You know what they say…,..40 is the new 30. Well it is sure is when it comes to miles per gallon these days. With gasoline well over $4 per gallon in many cities, consumers are starting to look to fuel efficient cars, and 40 mpg is quickly becoming the new standard.

Back when I reviewed the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze, I deemed it the most competitive compact car on the market. Thing is, quite a few competitors have launched new compact cars since then, with more on the way. I spent a week with the Eco model of the Chevrolet Cruze to see if it is still top of the compact class, and to determine if that 42 mpg highway rating really realistic.

Now that the Cruze has been on sale for a little while, I am seeing them on the roads. I stand by my initial analysis of the exterior design. The front is good looking with the aggressive swept back headlights and impressive hood stamping.

The plastic blanks in place of front foglights are quite noticeable though. Worse, the rear end is just plain boring. You wonder if the designers decided they wanted to go out for a beer after all the hard work on the rest of the car, so they just slapped something together for the rear. I mean, it’s a clean design, but boring.

The Eco model receives a standard rear deck-lid lip spoiler and unique 16-inch chrome plated wheels. I actually liked the deck-lid spoiler and wouldn’t mind seeing that on all Cruze models.

Inside the Cruze Eco you will find the same design as any other Cruze model. The swath of leatherette-like material across the dashboard helped break up the hard plastic on the dashboard. The interior has more than enough space to comfortably seat four people, but five will be crowded.

Even without navigation my tester had Bluetooth and it downloaded my contacts. When someone would call their name would appear on the display for the radio.  Bluetooth also handles streaming audio for those with smartphones.

With a clean gauge cluster design and overall solid feel, the interior of the Cruze is not a bad place to spend your time. It puts the Corolla to shame, and the Civic on notice.

The Cruze Eco model is powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with direct injection. Rated at 138-horsepower and 148 pound feet of torque, it is available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.

Make sure to note that the highly marketed 42 mpg EPA rating that the Cruze Eco has is with the manual transmission. Choosing the automatic will drop you a few mpg.

I actually found the manual transmission to be fun. The little engine has some go to it and feels well connected with the transmission. I do feel the throws were rather long, but did note how clean they were. When I spoke with an engineer he mentioned they actually shortened the throws on the manual transmission for the U.S. market. I’d hate to see how long the throws on a non-U.S. spec model are.

Both fifth and sixth gear are very tall, meant mainly for highway cruising. For any real power you have to downshift to fourth or sometimes even third gear.

One of my largest gripes about the Cruze Eco is the electric power steering. It was over-boosted and had little to no weight. It was to the point that I felt it had no on-center feeling, particularly on the highway. This caused me to make many tiny steering corrections throughout my highway trip.

Around town in suburban highway driving I saw an average of 34.1 mpg. Once on the open highway with the cruise set north of 70 mph, I saw an average of 45.5 mpg over the course of 250 miles.

While this is all great, it is worth keeping in mind that most of the competition now offers a compact car that in some model is rated at 40 mpg. To top that off, the new Hyundai Elantra is rated at 40 mpg across the board on all models, with many people coming close to 45 mpg. So the Cruze is no alone in the 40+ mpg club.

My tester had a sticker price of $19,420. This is considerably more than a base Elantra.

So after a week with the Cruze Eco, do I still feel it is at the top of its class? I would say it depends, on what you are looking for. If you want a larger compact car that is comfortable and gets great fuel economy, the Cruze Eco is your choice. But there are competitors that offer more technology, better value, and better driving dynamics. So at the end of the day, it really depends on what your top priority is. The Cruze Eco is definitely competitive, it just isn’t best-in-class for everyone.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

We then move along to the major news of the week segment. This week included:

• Top 10 ugliest car grilles [Link]
• Dealers are creating monster Camaros [Link]
• Great YouTube find: CHP video from 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake [Link]
• How to install and iPad in your Mustang [Link]

Next came our main topic which was discussing what’s coming in 2011. We take a look at Ford’s financial goals along with some Detroit Auto Show talk.

Last we plug our respective sites: Ford Inside News, GM Inside News, AutoBird Blog and Accelerate Mpls.

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You see in my lifetime (that I can remember), Chevrolet hasn’t had a class leading compact sedan. Heck, not even a really competitive compact sedan. The Cruze is set to change all that. But is it really class leading, and if it is, how long can its reign last?

The exterior of the Cruze is a mix of good and bad. The front is aggressive with swept back headlights and Chevrolet’s dual-port shield grille. The hood has a nice crease that runs down the center and around the sides. This adds to the aggressive look of the swept back headlights.

