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I Bought A Chevy Cruze


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Hello all. This is my first post on here.

I was on the market for a new car and I test drove a few. So, I figured I would write this in case someone was wondering. I am starting to see more chevy Cruze on the road. The car has just surpassed Toyota in the USA as the best selling car, so I wanted to check it out. I bought a little cheap honda 6 years ago (new) and I was ready to upgrade.

  • First, I went to see the Civic. What a cheap feeling, LOUD riding car. I was very disappointed. I couldn't believe this car was 900,000 baht. I moved on.
  • I checked out the Altis. It's not bad, but you can't help but feel you are inside a Taxi. NEXT!
  • Saw the Ford Focus. Englishmen love this car, so I went to check it out. It was OK. The seats dig into my back a little. I drive a lot so, that would be uncomfortable for me. Not a bad car though. The best I saw until.....!
  • I test drove the Cruze. Luxurious inside. Bluetooth. USB port. LCD screen with controls on the steering wheel. It has it all. And it was a great looking car too. As for the ride, it feels like a Cadillac CTS. It rides very very smooth but the most impressive part is how quiet it is inside the cabin. It gets 36mpg on the highway. Runs on E10, 15,000 KM service schedule. Awesome. I fell in love with it. Tilt and telescopic steering wheel. The pictures on the website are how all 3 models look. The 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 diesel. All the same car, but with added things like rain sensors, auto light sensor, cruise control, 17" wheels. But they are all the same. The seats are the most comfortable I tried. The only car I tried that came close to the Cruze was the Camry Hybrid, but that one was almost 2 million.

My Cruze will be all black leather inside. Awesome car inside and out. Total was 875,000.

The 1.6L has a different engine. This one is the cheapest one. Mine is the 1.8 LS ecotec engine.

Edited by thaicruze
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Sounds very nice, congratulations!

I agree it looks great.. Chevrolet's first serious offering for me.

Another good Chevy-trait is that when it comes to their mid-life minor-change, they typically try to make it look worse. (See: Colorado, Optra) So you will have a good looking car longer. :lol:

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Thanks for the informative report...and yes, I have had my eye on this car as well and it has received great reviews in both the US and Thai press and internet. I would like something SUVish so am leaning toward the new Captiva but it is just great to see that after decades of decline and near death experiences, the US auto industry (and Ford too with its Fiesta/Focus series and F150s in the USis producing competitive cars in both style, drive-trains, and fit and finish to many Japanese and Euro manufacturers.

In the US, I was a confirmed Honda/Mitsubishi driver but it looks like my next car in Thailand will be from GM...I never would have thought it!

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I always thought my next car would be a Honda, but I test drove the Cruze first. Then, I went out and test drove the rest and was very disappointed, especially with Honda. The Civic is Pure CRAP.

The other thing is that you can't feel the bumps on the road. It's very Buickish in that regard. I test drove it on the same road I drive every day with my Honda and it felt I was driving on a different road.

It has one power outlet in the front, USB+AUX inside the center console and another power outlet in the back. Arm rests and cup holders for the back passengers.

Also, and this is never mentioned in any reviews, for you really tall guys, the seats in the Cruze go back almost ALL the way to the back! I've never been in a car seat that went back that much. So, even though it is technically a "small car" it feels much bigger. Definitely worth a look if you're looking to get a new car.

I saw a Cruze Taxi on the road the other day, I took a picture of it but I can't post pictures yet.

The one car in Thailand right now that comes close to the Cruze is the Hyundai Sonata Sport (but I haven't test driven this one. Anyway, I can't remember the last time I saw a Hyundai dealer around). But, it's 1.8 million and for that I'd rather get the Camry Hybrid. The Leather in the Sonata and the Camry Hybrid is really nice perforated soft leather. The Cruze leather is more of a sports car leather.

Since my Cruze is the LS and it comes with Cloth, I had to special order the leather, so even though my car is at the dealer it is still being worked on.

The other important thing is that, unfortunately, not all Chevrolet Dealers in Thailand are created equal. So, do your homework and find out which dealers around your area have a good service/sales reputation. Ask your wife, gf or a thai person to search in Thai in Google. The Chevrolet Clubs in Thailand have posts about which dealers are the best.

In my case, Chevrolet Bang Bua Thong is the best. I've heard bad things about Ramintra and I went to Rattanathibet and the sales people are scum. Avoid.

