My New Cruze!

[FlyingDutchman]

A lot of you guys saw my thread (http://www.njfboa.org/forums/showthread.php?t=65589) about the blown head gasket in my Camaro, which up until that day was my daily driver. Since I plan on fixing that myself when it gets warm out, I had to find something else in the mean time. So I ended up buying a new 2014 Cruze Turbo Diesel 8-) I went with a new car for the warranty and all that good stuff since I drive nearly 20k miles a year. My only complaint is that the intake hose to the turbo came loose (must have been assembled on a Monday :facepalm:) but the dealership took care of me right away and gave me a loaner since I came in late last Saturday. Other than that, heated leather seats, remote start, sound deadening, mpg, etc. make me kind of not miss my F-body (as a DD) lol And that 250 ft-lbs diesel torque really hits the spot.

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac128/joshmtanis/bc9ee196-02f8-46ee-beac-d256b7c66610_zps73b32749.jpg (http://s892.photobucket.com/user/joshmtanis/media/bc9ee196-02f8-46ee-beac-d256b7c66610_zps73b32749.jpg.html)

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac128/joshmtanis/e000b0f8-43c1-4d44-997f-e15d304233db_zps0bc395b6.jpg (http://s892.photobucket.com/user/joshmtanis/media/e000b0f8-43c1-4d44-997f-e15d304233db_zps0bc395b6.jpg.html)

http://i892.photobucket.com/albums/ac128/joshmtanis/008b2425-e7c7-4121-a27e-89b34a61eb24_zpsdd0b3314.jpg (http://s892.photobucket.com/user/joshmtanis/media/008b2425-e7c7-4121-a27e-89b34a61eb24_zpsdd0b3314.jpg.html)

[chrisfrom nj]

Looks great congrats

[WildBillyT]

Congrats!

Expect the EPA numbers to be lower than actual MPG. Heh.

[sweetbmxrider]

Nice purchase!

[Jersey Mike]

Congrats bud. Welcome to The Jack Stands Club.

[Paul Huryk]

You know that we can hook you up with all the detailing products to keep your ride clean!

[greenformula92]

Hey another Cruze TD. Congrats on the buy

[maroman88]

congrats. wifey loves her 1.4T LT/RS

[FlyingDutchman]

Thanks everyone! Definitely enjoying the car and hoping for some good milege.

You know that we can hook you up with all the detailing products to keep your ride clean!

After this holiday season I'll be making a stop, saw your FB page and the pics, would like to protect this metallic paint!

Congrats bud. Welcome to The Jack Stands Club.

It'll be short lived Mike lol

[xrelapse13]

congrats bud, auto or manual?

[greenformula92]

congrats bud, auto or manual?

Sadly they only come in auto. At least for 14 anyway. Idk about the 15

[BonzoHansen]

I wish my 1.4T cruze ltz was a stick. the trans shifting in this car sucks eggs and a stick was also not an option. i had it at the dealer and he told me it is the #1 complaint he hears but gm has no fixes. a stick would make this car so much better to drive.

[ThoR294]

Congrats! A new car as a DD is always a relief. My G5 is nice cause I don't have to fix anything on it but usual maintenance stuff.

At your price tag though, I would have went for a more spirited car, like the focus ST :P Even though the 32 highway MPG isn't close to your 46MPG!

[FlyingDutchman]

I wish my 1.4T cruze ltz was a stick. the trans shifting in this car sucks eggs and a stick was also not an option. i had it at the dealer and he told me it is the #1 complaint he hears but gm has no fixes. a stick would make this car so much better to drive.

How's the acceleration with the 1.4? I considered it but didn't think it'd be powerful enough on the bottom end. I have noticed the shifting isn't quite what I expected, kinda sloppy and rough on the 2nd gear downshift, but I've never driven a 6spd auto before or a diesel. Although after I went to the dealer it seems to be a bit better.. Could just be imagining things lol

Congrats! A new car as a DD is always a relief. My G5 is nice cause I don't have to fix anything on it but usual maintenance stuff.

