A UAW drone reviews the Camry...
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lol considering I work for GM and have drove a demo Cruze I find his bolstering a joke...The Cruze itself yet to come to think of it is a joke..I could of picked up a brand new Cruze RS 1.4 T for around 18,900$ even came with 2 yr maint package...
I opted out for a 2012 Camry for 15,900 with 30k on the clock...why...because its a nicer ride overall..better ratings even in Motortrend...comfortable..and I can fit 4 adults comfortably ...the Cruze really lacks a back seat and the trunk space I need with a newborn daughter and all that I must haul around...stroller being the main thing...and I always carry my dewalt tool bag so I can fix whatever the problem should it present itself so im not stranded so to speak..but with a Camry I dont need to worry about that now do I...My 05 Camry has 200k and still going strong and runs like a champ...I doubt Ill see many Cruze's with that many miles still going strong, the 1.8 cruze has a timing belt with an interferance motor...hope no one forgets to change that...and a turbo last 200k? unlikely and thats no cheap repair...
The Camry also has the styling features, many options for upfitting upgrades and the reliabilitys..perhaps thats why I own one and not a GM product..
I have seen many Cruzes come in with failed thermostats, knocking engines, shifting problems auto and manuals, and even a few bad turbos with less than 10k on em...I havent had the chance to drive the new diesel turbo Cruze but im sure once thats out of powertrain warranty and the engine happens to go...it wont be a cheap fix so to speak..
Ill stick with my Camry any day of the week and you couldnt give me a free Cruze...Id give it away or sell it
I opted out for a 2012 Camry for 15,900 with 30k on the clock...why...because its a nicer ride overall..better ratings even in Motortrend...comfortable..and I can fit 4 adults comfortably ...the Cruze really lacks a back seat and the trunk space I need with a newborn daughter and all that I must haul around...stroller being the main thing...and I always carry my dewalt tool bag so I can fix whatever the problem should it present itself so im not stranded so to speak..but with a Camry I dont need to worry about that now do I...My 05 Camry has 200k and still going strong and runs like a champ...I doubt Ill see many Cruze's with that many miles still going strong, the 1.8 cruze has a timing belt with an interferance motor...hope no one forgets to change that...and a turbo last 200k? unlikely and thats no cheap repair...
The Camry also has the styling features, many options for upfitting upgrades and the reliabilitys..perhaps thats why I own one and not a GM product..
I have seen many Cruzes come in with failed thermostats, knocking engines, shifting problems auto and manuals, and even a few bad turbos with less than 10k on em...I havent had the chance to drive the new diesel turbo Cruze but im sure once thats out of powertrain warranty and the engine happens to go...it wont be a cheap fix so to speak..
Ill stick with my Camry any day of the week and you couldnt give me a free Cruze...Id give it away or sell it
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LOLOLOLOL holy cow, I Chevy Cruz is only a slight improvement of the total joke the Cobalt was...
Lol, he is the type of person who really likes the car, but won't admit it because of what his friends would think since it is a Toyota. Plus, maybe he is jealous because the Camry is better than his Cruze and he wishes he could've afforded it in the first place instead of having to settle for the pathetic, disappointing Cruze. There are millions of educated people who drive a Camry (like us) who are open minded and then there are the people like him who would've thought the Cavalier and Cobalt was better than the Camry at the time. I'm laughing at this...
Hahahahaha good find OP. I got through the first page and will have to revisit - can't wait to read the rest, its pretty funny. Its funny that its a staff member bickering like that :lol:
I know ... yes ....... most of you hate Consumer Reports. They can't even do washing machines right. But their car ratings are consistent if nothing else and according to April 2014 issue:
Tires: Michelin Primacy still #1
Chevy Cruze: POS ........ my words, not theirs. They say "below average"
Pages 32 & 33:
1.4 T ....... Subpar reliability ........ so so fuel economy .
Turbo Diesel at a mere $27,300 as in more than Camry SE: Diesel clatter, jerky driving at low speed.
I don't know about elsewhere, but Diesel fuel here is over $4 a gallon.
Tires: Michelin Primacy still #1
Chevy Cruze: POS ........ my words, not theirs. They say "below average"
Pages 32 & 33:
1.4 T ....... Subpar reliability ........ so so fuel economy .
Turbo Diesel at a mere $27,300 as in more than Camry SE: Diesel clatter, jerky driving at low speed.
I don't know about elsewhere, but Diesel fuel here is over $4 a gallon.
