Chevrolet Cruze LTZ - Ownership Report EDIT: SOLD after 115000 km!

sameer sultan · 17th March 2010, 17:36

[quote=Nitrous Power;1767856]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

The keyless entry and push button start feature add a wow factor to the Cruze. At the same time there is a down turn to this feature. ]

[COLOR=black]I do not know how this feature works in Chevy but this is how it works in Lexus based on my personal experience: The Key fob has to inside the car in order to turn on the engine by Push Button Start and if the engine is turned on and you leave the car with Key Fob, the engine will turn off automatically as soon as it leaves the car.[/COLOR]

The Keyfob should be inside the car then u can press the button to start it. If you leave the car with the key fob it does not switch off automatically. You need to press the stop button. Well thats the difference between a Cruze and a lexus which costs more and has a better technology!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikram999

did u also own fiat linea.??
how much cruze LTZ cost their on road...

Yes my Bro still uses a Fiat Linea. Cruze LTZ on road cost me 14L. Now i heard the price is gone up by 25K. The Cruze AT is 15.15L on road.

Quote:

Originally Posted by japneet_b

booked chevy cruze ltz m/t in black.....

Congrats man. Have you got the delivery.

Harshavarthan · 18th March 2010, 19:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by sameer sultan

To be frank with all the readers when I replace the tires after about 25000KMS(thats the life of low profile tires as told by the shop owner where I got them fitted) I will go for 215/55 R16 tires as they will be perfect for the Cruze and the ride quality will also be not compromised.

I believe 225/55 R16 will be a better upgrade. Ride quality will surely not be compromised. Difference in diameter is just 2 mm or .31%.

sameer sultan · 23rd March 2010, 13:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harshavarthan

I believe 225/55 R16 will be a better upgrade. Ride quality will surely not be compromised. Difference in diameter is just 2 mm or .31%.

Thanks mate for the suggesstion. I shall keep that in mind when I replace the tires.

roadrage · 8th April 2010, 23:08

The Cruze is the worst investment of my lifetime.
The car is highly uncomfortable and the suspension sucks. It is so damn stiff..pot holes are a nightmare.
Any body feel me?

Prabal · 8th April 2010, 23:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadrage

Any body feel me?

How would you like to be felt?!!

MaheshNarayanan · 9th April 2010, 01:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadrage

The Cruze is the worst investment of my lifetime.
The car is highly uncomfortable and the suspension sucks. It is so damn stiff..pot holes are a nightmare.
Any body feel me?

Hi roadrage,

Could you please elaborate on that. I personally decided to to go for the Civic automatic as CRUZE was new had there was little feedback available and also I did not want to give 14 plus lacks of my hard earned money to a company that was close to filing bankruptcy in USA (it's primary market). But that's just my opinion.

So far all reviews (Indian and U.K) of CRUZE I have read have been positive hence I am little surprised at your observations. Please share your experience in a little more detail.

sameer sultan · 9th April 2010, 02:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadrage

The Cruze is the worst investment of my lifetime.
The car is highly uncomfortable and the suspension sucks. It is so damn stiff..pot holes are a nightmare.
Any body feel me?

I have done 10900 kms in 4 months and have not come across a single complaint. The suspension is one of the best in this segment. Pls write in detail what issue you are facing.

tsk1979 · 9th April 2010, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadrage

The Cruze is the worst investment of my lifetime.
The car is highly uncomfortable and the suspension sucks. It is so damn stiff..pot holes are a nightmare.
Any body feel me?

Hi roadrage.
Regarding comfort, yes the back seat is bad and space is at a premium, esp for tall drivers. Front seats are just okay, nothing too great if you are all. But a short TD can reveal this.
Regarding number 2, check out the tire inflation pressure sticker stuck on the driver side door well. It has exact air pressures needed for comfort etc.,
Fill air to those pressures, and ride will be good.

windiesel · 11th April 2010, 22:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prabal

How would you like to be felt?!!

So have you felt road rage yet?

Smooth Drive · 15th June 2010, 18:32

@ Sameer,

I did a TD and came out totally happy. I did observe the following issues with the TD car. Iam actually planning to buy one in a couple of months from now and in need of your directions.

