Faults:

Despite having acquired it with low mileage, the car did nothing but give me enormous problems in less than 8 years.

It often jerks constantly. According to the manual, it's a spark plug problem. Well, I've lost count of how many times I've changed the plugs in such a short period of time, yet the car still jerked shortly after changing them. It's an impossible problem to fix, at least for me. It gave me a lot of headaches trying to get it running properly.

It was always kept in a garage, yet it still leaked oil, and especially water, quite frequently. Another problem I've had to deal with constantly since I've had the car, but no one has been able to fix it. Supposedly, a yellow light would come on indicating this. After taking it to the mechanic, the light would go off, then come back on again shortly after, and the oil and water would continue to leak!.

The car's materials are quite outdated. I've had to take it to the body shop several times because after rain; the spare tire in the trunk seemed flooded.

Rainy and humid days become a nightmare because when the front window fogs up, the defroster takes almost half an hour to clear it.

Another thing I can't understand is how a car like this requires premium gasoline. It's always a Chevrolet, not an Audi or a BMW.

Also, because it has a 1.8-liter engine, fuel consumption, especially in urban areas and on highways above 110 km/h, is ridiculously high. The 6.6 l/100 km claimed by the manufacturer is an absolute lie.

General Comments:

The car on the outside is nice, good looking. It drives pretty well all around and has very good steering. Taking a long trip is quite easy.

The gearbox, while it didn't cause any problems, is somewhat heavy and can sometimes make a noise between shifts.

The engine is a Korean-made 1.8, powerful enough for overtaking. However, as I said before, I think it consumes too much fuel. If it were a 2.0, I'd understand, but for a 1.8, the fuel consumption isn't adequate. In the city, you have to use it as rationally as possible.

Despite its virtues, its flaws far outweigh its merits. Too many problems for such a short time. I'm not going to say I won't buy any more Chevrolets because I had a Lacetti several years ago and it was very reliable, but I'll never buy a Cruze again.

Faults:

- Sunroof position sensor replaced at 5000km under warranty.

- Water crossover outlet leaked and replaced at 150,000km. Easy 30 minute DIY. $25 part and flushed and replaced coolant at this point.

- Valve cover gasket leaked on exhaust manifold. 20 minute DIY and $80 replacement part from dealer.

General Comments:

This was a great quality vehicle for my wife and I. We kept up on the standard regular maintenance and it served us well. Overall build quality was solid and incredible for a small car. A 10 fold step up from the wife’s previous 2006 Pontiac Pursuit. Whisper quiet cabin with the right tire selection. Excellent control on snowy and icy Canadian roads, and very comfortable for a car purchased brand new for under $25k. Lots of power to handle its own on the roads, great on fuel, and very little wear on braking, suspension, and chassis components at the 165k km mark.

The only downside is the plastic cooling system components, but that’s been something we’ve been seeing on vehicles for a long time now.

This car still had 30% brake pad life left on original factory pads at 165,000kms. All suspension components were original and still tight, and the first alignment was performed at 165k and was a minor toe adjustment (Canadian winter roads). I never even had to change a single light bulb with this thing. These are exceptionally easy cars to work on yourself if you understand the basics.

Just a great overall vehicle which can be picked up relatively cheap now. Excellent winter vehicle which could give our Outlander and Avalanche a run for their money if the winter tires were installed. Started right up no matter the temperature.

Just be wary of one where regular maintenance and care was neglected. Regular oil changes are an absolute must with these cars, especially the turbo models. Synthetic oil and every 5-7000km.

The car gets a bit cramped with 2 kids if you are over 5’10” and have car 2 seats.

We upgraded to an Outlander to accommodate our growing family. Sad to see it go, but no use keeping it.