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This is a stupid review. There are haters on both sides. Brand loyalty is completely overrated, and I would never limit myself to buying one brand or only buying a car from a certain country. FWIW, I have owned 2 Japanese cars, several European cars, and no American cars before now. Well, I had a hand-me-down Buick for ~3 months in high school, but not sure if that counts or not.
I've had both of my cars ~2 years now. The Cruze hasn't been a bad little car, but it hasn't been 100% trouble-free...I did have an AC compressor and climate control sensor replaced and have had a water leak in the trunk. The automatic transmission is a huge piece of crap and a source of many, many complaints, so I bought a manual. The front rotors must be made of beer cans - I've replaced those already for shaking @ 15K miles. And it's had a battery conk out with no warning (I wont blame that one on the car, but it was annoying).
They do tend to eat water pumps (hey, Toyota owners should be familiar with this one - my 2.4 ate 2 of them!) and PCV/valve covers (turbos are not a common failure, just misdiagnosed when the PCV valve diaphragm goes bad and oil ends up in the intake tract). I have yet to develop ANY squeaks/rattles/engine problems. 54,000 miles on the Cruze (used as a commuter car) and it's still as silent as the day I drove it off the lot. The ride and noise level inside the car is easily 24879239482789x better than the Camry.
The MPG the little thing will return is impressive. I usually AVERAGE mid-30's (heavy city driving, mind you) and have done as well as 48 MPG on a 200 mile road trip (I don't even have the stupidly tall-geared ECO model). The automatics seem to not do anywhere near as well. The Camry has way more highway passing power, but you have to rev above 4000 to get it. The torque from the little turbocharged 1.4 is absolutely fantastic in around-town driving situations.
I disagree with the reviewers opinion of the Camry (maybe he had an LE?). The 7th gen SE isn't too bad to drive, but it's nowhere near the top of its class in driving dynamics...it's also nowhere near as bad as the Malibu or Sonata on the road. The thing IS full of squeaks and rattles (at 17K miles!), I'll give him that. The build quality on the 7th gen Camry sucks. And the transmission is always confused. But nitpicking things like a glovebox light (my Cruze doesn't have one either), auto-down window switches, dash plastic (which looks nice and you don't really touch anyway - and is hard, textured plastic on the Cruze)...sounds like he was just trying to find anything to hate about it. Everywhere you rest your arms is pretty nicely padded. Everything shuts and moves with a solid thump. Heaven forbid he'd have had a Corolla as a rental.
The Toyota has its pluses and minuses and so does the Cruze - and so does every other car ever made. You don't really expect perfection for around $20K, do you?
Would I buy either car again? Nope. Does either company have any other products that currently interest me or I'd consider? Nope.
I've had both of my cars ~2 years now. The Cruze hasn't been a bad little car, but it hasn't been 100% trouble-free...I did have an AC compressor and climate control sensor replaced and have had a water leak in the trunk. The automatic transmission is a huge piece of crap and a source of many, many complaints, so I bought a manual. The front rotors must be made of beer cans - I've replaced those already for shaking @ 15K miles. And it's had a battery conk out with no warning (I wont blame that one on the car, but it was annoying).
They do tend to eat water pumps (hey, Toyota owners should be familiar with this one - my 2.4 ate 2 of them!) and PCV/valve covers (turbos are not a common failure, just misdiagnosed when the PCV valve diaphragm goes bad and oil ends up in the intake tract). I have yet to develop ANY squeaks/rattles/engine problems. 54,000 miles on the Cruze (used as a commuter car) and it's still as silent as the day I drove it off the lot. The ride and noise level inside the car is easily 24879239482789x better than the Camry.
The MPG the little thing will return is impressive. I usually AVERAGE mid-30's (heavy city driving, mind you) and have done as well as 48 MPG on a 200 mile road trip (I don't even have the stupidly tall-geared ECO model). The automatics seem to not do anywhere near as well. The Camry has way more highway passing power, but you have to rev above 4000 to get it. The torque from the little turbocharged 1.4 is absolutely fantastic in around-town driving situations.
I disagree with the reviewers opinion of the Camry (maybe he had an LE?). The 7th gen SE isn't too bad to drive, but it's nowhere near the top of its class in driving dynamics...it's also nowhere near as bad as the Malibu or Sonata on the road. The thing IS full of squeaks and rattles (at 17K miles!), I'll give him that. The build quality on the 7th gen Camry sucks. And the transmission is always confused. But nitpicking things like a glovebox light (my Cruze doesn't have one either), auto-down window switches, dash plastic (which looks nice and you don't really touch anyway - and is hard, textured plastic on the Cruze)...sounds like he was just trying to find anything to hate about it. Everywhere you rest your arms is pretty nicely padded. Everything shuts and moves with a solid thump. Heaven forbid he'd have had a Corolla as a rental.