Then again, one of my wife's co-workers bought a Mazda 3. The Mazda people convinced her to pay and take the car early, then after she paid and took it they didn't give her what they promised her (the free stuff she was supposed to get like skirts and spoiler). Another one didn't get her "red tag deposit" from a Chevy dealer somewhere.

This is crucial. Find out about the dealer first. I've had great service with my Honda dealer, but I've heard of other people that have had terrible experiences with their local Honda dealer.

Edited by thaicruze
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Congrats on the new car, and welcome! :D

Agree on the Honda Civics' noise levels - the bad news is that even when spending almost double the money on a top-badged Accord, the noise is still unbearable, and the ride quality is bested by some 400K Baht eco cars.

The Focus is more a of "drivers car" - if you're the type who like to throw a car about in the turns, it appeal most in this segment. It is however a generation behind most offerings now (new model comes in 5 months), and that does show when it comes to fit/feel and NVH.

The Mitsubishi Lancer EX 1.8L is an interesting option given its E85 compatability, styling is sharp, handling is good, but the ride quality and NVH while better than the Civic and Focus, are not up to the Cruze's standard.

The Mazda3 is either too old (< 2.0L old shape), or just an old car in an expensive new skin (2.0L).

So yes, have to agree with your choice!

The Cruze just feels like a much more substantial car, the interior is refreshingly well designed (for the segment), it manages to look sharp and non-offensive at the same time, and it drives more like a luxury D-segment than a C-sgement. Fuel effeciency is good but not stellar, as is performance - such a shame we don't get the turbo 1.6L engine option in TH!

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when is the Cruze coming with the new 2.2 Diesel.

Latest updates still say the new 2.2L diesel is scheduled to appear in the Colorado, Cruze and Captiva in November. There's some conflicting rumors floating around that say the Cruze and Captiva will only get an updated 2.0L diesel at that time - which based on Thai excise tax rates make sense (2.2L would attract 5% more tax), but my sources still say 2.2L (which makes sense from a product rationalization/economy of scale POV).

Edited by MoonRiverOasis
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I wanted a diesel, but I wanted to keep the payments as low as possible. 875,000 baht was perfect for me. It has everything I want. The fuel economy is good enough.

So, I am getting 300,000 for my Honda. Paying 200,000 cash. So 500,000 down, this way I can take a loan for 48 months. Payments at 8,700 baht. Perfect for me. seemed to be the right car at the right time for the right price.

I am seeing more and more every day. I saw 3 on my way home. 1 silver. 1 white and another one with the Bumblebee theme. Yes. You can order them with the Bumblebee paint job and a transformers badge, but who wants that. I've seen only 1 on the road today. Thais prefer the LT and LTZ. The LT starts at 936,000.

I'm getting ESP, the traction control and all the other stuff for 875,000. Good enough for me. And, really, who is going to use Cruise Control in Thailand. Ridiculous.

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It's still a lot of money for a bread and butter compact.

Sure is a lot of Money,but its really silly to convert the price back to USD or GBP.You wouldn't buy anything apart from a Mango for Value.Cruze is right about the Civics noise, but not the Accord.Ive been looking, but for a runabout i still keep getting back to the City. Value, Size, and Performance wise City is an appropriate name. Cruze interior fittings and silence are a benchmark,but I've heard the Auto Box has a mind of its own. Another silly thing for me anyway,is i cant forget the Daewoo Crap they Released here with. a Chevy Badge stuck on it. Id like to say Captain Cruzes post is one of the most informative for a good while.Ill go for a second look because of him.:jap: .

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Are the Chevy's as reliable as the Toyota's and Honda's?

One guy in my village had a new C. Aveo and did he had problems with it, it was parked more at the dealer than his house :D . In the end he got so fed up with it that he sold it and bought a T. Viros instead.

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Cruze is right about the Civics noise, but not the Accord.

The road noise in the Honda Accord isn't bad at all - so long as you're partially or fully deaf, or come from a large Italian family and are accustomed to having normal conversations at 110dB, or it's the only car you've ever driven and you think that it must actually get worse as you spend less :P

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Cruze is right about the Civics noise, but not the Accord.

The road noise in the Honda Accord isn't bad at all - so long as you're partially or fully deaf, or come from a large Italian family and are accustomed to having normal conversations at 110dB, or it's the only car you've ever driven and you think that it must actually get worse as you spend less :P

Its my Wifes so you cant hear much else,even with her rattling its better than the Sportiveo, that splodge ive given up on !!!.Tried the Cruze this morning, the seats arnt very comfortable, but a Thai Lady Car without doubt., Nothing wrong with it, but im going with Honda for reliability.Oh to get that Audi from Europe @ 13.000 GBP.:D

.

