It’s often said that 40 is the new 30. Usually people are referencing age. But in the car world, manufacturers are racing to deliver 40-mpg highway ratings to buyers who are fed up with rising gas prices and dwindling paychecks.
The Chevrolet Cruze Eco is a viable small car alternative that reaches that rarefied 40-mpg highway air. It competes directly with a whole bunch of cars.
Perhaps you’ve driven a few of these in your quest for better fuel economy. If you’re still on the fence about which car to choose, here are five reasons to drive the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco.
1. 42 MPG with Manual Transmission
All Chevy Cruze trims get decent fuel economy – between 25 and 28 mpg in the city and 36 to 42 mpg on the highway. But it’s the Eco trim that is the hero of the bunch and the Cruze model we recommend most buyers consider first. It’s a middle trim so it’s not the most nor the least expensive model. Our test car starts at $19,245, which is $3,000 more than the base Cruze but much better equipped and offers a 3-mpg improvement in city driving and up to a 6-gallon improvement on the highway when equipped with the manual transmission. Over our week of driving in mixed city and highway commuting, we realized 37 miles per gallon. Impressive. That will save you some real money each year if the car you’re driving is only returning between 20 and 30 miles per gallon. After destination fee, our test Cruze cost $20,010. Overall, a decent price for a very fuel-efficient sedan.
2. Cruze is a Top Safety Pick
While you’re patting yourself on the back for considering a car that gets decent fuel economy in the city and even better on the highway, the designation of Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety may make you gain a feeling of superiority about your good sense. The 10 standard airbags, including knee airbags for the front seat occupants and side-impact airbags for rear seat riders, definitely help. So does the traction control system with rollover mitigation and antilock brakes. The OnStar system is also standard and includes everything from six months of free service of Advanced Crash Response service to stolen vehicle location and stolen vehicle slowdown technology.
3. Turbocharged Engine Makes Cruze Fun to Drive
The Chevy Cruze Eco features a 1.4-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that generates 138 horses. While that’s a fairly small number given today’s amped-up horsepower ratings on many vehicles, with the turbo engine you realize more torque at lower rpms (148 pound-feet at only 1,800 rpm with the auto and 2,500 with the stick). Torque is what you feel when you accelerate and the Cruze feels positively zippy in the lower gears. Around town we enjoyed the quick bursts of energy from a dead stop. On the highway we liked the fact you could shift into sixth gear and watch the rpms drop as your fuel economy rises.
4. The Best-Selling Chevy Worldwide
Introduced in 2010 as a more elegant replacement for the much-less-than-elegant Chevy Cobalt, the Cruze is a big hit and a massive seller worldwide. In fact, it has quickly become Chevy’s bestselling car here, there and everywhere. Sure, the price is agreeable. So is the fuel economy. But this small sedan boasts some nice interior features that set it apart from the pack as well as an attractive exterior. Chevrolet was hoping for a big success with an affordable, fuel-efficient sedan that people didn’t buy because it was cheap but because they like how the Cruze looks and drives. The fact that the Cruze was the best-selling car in America in July 2011 is proof of this car’s success. If you choose the Cruze, you’ll have plenty of fellow drivers on the road with you.
5. Efficiency, Safety and Style
Buyers today have lots of options for a vehicle. Strangely enough, for a limited time, it actually makes more financial sense to purchase a new car instead of one- or two-year-old used car in good condition. Why? It’s a classic case of supply lagging demand and right now good, clean late-model used cars are in short supply.
Bottom line: this might be a good time to buy a new vehicle like the Chevy Cruze. You’ll get solid fuel economy, an exceptional safety rating, a four-door car that will hold four of your friends comfortably (and a fifth if you’ve got skinny friends or kids). Plus, the Cruze with the manual transmission and turbocharged engine is quite spry and fun to drive. But don’t take my word for it. Give this car a shot. it may prove to be a very smart move.