The Toyota has its pluses and minuses and so does the Cruze - and so does every other car ever made. You don't really expect perfection for around $20K, do you?
Would I buy either car again? Nope. Does either company have any other products that currently interest me or I'd consider? Nope.
When I was replacing my 2010 Camry, I drove a fully loaded 2013 Cruze LTZ RS, the car looked nice, but way too small and it had no power. On the highway, you really had to get on it to pass someone, and 2500 rpm at 70 is ridiculous! That is when I bought my 2013 Camry SE v6, muchhhh more comfortable and 100x better.
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Hence my comment that the auto/power delivery just sucks. You really do have to floor it to do anything. Idk why, but the MT feels like it puts down 20-30 more HP (it'll tie the I4 Camry to 60 MPH), and you don't constantly have to redline it to do anything. GM has always made pretty awful automatic transmissions...and the Cruze's is no exception.
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Honestly, aside from the brakes, transmission, and door closing thing I agree with most of what he said. Especially the interior and and the handling/ride.
And yet. The Cruze is still nothing to be overly proud of. Heavy. Cramped. Poor mileage. Overpriced. And you want to talk about poor transmission tuning. The car's saving grace is it's interior design, and well-sorted chassis. And let's not get into the debacle that is the new Malibu.
Overall, it's pretty obvious the guy had his mind made up before he even drove the car. He said nothing good about it, at all.
And if he goes into a test drive on the new Impala with an open mind, he's not going to blown away there, either. The Camry may be rather unimpressive, but the Avalon is head-and-shoulders better than the Impala, imo.
And yet. The Cruze is still nothing to be overly proud of. Heavy. Cramped. Poor mileage. Overpriced. And you want to talk about poor transmission tuning. The car's saving grace is it's interior design, and well-sorted chassis. And let's not get into the debacle that is the new Malibu.
Overall, it's pretty obvious the guy had his mind made up before he even drove the car. He said nothing good about it, at all.
And if he goes into a test drive on the new Impala with an open mind, he's not going to blown away there, either. The Camry may be rather unimpressive, but the Avalon is head-and-shoulders better than the Impala, imo.
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I can't believe that the LTZ comes in at $26K. If mine had come in at any more than $20-21K, I wouldn't have bought it.
The Cruze should be nothing more than a commuter car or high MPG small car for a young owner. The back seat is completely useless, but it does have a large trunk and plenty of room in the front.
And man it's heavy for being so little.
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+1
we've tried 1.8 (I think LS MSRP 20K) and 1.4LTZ (MSRP 24+K???) and even compared to my wife's 2.2 2K camry both cars felt noisy and underpowered. don't know what cruzes going for these days, but back in 2012 they were way overpriced.
I really like the looks of the Cruze' steering wheel
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2.5 krpm at 70mph sounds about right if you are cruising. I don't understand your statement 2.5 @ 70. I would prefer 2krpm @ 80mph cruising.
Now if you floor it at 70mph, that rpm should jump and acceleration should happen. Does acceleration happen at 70mph? If not, than it's as powerful as a corolla. (I did drive a corolla and at anywhere above 60mph and flooring the gas paddle and I go :dunno
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They then took it and spread it to the new Malibu, Sonic, and Camaro. It's no longer unique anymore.
I think they're trying to unify the front grille of their lineup as well, kinda like what Toyota and Mazda have done with their redesigned models. Ford's spreading the bass-mouth across their lineup - I think the Focus is due to get it soon, and as the Escape looks like the Focus from the front, I don't know what they'll do with that one. And omg the new Mustang is hideous.
Small 4-cyls tend to run higher RPMs on the highway. Big V6's tend to loaf along lazily.
Toyota tried the same thing with their I4, running 2000 RPM @ 70, and it has to downshift to 5th any time it has to climb a freaking bridge.
Heck, 10 years ago, a V6 Camry ran 3000 @ 80. Wasn't good for MPG, but it did respond instantly when you wanted to pick up speed.
I first saw it on a youtube video. The interior looked really nice, and the steering wheel really stuck out to me as being on another level. Not sure why, but it looks very classy IMO. Maybe because its inset. I couldn't believe when I saw the ext. of it and it was a hub cap toting cruze. I had newfound respect for that car, no doubt.
I'll have to pay more attention to the grilles of the chevys. Ford - you can't help but see those things. Lol @ bass mouth.
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