Points to be noted:
The TD car has clocked 20,000 Kilometers. 1st lot of cruze given for TD's.

Good:
1) Did not find much of a turbo lag as reviewed before.
2) Oops!!! - It is a road rocket.
3) Did feel solid and planted, iam not a speed monster, but felt very comfortable when driving around 140 kmph.
4) Has a great road presence, the looks grew on me.
5) I differ here - The ride was cozy and comfortable.
6) Was able to get a good driving position very easily.
7) Not much of squeaks.
8) Air con was an absolute chiller.

Bad:
1) The interior of the car looked really aged. (I mean the leather seats and the buttons) - Probably extensive usage by customers.
2) The steering start to wobble madly when the car reached 120 Kmph, and the sales guy gave stupid reasons to justify the wobble.
3) The clutch kicks back really hard; couple of times i did NOT feel comfortable.
4) The drivers arm rest - What is the use??? Placed awkwardly.
5) I accept - Poorly designed rear leg rooms. As is iam 5.7 and don't have problem with my head but i was not able to stretch my leg completely. Usually i drive

Things i expect and want to upgrade:
- A European Thud
- Blue tooth connectivity for my mobile phone
- A Touch screen for the MID with navigation support. (Is it possible to upgrade the MID without voiding the warranty?)

Waiting for your opinion on this. This will help me choose.

ashish22 · 16th June 2010, 11:39

hey smooth drive...some clarifications from my side:

1. Turbo lag is something which you eventually get used to. And its not that bad. The only time when it becomes irritating is when you have to kill momentum of the car for certain potholes or speed breakers and then you end up in the non-turbo zone and there's a sudden lag which takes time to build up and reach at the earlier momentum your car was in. In stop go traffic the turbo lag is not that evident or rather does not makes it presence felt because there's no momentum in the first place!
2. For better planted feel and steering feedback you MUST upgrade the stock JK tires to something better from michelin or yokohama. For overall better performance and comfort yokohama DB v550 tires are good.
3. Ride is quite supple and absorbent and does an excellent job of keeping the passengers at bay from the irregularities of the road. However the suspension is little stiff at low speeds.
4. My favorite driving position is the seat set at the lowest height and pushed back as far as my legs fall comfortable on the pedals. Gives quite a sporty feeling while driving :-)
5. For Blue tooth, touchscreen & navigation your best bet would be Caska player, model no. is CA3610. They make touchscreen players built to the exact dimensions of the car's in-dash slot and gives a 100% stock look to the car and reasonably priced as well. This will replace your default stock MID.

Hope this helps...

Smooth Drive · 16th June 2010, 12:34

Thanks Ashish, your clarifications were really useful, GM has found a new customer

.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashish22

5. For Blue tooth, touchscreen & navigation your best bet would be Caska player, model no. is CA3610. They make touchscreen players built to the exact dimensions of the car's in-dash slot and gives a 100% stock look to the car and reasonably priced as well. This will replace your default stock MID.

Will the Caska Player void the warranty if installed??? - Thanks again.

mobike008 · 16th June 2010, 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nitrous Power

Cruze LTZ on road cost me 14L. Now i heard the price is gone up by 25K. The Cruze AT is 15.15L on road.

Wow, the prices have increased so much since March? I enquired recently and it costs the following in Hyderabad OTR :-

LT : Rs.13.50 Lakhs
LTZ: Rs.15.40 Lakhs
LTZ (A) : Rs.16.50 Lakhs

I cant beileve that LTZ was priced just 50K above than current pricing of an LT

Is it due to state tax differentiation or is it due to recent increase in road tax. In Hyderabad, OTR is 14% of ex-showroom price

Quote:

Originally Posted by Harshavarthan

I believe 225/55 R16 will be a better upgrade. Ride quality will surely not be compromised. Difference in diameter is just 2 mm or .31%.

