[n:CorE]

Originally Posted by kch82

I have been researching on the Cruze AT quite religiously for the past few weeks. But for the past 2-3 days I have been reading many posts on the so expensive A.S.S. I am just shocked to read the mandatory "check up" after every 5000 km, which itself is very expensive. Then the brake pads need change every 15000km which in itself puts you back by many 5 digits. I am just shocked that in today's time when all automobile companies are trying to give more hassle free cars, GM is making cars on service models dating to the 90's. What is more amusing that despite such major service issues, many swear by this car. This makes me wonder whether these disastrous service stories are true ? I am sure no one would want to spend thousands of rupees at regular interval in the name of A.S.S. ?

I was considering the Cruze AT (facelift/engine upgrade) but I am in serious doubts. I preferred the Cruze AT over the Laura AT and Jetta AT because it is cheaper by a few lacs. But if I land up paying so much in A.S.S, then I guess such a purchase will be "penny wise pound foolish".

My requirements for a car are- diesel, AT and exciting looks. Till now Cruze AT was fitting the bill considering the price tag.

Can someone advise me what to do ? I am in a fix. I do not want a car that sucks my bank balance dry on A.S.S. At the same time the Jetta (my second choice) is out of my budget by a few lacs. Also VW and Skoda have equal horror A.S.S stories !!!

Will appreciate some genuine and unbiased advice from all users and experts here.

Thanks.

Hello kch82,

Well, I have recently purchased a Chevrolet Cruze LTZ A/T in Sand Drift Grey Colour, it has clocked 4000kms within 2 months. I was in the same dilemma as you are in right now. I was looking for a replacement to my 5 year old Honda Civic A/T, with the petrol prices reaching sky-heights had to consider a diesel and an automatic was a primary requirement for ease of city use and that of driving for my mother and sister.

Decided to go for the on-going model as I was unsure of the arrival of the face-lift and I needed a car soon enough, the Civic was really in bad shape and the forever rising petrol costs were just making things worse. I do prefer the grill on the existing cruze than what is on the facelift.

Well even I was well-aware of the occasional instance of horrid A.S.S by Chevy but it didn't bother me too much as much as the Skoda's did so I was well away from the Laura, apart from the family acceptance aspect of the brand. Now that this thread is up lets see how many Cruze BHP-ian owners are subjected to this kind of A.S.S. Hoping not to be one of them, only time will tell. However I have opted for the CPCO package for which I payed an additional Rs.30,000/- which offers you complete cover of durables as well (except tyres & battery) for 3 years/45,000kms.

It was a tough call between the Jetta and the Cruze. And sometimes I do think what would life be like with the Jetta. But hey, life sometimes does seem greener on the other side. I'll give you a quick comparo in my opinion:

Engine:
The engine on the Cruze is really a beast, once the turbo comes in the acceleration pushes you back into the seat with a 'wooosh'. It has a very prominent turbo-sound (which I love ). The power delivery on the Jetta is far more linear in comparison. The Jetta redlines at 5,000rpm while the Cruze redlines at 4,500rpm.

Gearbox:
The Jetta has a beautiful DSG gearbox on offer. Shift-times are lightning quick and seamless. The Jetta maybe down on power by 10bhp on paper (more-like 23bhp post face-lift), but the gear box keeps it on the power better unlike the A/T in the Cruze which is a conventional 6-speed set up. During indecicive acceleration moments you really do feel the gearbox struggle to find a cog, the shift times are not as quick and you feel every gearchange. The paddle-shifters on the Jetta are far more intuitive to use and better than the slide out sequential +/- gear change on the Cruze. I reckon the DSG will be more fuel-efficient too.

Interior:
The cabin of the Jetta reeks quality and typical German-ness. Everything is very well screwed together, simple and tight. Its quite the contrary in the Cruze, the plastics are hard, it doesn't feel as well-screwed together as the Jetta does but that said the centre console on the Cruze is pretty flamboyant and looks like something straight out of a fashion couture catalog.

As Tanvir very rightly mentioned in the official review. Sometimes its not always a good idea to let the designer take charge of the interior than the engineer.

Features:
This is where the Cruze gets an edge over the Jetta. Electric Sun-roof, Automatic Climate Control, Keyless Entry & Go (Push-start), Proper USB-in (as far as I know, the Jetta just gets an iPod cable and an unusual SD-slot), Bluetooth Audio.