Below the headlights sit two black blank pieces of plastic. This is where the fog lights would go if you optioned for the RS package. It seems downright silly that even an Cruze LTZ (the highest trim level) wouldn’t have fog lights without an optional RS package. The front is aggressive, but they could have taken it even further.

The sides have a strong character line that sweeps from the front fenders back into the rear taillights. The bottom of the doors also have some sculpting that visually make the Cruze look less slab sided.

Around back is the most disappointing part of the Cruze exterior. Visually it will not offend anyone. The flip side of that is the rear is quite boring. It is like the designers of the front ran out of energy. Maybe they got tired one night and said, just call it good and be done with it. While I’m not sure exactly what happened, at the end of the day it’s bland. The rear blends in with the sea of cars on the road.

At one point I stated that the current generation Malibu might be the tightest screwed together car GM makes. The Cruze definitely is giving the Malibu a run for its money. It also has tight panel gaps and a solid overall feel.

Chevrolet has been bragging about the interior in the new Cruze quite a bit lately, and I must say, they have every right to do so. The materials all feel high quality and look terrific. While there is quite a bit of hard plastic inside the cabin, it all looks nice with low shine and nice graining.

ThefFront seats are very comfortable, and are highly adjustable for being manual seats. It is easy to find a comfortable driving position with the tilt and telescoping steering wheel.

Chevrolet is touting midsize sedan room for the Cruze, even though it is a compact sedan. That extra room is felt in the rear seat. Foot and leg room is more than ample and it also has a decent seating position.

The center stack features black high gloss plastic in the shape of a flux capacitor. The buttons all have a high quality feel to them. I found it notable that the climate control knobs had no wiggle and that they felt solid.

Chevrolet knows that Ford has been touting its Microsoft SYNC system loud lately, so they had to do something. The new Cruze might be one of the most tech savvy cars out of GM in recent years. The Bluetooth system downloaded my phonebook, so every time someone called, the screen showed the callers name. You can also scroll through your contacts on the screen. The USB port will read almost any device that you plug-in – my iPhone 4 worked seamlessly with the sound system.

I found it unique that the dashboard featured cloth that matched the material on the seats. The Cruze I was in featured red cloth both on the seats and on the dash. All models that have leather feature a leather-like material on the dash instead of cloth. If GM had not added this unique touch, the dashboard would be a sea of hard plastic like most of the competition. It is clear that a ton of thought was put into the design and quality of the interior.

Two engines are currently available in the Cruze, but most will be sold with the 1.4-liter turbo inline four-cylinder. This engine produces 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels. This powertrain is rated at 24/36 mpg but I averaged 25 mpg in mixed urban suburban driving and a disappointing 29.4 mpg on a holiday highway trip.

Sadly, as it stands the only transmission choice is a six speed automatic. The transmission is fine, but I would’ve liked to have seen a manual option for those that like to row their own gears. Initially, reports flowed out that the transmission was poorly programmed. Chevrolet has since performed a firmware upgrade to the transmission that helps with these issues.

Overall I found transmission to be fine, though it hesitates to downshift. Acceleration is acceptable but don’t go street racing a Cobalt SS at the stoplight. Passing is its one weakness. The power just isn’t there to fling you forward, it builds slowly. Also, that manual shift capability? Don’t bother. It takes about half a second to register before it will perform the shift.

Cruze features electric power steering to help improve gas mileage. The application is probably one of GM’s best to date. Steering is light at parking lots speeds, but firms up once on the highway.

The Cruze 1LT I tested featured: connectivity plus package, 16″ alloy wheels, crystal red metallic tintcoat, and a compact spare tire. The total sticker price on this particular Cruze 1LT was $20,240 after destination. That places the Cruze at the high end of the compact car class. The Cruze isn’t a cheap compact, but it is a substantial compact car.

Back to the beginning, I was initially impressed with my first experience with the Cruze. After spending an entire week with a 1LT model, am I still as impressed? In one word, yes. I was slightly disappointed with the gas mileage, but the engine is smooth and quiet.

As for the question about the Cruze being class leading, the short answer is yes – for now. The competition is all getting refreshed and the Cruze has been on sale across the world for over a year. The new Hyundai Elantra is rated at 40 MPG on the highway across the board, the new Focus has some impressive technology available, and we don’t even know what the new Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla will bring. At the end of the day, the new Cruze is currently one of the most competitive compact cars on the market.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

The Lancer is Mitsubishi’s foray into the compact car segment. The question is, is it competitive or is there a reason many consumers don’t know Mitsubishi still sells cars in the United States?