Since you will continue to remain on 16 inch. Will the OE alloys still fit on this upgrade ( 225/55/16)?

sameer sultan · 22nd June 2010, 12:43

) The interior of the car looked really aged. (I mean the leather seats and the buttons) - Probably extensive usage by customers.
2) The steering start to wobble madly when the car reached 120 Kmph, and the sales guy gave stupid reasons to justify the wobble.
3) The clutch kicks back really hard; couple of times i did NOT feel comfortable.
4) The drivers arm rest - What is the use??? Placed awkwardly.
5) I accept - Poorly designed rear leg rooms. As is iam 5.7 and don't have problem with my head but i was not able to stretch my leg completely. Usually i drive

Smooth Drive

Ill address your negative issues.

1)Personally I like the interiors very funky as for me Cruze was an upgrade from the Skoda Octavia.

2)The TD car needs balancing I guess. With stock tires and Alloys there not an issue about wobbling at high speeds. I have tested my car and it was smooth at even 180KMPH.

3)Again I m used to the hard clutch not an issue for me. But if u are driving petrol cars, then you would find it hard.(Go for AT, you wont have this issue

)

4)The drivers arm rest retracts forward and backwards.

5)Rear leg room is a big drawback. -5 to this.

I have driven 16000 Kms in about 6 and a half months and I m satisfied with the Cruze overall.

I can rant on and on about the positives about this car. But ill stick to the negatives as it will help you.

At high speeds upwards of 160KMPH the car is not stable in sharp turns when compared to a Jetta or Octy. I find this very annoying as I usualy drive very fast. I miss the stability.This is the major negative which I have.

In straight roads the Cruze is super. I have clocked 210KMPH as my top speed.

Rest this is a great car. Go for it.

sameer sultan · 22nd June 2010, 12:50

I just completed the 3rd service/15000km. The Engine Oil has to be replaced. Service advicer said GM recommends synthetic oil for the Cruze and it needs to be replaced every 15000kms. Cost Rs.5000/- for 6.2 litres.

I did not have any complaints until now.

In the owners manual service interval is every 5000kms where only inspection is adviced. At 15000kms replacement of Engine Oil and Filters is adviced.

My query is can I get my Cruze serviced every 15000KMS instead of doing every 5000kms. ? I own a Linea where the service interval is also every 15000kms. Even for VW Jetta it is the same. I anyways clock 15000KMS in about 7 months. Where as the manual says 15000kms/1.5 years.

If I do service for 15000KMS instead of 5000KMS will I face any problem with the Cruze.?

Need advice.

8th April 2010, 23:08	#154
roadrage Newbie Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Aurangabad/Pune Posts: 9 Thanked: 0 Times	The Cruze is the worst investment of my lifetime. The car is highly uncomfortable and the suspension sucks. It is so damn stiff..pot holes are a nightmare. Any body feel me?
	() Thanks

15th June 2010, 18:32	#160
Smooth Drive BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Karur Posts: 37 Thanked: 4 Times	@ Sameer, I did a TD and came out totally happy. I did observe the following issues with the TD car. Iam actually planning to buy one in a couple of months from now and in need of your directions. Points to be noted: The TD car has clocked 20,000 Kilometers. 1st lot of cruze given for TD's. Good: 1) Did not find much of a turbo lag as reviewed before. 2) Oops!!! - It is a road rocket. 3) Did feel solid and planted, iam not a speed monster, but felt very comfortable when driving around 140 kmph. 4) Has a great road presence, the looks grew on me. 5) I differ here - The ride was cozy and comfortable. 6) Was able to get a good driving position very easily. 7) Not much of squeaks. 8) Air con was an absolute chiller. Bad: 1) The interior of the car looked really aged. (I mean the leather seats and the buttons) - Probably extensive usage by customers. 2) The steering start to wobble madly when the car reached 120 Kmph, and the sales guy gave stupid reasons to justify the wobble. 3) The clutch kicks back really hard; couple of times i did NOT feel comfortable. 4) The drivers arm rest - What is the use??? Placed awkwardly. 5) I accept - Poorly designed rear leg rooms. As is iam 5.7 and don't have problem with my head but i was not able to stretch my leg completely. Usually i drive Things i expect and want to upgrade: - A European Thud - Blue tooth connectivity for my mobile phone - A Touch screen for the MID with navigation support. (Is it possible to upgrade the MID without voiding the warranty?) Waiting for your opinion on this. This will help me choose.
	() Thanks