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Although the Civic looks dated now, for me it looks like it has been designed with some thought and has some interesting features, both inside and out. Am interested to see what the updated version will look like. MRO, when will it hit the streets?

Cruze looks like another boring undistinguishable blob. Much like the Altis.

Still, it is living with the car that counts, and if all you say is true, you have picked a winner. Good luck with it.

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@wandrinstar

@BSJ

Not really. It's 875,000. The Civic is way lower quality and it's the same price.

@seriouseats

E10 is Gasohol 91. If you go to the Chevy Website, you can see it says E10. E10 is 10% ethanol mix. This is the same as Gasohol 91. The 1.6L supports E20. And the 2.0 is a diesel.

This is from the website 1.8L LS

Cruze : 1.8 LS M/T (845,000.00 บาท)

ข้อมูลจำเพาะของรถ

เครื่องยนต์ DOHC แถวเรียบ 4 สูบ 16 วาล์ว (Double CVC) ระบบจ่ายน้ำมัน หัวฉีดมัลติพอยท์ อินเจ็กชั่น ระบบเกียร์ ธรรมดา 5 สปีด ระบบกันสะเทือนหน้า อิสระ แม็คเฟอร์สันสตรัท คอยล์สปริง โชคอัพแก๊ส และเหล็กกันโคลง ระบบกันสะเทือนหลัง TORISON BEAM และโช้กอัพแก๊ส ระบบพวงมาลัย พวงมาลัยพาวเวอร์ไฮดรอลิก แร็ค แอนด์ พิเนียน ระบบเบรกหน้า ดิสก์เบรก พร้อมครีบระบายความร้อน ระบบเบรกหลัง ดิสก์เบรก กำลังสูงสุด (กิโลวัตต์ (แรงม้า)/รอบต่อนาที) 104 (141) / 6,200 แรงบิดสูงสุด (นิวตันเมตร (กิโลกรัม/เมตร) /รอบต่อนาที) 177 (18.1 ) / 3,800 ชนิดของน้ำมัน เบนซิน E10 มิติภายนอก 4,600 x 1,790 x 1,475

อุปกรณ์มาตรฐาน

icon-tick.gifระบบป้องกันล้อหมุนฟรี Traction Control icon-tick.gifถุงลมนิรภัยด้านคนขับ icon-tick.gifล้ออัลลอยด์ 16" icon-tick.gifกระจกมองข้างปรับและพับเก็บด้วยไฟฟ้า พร้อมฮีทเตอร์ไล่ฝ้า icon-tick.gifรีโมทควบคุมเครื่องเสียงบนพวงมาลัย icon-tick.gifช่องต่ออุปกรณ์เสริม (Auxiliary Port & USB) icon-tick.gifระบบกุญแจนิรภัยป้องกันการโจรกรรม Immobilizer icon-tick.gifพวงมาลัยปรับระดับสูง-ต่ำ ใกล้-ไกล icon-tick.gifระบบควบคุมเสถียรภาพการทรงตัว (ESP) icon-tick.gifวิทยุ-ซีดี 1 แผ่น และ Music Navigator icon-tick.gifกุญแจรีโมทแบบพับได้ icon-tick.gifหน้าจอแสดงข้อมูลอัจฉริยะ (Graphic Information Display) icon-tick.gifกระจกหน้าอัดซ้อนนิรภัย icon-tick.gifระบบเบรค ABS ป้องกันล้อล็อค พร้อมระบบ EBD กระจายแรงเบรคอัตโนมัติ

Google Translation

Specifications of the car.

DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder engine is a smooth (Double CVC) fuel system. Multi-point fuel injection system 5-speed manual transmission, independent front suspension with Macpherson's Construction and steel coil springs, gas shock absorbers and stabilizer. Rear suspension TORISON BEAM and Chong up the gas system, steering wheel, power steering, hydraulic and rack-pinion Brakes Front disc brakes with finned cooling the brakes after the brake power (kW (hp. ) / rpm) 104 (141) / 6,200 Max torque (Nm (kg / m) / rpm) 177 (18.1) / 3800 Type of oil, gasoline, E10 Exterior dimensions 4,600 x 1,790 x 1,475.

Standard.

