Pros
- Plenty available
- Very affordable (to buy)
- Good ride quality
- Decent levels of performance
Cons
- Horrendous reputation for reliability
- Will require regular maintenance and most likely repair
- Mundane styling and driving dynamics
- So many more worthy alternatives
Verdict
We wouldn't...
We'd be cautious
We would...
No, Nup, Nada, do not buy a Holden or Chevrolet Cruze.
Yes they are cheap but they’re cheap and nasty.
For what the Cruze costs to buy, we’d recommend an older, higher kilometre Toyota, Honda or Mazda over a newer lower kilometre Cruze.
Actually we’d recommend walking, public transport or...
Publish: October 1, 2021
The providence of Holden Cruze, Holden’s last locally built small-segment family car, is both patchy and confusing. Firstly, it’s not to be confused with the pint-sized Suzuki Ignis-based 4×4 of the Noughties, despite having an identical name with identical spelling…
No, what kicked off as global GM vehicle arrived Down Under in 2009 as a Korean (Daewoo) sourced sedan, before being manufactured at Holden’s Adelaide plant, from 2011, in both four- and five-door-hatch guises. It was joined by a wagon version between 2012 and 2016, though this version arrived on the boat from Korea.
The (rebooted) Cruze arrived to supplant the unloved Opel-sourced AH Astra and woeful Viva. When local production ceased, in 2016, ‘our’ Cruze was replaced by a Euro-sourced ‘PJ’ Opel Astra hatch and Korean-made ‘BK’ sedan, both badged Astra, though the five-door would be sold as a Holden and as an Opel in the latter’s disastrously short-lived ‘blip’ in the local market. Not the best of days in the GM family, then…
With its Holden design DNA and quasi-Commodore styling, the initial, imported JG Cruzes offered a contemporary if conservative vibe with lot of space and decent equipment from little dough: the range kicked off at just $21k. Power came from a choice of a 104kW/176Nm 1.8-litre petrol four or essentially high-grade 2.0-litre turbodiesel good for 110kW/320Nm, either engine paired with a choice of five-speed manual or six-speed auto. All Cruzes are front drive.
The Korean JG Cruzes were all sedan, available in base CD or fruiter
The providence of Holden Cruze, Holden’s last locally built small-segment family car, is both patchy and confusing. Firstly, it’s not to be confused with the pint-sized Suzuki Ignis-based 4×4 of the Noughties, despite having an identical name with identical spelling…
No, what kicked off as global GM vehicle arrived Down Under in 2009 as a Korean (Daewoo) sourced sedan, before being manufactured at Holden’s Adelaide plant, from 2011, in both four- and five-door-hatch guises. It was joined by a wagon version between 2012 and 2016, though this version arrived on the boat from Korea.
The (rebooted) Cruze arrived to supplant the unloved Opel-sourced AH Astra and woeful Viva. When local production ceased, in 2016, ‘our’ Cruze was replaced by a Euro-sourced ‘PJ’ Opel Astra hatch and Korean-made ‘BK’ sedan, both badged Astra, though the five-door would be sold as a Holden and as an Opel in the latter’s disastrously short-lived ‘blip’ in the local market. Not the best of days in the GM family, then…
With its Holden design DNA and quasi-Commodore styling, the initial, imported JG Cruzes offered a contemporary if conservative vibe with lot of space and decent equipment from little dough: the range kicked off at just $21k. Power came from a choice of a 104kW/176Nm 1.8-litre petrol four or essentially high-grade 2.0-litre turbodiesel good for 110kW/320Nm, either engine paired with a choice of five-speed manual or six-speed auto. All Cruzes are front drive.
The Korean JG Cruzes were all sedan, available in base CD or fruiter CDX trim levels, though all got cruise control, air con, six-airbag surety and solid enough safety credentials – for its time – to score a five-star ANCAP rating back in 2009.
The Cruze lifted its game when local manufacturing commenced in 2011, the generally improved JH ‘Series II’ range expanding with an Aussie-developed hatch version and a wider choice of improved powertrains and broader selection of variants.
Existing 1.8 petrols and 2.0 diesels were massaged – the oiler now 120kW/360Nm – but the range newcomer was a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol four good for 103kW/200Nm.
In the spirit of something for everyone, new variants surfaced in the fold, including price-busting (from sub-$20k) Equipe and fancy Z Series guises and couple of sport-spun versions in the SRi and SRi-V, both of which brought 132kW/230Nm 1.6-turbo motivation to the Cruze line-up in mid-2013 for MY14.
