3rd Place – 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
    Chevrolet Cruze Eco. Click image to enlarge |
From first to worst may seem a little harsh for this little Chevrolet, but as was just mentioned in the intro, the margin of victory from first to worst was only 2 points. If the Cruze had a sunroof, or a hatchback option in Canada, or was a little more efficient, it could have taken this challenge. As it stands, the Eco Cruze is a very attractive vehicle that is, however, lacking in a few areas.
First and foremost are the Cruze’s interior, and options list. Both were viewed as worst in the comparison. Aside from the fabric patches on the dash, the Cruze’s interior is mostly hard-touch plastics with a strangely positioned uncomfortable front seat. This was the only vehicle of the group lacking a sunroof and lost points in cargo space since the North American market is not offered a five-door hatchback version of the Cruze. While we are on the topic of the trunk, since Chevy vetoed the spare tire on the Eco editions to save weight, an oddly contoured pit is left in the trunk floor. Sure it increases cargo volume to 436 L, but it makes for an awkward loading surface. As senior Editor Jonathan Yarkony stated “I don’t like the (Cruze’s) well… better if it converted to a flat floor.”
Where the Cruze did shine, though was in the chassis and drivetrain departments. This was the quietest vehicle of the group and the 1.4L turbocharged engine was the hands-down our favourite of the group. Although it is the smallest in displacement, makes the least horsepower, and has to carry around the most weight (1,366 kg), it was still the most responsive of the group. It was the only vehicle that could be left in sixth gear at highway speeds and perform passing maneuvers in a reasonable amount of time. All of this while having the lowest highway cruising rpms of the bunch: 1,900 rpm @ 100 km/h and 2,250 rpm @ 120 km/h.
The six-speed manual transmission is a great gearbox but not as precise and engaging as the Mazda’s unit. The Cruze Eco loses a lot of the handling hardware that made the Cruze RS such a fun car to drive in our earlier comparison test. That said, it still takes corners with confidence and is more fun to toss around than the Elantra GT. The 215/55R17 are the largest and widest tires of the group, but drew mixed reviews from the test group as to whether the painted chrome treatment on them looked tacky or classy.
When it came to efficiency the Cruze couldn’t live up to its official Natural Resources Canada fuel rating numbers of 7.2 L/100 km city and 4.6 L/100 km highway. We averaged a not very impressive 8.4 L/100 km in mostly city conditions which still put the Cruze mid-pack in this trio.
Pricing: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
Base price: $20,160
Options: Connectivity Package ($495), Premium Paint ($380)
A/C tax: $100
Freight: $1,495
Price as tested: $22,630
