3. 78.2% - Chevrolet Cruze
Chevrolet’s compact Cruze has a strange effect on us all, as well as most people we speak to, on a large scale. When the topic of the comparo test comes up, staff, family, and friends immediately point the Cruze as coming in last.
We’ve mulled the reaction over and can only surmise that the Cruze’s thorn in its side is the Chevy bowtie that adorns its front grille and trunk lid. We’re convinced that in a “blind taste test,” the perception of the Cruze would be far more positive than it is.
Case in point: We loved it. But thought we wouldn’t.
Inside and Out of the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
Detractors amongst our ranks as to how handsome the Cruze is limited to one single person we suspect suffers from severe vision impairment. In fact, of our lot of six cars, the Red Hot (colour) Chevy often came out on top as being the looker. The $1,875 optional RS package plays a strong role in this regard, but even the basic car scores highly.
The cabin is not as well received. The dash design is choppy and the ergonomics lag behind those of the Jetta and Corolla. Fit and finish are OK, however, the selection of certain materials (such as the cloth on the dashboard) looks good as long it’s not touched.
The leather-clad seats are comfortable enough for a typical ride, but the issue lies in the very narrow front footwells. If you’re anything over 5’10” tall, your knees are likely to lean up against some HVAC knobs when you rest your leg once on cruise control.
Driving the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
This is where the Cruze, despite being born for 2011, remains interesting. This may be an “American” car, but there is nothing traditionally American about the way it drives.
This 2014 Chevrolet Cruze handles the road -- twisty, flat, smooth or rough -- with an impressive level of tolerance towards body roll and loss of grip. Steering is ever so light with little weight behind it, but the front wheels always end up taking the car where the driver wants it to go.
Our main disappointment, or letdown, came from the turbocharged 1.4L. We expected it to make acceleration lively and passing manoeuvres fun. Sadly, the mill would work quite hard to stay in the game. By comparison to the Jetta, it felt as though it was down 72 horsepower and not 32. Same went for the seat of the pants feeling.
Be that as it may, like the Civic and Corolla, the Cruze managed well with its amount of grunt if only it wasn’t as thirsty as it turned out to be.
Chevrolet’s compact Cruze has a strange effect on us all, as well as most people we speak to, on a large scale. When the topic of the comparo test comes up, staff, family, and friends immediately point the Cruze as coming in last.
We’ve mulled the reaction over and can only surmise that the Cruze’s thorn in its side is the Chevy bowtie that adorns its front grille and trunk lid. We’re convinced that in a “blind taste test,” the perception of the Cruze would be far more positive than it is.
Case in point: We loved it. But thought we wouldn’t.
 |
| Photo: Philippe Champoux |
Inside and Out of the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
Detractors amongst our ranks as to how handsome the Cruze is limited to one single person we suspect suffers from severe vision impairment. In fact, of our lot of six cars, the Red Hot (colour) Chevy often came out on top as being the looker. The $1,875 optional RS package plays a strong role in this regard, but even the basic car scores highly.
The cabin is not as well received. The dash design is choppy and the ergonomics lag behind those of the Jetta and Corolla. Fit and finish are OK, however, the selection of certain materials (such as the cloth on the dashboard) looks good as long it’s not touched.
The leather-clad seats are comfortable enough for a typical ride, but the issue lies in the very narrow front footwells. If you’re anything over 5’10” tall, your knees are likely to lean up against some HVAC knobs when you rest your leg once on cruise control.
Driving the 2014 Chevrolet Cruze
This is where the Cruze, despite being born for 2011, remains interesting. This may be an “American” car, but there is nothing traditionally American about the way it drives.
This 2014 Chevrolet Cruze handles the road -- twisty, flat, smooth or rough -- with an impressive level of tolerance towards body roll and loss of grip. Steering is ever so light with little weight behind it, but the front wheels always end up taking the car where the driver wants it to go.
Our main disappointment, or letdown, came from the turbocharged 1.4L. We expected it to make acceleration lively and passing manoeuvres fun. Sadly, the mill would work quite hard to stay in the game. By comparison to the Jetta, it felt as though it was down 72 horsepower and not 32. Same went for the seat of the pants feeling.
Be that as it may, like the Civic and Corolla, the Cruze managed well with its amount of grunt if only it wasn’t as thirsty as it turned out to be.