so i just got promoted to full time at my job right as my car died. once receiving the promotion i gained access to the corporate "perks" program which offers discounts and some deals on things. since ive been looking for new cars i noticed that there is an auto buying program through this "truecar" system. the cars i was looking at are the chevy cruze and chevy sonic which the website claims that they can get the car for me for >1000 less than the average purchase price on the car. does anyone have familiarity with this site? it seems like it is too good to be true and a scam to get you to use their system when you could probably negotiate to the same price? or do you think its a legitimate discount they have with the dealers? im skeptical but honestly if its true it would be nice.
My co-worker owns a Cruze and hates it. Wishes someone would crash into him so he can be rid of it. He loves driving though and his other car is a Mitsubishi 3000GT VR4 so that's probably why he hates it.
I hear the Sonic is decent. Summon Stolen Recaros, he knows GM cars.
>>13855000
>Summon Stolen Recaros, he knows GM cars.
I have arrived?
anyways. Truecar is fantastic, so long as you don't try to negotiate the price any lower than what they give you. True car keeps track of what people pay for cars on the final price and sticking to the truecar price with no haggling makes the process much more streamlined. Truecar gives you the lowest price someone actually paid for the car. it is not a negotiating point to drive the price down further.
Now. That out of the way.
The Sonic and Cruze are decent reliable cars.
However, there are specific models to look for.
For the Cruze, there are 2 models to look at.
The Cruze Eco and the Cruze Diesel.
The Cruze Diesel has been selling like shit and uses Fiat's famed 2.0L turbo diesel with up to 46 MPG. Because they're so slow-selling, you can get a fantastic deal on them. The only downside is the diesel comes with every option under the sun only and they come only with a 6 speed automatic.
The Cruze Eco is a fantastic model with modifications aimed at increasing fuel economy. Now, with the Cruze Eco, remember one thing: You want the 6 speed manual transmission. The Cruize Eco is 200 lbs lighter than a standard Cruze, low rolling resistance Eco tires and a bunch of aerodynamic modifications like grill shutters that open to cool the engine and close to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The Cruze Eco with the manual can achieve 42 MPG highway, but some owners have reported over 50 MPG.
1/2
>>13855125
2/2
The Sonic is a great fun to drive little bastard. The instrument cluster (pictured) can take some getting used to. I adore it, but I can see how some people wouldn't like it. There are sport motorcycle inspired touches all over the car like the exposed lens headlamps. The 1.8L of most Sonic's is a decent Opel engine but it's not the best engine. Optional on the LT model and standard on LTZ and RS models, is a 1.4L Turbo that makes the same horsepower as the 1.8L, but makes more torque (so it's half a second faster to 60 MPH) and gets better gas mileage. The sweet spot in the Sonic range (for bang for your buck, performance, features, fuel economy, and price) is to get a LT model with the 1.4L Turbo and a 6 speed manual. This is the same drivetrain as the Cruze Eco, so it's pretty spritely in the Sonic.
Anything you want to modify on the Cruze and Sonic can be done aftermarket. The biggest aftermarket vendors for these cars are:
ZZPerformance
Trifecta Performance
Bad News Racing
DDMWorks
The 1.4L Turbo responds well to mods, but current aftermarket support limits the maximum output from the engine to around 200 HP. You could get more, provided you could get the head to flow more. The head doesn't flow enough for more.
>>13855140
Is that the same turbo that's in the Cruze that likes to lunch itself every other week?
>>13855125
Now I will point out the Cruze Eco is available with a 6 speed automatic but the drop in gas mileage isn't worth it. The automatic gets 37 MPG highway, which is a big difference in fuel economy.
Now. Related:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2rUzKSeGdY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEvgegyWLWs
>>13855170
There are minimal differences between them (as evidenced by the Cruze's 1.4L Turbo RPO code being LUJ, and the Sonic's being LUV.
Whatever the differences, the Sonic's version seems more reliable, but yes, they are the same basic engine.
the cruze is aweful. if you're just looking for an a to b whitegood of a car get a camry or a lancer. better in literally every way.
>>13855240
>suggesting a Lancer
>ever
>>13855244
I drive heaps of hire cars for work. Camry is what you want if you're doing a lot of country and highway driving but its terrible and jerky around town. Lancer isn't quite as good on the highway but nicer around town. Cruze just isn't as nice, it's smaller inside (I'm 6'6" and I feel like a sardine in the cruze) and just isn't a comfy place to sit in. Camry and lancer I can do 800km+ in a day and still be refeshed enough for a days work but a half hour in the cruze and I feel like shit.
Of course if you actually want something enjoyable avoid all of these like the plague.
>>13855274
>Lancer
>good or reliable
pick one.
Both of those cars are absolute shit
Get a mazda 3
>>13855274
The basic seats in the Cruze murdered my back after 30 minutes and after some time my legs started to hurt. Fuck that torture chair shit.
Id say testdrive everything you can
>>13855125
>>13855140
Interesting - both the Cruze and the Sonic (or Aveo, as its called over here) got fairly panned by the press here in Europe. Sonic was described, at best, as a boring but good value and functional runabout for people who hate cars, and the Cruze was supposedly just a long way behond the competition in most ways.
I'm sure the fact we got considerably worse engines has something to do with that, but I wonder if there are other differences in the models, or if the selection of small cars we get out here is just that much better.
>>13855561
>but I wonder if there are other differences in the models
Europe got less aggressive suspension and brakes. The American market Sonic got 5 lug wheels with bigger brakes as opposed to 4 lug small braked European models and the American model had a Nurburgring tuned suspension that was tuned by Corvette engineers. The American model is legitimately fun to drive.
The American Cruze models also got a watts link twist-beam rear suspension that European market cars only got in the Opel/Vauxhall Astra. The only American Cruze model to not get the Watts link is the Cruze Eco as part of its 200 lbs diet.
So yes, American models are quite different.
>>13855592
>tfw you forget to trip back up after trolling other boards.
don't buy the cheapest possible new car. That's a terrible idea and investment, buy something used for much cheaper that will be much more reliable.
I don't understand why poor people buy new things that make them even more poor.
>>13855631
But the Cruze and Sonic aren't the cheapest new cars. That would be this unreliable turd everyone hates.
