[dar3dev|l]

^^ Chrome6boy: If hard clutch and Hard gears are the mains reasons for not going for the Cruze, i would say you should than try for the Auto Cruze.

As compared to the Fluidic Verna i still just love the power of Cruze !! Cant want to TD the new cruze with the new engine !!

[Chrome6Boy]

Originally Posted by dar3dev|l

^^ Chrome6boy: If hard clutch and Hard gears are the mains reasons for not going for the Cruze, i would say you should than try for the Auto Cruze.

As compared to the Fluidic Verna i still just love the power of Cruze !! Cant want to TD the new cruze with the new engine !!

Auto Cruze is out of my budget, which is why I'm thinking about getting the LT and saving 1.8 L over the LTZ. Also have they changed anything in the engine in the new cruze?

[mobike008]

Btw, I just realized "White Annihilator" has completed its 1-year last saturday and currently stands at an odo reading of 16,400kms

It has been an awesome experience owning this beast. Not a single moment of regret !!!!

Originally Posted by Chrome6Boy

1. Hard clutch and hard gears which will cause me grief in Chennai traffic.

I agree the gears are slightly harder than most C segment cars. But, this was something that has never bothered me in my 1-year of ownership. Like I mentioned in my previous post, there are a few things like clutch and turbo lag that is being blown out of proportion.

Both are non-existent issues once you get used to the car. Besides, the upside is much much more than these simple supposedly downsides.

With regards to the gears. Let me say, your the first one to say Cruze gears are hard. Never heard that one before.

Cruze gearing is one of the best that i have seen in a car. It's short throw and has a lovely spring action and you can almost "feel" the slot.

Try driving an old verna and then the cruze. The difference is phenomenal. The verna gearshifts is like pushing the gears and no doubt is smooth but, Cruze gearshift is like a precision slot with a lovely springy feel to it.

I would say it's positive feature and not a negative one

Originally Posted by Chrome6Boy

2. No phone integration (Bluetooth). Especially since the HU controls so much more than the music, I guess changing the HU is out of the question. Caska is too pricey at 40K for just this option.

Well, this lack of feature has been a crib of many Cruze owners including self. I beileve the LTZ has it but, then you get only so many features for the price that you pay.

Originally Posted by Chrome6Boy

What do you do if you get a phone call while on the road?

It would not be a wise decision to discard a car from buying just because it does not have bluetooth feature. I would say get yourself a bluetooth headset and pair to the phone. Simple and problem solved.

Originally Posted by Chrome6Boy

I drive about 25,000 kms a year with 70% of the kms on the Chennai Bangalore highway. Verna suspension leaves a lot to be desired and the Cruze is an amazing rocket! Please let me know you thoughts.

If you drive as much as 18,000kms a year on highways, it is a no brainer to buy the Cruze LT over the Verna which is absolutely not confidence inspiring on highways. Trust me, experiencing Cruze on a highway is an unexplainable feeling. It becomes a totally different machine on highways.

Besides, Cruze is a step ahead and is C+ segment and is a guaranteed head-turner.

When I first bought it, i was totally overwhelmed by it's mammoth size and was wondering how will i manage to drive this on city roads. I do approximately 50kms a day to work in heavy to medium traffic conditions and enjoy this drive every single day and never regret that I should have got the i10 instead of the Cruze.

That thought may have crossed maybe once or twice during the initial days as i was paranoid someone will scratch the car or due to unprecedented traffic.

Bottomline, looking at your needs. Simply go for the "Rocket"

Originally Posted by dar3dev|l

^^ Chrome6boy: If hard clutch and Hard gears are the mains reasons for not going for the Cruze, i would say you should than try for the Auto Cruze.

LTZ AT would be approximately 2.60 Lakhs costlier over LT which I think is out of Chromeboy's budget.

Originally Posted by Chrome6Boy

Also have they changed anything in the engine in the new cruze?

