Accelerate Mpls

Chevrolet Cavalier and Cobalt, both cars that well……you know that song Good Vibrations?  What is the opposite of that song?  That is what comes to mind.  There isn’t exactly a stellar legacy left by those nameplates.  Saying Chevrolet has not been competitive in the compact car segment in a while would be telling it to you straight.

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

Lets be frank, the last two generations of the Chevrolet Malibu were underwhelming to say the least.  That is actually probably being nice.  Were they transportation?  Sure, that does not mean that they would have been on my list of recommended cars.  That is all changed with this latest generation Malibu.  Chevrolet has taken this seriously and really wanted to show something with this car.  They wanted to show they could really build a good car.  This was one of the cars that started this new wave of good product.  So how good is it really?  Is this top of its class or back at the end of the line again?  Lets find out.

Exterior-

The exterior of this car is terrific.  I like the lines, the design, the greenhouse, the front, the rear, ok you are getting the picture.  I personally really like it.  I have heard some say the rear looks truncated and too short.  I like it.  The rear C-pillar is great.  The A-pillars are not ridiculously oversized like some of the newer General Motors cars.  The rear taillights on the LTZ model I had featured LED lighting and I personally think they are much better looking then the plain unit found on the lower trim models.  The headlights have a great design to them and the dual port Chevrolet grille works well on the front end.  The panel gaps are all ridiculously tight!  I do wish the four-cylinder model would get dual exhaust like the V6, especially in LTZ trim.  Overall the exterior is a win.

Interior-

Like the exterior the interior is sharp looking.  The particular Malibu I had was a loaded up LTZ model which featured a two-tone brown and cream color scheme.  The leather seats looked great and were supportive.  The fit and finish was terrific just like the exterior.  The top of the dash has soft touch material (lesser trim models do not feature soft touch material).  The wood is definitely fake.  The upgraded Bose branded sound system sounded fine but not mind blowing.  A USB port was on the head unit and connected to my iPhone quickly without an issue.  The front seat backs are scooped out to increase rear seat leg/knee room.  The automatic climate control is simple to use and the radio is the General Motors black tie unit.  Overall the interior looked nice but I know the materials fall slightly in the lower trim models.

Powertrain/Driving Dynamics-

The Malibu I was in was equipped with a 2.4 liter inline four pumping out 169 hp and 160 ft-lb to the front wheels.  This power is channeled through a six speed automatic transmission with no manual transmission as an option.  I wanted to note the base trim Malibu (LS) is equipped with a four speed automatic transmission while all over trim levels have the six speed.  The loaded Malibu LTZ I was in had paddle shifters.  I have to ask the question (you know you are thinking it) of why?  I have no real answer.  The four-cylinder model has electric power steering instead of a hydraulic set up.  I will say it never feels ridiculously over boosted at parking lot speeds and has decent on center feel on the highway.  Mileage is rated at 22/33 MPG, which are decent ratings though no longer class leading.  I came close on the city rating averaging 21.2 mpg but on the highway I could only eek out an average of 27.2 mpg.  It is worth noting that my highway average was cruising at 75 mph, which leads me to believe that if I was cruising at 65 mph I would have come closer to the rated 33 mpg average.

Ok now for some gripes.  First and foremost this car has a bad combination.  I know you are thinking what could it be.  It is simple; this is one of the heaviest and one of the least powerful cars out of its direct competitor set.  This is not a great combination to have.  This is most reflected in passing power on the highway.  Also you cannot—in any trim level or options package—get dual climate control.  The closest you will come to navigation is your iPhone or OnStar.  While such things did not matter as much a few years ago when this generation Malibu made its debut, it matters now.

Final Thoughts-

The original question was, is this car best in class or back at the end of the line again?  After a week with the car I can whole-heartedly say it is a good car.  With that said, it has flaws and that holds it back from being best in class.  That is not to say it is back at the end of the line again.  This is a good car.  Quite possibly the Malibu is the tightest screwed together car Chevrolet produces.  The panel gaps are insane, and the interior is good.  The car is showing its age as the competition has upped the ante in the powertrain, technology and feature department.  This Malibu is a good car, but the competition has stepped up their game and that is what keeps this car from being great.

Side Note-

I have seen the next generation Malibu that will be a 2012 model year vehicle.  It should go on sale hopefully in the summer of 2011.  It looks terrific. I do not know what powertrain will be used, but I can naturally assume some of my complaints with the current car will be remedied while keeping the quality I saw in this one.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

As I mentioned in my first review, the new Equinox is class leading, improving heavily over the original version.  When equipped with the four cylinder, the Equinox is a great vehicle.  The mileage is top of the pack in the 5-seat, SUV class and exclusive features are great, but the real question is how does the Equinox perform with a V6 engine?

The interior of the LTZ tester I had was two tone black and cream.  The leather seats were comfortable and looked terrific.  The dash was hard plastic but still looked good:  hard plastic is not out of place for this segment.  The center stack lit up at night in a cool blue but is never overpowering. The center console is able to swallow a fifteen inch laptop whole!  There is no question the interior is well designed.  One of the nice features was the back seat’s flexibility.  The back seat has the ability to slide back and forth like front seats to either create more legroom for  passengers or more cargo room in the rear.

The exterior has a strong character line that runs from the front fender to the rear.  The styling is round and a more conservative appearance than its brother, the GMC Terrain.  The headlights in the upper trim levels have projector low beams with fog lamps that put out a surprising amount of light on the road.  The exterior chrome accents on the bumpers, door handles, mirrors and luggage rail inserts all add to the great exterior looks.  The exaggerated fender flares are not aggressive and yet add to the Equinox’s stance.  The dual exhaust, only available on the V6 model, peeks out from the rear bumper with the dual chrome tips, adding the perfect finish to the rear end.

The Equinox I had was equipped with the optional V6 which costs $1,500 and puts out 264 hp and 222 ft-lb.  Combined with all wheel drive, the V6 model is rated at 17/24 mpg.  I averaged 17 in the city and 20 on the highway but I am sure it would beat the rated mpg on the highway if the cruise control was not set at 77 mph.  Both the four cylinder and the V6 models put the power out through a one choice six speed transmission with manual shift capabilities.  The transmission programming is inconsistent, sometimes pulling away from a stoplight, it would rev to 4000 rpm and then perform a lazy shift while pulling away. But then I observed at the next stoplight, while pulling away in the same manner, a quick shift occurred at 2500 rpm.  This inconsistency improved under hard acceleration and the transmission shifts quickly at redline, so, it was only under light or partial acceleration that the transmission and the shifts were slow and lazy.  Even when using the manual shift, the shifts were again lazy, reacting slowly and taking its time to make the change.

The LTZ model already has most optional equipment included as standard but the model I had was also equipped with 19″ chrome clad aluminum wheels for $900.  They looked good and finished off the exterior chrome accents well.  The total sticker price on the model I had was $32,940 and had everything other then optional rear seat entertainment.

The new Equinox is selling as fast as GM can produce them and is class leading in many respects.  The V6 provides more low end torque which means less revving of the engine to get underway although you do take a hit in the fuel mileage numbers when opting for the V6.  The real story with the Equinox is the four cylinder engine, without a question.  Some of the competition’s V6 options offer slightly better fuel economy numbers than the V6 in the Equinox but that does not change the fact that the overall package is very competitive.  Overall, I would be torn with which engine to choose if I was purchasing an Equinox although I would suggest test driving both. It really comes down to what is important; extra power, especially in the low revs, or overall fuel economy.  One thing is for sure: this new Equinox is quite an upgrade.  Now if only the transmission programming was as great as the rest of the vehicle.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors