Gallery: 2016 Chevrolet Cruze Premier
This is a better Cruze than the old one, no doubt. That’s the good news. Bad news: The whole time I was driving it I couldn’t help thinking I could get a GTI or Mazda3 for this price. No-brainer.
The new Cruze is good-looking. It sort of looks to me like a smaller Malibu; I like the new Malibu’s shape and the Cruze is one of the better-looking small cars.
It drives like a bigger car. That’s a compliment -- I’m talking about refinement and fine chassis tuning -- it’s stable and comfortable. It’s also relaxing; it likes a leisurely pace rather than hustling: The turbo-four is about average in terms of acceleration. Part of that is likely the auto trans; it upshifts quickly for better mpgs. The good news is there’s good torque down-low for buzzing around town.
The steep windshield makes the interior feel bigger, and the materials are for the most part fine. I was particularly impressed with the seats.
For now, again, no way I get this over a GTI (or any other Golf for that matter) or the Mazda3.
-- Wes Raynal, editor
The new Chevy Malibu and Volt are well-executed contributions to their respective segments, which raised the bar for the Cruze. And it’s supposed to click with me because it’s advertised with emojis and everything! Millennials!
I don’t use emojis. But the Cruze is definitely improved all around -- you just have look under the nicely updated skin to notice the big changes. Supposedly the D2XX platform is a step up over the Delta II, but it’s not exactly a revelation, at least not in the kind of driving you’re likely to do in a Cruze.
You’re more likely to spot the interior changes. The dash flows cleanly from one door to the other; hard, silver-painted plastics have been almost entirely excised; the center screen/climate control stack is nicely integrated. Always-welcome physical knobs and buttons cover many common entertainment/climate functions.
There’s not much here, powertrain-wise, for the average driver to feel passionate about either way. I’m a little surprised that the car still sports a six-speed auto, but with the little turbo motor and a responsible foot on the pedal, the fuel economy estimates should be attainable without being a total drag around town; 153 hp is more than adequate. Even better, I wasn’t able to replicate the annoying uncertainty and gear-shifting clunkiness that occasionally cropped out in prior model year Cruzes at rush hour crawl speeds. Seems the engineers ironed that out.
But Raynal is right. For the money, you can get a more engaging driver, especially if you aren’t dead-set on a sedan. To an enthusiast (or even semi-enthusiast), I’d probably recommend the VW GTI, the Ford Focus ST or a Mazda3, in something like that order, before the Cruze even entered the conversation.
-- Graham Kozak, associate editor
Options: Enhanced convenience package: power windows with express driver up/down, air conditioning, automatic, inside rearview mirror, auto dimming, wireless device charging, seats heated rear outboard positions, power outlet 110-volt AC ($865); Driver confidence II package: headlamps, intellibeam, automatic high-beam, rear park assist, following distance indicator, forward collision alert, rear cross traffic alert, lane keep assist with departure warning, lane change alert with side blind zone alert ($790); Siren red tintcoat ($395)
Vehicle Model Information
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $23,985
AS TESTED PRICE: $26,045
POWERTRAIN: 1.4-liter turbocharged DOHC I4, FWD six-speed auto
OUTPUT: 153 hp @ 5600 rpm, 177 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm
CURB WEIGHT: 2932 lb
FUEL ECONOMY: 30/40/34 mpg
PROS: Interior is greatly improved
CONS: Sheetmetal changed, and we’re not sure that’s a good thing