Which new Cruze you are referring to? The cosmetically lifted one or the one expected end-2011?

If it's the former. There is no change to engine. It's exactly the same and only cosmetic upgradations have been done.

The new Cruze coming end-2011 will be an all new engine with 163BHP power and increase in torque to 356NM and will also have additional gizmos. Expect it to be priced 1 lakh dearer.

Hope this helps....

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by Chrome6Boy

I drive about 25,000 kms a year with 70% of the kms on the Chennai Bangalore highway. Verna suspension leaves a lot to be desired and the Cruze is an amazing rocket! Please let me know you thoughts.

With as much highway driving, the Fluidic should go out of the window, whether you go for the Cruze or not.

Coming to the Cruze, it is BRILLIANT on the highway. A sheer delight. If you want even more, move to harder tyres.

In your first few drives on the highway on this beast, beware of one thing - people may doubt your sanity, with the silly grin you are likely to have pasted on your face . Man, it IS a delight on the highway.

AFAIK, there are Bluetooth devices with a speaker in them, which can be installed in the car. May not fit in like OE, but should get the job done. I think I saw some adds in ACI too. You will have to mute/pause the music manually though. Not a perfect solution, but not a reason to give up on this beast.

For someone with lots of highway driving, the major deal-breaker with this car is with the cabin comfort, mainly in the rear. Spend some time in the cabin and see how you feel. If you like it, this may be a very good buy. If you want both front and rear bench comfort, I am afraid, in the 10-12L segment there is only one Diesel (which we talked about on a different thread @Chrome), a generation old Cruze - i.e. the Optra Magnum, which seems to be a very very practical car on many counts. It seems to have a standard Double-DIN HU, which should be easy to change to CASKA or whatever else you want.

The NFF should be good too, however no remote comparison to the Cruze rocket power.

[Chrome6Boy]

Thanks a lot for your thoughts Poitive, with the usual recommendations for the Optra . You're right about the bluetooth, I'm sure I can find some other solution.

I spent some time in the cabin and also test drove it twice. I really liked the cabin because I'll only be using the front seats and the rear seats will be occupied by my 2 kids in their car seats.

Now Mobike008 has put in some doubts in my mind because of the impending arrival of the new Cruze with even more power which will also no doubt have BT connectivity built in. I've been using my dad's car for the last 3 months, perhaps I can wait it out until the new rocket comes out.

Originally Posted by Poitive

With as much highway driving, the Fluidic should go out of the window, whether you go for the Cruze or not.

Coming to the Cruze, it is BRILLIANT on the highway. A sheer delight. If you want even more, move to harder tyres.

In your first few drives on the highway on this beast, beware of one thing - people may doubt your sanity, with the silly grin you are likely to have pasted on your face . Man, it IS a delight on the highway.

AFAIK, there are Bluetooth devices with a speaker in them, which can be installed in the car. May not fit in like OE, but should get the job done. I think I saw some adds in ACI too. You will have to mute/pause the music manually though. Not a perfect solution, but not a reason to give up on this beast.

For someone with lots of highway driving, the major deal-breaker with this car is with the cabin comfort, mainly in the rear. Spend some time in the cabin and see how you feel. If you like it, this may be a very good buy. If you want both front and rear bench comfort, I am afraid, in the 10-12L segment there is only one Diesel (which we talked about on a different thread @Chrome), a generation old Cruze - i.e. the Optra Magnum, which seems to be a very very practical car on many counts. It seems to have a standard Double-DIN HU, which should be easy to change to CASKA or whatever else you want.

The NFF should be good too, however no remote comparison to the Cruze rocket power.

[Poitive]

Originally Posted by Chrome6Boy

Thanks a lot for your thoughts Poitive, with the usual recommendations for the Optra . You're right about the bluetooth, I'm sure I can find some other solution.

LOL! I didn't really think of recommending it when I started writing. It just evolved as I was writing that post.

I spent some time in the cabin and also test drove it twice. I really liked the cabin because I'll only be using the front seats and the rear seats will be occupied by my 2 kids in their car seats.

With the above, the Cruze really is a very good choice.

Now Mobike008 has put in some doubts in my mind because of the impending arrival of the new Cruze with even more power which will also no doubt have BT connectivity built in. I've been using my dad's car for the last 3 months, perhaps I can wait it out until the new rocket comes out.

There is a thread on the forum discussing this. Link: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...-pipeline.html
Do expect it to be more expensive. In case you aren't happy spending more is that you can expect discounts once the new one is near arrival.

[w0lf]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Btw, I just realized "White Annihilator" has completed its 1-year last saturday and currently stands at an odo reading of 16,400kms

Congratulations and Happy Birthday to the WA. Looks like the Cruze is built to last for a long long time.

[octane78]

Hey Avi congrats to u completing one year on the Cruze. I was going through your thread and was blown away by the minute deatiled report on your experiences with the WA.

I have a query, You had mentioned that you had got the seat covers stitched but is not pure leather. Do the guys who did this fitment for you stitch pure leather seats.

I am actually looking to get the Maverick-2 (Scorp) seats done up in leather and enquired in Stanley and was quoted 40 grand for the basic stuff and would go to around 65 grand for Nappa leather which I am not in position to shell out.

Any inputs would be great with regards to the same.

Just like you I am also looking at coloring the alloys. My preference would be black. Do you know anyone by chance who could get the job done? When are you getting the alloys for the WA coloured?

Looks like Im asking you too many questions?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by octane78

Hey Avi congrats to u completing one year on the Cruze. I was going through your thread and was blown away by the minute deatiled report on your experiences with the WA.

Thanks Shashi. There was a selfish motive behind it, I can go back whenever i want to re-live those memories

Originally Posted by octane78

I have a query, You had mentioned that you had got the seat covers stitched but is not pure leather. Do the guys who did this fitment for you stitch pure leather seats.

I am actually looking to get the Maverick-2 (Scorp) seats done up in leather and enquired in Stanley and was quoted 40 grand for the basic stuff and would go to around 65 grand for Nappa leather which I am not in position to shell out.

Ghouse has a factory in lane next to Cafe Bahar in Basheerbagh. He is one of the main suppliers for all car dealerships in Hyderabad/Secunderabad.

I am sure he can do the fitting for pure leather too. Will send you his number via. PM. You can talk to him if he can source or you can source the leather and he can just fit it.

Originally Posted by octane78

Just like you I am also looking at coloring the alloys. My preference would be black. Do you know anyone by chance who could get the job done? When are you getting the alloys for the WA coloured?

This cosmetic upgrade will happen for sure. Hopefully, soon

However, i am contemplating two color paint for the stock alloys

1. The same golden color that you see on a blue Subaru Impreza. That color is also similar to the Chevy Logo color

2. All black. Matt or Shiny. Not clear

Hope someone from Hyderabad Graphic Design team does a photoshop to make this decision easier

[dockap]

hi, i got my magnum stock alloys painted golden. if you check my bhp garage you can see the pics.
Total cost was RS 900/- for all 5 alloys (painted 2 years back and color is still intact)

[octane78]

Ghouse has a factory in lane next to Cafe Bahar in Basheerbagh. He is one of the main suppliers for all car dealerships in Hyderabad/Secunderabad.

I am sure he can do the fitting for pure leather too. Will send you his number via. PM. You can talk to him if he can source or you can source the leather and he can just fit it.

That would be great Avi. Please do PM me Ghouse's number.


This cosmetic upgrade will happen for sure. Hopefully, soon

However, i am contemplating two color paint for the stock alloys

1. The same golden color that you see on a blue Subaru Impreza. That color is also similar to the Chevy Logo color

Avi for the WA this choice of yours ^^ is excellent and would gel well with the white.