Anti-wheel Traction Control driver's side airbag, alloy wheels 16 " Adjust and folding door mirrors, electric. With Heater and defroster Remote audio on the steering wheel Accessory (Auxiliary Port & USB) key safety anti-theft Immobilizer adjustable steering column, high-low - close - far Control. Stability Stability (ESP) Radio - CD, 1 DVD and Music Navigator key remote folding display intelligence (Graphic Information Display) windshield FRONT WINDSHIELD brake, ABS anti-lock. EBD brake force distribution system automation.

@MJCM

It is. The fuel economy is the selling point for the Chevy Cruze. You can check out Consumer Reports' review on the Cruze. The manual one will get you 40mpg or close to that. The Diesel is expected to give people 50mpg, at least the one that they will release in the USA. So, I expect to get what Consumer Reports got, around 30MPG average between city and highway driving. The car's screen will tell you and update your fuel economy, so you'll see the number go up and down. With the stop and go Thailand traffic, I think around 30MPG is a good estimate.

I am not saying the Cruze is for everyone. For example, I found the seats of the Civic to be very crappy and uncomfortable. My co-worker has a Civic and finds the seats very comfortable. He is very tall.

I find the seats of the Cruze to be the most comfortable seats I tried. Certainly more than the Civic or the Altis. The Focus came close, but the back support digs into me.

These kinds of things are subjective though. We are all built differently. I just find the car to be very luxurious and very well built for the price, so it is certainly a car to look at if you're on the market.

Also, it's important to say that the Chevy Cruze got a perfect score in safety. It scored higher than the Mercedes C-Class for safety (in europe). Granted, The cruze here doesn't come standard with 10 airbags, but this is important to note because the car's build quality is superb.

I found the transmission to be fine. It's 6 speeds, so it gets there quickly. It's not a "sporty" ride like you may find in the Mazda 3, or maybe the new Focus, but the name is CRUZE, so it's a car for CRUZING (cruising). I didn't feel any serious lagging. Actually, it's really not that different from say a Civic, but what sets it apart is the quietness in the cabin. It really feels like you are driving an expensive mid-size sedan, not a "small car".

If you go test drive it, make sure you take a look at the 1.8L LS/LT or LTZ, not the 1.6L version. This is the cheapest one and has a different engine.

Oh yes, I forgot to say the back seats are 60/40 split and the trunk is huge.

So, basically, it's a Cruiser, not a sports car.

I have pics of the car, but can't post them yet. Darn.

Edited by thaicruze
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If the product is as good as you say it is, it seems a shame to me that they didn't go in a bit more aggressive on the pricing, because all the while they go in pitching at around the same amount as Honda and Toyota, they are going to come out losing, and sales numbers will peak in the first few months, and then forever decline. As i say, a shame. The Japanese could do with some competition round these parts.

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I think the price is perfect. I am paying $30,000 for mine, and that's not even the top one. In the USA, it starts at 16,990 and goes up to about $27,000 for the top one with all the options. I think the pricing is aggressive enough. When I am done paying it, I will end up paying about 920,000 baht for it. That's perfect pricing for the car. The Civic is too expensive for what it is.

But again, you don't have to take my word for it, go and check it out for yourself. No need to speculate what people will do in the future. It was not so long ago that GM was on the brink of going away, they now have the best selling small sedan in the USA. The next Civic is absolute crap. I can't see anybody buying that except for Thais.

Maybe I'm coming off as saying the Cruze is at the level of a Mercedes. I am saying the Cruze is where small sedans should be, or better, and in going from dealer to dealer trying out the small sedans in the same price range, the Cruze is the future and all the rest are the past. So, the price is right, the other cars are old and outdated.

The only saving grace is the new Focus, if it actually comes to Thailand (the same model they will get everywhere else). Because the Altis will continue to be just a Taxi.

The Cruze, and the Focus actually, are where 800-900,000 baht cars should be.The Focus now is great. Similar to the Cruze in many way, just didn't fit me. You know what I mean? You get into a car and some fit and some just don't feel like you. The Cruze fit me like a glove.

and apparently for Alec Baldwin also.

Take the Sonata Sport for example. Very similar to the Cruze inside, yet it's priced at 1.8 million. Yea right. I'm sure it's nice, but not 1.8 million nice.

Edited by thaicruze
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I think the price is perfect. I am paying $30,000 for mine, and that's not even the top one. In the USA, it starts at 16,990 and goes up to about $27,000 for the top one with all the options. I think the pricing is aggressive enough. When I am done paying it, I will end up paying about 920,000 baht for it. That's perfect pricing for the car. The Civic is too expensive for what it is.