At your price tag though, I would have went for a more spirited car, like the focus ST :P Even though the 32 highway MPG isn't close to your 46MPG!

Ford? Meh, no thanks. You never pay sticker at the end of the year lol they were actually very close to Edmunds fair price.

[BonzoHansen]

If the trans would actually downshift in a timely fashion at low speeds it would be fine. But it sucks ass at it. A rolling stop/left can get down right scary sometimes. Stomp on the gas and nothing happens for a few seconds. Otherwise I really like the car for what it is.

[ThoR294]

Ford? Meh, no thanks. You never pay sticker at the end of the year lol they were actually very close to Edmunds fair price.

True, but chevy doesn't have the turbo cobalt anymore :( so ford focus/fiesta ST is the way to go! :P

Also, my girlfriends 6speed 2014 focus SE had some weird shifting issues. turns out it was the clutch packs coming apart/leaking? huge TSB on the foci about it lol. she had it rebuilt and its 10000x better.

[FlyingDutchman]

If the trans would actually downshift in a timely fashion at low speeds it would be fine. But it sucks ass at it. A rolling stop/left can get down right scary sometimes. Stomp on the gas and nothing happens for a few seconds. Otherwise I really like the car for what it is.

Ok yeah, that's what I'm experiencing. Oh well lol

[greenformula92]

Yeah the trans isnt gonna get any better. I also just received my recall for a steering issue that I am actually experiencing. Its been a good commuter though. I've had mine for a little over a year.

[ThoR294]

That literally sounds just like my girlfriends focus. You'd mash it and it wouldn't downshift. Also, from slow starts it would almost chatter. It was the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced in an automatic car. It felt like the "kick down" cable wasn't doing jack. We'd try to merge onto 287, punch it, and it would like stay in 4th gear at 20mph. Redonk.

[WildBillyT]

That literally sounds just like my girlfriends focus. You'd mash it and it wouldn't downshift. Also, from slow starts it would almost chatter. It was the most bizarre thing I've ever experienced in an automatic car. It felt like the "kick down" cable wasn't doing jack. We'd try to merge onto 287, punch it, and it would like stay in 4th gear at 20mph. Redonk.

I think the opposite is worse.

I had a Sebring as a rental once, and the pedal was like this (no, I am not exaggerating):

0-5% crawling along
6-33% slow off idle
34%+ WFO

That's it. I tested it in a parking lot because my wife was getting angry at how I was driving. "Why are you flooring it all the time" and so on.

Such a POS. Good riddance.

[redsoxsstink]

my dads sonic likes to camp in gears too.. 1.4 with the 6spd auto. cant stand it.. trying to accelerate from 35-40 impossible because it will not jump out of 6th without flooring it.

[ThoR294]

I have a feeling its too many gears for too little power. great for MPG though. needs a triptronic or something

[maroman88]

my gf's cruze with the 1.4T has the tiptronic shifter thing... makes it much more fun.

[BonzoHansen]

my gf's cruze with the 1.4T has the tiptronic shifter thing... makes it much more fun.

they all do. eh, it ain't all that. i use that as a crutch for the crappy shifting.

[maroman88]

they all do. eh, it ain't all that. i use that as a crutch for the crappy shifting.

ehh only driven 2 small cars, her old cobalt LT and the Cruze LT, so to me the Cruze is the best little car in the world lol

[1320B4U]

Equinox we have is the same way...i4/6spd...trans shift slow and labored..never seems to be in a power band (although it weighs 3700+ pounds). My Silverado shifts fine however w/the 6spd auto in that it always seems like you have to downshift 1 or 2 gears for moderate hill climbs or passing. too many gears imo.

[xrelapse13]

the sloppy shifting is the way the trans is tuned from the factory. It's incredibly common on GM's 6 speed transmissions. What they truly are capable of versus what they feel like from the factory is night and day.

