plastic, as predictable in a Chevy as tomorrow’s sunrise, swaddles the cabin. In the Cruze, all the touch points are blah, from the plastic steering wheel to the hard-plastic shifter with its giant and incongruously placed reverse-engagement trigger, a fidget that will distract your fingers constantly. Granted, it has the lowest base price, but only by $60 from the Honda, which has more upscale cabin trim if fewer actual features. THE VERDICT: Needs more of GM's new momentum. LOWS: Were art thou, torque? Small hatch hole, dull interior. HIGHS: Spacious rear seat, good feature count, handsome. Whereas the Golf feels like a little Mercedes, though, the Cruze just feels like a little Chevy. It drives well enough, with okay steering and restrained body motion, the corners absorbed without much drama and the brakes operated by a steady pedal, but there’s no joy in it as there is in the Honda and Mazda. The fact is, the handsome Cruze hatchback, like the Golf, is more of a family capsule than a funmobile. ![]() It could mean Lifeless Torque, but we’ll get to that in a second. The front end says RS, the old Rally Sport designation that first appeared on 1967 Camaros, while the back says LT, which presumably means Luxury Trim or Latte Tote or something.
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