I rented one for the weekend and thought it was pretty nice (if small) but the transmission was really odd. Unless you had your boot in it the thing would be very hesitant to wind up and shift gears like it couldn't make up its mind what to do... Is that normal?
I wouldn't know.... My buddy's Cruze is a 6spd manual. 
But as to the original question, I am not surprised for a rental to have trans issues. 
mostly normal. just designed to keep RPMS down for max mpg. New trans design too if i remember correctly so it could get improved with each design.
Got a 2011 with the 1.8 and six speed. I'm happy to say it DOESNT drive like any other GM car from the past, being made for the European and Australian markets first, even though it is a cheaply priced car. The small bore (for a US car company) revving and power delivery of that 1.8 immediately reminded me of the 1.6 liter DOHC in my Fiat 124. I needed cheap transportation with good mileage (seeing 34-36 mpg all around) and seating for five. This car fits those requirements quite well. Oh, my insurance (with full coverage) is LOWER than my last car with liability only. The 1.4 turbo that's more common, sorry, I have no information on it.
stroker wrote: I rented one for the weekend and thought it was pretty nice (if small) but the transmission was really odd. Unless you had your boot in it the thing would be very hesitant to wind up and shift gears like it couldn't make up its mind what to do... Is that normal?
Yup, my experience exactly. The transmission in that car has takenover from the CVT in Nissans as the most annoying transmission in a car.
I have a 13 auto. The transmission can be weird. You need to drive like at old man for the transmission to make sense. Love the mileage!
I had one for a rental a few months ago, it seemed like a pretty decent car. I didn't notice the transmission thing, but then again it was a long road trip, 400 miles on the highway, so there wasn't a lot of shifting going on.
I took a Cruise once. It did not turn out well.
A cruze eco with the 6 speed and 3rd pedal is likely my next car (if its still offered in another 2 years or so).
my friend has one - yes the lag / delay is pretty standard.
dreadfully boring vehicle, 40 mpg on the highway.
You could retain your soul if you were willing to consider 37 mpg highway.
NOHOME wrote:stroker wrote: I rented one for the weekend and thought it was pretty nice (if small) but the transmission was really odd. Unless you had your boot in it the thing would be very hesitant to wind up and shift gears like it couldn't make up its mind what to do... Is that normal?Yup, my experience exactly. The transmission in that car has takenover from the CVT in Nissans as the most annoying transmission in a car.
Ever driven the CVT MINI Cooper? It makes baby jesus want to cry.
4cylndrfury wrote: A cruze eco with the 6 speed and 3rd pedal is likely my next car (if its still offered in another 2 years or so).
In 2 years you should be able to find a decent used one that has already taken the hit on depreciation. No need to get a new one at that point.
In reply to t25torx:
Exactly, this is a GM vehicle, no matter how good it is, it's going to depreciate like crazy. Let somebody else take that hit. (I found a 2011 6 spd. for sale in Ohio for $12k)
My boss has a Cruze Eco. I was shocked at how nice it is. My first wife had a late 80's Cavalier wagon when we met, and a mid 90's Cavalier sedan not long after. In most ways, the 80's was the better car. I had written off GM's small cars off as crap. While the Cobalt was decent, it never struck me as being up to par with its competitors. Having ridden in a Cruze, I'd test drive one if a performance or diesel model ever comes to market.
If a diesel wagon or hatch version came to market, I would buy one as my next car.
Brother has one that my parents effectively bought for him (that's an ENTIRE other rant though...). I drove it from my place in Kentucky to their house in Texas, and on several longer drives around the state visiting family. His is I believe one step up from the base model, and an automatic.
Overall I didn't mind it- but I H-A-T-E-D the transmission. At one point we were driving to a relative's house- my brother and I in his car, me driving (he likes driving FAR less than I do...) and my parents in their truck. The route we took was a toll road- my parents, living in the area, have a fast-lane pass to blow through toll booths. My brother's car doesn't- so we had to stop, pay the toll, and try and catch up with them. The accursed thing WOULD NOT let me accelerate worth a damn. Every other auto I've driven, if you put the pedal to the floor it will hold lower gears MUCH longer and let you rev much higher- it didn't do anything near that and didn't seem to behave any differently than when giving it mild throttle. Putting it into 'manual shift' mode was almost worse- the thing waited like 5 seconds or more before changing gears when I told it to. I think I'd probably enjoy a 6-speed manual version of it, but the automatic should die in a fire.
Almost bought one before I got the Focus last year - at the time I had a 200mi a day mostly highway commute; I thought the seats in the Focus were better and it had more hp (figured better for highway passing). Otherwise I like the Cruz a little bit better.
I should note I drove a 1.8 6sp (I will never willingly choose an auto trans in anything. Unless it was a drag car, because I can't speed shift to save my life...).
IDK, it seems like it would be pretty difficult to drive.....
My parents had a Cruze rental when their Hyundai Sonata was getting some warranty work done. They are not "car enthusiats" by any means, nor have they owned an exciting car since the 1980s. That said, they were pretty unhappy with the Cruze after a week of driving it and were happy to get their car back.
Dad also commented that it was a smaller car but didn't get any better MPG than their 4-cyl non-hybrid '11 Sonata did on a highway trip. YMMV. They average mid-30s in the Sonata driving normally.
Nice job of floundering a perfectly good thread.
OldGray320i wrote: Almost bought one before I got the Focus last year - at the time I had a 200mi a day mostly highway commute; I thought the seats in the Focus were better and it had more hp (figured better for highway passing). Otherwise I like the Cruz a little bit better. I should note I drove a 1.8 6sp (I will never willingly choose an auto trans in anything. Unless it was a drag car, because I can't speed shift to save my life...)
I did the same thing, I think the handling in the Focus was way better. It also came with heated seats and no leather. That and the availability of the hatch was what sealed the deal for me. The Cruze seems like a nice car too though.
I just did the numbers. 1114 miles over the weekend and got 32 mpg. I was a bit disappointed in that, as I think the 2012 Impala I did the same trip with over Labor Day weekend got roughly the same mileage. I was hoping for more like 37mpg. I must have been driving it harder than I thought through the few hilly bits. Wouldn't get one as a daily driver but it was okay for one trip. It was $30 cheaper than the Impala, which counts for something. Between rental and gas it was $.17/mi. Certainly more comfy than driving the Sidekick of Doom....
racerfink wrote: Nice job of floundering a perfectly good thread.
FWIW, I originally posted my post about the Cruze itself. But then I couldn't remember if the parents said that about a Cruze or a Cobalt, so I had to dig through old emails to verify before I posted it ;)
I didn't have a really long time with it, but I really liked the diesel Cruze I drove awhile back.
Being a GM "hater" I was surprised how much I liked it, and would've considered it had it been a bit cheaper.
I got cruz as rental car quite few times this year. I have not noticed any transmission hesitation. however, I drive slowly and I drive gutless rental cars most of the time.
Javier Bardem has driven a Cruz.
Lucky berkeley.
The diesel Cruz is now listed on Chevrolet's website
You'll need to log in to post.