2. All black. Matt or Shiny. Not clear

I was thinking of getting the Matt black for Maverick-2 on the alloys.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by mobike008

This cosmetic upgrade will happen for sure. Hopefully, soon

However, i am contemplating two color paint for the stock alloys

1. The same golden color that you see on a blue Subaru Impreza. That color is also similar to the Chevy Logo color

2. All black. Matt or Shiny. Not clear

My advice is to get it painted gunmetal. It will look the best. Gold or something firstly wont look good on any alloy design, and secondly I think it will be more difficult to get a proper gold finish. Ill try and photoshop gunmetal for you.

[bajwasingh]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Mission "15,000KMS Service" completed

Yesterday, took the WA to the service center first thing in the morning and had set up to meet the service manager who's contact took from my friend showroom service advisor ( Kishore).

He attended to me promptly and when i casually checked the oil brand and price they will use, he called comeone and confirmed the cost of synthetic oil ( Elf Brand) is Rs.720/litre and Cruze will use up 6.25L and is what company recommends. Also, i specially told him not to conduct the alignment and balance as I was not happy with that service.

I was pleasantly surprised that it will be Rs.900++

Told him, there are no issues except for the fused out bulb in glovebox.

As there was a free camp going on, I told him i am expecting a discount on the overall bill and he said " Sir, your is regular service so it will not apply. I told him that i got a text and even a call inviting me to this camp. Thus, I came". He said, 'Alright, let me see what i can do in the evening"

Estimation given was Rs.7000 and said I will receive a call in the afternoon if brake pads need to be replaced. I was nervous the whole afternoon and whenever the phone rang. I was flinching. Thankfully, didnt get a call from them.

Went over at 6:30pm to collect the car and got another pleasant surprise when the bill was handed over. It read

Oil : Rs. 611 X 6.25L = Rs.3020
Oil Filter Kit = Rs.550
Distill Water : Rs.17.50
Paid Service = Rs.1025

Total Bill = Rs.6156 (they didnt even charge be for bulb replaced)

Will get the Alignment and Balance done today and it should not cost more than Rs.700

And, I asked the Service Manager the discount and he quickly asked his team to give the same as provided in the free camp. On above amount, got a 10% discount on consummables and 5% on labour. This decreased the above total by ~ Rs.350 and paid the final bill of Rs.5800

SM said brake pads are good for atleast another 8,000kms and typically the front pads go first and it is around 4K or so and rear pads last for further 5000kms. I am glad the expenses are going to come in a phased manner.

Special mention of teople who are at cleaning bay. Atleast 4-5 people pounced on the car and gave it a real good rubbing and cleaning before delivering the car.

Besides the above, Chevy always has something going on at their ASC. Yesterday, they practically were forcing me to use a "Free Eye-Checkup" camp in their center which I politely refused.

Finally, ownership experience till date has been phenomenal and service costs was not as much a shocker as I thought it will be.

Some pics from yesterday with my incompetent BB camera

WA not yet touched the 15K mark but, it will over the weekend

Attachment 562186

This was the damage for 15,000kms service

Attachment 562187

Using air pressure hose to clean the complicated grill for all dust particles

Attachment 562188

Spotted this nice looking Optra outside the ASC. It was shod with Yoko's and a subtle color pattern.

Attachment 562189


A short post service "Feel" report follows in a day or two

hi mobike got my cruze serviced yesterday total damages rs 6500 including diesel filter and tuning which they hooked a laptop to the car and then drove it ,and did some retuning after that turbolag has reduced significantly

[sanstorm]

Avinash, Please help me on figuring out how to use the Multi Information Dispalays in Cruze LT? The right hand stalk does not have the push mechanism as suggested in Manual. Currently the digital display showing a) total kms b) odometer

I am keen to know whther the following are supported -

a) Fuel average (realtime)
b) Kms to go (to empty)
c) average from last setting
d) maitenance trigger setup

Thanks in advance

[Akshay1234]

Here are images for you -

Stock


Gunmetal


Black


Gold