The front of the Lancer Sportback ES features Mitsubishi’s current design language, which has a sharp and forward slanting grille. It looks as if the front clip is about to eat you. My girlfriend thinks it looks like a shark and I can see that resemblance. The sides have a strong crease that run from the front fenders to the rear fenders and there is some slight sculpting is down by the rocker panels. The rear has a very steep slope to the glass and this cuts into the cargo room slightly. An integrated rear spoiler extends to the rear roofline and gives the rear glass a little cover during rain and snow storms. The optional 15″ alloy wheels look decent but have large tires that fill out the wheel wheels. Side repeaters for the turn signals are a nice touch in this class. Overall, I like the exterior for its uniqueness. It doesn’t look like any other compact car on the road.

The interior is a little more of a let down. A few years ago this interior would have been standard fare, but now the competition has upped its game. The plastic on the dash is all hard and somewhat cheap looking. The switches and knobs all feel fine, and the HVAC controls have a nice solid click to them on each interval. The cloth seats do feature a unique pattern, though the bottom bolsters are farther apart then I would like.

The radio display is red and inset into the dash slightly. This looks fine, but in sunlight the entire display gets washed out. The auxiliary inputs use red and white pigtails instead of the normal auxiliary input jack. That is somewhat annoying if you do not have the right cables. Once you have the correct cables it gets more confusing, you must hold the MP3/CD button on the radio for 2+ seconds to switch to the auxiliary input. I’m creative, but even I had to go to the owners manual to figure that one out.

The steering wheel has a voice command button along with hang up and answer buttons for the Bluetooth. The only issue is, this particular Sportback didn’t have Bluetooth. It seems all Sportbacks are pre-wired for Bluetooth and have the buttons. So, if you do not select the option for it, you will be stuck looking at the buttons every time you drive the car. Just a reminder that you kind of skimped on the options. Not exactly sure why they are there but hey, they are.

I wanted to comment on the seating position; it was more rally car than compact car. With an adjustment for up/down, forward/back/and a back adjustment, it was easy to find a comfortable driving position. The steering wheel did tilt but does not telescope.

The engine is a 2.0-liter MIVEC inline 4-cylinder that pumps out 148 horsepower and 145 pound feet to the front wheels. The power is put down through either a five speed manual or Sportronic CVT automatic. The Sportback I had featured the Sportronic CVT, which I will say wasn’t as bad as I initially expected it to be. Personally, I am not the biggest fan of CVTs due to their rubber band nature, but this one seemed to mimic a six-speed automatic fairly well. Only when really pushing the engine did it start to have a rubber band feel. The Sportback was actually fun to drive, when going around a corner it felt more like a rally car than a typical compact car. While the two higher trim levels are definitely sportier, this base Sportback was able to throw a smirk or two on my face.

Aside from the interior material quality and radio display, I do have one major gripe. The price of the Sportback ES seems reasonable, until you realize what you can now get for that same kind of money. Starting at $17,775 with a manual transmission and no options, this is not exactly a cheap compact car. The model I was in had the CVT and alloy wheel options bringing the total to $18,955. The EPA mileage ratings are 25/32 mpg, while I averaged 23.5 mpg in the city and 27.6 on the highway. Not exactly class leading on the gas mileage either.

So what did we end up with? A compact hatchback that has some sharp styling and sport driving characteristics. That sounds like a somewhat unique combination. With vehicles like this, it really isn’t a surprise to me that my friends didn’t know Mitsubishi was still around. This is a unique and almost niche vehicle. Your top priorities can’t be fuel economy or interior material quality. It also isn’t the best value based solely on price, especially when compared to a Mazda3, Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze, or a myriad of other compact car options. No, to buy this car means you want to be different and stand out from the crowd. With a fun to drive factor that is surprising and a fair bit of utility, this shark is in crowded waters but deserves a fair shake if you want to stand out from the compact car crowd.

Full Disclosure – The review vehicle was provided by Mitsubishi

We then proceed to the clip of the week segment.  This week we feature a new ad campaign by Chevrolet called Max and Al. (Link)

We then move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• Outrage over the Chevrolet Volt’s drivetrain (Link)
• Chevrolet Volt not PZEV (Link)
• Is the Chevrolet Cruze really priced out of competition? (Link)
• Disneyland and cars? Definitely! (Link)

Next came our main topic which was discussing Fiat/Chryslers onslaught of new product.

