2011 Chevrolet Cruze

Value-priced compact sedan

By Larry Edsall

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

It wasn’t that long ago that Chevrolet was known as the producer of terrific pickup trucks and capable sport utility vehicles. But of cars that people might be eager to drive? Well, except for the Corvette, not so much.

That all changed with the introduction of the remarkable new Chevrolet Malibu and the stunning new Chevrolet Camaro. Now it continues with the launch of the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze.

The Cruze is Chevrolet’s new compact sedan. With the Cruze, Chevrolet challenges on the likes of the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra with a product that could easily have been labeled Malibu Junior.

At least that’s our first impression after spending several hours and a couple hundred miles in a couple of Cruzes. First, we drove the just-above-base LT version equipped with the sporty-looking but very reasonably priced RS appearance package. Then, we tried the top-of-the-line LTZ edition with full leather interior.

Also available is the base LS, which despite its $16,995 price tag comes with 10 – that’s right, 10 airbags and a six-month subscription to General Motors’ OnStar system with Turn-by-Turn navigation — and the Cruze Eco, which promises to return 40 miles per gallon when cruising on the freeway. Read the rest of this entry »