The Jetta gets Driver electric seat adjust which IMO is useless without memory function and a Touch-screen ICE over the Cruze that too will change with the upcomming facelift. No climate control is a real bummer in a 20L on-road sedan.


The reason I decided on the Cruze was because I like a bit of madness to my car, the power delivery nature of the car excites me more. The Cruze is a stunning looker with its coupe like head-swoop, muscular edges. The plethora of additional equipment over the almost 3.5 Lakh Rupee more expensive Jetta just did it for me.

Anyway, hope this post helped.

Paging all BHP-ian Cruze owners to share their A.S.S experience, I shall update this thread with my due 5,000kms service which is soon approaching.

Regards,

[yosbert]

Originally Posted by kch82

Will appreciate some genuine and unbiased advice from all users and experts here.

Well, I certainly can't claim to be an expert here, but you can look out for the new Hyundai Elantra which is rumored to be launching in a few month's time. It will definitely match most of Cruze's briefs quite nicely.

[tusharsethi]

Hi Guys,

I've done about 24,000kms in the last 1 year of ownership and haven't had any such complaints. I got the brakepads changed at 15,000kms, both front and rear, but other than that no complaints at all. In my brother's cruze, the brake pads lasted about 22,000kms and we got them changed to oem ones from another shop. They costed about 4500 for a set of front and rear and after driving the car with them for another 12,000 kms, there is no difference. GM is clearly ripping us off on some part costs but some of them are even cheaper than Figo parts. My rear right window glass costed me Rs. 578 while the Figo's costed me Rs. 1,100.

My brother's cruze has done about 34,000kms with no problems in the clutch and mine has done 24,000 with no issues. I would recommend you going to another Chevy A.S.S and getting it checked. Maybe your dealer is trying to rip you off.

Cheers

[mayankjha1806]

So i see there are two worries, one the clutch and other the brake pads. Brake pads of Cruze are well known to be changed at 15K, so i don't think its any surprise.

Clutch plate changes at 45K is not impossible, although i would suggest you take another opinion about the same. Usually clutch plates last anywhere between 50-70K depending on use so you are not very far off. As far as cost of changing clutch plates is concerned, 68K does seem like way high, although that might be normal for Cruze. In comparison most Japanese clutch plates can be changed at ~20K.

[ipsanand]

Originally Posted by tusharsethi

Hi Guys,

My rear right window glass costed me Rs. 578 while the Figo's costed me Rs. 1,100.

What? I replaced the rear right window glass on my brand new Jetta and it cost me 3600 bucks. And only one out of five services centers in Delhi NCR stocked the part... And to add to that, the glass not available outside the service centers... So who's better on *** - Jetta or Cruze... Well, maybe it doesn't matter... Once you marry a car, it's urs and its the best ... :-)

[mobike008]

[quote=anb;2800769]My car has done about 42500 Km. So far no problems with the clutch. Front brake pads were replaced twice( @ 17.5K and 35K) and rear pads once(20K). Price of some spare parts are high. Paid Rs.10700 for Driver side ORVM. Looks like Maintenance costs of Cruze is higher than Laura/Jetta thanks to 5000 Km service interval and brake pads. [quote]

Seems like everyone except me is complaining about high service cost of the Cruze. Can you please outline the total cost of maintenance till date including wheel alignment and balance? Mine stands at Rs.0.60/km with odometer reading at 27,600kms.

Originally Posted by d3adlythegame

First of all, let me clarify, i am huge fan of this car , if given a choice all over again, i would still end up purchasing the same make/model.In the past two years, the car has clocked 45,000 Kms, i have gotten the brake pads changed thrice, which alone cost around 8,000 just for the front brake pads. They expect us to the get the both front/read pads changed every 15Kms, same is the case with three of my other friends.

This is really horrendous news that you changed your brakepads once at every 15000kms. Was this changed at the behest of your dealership or you were convinced that they went kaput for sure? Was this change done only for front or even rear each time?

I am still running on OEM brake-pads with no change to either front or rear.