Last we plug our respective blogs, Cheers and Gears,  AutoBird Blog and Accelerate Mpls.

• New Ford Explorer Debut (Link)
• Leaked Jeep Wrangler Interior (Link)
• 200C drawings out and 900 new workers and second shift at Chrysler plant (Link) (Link)
• 2011 Porsche Hybrid (Link)
• Chevrolet Captiva Photos with no cammo (Link)

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Chevrolet recognizes this and is looking to not only be competitive in the segment, but they say class-leading with the new 2011 Cruze.  Have they over-promised again, or do we finally have good vibrations?

The Cruze has been trotted out at plenty of auto shows last season, so we know the basics.  The base car (LS) will come with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder, while the rest of the line up (LT1, Eco, LT2, LTZ) will come with a 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder.  This will be the volume engine.

The 1.4-liter turbo puts out an estimated 138 horsepower and 148 pound feet of torque.  The base engine and Eco models will come with a six-speed manual standard.  A six-speed automatic is optional on the LS and Eco, and standard (being only option currently available) on the other models.  I’ve heard that a six-speed manual will be available with the 1.4 liter turbo later on.

They are expecting the Eco model to earn an EPA rating of 40 mpg on the highway.  I am not sure if you have been paying attention, but that is a really really good number, and a class leading figure.  The real question is whether the car will really get 40 mpg in real world driving.

In the Cruze it was easy to find a comfortable driving position with the tilt/telescoping steering wheel. The dash design is unique.

Flowing across the dash is a swath of the same cloth material found on the seats. On LTZ cars with leather seating, leatherette replaces the swath of cloth on the dash. The design is fresh and somewhat consistent with newer Chevrolet’s.

I found there to be plenty of room inside, with an airy feel inside the cabin.  One thing I found annoying was the center armrest between the front seats.  The arm rest slides fore and aft, but when in the forward position it does not lock.  It should have more tension.  When two people rest their arms on the arm rest, the slider can slide back, which becomes quite annoying.

What we did not know before was how the Cruze drove.  I was going into this with an open mind, but I have driven both a Cavalier and a Cobalt.  Neither impressed me for the segment.  In the Cruze, you turn the key and slam the gas – the 1.4 liter turbo hits max torque at a mere 1,850 rpm.

From a stop the Cruze is decent off the line, but by about 10 mph the turbo has spooled up and you are off.  The power is more than adequate for driving around town, and there is no worries about making a pass on the highway.  However, this is not a sports car, and isn’t meant to be.  The electric steering is very light at parking lot speeds (almost too light?) but it firms up a little once under way.

We were let loose in the “back country” where there was quite a few hills. In those circumstances, I found that the six-speed automatic was not always hunting and seeking top gear immediately like other six-speeds.  Much of this can be attributed to the torque from the 1.4-liter turbo engine.  Since torque is so readily available, constant shifting is not necessary.  Without question, the powertrain makes a strong statement.

The Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla were on hand to do back-to-back comparison drives with the Cruze.  The first thing you notice is that the Cruze is more spacious then the Civic. In the Civic, I felt so close to the driver’s door and cramped side-to-side compared to the Cruze.  The reason for this is because the Cruze is both wider and longer then its competitors.

The materials in the Civic interior were very mixed. Some pieces were nice and soft touch, while others were cheap and unattractive looking.  The Civic’s transmission also seemed to hunt more when driving on the hills, and the engine was noticeably less powerful (less torque).

The Corolla’s interior is – well, almost a joke- and it drives like an appliance with a missing Kenmore sticker.  The Cruze is much more enjoyable to drive then the Corolla.  The suspension feels more controlled and almost European (especially with the 18-inch wheels).

Chevrolet sees the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra as key competitors.  They recognize that both the Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra are about to be redesigned or refreshed.  For that reason, they did not have those two vehicles on hand for comparison.

Worth noting is the pricing.  The Cruze starts at $16,995. That is over $1,000 more then the Mazda3 and current Honda Civic.

Honda has a new Civic coming towards the end of next year, along with the Volkswagen Jetta, with a base price that is also about $1,000 less then the Cruze.  The Cruze is one of the most expensive vehicles in this segment.

The Cruze’s on hand were all pre-production vehicles.  Thus, the fit and finish was not 100%, however the exteriors were nearly flawless.  On the interior, I did find the cowl covering the gauge cluster was not flush with the piece of plastic it connected to.

