About Holden Cruze
NJ purchased this Holden Cruze in 2015 for $24,000 (including all on-road costs). NJ would buy this car again because: “I would absolutely buy again because I can’t find another car on the market that is as good. There is nothing else in the all-rounder market with a manual of this size, including There’s a punchy turbo engine, great sound system, and a solid road feel.
How reliable has your car been? Let us know about any issues.
Despite being a cruise, I have yet to experience my problem once.
I’m about to do 120,000 km of mixed city and country driving and so far the cruise hasn’t given me a hint of trouble. I would feel very comfortable driving around Australia in this car, I honestly believe it won’t let me down!
What about the ownership experience with your car?
The car I had before my cruise was a Japanese hatchback that is well known for its reliability. With this car, it has given me nothing but problems since day one.
It was brand new, and within six months of owning it I replaced multiple CVT transmissions, exhausts, and many other things that shouldn’t go wrong with a brand new car. The problems I had with this car made me hate it.
I had a cruise before, and all I wanted to do was get rid of it for another cruise. I eventually traded in the Japanese hatchback for the Cruze, and it’s been night and day in terms of reliability, customer service, and overall ownership.
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
In 2014, I can’t think of any other car in the class that matches the Cruze for features.
In the US, however, the Chevrolet Cruze was available with blind spot warning, rear traffic alert, and remote start.
The Chevrolet also has the option of a sunroof, which would have been nice. Having said that, for the price these cars were selling for when new, one can’t complain about not having enough kit.
I’ve never been in my car and wish it had more features.
What do you think about your car’s performance and economy?
Being an SRi Z series, my car has a 1.6 turbo engine that produces 132kW of power. Mine is a six speed manual and I think that is the perfect amount of power for this car. I’ve had a few people in cars like XR6 Falcons, SV6 Commodores and even a Magna VR-X try to run me away from the lights.
I never lost once. The gearing of the Cruze is great, it’s very quick and the guy in the SUV cuts through traffic quickly. Fuel economy is quite good. It’s not class leading, but I’ve managed to go from Brunswick VIC to Newtown NSW on a BP 98 tank.
I don’t find it thirsty at all, especially for the car’s size and power.
What about the technology in your car?
Again for Cruise’s age, one can’t really complain. Mine has built in navigation, proximity key, 7.0 inch Holden MYLINK screen.
There are third-party installers that have a system upgrade for MYLINK that gives it Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
This is something I will look into as the car gets older, and map updates become harder to get. Overall, I once again feel like the Cruise has aged well in terms of technology.
How about your ride comfort and handling of your car?
I’m a big fan of how my Cruze drives. I found it really stiff when I first got it, but I soon got used to the Australian-tuned sport suspension that comes on SRi models.
I find the car happily grips the road easily, and I always feel very secure in my cruise, no matter what road surface I’m driving on. You could tell this car was an Australian made car, built for our road conditions.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
I really love my cruise. I can’t see myself wanting a new car anytime in the future. I find myself driving my cruise into the ground, and replacing it because I have to, not because I want to.