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2011 Chevrolet Cruze Gallery: L.A. Show
Chevrolet Cruze: Live And In The Metallic Flesh
Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last
Chevy Cruze Wagon NOT Spotted
Euro-Spec Chevy Cruze Gets A Second Diesel Engine
WTCC Chevy Cruzes Into Shanghai
Chevy Cruze UK Pricing To Start At £11,545
2009 Holden Cruze: Econobox Heads Down Under
GM Delays Volt, Cruze Engine Plant Due To Carpocalypse
Chevy Cruze WTCC Racer Fully Revealed

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Ford Tempo Fanatic
12/02/09

In reply to Chevrolet Cruze: Live And In The Metallic Flesh
In appearance, it looks years ahead of the decades behind Cobalt. Not just in visual appeal, but it just looks like something higher quality then the cheap ass Cobalt and the Cavalier it replaced.

Nonetheless, its not revolutionary. Its the GM fanboy's second favorite Chevy (behind the also not revolutionary Volt). Its a competent car, and the only reason its gotten as much love as it has, is the fact Chevy hasn't had a competive car in decades. This hasn't been the same for automakers like Toyota, Honda, and Ford.

GM deserves a pat on the back for this car. Nothing else.
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bmoreDLJ
12/02/09

In reply to Chevrolet Cruze: Live And In The Metallic Flesh
Ooooo....it looks...the same as it has for like three years now.

Grille needs more busy if it's going to fight the smaller Fiesta.
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Edited by bmoreDLJ at 12/02/09 10:23 AM bmoreDLJ was starred bmoreDLJ was unstarred

pauljones
12/02/09

@bmoreDLJ: How is that?

The Cruze was just released in Europe as a 2009 model.
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drewdrawsLA
12/02/09

@pauljones: I think because GM has been releasing images of this pile of meh for years in the manner of the overexposed Camaro.
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Paul Y. can't get in the club; gotta parking lot pimp
12/02/09

In reply to Chevrolet Cruze: Live And In The Metallic Flesh
Now, if there was a wagon variant, I might even consider owning one in the future. Since wagons are supposedly unmarketable, however, no dice.

On the other hand, it's tough to do worse than the dynasties of shitboxes that this car is replacing, so at least there's that.
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pauljones
12/02/09

@Paul Y. can't get in the club; gotta parking lot pimp: I liked the Cobalt, actually; interior materials notwithstanding, it really was decent little car, as long as you got it with a manual.

The styling was far from exciting, but neither was it offensive. It put down competitive performance numbers, it got great mileage, and it had a number of cool gadgets and features that you couldn't even find on a $150k S-class. My personal favorite was the tire pressure gauge, which actually indicated what the pressure in each individual tire was, as opposed to other systems that simply illuminated an idiot light indicating that one of the four tires is low on air.

Had they given it some better interior materials and a better automatic, it would have been an awesome little car. As it is, all can be forgiven for bringing us the the all-kinds-of-awesome Cobalt SS Sedan.
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Timtoolman, sporadically speaking
12/02/09

@pauljones: I once rented a Pontiac that had the pressure gauge and would have been stranded halfway across Florida without it. Not a Pontiac fan, but this was a really great option to have.
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pauljones promoted this comment

nataku8_e30
12/02/09

@pauljones: I also like the Cobalt. I haven't driven a manual one yet (I will in about 3 weeks since I convinced my Mom to buy an XFE use C4C and my GM card discount - 8k new), but I even liked the lousy automatic models. I was able to average high 30 mpgs with the AC blasting at 80 mph, and it was a good car to avoid getting into trouble with. The transmission was really annoying though, in that it just wouldn't downshift.
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danio3834
12/02/09

@nataku8_e30: I can echo this. I drove a rented Cobalt a couple weeks ago and got a verified 36mpg doing mostly 90mph over 200miles of freeway.
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Paul Y. can't get in the club; gotta parking lot pimp
12/02/09

@pauljones: The SS is obviously an exception that is not obvious enough for me to have thought of.
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pauljones
12/02/09

In reply to Chevrolet Cruze: Live And In The Metallic Flesh
How is the Cruze a Fiesta fighter?

The Fiesta is intended as a subcompact to slot below the current (and upcoming) Focus. The Cruze is intended to replace the Cobalt, which itself was a Focus competitor.