Also, the center console had a little cubby in front of the shifter that seemed to have a large gap in between the panel it sat with.  Again these were pre-production vehicles, so we’ll see if these two small gripes are corrected in production vehicles. Of note is that Chevrolet only had Cruze’s on hand with the 1.4 liter turbo, not the base 1.8 liter. They were also LTZ  or LT models – no Eco or LS models were available.

So back to the original question, does this car deliver on the promise of a good compact sedan? Chevrolet makes the claim that the Cruze brings midsize sedan amenities and quietness to the compact car segment.  I truly believe that claim is justified.

The car is definitely competitive with the current competition. With the new Focus and Elantra on the way though, is it enough?  For once, the main problem is not the car – it will be getting people in the car.  The current perception in the segment is not good for Chevrolet, so they will need to get butts in seats. Good marketing will be essential for the Cruze to succeed.  For now though, the new Cruze brings good vibrations to the compact car segment.

Full Disclosure – My travel and accommodations were provided by General Motors

VWVortex forums leaked what is believed to be the base price of the next generation Volkswagen Jetta.  According to the founder and owner of VWVortex, jamie@vwvortex, the base model will start at a mere $14,950.  Watch out next generation Ford Focus and Chevrolet Cruze; the big VW is coming and they are serious about becoming large and in charge.  It is alleged that we will see real photos of the new car in a mere two weeks.  The base and mid-level cars will be shown and go on sale first while the GLI model will go on sale later next year.

Source- VWVortex

Photo- Autoblog

The Detroit Auto Show was all about downsizing.  Engines were being downsized using lower displacement and it is all about getting more from less.  Utilizing forced induction both in the way of turbo charging and super charging the automakers are doing what they can with the latest technologies.  It is going farther then that.

Americans are realizing they need less.  Not everyone technically needs a Suburban to haul the kids to soccer practice.  The reality of it is when you are taking two kids to soccer practice you are not towing a 25 foot boat.  In fact most people that have large vehicles do not need them at all.  It is a perception and comfort thing.  While I know some of you are readying your pitch forks, just hear me out.  Yes, some people do need their large vehicles.  Some people actually do need SUV’s.  I drive an SUV and do use it to tow boats up north.  If we weigh out how much I need an SUV it is probably more then some but still less then others.

Interior of the 2012 Ford Focus

The automotive manufacturers are starting to bet on the little guys.  Ford’s new small car line up will begin with the new Fiesta.  The Fiesta has a base price just above $13,000 but that price can get very close to $25,000 after customizing it with a myriad of options.  Next Ford debuted the next generation Focus as a 2012 model at NAIAS last month.  The new Focus will be more refined while offering more options and features.  While they have not talked pricing you can naturally assume it will cost more.  The current Focus pricing starts a little over $16,000 topping out around $22,000.  It is estimated by some that while the base price of the the new Focus will increase slightly, a fully optioned Focus might approach $30,000.  That is a lot of coin for a small car.  The question is, are Americans willing to pay a premium on these new small cars?  Some are probably scratching their heads saying how could they charge so much.  We as Americans have been asking for the same product that Europe has been getting for years.  Ford has finally listened and decided it would be cheaper to amortize costs, thus the “ONE Ford” strategy comes to play.  Cars will be developed by Ford to be sold globally with minor changes for safety regulations and such.

2011 Chevy Cruze

Chevrolet is betting on the new Cruze to carry its sales in the compact car market.  This new model will replace the lackluster Cobalt which itself replaced the Cavalier.  The new Cruze is said to be rated at 40 mpg on the highway which is an impressive number to be sure.  The car is said to be dynamic to drive and offer the premium feel of a larger car.  That is exactly what these smaller cars with larger price tags will have to do.

So will we Americans embrace these smaller cars with larger price tags?  I think it all depends on where the starting price tag is.  This all goes back to my post about why strippers are important.  The base price on a model is what seems to drive traffic to show rooms.  Maybe that will change with time and it will be features that drive customers to the showroom.  One thing is for sure, the pricing and options work in Europe where people are paying more for less.  Are you really getting less?  In the end it is all about how you look at it.  You are getting more miles per gallon, you are getting more technology and amenities all in a slightly smaller package.  So the question is, will people buy these small cars that all the auto manufactures are betting on?

This week, episode 5 discusses the week in review on both of our respective blogs, AutoBird Blog and AccelerateMpls.  We first discuss the upcoming LA Auto Show beginning with the 2011 Ford Mustang V6.  Our conversation moved on to the all new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze and the new 2011 Audi A8. The last topic we cover is the broken Koenigsegg/Saab deal that fell through last week.