Originally Posted by d3adlythegame

The normal servicing for the same costs around 12-14K. Everytime i personally visit the service station, i am always horrified by the sales person stating that the timing belt will break, clutch needs to be replaced, including the flywheel. Its something or the other everytime. I dont mind paying 12-14K for the service, but when i compare the same with the other cars i own, Endeavor, Accord, the normal servicing for the same costs around 6-7K.

What do you mean by normal servicing? Is it the 5000kms one? Why does normal servicing cost 12K-14K. There is clearly something wrong.

Do you ask the approximate cost of the service during a 5000kms/15000kms service? And, do you question the need for each line item?

Originally Posted by d3adlythegame

My friend recently got the the clutch as well as the flywheel changes. I tried doing some research on the net, and found we were not the only ones :-

At what odometer reading this happened?

Originally Posted by d3adlythegame

I have been quoted 68,000 for the same issue by Metro Chevrolet, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Above point related to your friend's Cruze clutch & flywheel gone bad. Has your Cruze going through same issue? Your comment isnt too clear.

Originally Posted by NST440

Skoda people must be genuinely happy to read this thread. I have owned an octavia & i always used to keep my fingers crossed while getting her serviced. Thanks for shedding light on the Cruze spares & service state , my cousin was almost about to buy one, but the sales representative was one of his known who told the hardships associated with the cruze, he bought an altis 2012 & i have never seen him more happier with any other car. I think its high time when manufacturers should understand the importance of spares & services costs,

It all depends on your relationship with dealers. The notorious Skoda dealerships in Hyderabad are the most popular with Hyderabad skoda owners and i dont know anyone who had gone through the "Skoda Horror" experience.

Similarly, I own a Cruze from last 22 months and if you read my ownership thread, i have nothing but praise for their dealership. With regards to cost of spare parts, I do agree it is definetly very expensive and they should bring it down to attract more customers besides training their nation-wide dealership to focus more on customer service.

Originally Posted by kch82

I have been researching on the Cruze AT quite religiously for the past few weeks. But for the past 2-3 days I have been reading many posts on the so expensive A.S.S. I am just shocked to read the mandatory "check up" after every 5000 km, which itself is very expensive. Then the brake pads need change every 15000km which in itself puts you back by many 5 digits.

It isnt as bad as its made out to be. Once your drive the Cruze all these pains will go into Oblivion, trust me. Having said that, AT tends to be more expensive to maintain ( on all aspects like brake pads, FE etc) than the shift stick.

Originally Posted by tusharsethi

I've done about 24,000kms in the last 1 year of ownership and haven't had any such complaints. I got the brakepads changed at 15,000kms, both front and rear, but other than that no complaints at all. In my brother's cruze, the brake pads lasted about 22,000kms and we got them changed to oem ones from another shop. They costed about 4500 for a set of front and rear and after driving the car with them for another 12,000 kms, there is no difference. GM is clearly ripping us off on some part costs but some of them are even cheaper than Figo parts. My rear right window glass costed me Rs. 578 while the Figo's costed me Rs. 1,100.

Tushar, would be wonderful if you can share the details of alternative source for spare parts it would help all Cruze members on the forum. Eventually once the warranty of the car gets completed, i am sure all Cruze owners would want to switch to economic parts route.

My experience of cost for 5000kms/15000ms for Cruze till date has been following :-

5,000kms Service : ~ Rs. 1500 X 4 = Rs.6000 ( actually it was lesser during 1st and 2nd 5K service)

15,000kms Service : Rs. 6500

Wheel Alignment & Balance : Rs.3000 ( After my 1st unhappy experience at dealership. I always got this done outside)

Cost of ownership of Cruze @27,500kms stands at : Rs.0.60/KM

For more details you can visit my ownership thread where I tried to capture every minutest detail that happened with my Cruze ever since I bought it.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...completed.html

P.S: I liked what d3adlythegame said and fully concur. If i ever want to buy a new car. It will be again the Cruze. That is the kind of passion it invokes into you

[anb]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Seems like everyone except me is complaining about high service cost of the Cruze. Can you please outline the total cost of maintenance till date including wheel alignment and balance?