The competition for the Fiesta will be whatever GM comes up with to replace the Aveo; knowing Whitacre, we'll soon be seeing a new Chevette.
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Edited by pauljones at 12/02/09 10:01 AM pauljones was starred pauljones was unstarred

Ray Wert
12/02/09

@pauljones: You're absolutely right it's not quite a Fiesta-substitute, but it's certainly also not a Focus-fighter as it's too small. The Malibu, for all intents and purposes, slots up against the Fusion and the Impala faces up against the Taurus. But, for the moment, it'll be all they've got in either the small or compact segment that's competitive -- so in that way it's a Fiesta-fighter.
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Edited by Ray Wert at 12/02/09 10:48 AM Ray Wert was starred Ray Wert was unstarred

twitchykun(level 10 Jalop-Knight)
12/02/09

@pauljones: Aveo....that rental car of mine is trying to kill me. It shudders when i try to reach freeway speeds. When I turn the body rolls. The steering wheel feels like it's gonna come apart in my hands.

I'm scared as to what might replace the Aveo. It might be scarier.
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pauljones promoted this comment

pauljones
12/02/09

@Ray Wert: I understand your point from the perspective that it's the only real small car they have (the Aveo just doesn't count), and that makes sense.

But I don't think that the Malibu can be argued as slotting up against the Focus; the Focus is a much smaller, much cheaper car. The Fusion, however, is pretty close to an even match for the Malibu.
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pauljones
12/02/09

@twitchykun(level 10 Jalop-Knight): It sounds like my Saturn.
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twitchykun(level 10 Jalop-Knight)
12/02/09

@pauljones: you're a greater man than I, good sir. I'm only stuck with this as a rental.
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CAJensen01
12/02/09

@Ray Wert: That's not true at all. The Malibu would slot up against the Fusion, the Altima, the Camry, etc. The Aveo's re-design will slot against the Fiesta. It may be a year or two coming. But the Cruze would slot against the Focus.
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Ray Wert promoted this comment CAJensen01 was starred CAJensen01 was unstarred

Ray Wert
12/02/09

@pauljones: Oops. sorry. I meant Fusionm, not Focus.
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Ray Wert
12/02/09

@CAJensen01: Yeah, I know. I wrote Focus when I meant Fusion. Damn Ford and their F-ing F-worded naming schema!
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pauljones
12/02/09

@Ray Wert: It does make life confusing, especially this early in the morning on California time, which you are now on as a result of attending the LA Auto Show.

Welcome to Californialand, my home sweet home.
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snapoversteer 'bout to get told
12/02/09

In reply to Chevrolet Cruze: Live And In The Metallic Flesh
I will name it Mark because it looks like a hare-lipped dog.
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Ford Tempo Fanatic
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last
I'm going to pop open a cold one on the day GM officially announces there will never be a Chevy Volt mass produced for the 'Merican consumer. #laautoshow
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Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/17/09

@Ford Tempo Fanatic: I'll just wearily shake my head. Then I'll pop a bottle of whiskey, but not necessarily out of a sense of celebration. #laautoshow
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Ben Wojdyla
11/17/09

@Ford Tempo Fanatic: Based on what I've seen and know, you'll never get a chance to pop that cold one open. Sorry. #laautoshow
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philibuster
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last
Will the cruze be better than the fiesta? #laautoshow
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brandegee
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last
Is this the car we knew Korea could build for us? #laautoshow
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that ain't the way to have fun, son
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last
Too bad this can't be a direct-injection 1.4L TD. Then we'd get 260 torques and 65 MPG.

Oh, and it'd last forever...or until some bonehead put gasoline in it a 15th time. #laautoshow
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duurtlang
11/18/09

@that ain't the way to have fun, son:
It's available in Europe already, with a 2 liter turbodiesel with 150 HP. It's not very economical though, for European standards that is.
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that ain't the way to have fun, son promoted this comment duurtlang was starred duurtlang was unstarred

that ain't the way to have fun, son
11/18/09

@duurtlang: Which means it slam-dunks anything, here.

Grrrrr.

#tips
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Motor_Yakuza
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last

Cobalt Coupe replacement? #laautoshow
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Motor_Yakuza
11/17/09

@Motor_Yakuza: #laautoshow
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underwear-ninja
11/17/09

@Motor_Yakuza: You intrigued me until I saw the Daewoo badge. BZZZT! WRONG! FAIL! #laautoshow
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Motor_Yakuza
11/17/09

@underwear-ninja: LoL, sorry , but the Cruze is sold as a Daewoo Lacetti , I don't like that to much but you have to talk to GM about that. Is that "Ask Fritz or Tell Fritz" thingy still on? #laautoshow
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FTGDWolverineEdition'09
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last
09' 1.4 GTDI: 140 hp
90' 5.0 L02 v8 (Base): 140 hp

We did come a long way. #laautoshow
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Motor_Yakuza
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last

So, how much until this thing will arrive? #laautoshow
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Pessimippopotamus promoted this comment Motor_Yakuza was starred Motor_Yakuza was unstarred