But again, you don't have to take my word for it, go and check it out for yourself. No need to speculate what people will do in the future. It was not so long ago that GM was on the brink of going away, they now have the best selling small sedan in the USA. The next Civic is absolute crap. I can't see anybody buying that except for Thais.

Maybe I'm coming off as saying the Cruze is at the level of a Mercedes. I am saying the Cruze is where small sedans should be, or better, and in going from dealer to dealer trying out the small sedans in the same price range, the Cruze is the future and all the rest are the past. So, the price is right, the other cars are old and outdated.

The only saving grace is the new Focus, if it actually comes to Thailand (the same model they will get everywhere else). Because the Altis will continue to be just a Taxi.

The Cruze, and the Focus actually, are where 800-900,000 baht cars should be.The Focus now is great. Similar to the Cruze in many way, just didn't fit me. You know what I mean? You get into a car and some fit and some just don't feel like you. The Cruze fit me like a glove.

and apparently for Alec Baldwin also.

Take the Sonata Sport for example. Very similar to the Cruze inside, yet it's priced at 1.8 million. Yea right. I'm sure it's nice, but not 1.8 million nice.

I'm not saying it's not worth the money, i am saying that unless it can undercut the Japanese, it will never make decent inroads here because of its badge.

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i do have a cruze and the guy who keeps telling us that the civic is better style, im just picturing him wearing tesco clothes.. seriously? Cruze looks badass as far as the cars in thai go. The white one especially.

Maybe it's the new engine due to come out that works on e10, i havnt seen it in my book and i dont want to break my car putting e10 just for a 1baht saving anyways. On the 1.8 LT.

Neways.. best cheap car fro cruising, thats for sure. Besides the jazz every seat kills my back.. but the jazz is a sand bogey compared to the cruze

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I think the price is perfect. I am paying $30,000 for mine, and that's not even the top one. In the USA, it starts at 16,990 and goes up to about $27,000 for the top one with all the options. I think the pricing is aggressive enough. When I am done paying it, I will end up paying about 920,000 baht for it. That's perfect pricing for the car. The Civic is too expensive for what it is.

But again, you don't have to take my word for it, go and check it out for yourself. No need to speculate what people will do in the future. It was not so long ago that GM was on the brink of going away, they now have the best selling small sedan in the USA. The next Civic is absolute crap. I can't see anybody buying that except for Thais.

Maybe I'm coming off as saying the Cruze is at the level of a Mercedes. I am saying the Cruze is where small sedans should be, or better, and in going from dealer to dealer trying out the small sedans in the same price range, the Cruze is the future and all the rest are the past. So, the price is right, the other cars are old and outdated.

The only saving grace is the new Focus, if it actually comes to Thailand (the same model they will get everywhere else). Because the Altis will continue to be just a Taxi.

The Cruze, and the Focus actually, are where 800-900,000 baht cars should be.The Focus now is great. Similar to the Cruze in many way, just didn't fit me. You know what I mean? You get into a car and some fit and some just don't feel like you. The Cruze fit me like a glove.

and apparently for Alec Baldwin also.

Take the Sonata Sport for example. Very similar to the Cruze inside, yet it's priced at 1.8 million. Yea right. I'm sure it's nice, but not 1.8 million nice.

I'm not saying it's not worth the money, i am saying that unless it can undercut the Japanese, it will never make decent inroads here because of its badge.

Dunno about the rest of thailand but phuket is FULL of every single car that is deemed 'never gonna make it'

The focus/fiesta/cruze is seen left and right here. Just in my neighborhood, there is 11 new cruze in all different colors.. 2 of them have been extremely moded already. Rest of thailand will catch up.

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Dunno about the rest of thailand but phuket is FULL of every single car that is deemed 'never gonna make it'

The focus/fiesta/cruze is seen left and right here. Just in my neighborhood, there is 11 new cruze in all different colors.. 2 of them have been extremely moded already. Rest of thailand will catch up.

Phuket is full of farang, full of Thais married to farang, full of Thais who are quite heavily exposed to Western brands and customs, and full of people with a few extra bob in their pocket who can afford to buy something different and not worry about residuals. The rest of Thailand is a very different market. It won't catch up. To reiterate for those who seem to hold their Cruzes very dear, i think that is a shame.

Edited by rixalex
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i do have a cruze and the guy who keeps telling us that the civic is better style,

I mentioned it once.

im just picturing him wearing tesco clothes.. seriously? Cruze looks badass as far as the cars in thai go. The white one especially.

So? You have a different opinion to me. Big deal. You like to use the word "badass". I can live with us not sharing the same tastes. Might even be a good thing...

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