Posted by bandi I'm not a huge fan of the styling... I don't think. It does look just like the Malibu and Impala... and they're old person cars.

I like both of those cars

The front end makes me sad. I saw the concept drawings and it should have had the mean ass grin like the Camaro. Instead, it's got the Malibu grill...bleh.

To me, the interior seems to be a LOT like my 2008 Astra. Looks like a big improvement over the Cobalt.

Posted by Agent Skelly I like both of those cars

I know.

my friend is driving one as a rental in LA at the moment and his exact words were "I rather be driving the focus then this POS"

Posted by Nismo my friend is driving one as a rental in LA at the moment and his exact words were "I rather be driving the focus then this POS"

oh but of course.

Well in other GM new I drove the latest gen CTS and I was actually suprised, it really didnt feel like a GM, almost BMW like as much as Id hate to admit that.

I loved the G8, but that didn't last too long.

It was like a GMW.

Sat in a Cruze today... I was pleasantly surprised. Very comfortable.

My mother emailed me and said she's thinking about trading in her Scion xD for a Cruze....

Posted by Agent Skelly My mother emailed me and said she's thinking about trading in her Scion xD for a Cruze....

unfortunately, Skelly, I have not driven the more base model Cruze with the 1.8L, just the higher end LT/LTZ. As I said in my earlier post, i was incredibly surprised by the car. Amazing power for a 1.4L that is NOT diesel.

when you sit in the car, the initial controls look busy, but once you drive the car, you'll find everything is right there and solid. Go with her and do a comparo with the other leading cars; Civic, Corolla, Fiesta, and Accent.

Posted by Samurai unfortunately, Skelly, I have not driven the more base model Cruze with the 1.8L, just the higher end LT/LTZ. As I said in my earlier post, i was incredibly surprised by the car. Amazing power for a 1.4L that is NOT diesel. when you sit in the car, the initial controls look busy, but once you drive the car, you'll find everything is right there and solid. Go with her and do a comparo with the other leading cars; Civic, Corolla, Fiesta, and Accent.

I might talk her into the LT...

Posted by Agent Skelly I might talk her into the LT...

the LT is nicely equipped and has the 1.4L Turbo with the 6speed automatic

Does GM have a history of making a reliable turbo?

Hrm... pricing it out with comparable options, it doesn't come out cheaper than the other cars we're considering. (and no manual transmission!)

Posted by yokes Does GM have a history of making a reliable turbo?

TEE HEE

edit: well, maybe Daewoo does?

The rub here is that I can buy a Mazdaspeed3 for less than a comparably equipped Cruze.

Not to threadjack, but how the hell did Mazda manage to get the Mazdaspeed3 so friggin cheap?

Well if it's anything like Mazdas of late, the doors will rust off in about 2 years. But, they'll fix it under warranty.

Posted by yokes Does GM have a history of making a reliable turbo?

the 2.0L LNF is pretty good.
back in the day, the old OHC 2.0L Turbo was pretty gutsy, but the cams wore out if the oil wasn't changed regularly.

the Cruze is available with a manual, but only with the 1.8L (which kind of rubs me the wrong way).

I have that 1.8 in my Astra. It sucks. The transmission is different, but the motor is still a flaming turd.