The all-new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is a best buy for offering the interior space and amenities of a mid-size car with the fuel economy of a compact or hybrid and impressive safety features, at a starting price of $16,995, plus it is fun to drive and is good-looking, too. Now that I have your attention:
The Cruze has been getting nearly as many awards as its sibling, the headline-making 2011 Chevrolet Volt, which we all know by now is an extended range plug-in hybrid, which also happens to cost more than twice the price of the Cruze.
Chevrolet’s tagline for the Cruze is “Get Used to More”, and the guys at GM say the Cruze has more engineering quality, more fuel efficiency, more safety equipment, and therefore more value than other vehicles in its segment. Things like ten airbags, including front knee airbags, a first in this car segment, keyless entry, stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes, leather interiors, OnStar and more.
The safety features helped the International Institute of Highway Safety (IIHG) make the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze a Top Safety Pick, and it’s gotten the top five-star rating from the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) NADA Guides has just named it the January “Car of the Month”. The Cruze has been a hit in Europe, where small cars are more popular than in the United States. Ford also is doing well with the 2011 Ford Fiesta, the top-selling compact in Europe, with similar fuel efficiency and pricing.
My advice is to opt for the new 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco model, with a new Ecotec 1.4L I-4 turbo engine with variable valve timing. GM predicts this model will get 40 mpg on the highway and an equally impressive 28 mpg city fuel economy. That means Cruze Eco’s highway fuel economy beats the non-hybrids in this segment, including the 2011 Honda Civic. And, it gets better fuel economy even than larger hybrids, including the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid, which also cost more.
Cruze already logged more than four million miles worldwide, making it one of the most real world-tested GM products prior to a U.S. launch. The U.S. and Canadian versions of the Cruze will be built in Lordstown, Ohio, where GM invested $350 million to get ready for its production.
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