Topic: 2011 Chevrolet Cruze: More Compact Car for the Money

[TopGun]

.....If GM can get into the top 3 in sales, it is a HUGE victory for them. Then they can hope for the Cruze replacement, whatever it may be, to take them to the top......

Agreed.  It's going to be a long road for them...yet there is no other way given the repositioning they need to do.

It's a similar job that Hyundai is doing with the Genesis...and Toyota with Scion...and they aren't lighting the sales world on fire.

[TopGun]

Here's the chart in case people don't want to clicky.  And FWIW, I think the Cruze is being outsold by the OLD Elantra, since I don't think the new one was available en mass in November.

TTAC left out that there were only 9,000 Cruzes (Crusii?) available for sale in November.

"So far, Cruzes are selling far more quickly than analysts' 60-day benchmark.

GM started November with 9,000 Cruzes and had sold about 8,000 by the end of the month, Jim Bunnell, who manages GM's dealer network and sales support, said last week on a conference call with reporters and analysts. That's on target with GM's launch plan, Bunnell said."

[CatsEye68]

TTAC left out that there were only 9,000 Cruzes (Crusii?) available for sale in November.

"So far, Cruzes are selling far more quickly than analysts' 60-day benchmark.

GM started November with 9,000 Cruzes and had sold about 8,000 by the end of the month, Jim Bunnell, who manages GM's dealer network and sales support, said last week on a conference call with reporters and analysts. That's on target with GM's launch plan, Bunnell said."

Well, we all no there is little "truth" found at TTAC. Especially when it involves a GM car.

[rrocket]

^^^^    Yea, they once said a bad thing about GM..so they can no longer be trusted.   

[Ice]

Actually I'm surprised at how high up on the chart the Cruze is. It's been out for a month at most? It's a new name so there isn't a lot of recognition... The high point is that they have done a good advertising push and I've seen the commercial on all the time. It'll be more telling if the numbers increase, decrease, or stabilize somewhere.

[Leviathan]

Also, how come the Cruze hasn't been rated yet? A lot of the new offerings for 2011 have been rated (new Sonata, Fiesta, Mazda2, etc.). Why not the Cruze? I'd expect it to do very well with its 10 standard airbags.

It appears that only about two dozen cars have been rated so far; there are maybe a hundred cars to rate.  They can't test everything on one day.

Sure, but I would expect one of the most anticipated vehicles to hit the market in a little while to get tested as soon as possible. I mean, Chevrolet has had 17 vehicles tested under the new standards, but couldn't send a Cruze or two their way to be tested? Are they hiding something? Maybe those 10 airbags aren't helping as much as they were hoping? I realize those questions are stuff of conspiracy theorists, but at the same time, they wouldn't come up if the Cruze had been tested already.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Achieves 5-Star Overall Safety Score

The Cruze was tested under NHTSA's revised New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) implemented this fall for the 2011 model year. The rating is based on more rigorous frontal and side crash tests in addition to rollover resistance testing. Under the new system, the three test conditions are combined mathematically into an "Overall Vehicle Score."

The Cruze is the first vehicle tested under the new rating system to achieve five stars in each of the individual crash impact conditions, leading to an overall vehicle score of five stars – the highest rating possible.

[Dante]

Maybe this justifies the extra weight it carries around? At least it may be worth something.

[safristi]

  wot if ya built a concrete BLOCK,put it on wheels and ran it into a CONCRETE BLOCK.......would that give a NHSA rating of INFINITI!!! .....or LEXUS DOMINUS VOBISCUM............

[Mike]

I like it!

[Scaerio]

I like it!

But will it come to Canada?

[Seafoam]

I like it!

But will it come to Canada?

About the same time we get the diesel.

[Ice]

Well... make sure you're seated. Apparently the diesel is being confirmed to make a showing in North America. So... maybe the hatchback will make a showing in Canada too. They can justify the Orlando here and not the US so maybe this one too. I think it is a bit weird... there is a gap left by the Pontiac Vibe that I thought they would want to fill with the Cruze hatch. But no..

[Jaeger]

Well... make sure you're seated. Apparently the diesel is being confirmed to make a showing in North America. So... maybe the hatchback will make a showing in Canada too. They can justify the Orlando here and not the US so maybe this one too. I think it is a bit weird... there is a gap left by the Pontiac Vibe that I thought they would want to fill with the Cruze hatch. But no..

I've read so many different accounts of the diesel coming / not coming / may be coming / probably coming that I will believe it when it's actually here and not befofre.  Not that I particualry care - diesel's don't really interest me.

Jaeger

[Ice]

Well... make sure you're seated. Apparently the diesel is being confirmed to make a showing in North America. So... maybe the hatchback will make a showing in Canada too. They can justify the Orlando here and not the US so maybe this one too. I think it is a bit weird... there is a gap left by the Pontiac Vibe that I thought they would want to fill with the Cruze hatch. But no..

I've read so many different accounts of the diesel coming / not coming / may be coming / probably coming that I will believe it when it's actually here and not befofre.  Not that I particualry care - diesel's don't really interest me.

Jaeger

They don't interest me but ... I had thought that the diesel was about as confirmed as these sort of things get. We can all believe it when we see it in the dealerships I guess

[Jaeger]

Well... make sure you're seated. Apparently the diesel is being confirmed to make a showing in North America. So... maybe the hatchback will make a showing in Canada too. They can justify the Orlando here and not the US so maybe this one too. I think it is a bit weird... there is a gap left by the Pontiac Vibe that I thought they would want to fill with the Cruze hatch. But no..

I've read so many different accounts of the diesel coming / not coming / may be coming / probably coming that I will believe it when it's actually here and not befofre.  Not that I particualry care - diesel's don't really interest me.

Jaeger

They don't interest me but ... I had thought that the diesel was about as confirmed as these sort of things get. We can all believe it when we see it in the dealerships I guess

I don't pretend to have the very latest, but this was from Feb 22nd:

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/02/gm-denies-us-diesel-cruze-for-now/

Jaeger

[CatsEye68]

If TTAC says it isn't, then it's a lock that it is.

[conwelpic]

Cruze vs the new Elantra

http://autos.ca.msn.com/reviews/2011/article.aspx?cp-documentid=27844742

[rrocket]

Cruze vs the new Elantra

http://autos.ca.msn.com/reviews/2011/article.aspx?cp-documentid=27844742

Nice review.  Good thing they chose the Cruze turbo for the test, or it might not have ended too well for the Chevy.  Wonder if Chevy even allows non-turbo cars as press testers??   


This sounds much like Jaegers review though.  Chevy more refined, quieter.  Elantra edgier, a bit more personality.

[Erik]

Do you mine edgier, as in less refined?

 What I got out of that test was the Elantra was quicker and more economical, while less refined, noisier and with a poorer suspension and weaker handling. More toys tho.

[rrocket]

Do you mine edgier, as in less refined?

 What I got out of that test was the Elantra was quicker and more economical, while less refined, noisier and with a poorer suspension and weaker handling. More toys tho.

That's just it.  The Cruze is the new Corolla.  And the Corolla was punked on for being too refined...too quiet..too boring.

So some may prefer something a bit edgier that gives it some personality