16th June 2010, 11:39	#161
ashish22 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 598 Thanked: 100 Times View My Garage	hey smooth drive...some clarifications from my side: 1. Turbo lag is something which you eventually get used to. And its not that bad. The only time when it becomes irritating is when you have to kill momentum of the car for certain potholes or speed breakers and then you end up in the non-turbo zone and there's a sudden lag which takes time to build up and reach at the earlier momentum your car was in. In stop go traffic the turbo lag is not that evident or rather does not makes it presence felt because there's no momentum in the first place! 2. For better planted feel and steering feedback you MUST upgrade the stock JK tires to something better from michelin or yokohama. For overall better performance and comfort yokohama DB v550 tires are good. 3. Ride is quite supple and absorbent and does an excellent job of keeping the passengers at bay from the irregularities of the road. However the suspension is little stiff at low speeds. 4. My favorite driving position is the seat set at the lowest height and pushed back as far as my legs fall comfortable on the pedals. Gives quite a sporty feeling while driving :-) 5. For Blue tooth, touchscreen & navigation your best bet would be Caska player, model no. is CA3610. They make touchscreen players built to the exact dimensions of the car's in-dash slot and gives a 100% stock look to the car and reasonably priced as well. This will replace your default stock MID. Hope this helps... Last edited by ashish22 : 16th June 2010 at 11:45.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2010, 12:43	#164
sameer sultan BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 435 Thanked: 789 Times	) The interior of the car looked really aged. (I mean the leather seats and the buttons) - Probably extensive usage by customers. 2) The steering start to wobble madly when the car reached 120 Kmph, and the sales guy gave stupid reasons to justify the wobble. 3) The clutch kicks back really hard; couple of times i did NOT feel comfortable. 4) The drivers arm rest - What is the use??? Placed awkwardly. 5) I accept - Poorly designed rear leg rooms. As is iam 5.7 and don't have problem with my head but i was not able to stretch my leg completely. Usually i drive Smooth Drive Ill address your negative issues. 1)Personally I like the interiors very funky as for me Cruze was an upgrade from the Skoda Octavia. 2)The TD car needs balancing I guess. With stock tires and Alloys there not an issue about wobbling at high speeds. I have tested my car and it was smooth at even 180KMPH. 3)Again I m used to the hard clutch not an issue for me. But if u are driving petrol cars, then you would find it hard.(Go for AT, you wont have this issue) 4)The drivers arm rest retracts forward and backwards. 5)Rear leg room is a big drawback. -5 to this. I have driven 16000 Kms in about 6 and a half months and I m satisfied with the Cruze overall. I can rant on and on about the positives about this car. But ill stick to the negatives as it will help you. At high speeds upwards of 160KMPH the car is not stable in sharp turns when compared to a Jetta or Octy. I find this very annoying as I usualy drive very fast. I miss the stability.This is the major negative which I have. In straight roads the Cruze is super. I have clocked 210KMPH as my top speed. Rest this is a great car. Go for it.
	() Thanks

22nd June 2010, 12:50	#165
sameer sultan BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 435 Thanked: 789 Times	I just completed the 3rd service/15000km. The Engine Oil has to be replaced. Service advicer said GM recommends synthetic oil for the Cruze and it needs to be replaced every 15000kms. Cost Rs.5000/- for 6.2 litres. I did not have any complaints until now. In the owners manual service interval is every 5000kms where only inspection is adviced. At 15000kms replacement of Engine Oil and Filters is adviced. My query is can I get my Cruze serviced every 15000KMS instead of doing every 5000kms. ? I own a Linea where the service interval is also every 15000kms. Even for VW Jetta it is the same. I anyways clock 15000KMS in about 7 months. Where as the manual says 15000kms/1.5 years. If I do service for 15000KMS instead of 5000KMS will I face any problem with the Cruze.? Need advice.
	() Thanks