2011 Chevy Cruze ECO Reviews
The official fuel economy estimates for the manual-equipped 2011 Chevy Cruze ECO are 28 city / 42 highway miles per gallon. The six-speed automatic-equipped Cruze ECO is rated at a significantly lower 26 city / 37 highway.
Highway driving range is good when equipped with the manual transmission. The 2011 Cruze ECO is fitted with a 12.6 gallon fuel tank and is designed to run regular unleaded fuel. Four-wheel disc brakes are not available in the Cruze ECO, although they are optional in the Cruze 2LT and standard in the Cruze LTZ.
The Cruze ECO’s dash is designed with gas savings in mind. The Cruze ECO’s rear seat provides 37.9 inches of head room and 35.4 inches of leg room.
The 2011 Cruze Eco employs a little rev-happy 1.4-liter inline-4, the same engine used in the Volt as an electrical generator. In the Cruze Eco though, it gets the addition of a turbo and is mated to a standard 6-speed manual transmission, which has easy short throws. Performance is decent; the Cruze Eco hits 60 mph in 8.1 seconds. The suspension of the 2011 Chevy Cruze Eco is standard hardware, its front struts and rear twist beam axle exhibiting a tight and well balanced feel. Although the Cruze Eco isn’t paying homage to a race car, it does employ a similar philosophy. At under $20,000, the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco is a wise choice for the enthusiast who appreciates being green.
Enter the Chevrolet Cruze, which we’ve already subjected to a thorough extended evaluation. Rated at 42 mpg on the highway (and 28 mpg in the city) with a six-speed stick, the Cruze Eco is the EPA’s gasoline engine darling. An automatic Cruze Eco is also available, but it dents those figures to the tune of 26/37 mpg. For comparison, an automatic non-Eco Cruze is rated at 24/36. Intriguingly, the combination of a lowered suspension and a six-speed stick mated to the Cruze’s 138-horsepower 1.4-liter turbocharged four cylinder makes the Cruze Eco sort of a default enthusiast’s choice. For those not interested in the joys of rowing the transmission yourself, the Cruze Eco also offers the same six-speed automatic used in non-Eco models. Selecting that transmission drops highway economy to an unimpressive 37 mpg.
Gear ratios are identical to non-Eco models, so the automatic Eco drives just like its siblings. With the automatic, torque peaks at a noticeably lower 1,850 rpm, which makes drivability slightly better. Regardless of transmission, Cruzes, uh, cruise extraordinarily well on the highway. When the curves hit, the Cruze feels balanced with nicely weighted, direct electric power steering. A torsion beam rear axle with an integrated Z-Link helps keep the automatic transmission Cruze cornering adeptly. Our automatic Cruze Eco saw 36.3 mpg at an average of 74 mph (cruise control was set to 75 mph). With a lower speed limit and limited cruise control use, the Cruze nudged its way up to an impressive 38.4 mpg.
A similar drive in the manual transmission Cruze Eco pushed those numbers up to 40.4 mpg and 44.5 mpg.
Of course, the aero goodies come at a price – a Cruze Eco runs about $900 more than a similarly optioned Cruze 1LT, which is exclusively available with the automatic. By contrast, the Chevrolet Cruze Eco strikes a pleasant balance as an impressively grown-up sedan that, at least with the manual transmission, won’t use much gas.