G8 GT's are some of the worst offenders.

[BigAls87Z28]

The 6 speed in the diesel are not made by GM but by Aisin. The trans in the diesel is very odd with really weird shifting patterns to keep the engine in the powerband.

The automatic in the gas cars are geared for fuel economy and will keep it in the best gear for that reason. My 1.8 company car was bad but the manual mode was a work around. My Focus does the same thing.

I'm pretty sure I told you to get the manual trans, Scott, but noooooooo

Cruze Eco or Sonic turbo with the manual trans are considerably more fun to drive.

[BonzoHansen]

The 6 speed in the diesel are not made by GM but by Aisin. The trans in the diesel is very odd with really weird shifting patterns to keep the engine in the powerband.

The automatic in the gas cars are geared for fuel economy and will keep it in the best gear for that reason. My 1.8 company car was bad but the manual mode was a work around. My Focus does the same thing.

I'm pretty sure I told you to get the manual trans, Scott, but noooooooo

Cruze Eco or Sonic turbo with the manual trans are considerably more fun to drive.
No stick in an LTZ. Was not an option. Stick was only in low end models. Thanks.

[greenformula92]

My cousin has the stick in his and all he does is complain about the way its geared so idk how much better it is

[BigAls87Z28]

My cousin has the stick in his and all he does is complain about the way its geared so idk how much better it is

I have only driven the Cruze Eco with the manual trans. As the badge indicates, the first two gears are built for fuel economy, but it's way more fun than the automatic.

And Scott: Ohhhhhh, I didn't know you balled out for an LTZ.

[BonzoHansen]

I don't even think it was available on the well optioned lt cars

[FlyingDutchman]

Took the Cruze on a highway run to south jersey for work down the parkway/turnpike. Saw a best avg of 52.3mpg for 50mi and an overall 50.2mpg for the 82mi trek, pretty happy with that! 8) on top of that it was a comfortable ride! I would also add the shifting seems to be better, especially when fully warmed up, or I'm just learning to compensate lol

[greenformula92]

Took the Cruze on a highway run to south jersey for work down the parkway/turnpike. Saw a best avg of 52.3mpg for 50mi and an overall 50.2mpg for the 82mi trek, pretty happy with that! 8) on top of that it was a comfortable ride! I would also add the shifting seems to be better, especially when fully warmed up, or I'm just learning to compensate lol


Its def better when warmed up. My mileage is simaliar to that. When its due for a oil change the mileage noise dives though so make sure you don't wait to do that

[FlyingDutchman]

Its def better when warmed up. My mileage is simaliar to that. When its due for a oil change the mileage noise dives though so make sure you don't wait to do that

Do you go by the computer or mileage? I'm at 56% oil life and 1000 miles on the clock.

[greenformula92]

Do you go by the computer or mileage? I'm at 56% oil life and 1000 miles on the clock.

That thing must have idled a lot. Its usually right on the button with the mileage and the computer. Around 7500 miles. After that you gonna lose like 3-5 mpg

[Frosty]

Ahhhh complaints about GM's FWD 6-speed transmissions.....it's like I'm at work. ;)

[BonzoHansen]

and there is no fix is there? ugh.

[BigAls87Z28]

I don't know what the issues are? I've had two of GM's six-speeds and have driven countless cars with it. What seems to be the complaint? The only issue I had was with the Cruze's staying in gears.

[Frosty]

Sloppy shifting, delayed shifting, getting confused on what gear to downshift to when punching the throttle(highway mainly).

The RWD ones don't seem to suffer anything, the FWD ones are very quirky, at least from what I've driven/seen/received complaints about.

[greenformula92]

Also the 6 speed trans in the diesel cruze is not GMs'. It is asian

[BigAls87Z28]

The one in my old Malibu was very good.

[Frosty]

The one in my old Malibu was very good.

They seem to be hit or miss, it's really strange but internally there's never a problem.