Pessimippopotamus
11/17/09

@Motor_Yakuza: Not soon enough. #laautoshow
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Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe)
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last
Do they have an appearance package on that Cruze that will disguise its underlying appliance-like features? You know... like a 'Sport' or 'GT' deal? The description of the engine, along with a manual transmission and the assumed low curb weight sound kind of fun. But it looks like it might put me to sleep. #laautoshow
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YankBoffin promoted this comment

YankBoffin
11/17/09

@Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe): Good point. Anybody know what the curb weight of the Cruze is? Wiki turned up nothing. #laautoshow
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Pessimippopotamus
11/17/09

@YankBoffin: 2,844lbs to 2,899lbs #laautoshow
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Pessimippopotamus was starred

Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe)
11/17/09

@Pessimippopotamus: I kept seeing 2750 lbs. But let's go with 2850. I'm also seeing horsepower figures of 138 - 140. (Though I see there's a 1.6 liter that makes only 112, probably in Europe.) With 138 hp and 2850 lbs., that's a hp:wt ratio of about 1:20.

Just for s*$ts and giggles, I tried to find the 2010 VW GTI figures for the same. I see a curb weight of 3100 - 3200 lbs. with horsepower figures of 197 and 211. Going with 197 and 3100 lbs, this gives us hp: wt ratio of 1:16 or 1 hp for every 16 lbs. of weight. That's substantially better performance... so how about something a little less challenging? Anybody got any ideas of a sporty little fuel sipper with four doors? #laautoshow
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YankBoffin promoted this comment Edited by Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe) at 11/17/09 3:10 PM

nataku8_e30
11/17/09

@Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe): The fit is 117 HP and 2520 lbs, so 21.54 lbs / HP

Also, the fit is only rated 33 mpg highway... #laautoshow
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YankBoffin promoted this comment nataku8_e30 was starred nataku8_e30 was unstarred

YankBoffin
11/17/09

@Pessimippopotamus: Interesting. That's about the same weight and horsepower as the wife's 2002 Protege5, which is indeed quite fun to drive. However, it definitely doesn't get close to 40mpg. #laautoshow
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Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe)
11/17/09

@nataku8_e30: Excellent comparison! So the Fit is a little peppier, but doesn't get you into the "4's" for fuel mileage. The Fit was on my list when I last went shopping for a new car. But at the time you couldn't even find one with a stick shift to take out for a test drive. :( I ended up going with the Scion xB after ruling out the Aveo, the Rio, the Ion, something from Suzuki... can't remember them all now. I had about 12 cars I was looking at. So, comparing the xB to the Fit, the xB has 103 - 108 horsepower and weighs 2415 lbs. That gives it a hp:wt ratio of about 1 to 23... which explains why I had to get a stick shift just so it felt like I was having any fun while driving it. But it does get 30+ mpg in my semi-aggressive driving. By those numbers, I suppose the Cruze would be a step up in performance for me... #laautoshow
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nataku8_e30
11/17/09

@Racin_G73 - dirt track legend (some day ... maybe): ...not quite - remember, the estimated weight / power ratio from a previous commenter for the Cruze was conservatively estimated at 20.65, so actually the Cruze has a lbs LESS to carry around per HP than the Fit. The Cruze is the peppier car in this case.

This whole exercise though is a bit deceptive, though. The gearing and torque curve shape will actually affect driveability more than the weight / power ratio, especially when you're talking such "underpowered" cars. Since I don't have any real information on the Cruze, I would bet that it has a much lower torque peak or flatter curve than the fit, since it's using a turbocharger. Plus, since it is a bit heavier and more powerful and judging by it's highway fuel economy number, more aerodynamic as well, you're likely to see a significantly higher top speed (which is pretty irrelevant under the normal driving conditions these will see) and, more importantly, much better acceleration at freeway speeds and passing ability. #laautoshow
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Pessimippopotamus
11/17/09

In reply to Chevy Family Photo Op: Mass-Marketing MPG And MPG For The Masses, Together At Last
We used to get awesome North American premieres like the Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari 599 GTB and the Venturi Fétish.

This year we get some run of the mill Chevy and a Toyota van. #laautoshow
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ShantJ
11/17/09

@Pessimippopotamus: The Fétish is sold here? #laautoshow
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wrx-tyrannosaurusWrx
11/17/09

@Pessimippopotamus: Its too true. Sad, really, but we actually stand a chance of buying these cars. #laautoshow
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Pessimippopotamus
11/17/09

@ShantJ: Is the Fétish even sold anywhere? #laautoshow
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Novaload
10/21/09

In reply to Chevy Cruze Wagon NOT Spotted
They should hire the photo-shopper as a designer. Stat! #chevycruze
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