• 40K Service: Rs.3830
• 35K Service: Rs.8880 (front brake pads)
• 30K Service: Rs.12969
• 25K Service: Rs.3400
• 20K Service: Rs.13000( Rear brake pads)
• 17.5 K : Rs.5500 (apprx)( front brake pads replacement)
• 15K Service: Rs.8000
• 10K Service: Rs.5000
• 05K Service : Rs.400
• 01K Service : Rs.00

wheel balancing and alignment were done from outside. Rs.4500


Total cost: Rs.65500 excluding accident repair, tyres and mods
Total cost per Km=65500/42500= Rs. 1.54/Km

[kch82]

Mobike008 & Anb - Thanks for the detailed list. That is very helpful. But don't you all think that the A.S.S of the Cruze is very expensive. I doubt whether the Jetta will be this steep?

Also I had posted a detailed response to n:Core's post (and others). Wonder why is it now showing above.

Bottom line - do you think I should go for the Cruze ? But then what alternative do I have for a diesel AT considering I am not interested in the Laura and the Jetta is way above my budget ? In a fix. Any suggestions to clear my thought process will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by kch82

Bottom line - do you think I should go for the Cruze ? But then what alternative do I have for a diesel AT considering I am not interested in the Laura and the Jetta is way above my budget ? In a fix. Any suggestions to clear my thought process will be highly appreciated.

You have answered your question yourself. You dont like Laura and Jetta is above your budget. Solution is simple ; Go Get the Cruze !

--------
It is nice to know that Cruze is put through some tough tests to ensure that it is monsoon/flood ready. Take a look at how they ensure that here :-

Weather Simulators Prepare Chevy Cruze for Storm Season

[DeKay]

Originally Posted by kch82

do you think I should go for the Cruze ? But then what alternative do I have for a diesel AT considering I am not interested in the Laura and the Jetta is way above my budget ? In a fix. Any suggestions to clear my thought process will be highly appreciated.

Thanks

Chevy is going to come out with a facelift for the current Cruze anytime this month. Or at least they said they would. I saw a lot of news on this topic last month. Wait for the new model and then make your decision.

Or, if you're already in touch with a Chevy dealership, you can ask them if the new model is going to be out anytime soon.

I am desperately waiting for the facelift to come out too.

[kryptonite]

Originally Posted by DeKay

Chevy is going to come out with a facelift for the current Cruze anytime this month

Apparently, the new Cruze won't feature a facelift, but only an engine upgrade. See here: Updated Chevrolet Cruze Gets No Facelift | MotorBeam - Indian Car Bike News & Reviews

[BurningHeart]

Originally Posted by kryptonite

Apparently, the new Cruze won't feature a facelift, but only an engine upgrade. See here: Updated Chevrolet Cruze Gets No Facelift | MotorBeam - Indian Car Bike News & Reviews

I stated my theory long before in the earlier pages. GM does NOT update the cars, period. Optra, when SRV ran out of road, got the latters grille and headlamps. That was the only exception, otherwise, nothing ever changes guys. And in the case of Cruze, it is indeed a good thing.

BH.

[ghostrider]

Originally Posted by kryptonite

Apparently, the new Cruze won't feature a facelift, but only an engine upgrade. See here: Updated Chevrolet Cruze Gets No Facelift | MotorBeam - Indian Car Bike News & Reviews

Here's a couple of pics of the facelift. Other than the front grille revised foglight housings and revised bumper, nothing much seems to been changed (other than the engine getting another 11 or 12 horses and some low-end torque).

[anb]

Originally Posted by ghostrider

Here's a couple of pics of the facelift. Other than the front grille revised foglight housings and revised bumper, nothing much seems to been changed (other than the engine getting another 11 or 12 horses and some low-end torque).

Facelift is not coming to India. Engine is a diiferent one, not the previous VM motori engine.

The changes are

• Different engine: 166PS and 380Nm of torque
• 6 speed manual gearbox
• electric adjustment for driver's seat
• improved headroom at rear

[ghostrider]

Originally Posted by anb

Facelift is not coming to India. Engine is a diiferent one, not the previous VM motori engine.

The changes are

• Different engine: 166PS and 380Nm of torque
• 6 speed manual gearbox
• electric adjustment for driver's seat
• improved headroom at rear

Yes, I know. I was just showing what the facelift looks like.
The only thing about the new model I actually envy a little bit is the 6-speed box. The extra horses, not so much, because I'm planning on plonking in a Rd box soon.