While reasonably friendly to drive, Cruzes of any variation fall a bit short of being genuinely fun to drive. Further, the earlier engine options are both gruff and somewhat underwhelming in urgency. Time hasn’t been terribly kind to Cruze’s particular cabin design spin, either. If you’re shopping for a solid attempt at upmarket motoring, best look elsewhere.
Though sedans and hatches were priced similarly at any given tier, it’s really the five-door liftback versions, with spacious boots offering easy load-through access, that make for the most practical and family friendly of the two body styles.
Unsurprisingly, the wagon offers superior 686-litre boot space expandable to nearly 1500L with the rear seats stowed, though these imports remained CD or CDX out of sync with the locally made sedan and hatch line-up, and the wagons weren’t offered with the more desirable turbo-petrol 1.4 or 1.6 engines. Still, not a bad option if you’re after pure utility on a budget…and preferably with the torquer and more frugal oiler.
Cruze depreciation is such that younger used examples in higher-grades make for a compelling entry point to contemporary motoring on a relative shoestring. The fresher Aussie-built stuff doesn’t carry a reputation for poor reliability the early imported versions do.
But how do they rate under the used car microscope? Read on to find out.
The providence of Holden Cruze, Holden’s last locally built small-segment family car, is both patchy and confusing. Firstly, it’s not to be confused with the pint-sized Suzuki Ignis-based 4×4 of the Noughties, despite having an identical name with identical spelling…
No, what kicked off as global GM vehicle arrived Down Under in 2009 as a Korean (Daewoo) sourced sedan, before being manufactured at Holden’s Adelaide plant, from 2011, in both four- and five-door-hatch guises. It was joined by a wagon version between 2012 and 2016, though this version arrived on the boat from Korea.
The (rebooted) Cruze arrived to supplant the unloved Opel-sourced AH Astra and woeful Viva. When local production ceased, in 2016, ‘our’ Cruze was replaced by a Euro-sourced ‘PJ’ Opel Astra hatch and Korean-made ‘BK’ sedan, both badged Astra, though the five-door would be sold as a Holden and as an Opel in the latter’s disastrously short-lived ‘blip’ in the local market. Not the best of days in the GM family, then…
With its Holden design DNA and quasi-Commodore styling, the initial, imported JG Cruzes offered a contemporary if conservative vibe with lot of space and decent equipment from little dough: the range kicked off at just $21k. Power came from a choice of a 104kW/176Nm 1.8-litre petrol four or essentially high-grade 2.0-litre turbodiesel good for 110kW/320Nm, either engine paired with a choice of five-speed manual or six-speed auto. All Cruzes are front drive.
The Korean JG Cruzes were all sedan, available in base CD or fruiter CDX trim levels, though all got cruise control, air con, six-airbag surety and solid enough safety credentials – for its time – to score a five-star ANCAP rating back in 2009.
The Cruze lifted its game when local manufacturing commenced in 2011, the generally improved JH ‘Series II’ range expanding with an Aussie-developed hatch version and a wider choice of improved powertrains and broader selection of variants.
Existing 1.8 petrols and 2.0 diesels were massaged – the oiler now 120kW/360Nm – but the range newcomer was a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol four good for 103kW/200Nm.
In the spirit of something for everyone, new variants surfaced in the fold, including price-busting (from sub-$20k) Equipe and fancy Z Series guises and couple of sport-spun versions in the SRi and SRi-V, both of which brought 132kW/230Nm 1.6-turbo motivation to the Cruze line-up in mid-2013 for MY14.
While reasonably friendly to drive, Cruzes of any variation fall a bit short of being genuinely fun to drive. Further, the earlier engine options are both gruff and somewhat underwhelming in urgency. Time hasn’t been terribly kind to Cruze’s particular cabin design spin, either. If you’re shopping for a solid attempt at upmarket motoring, best look elsewhere.
Though sedans and hatches were priced similarly at any given tier, it’s really the five-door liftback versions, with spacious boots offering easy load-through access, that make for the most practical and family friendly of the two body styles.
Unsurprisingly, the wagon offers superior 686-litre boot space expandable to nearly 1500L with the rear seats stowed, though these imports remained CD or CDX out of sync with the locally made sedan and hatch line-up, and the wagons weren’t offered with the more desirable turbo-petrol 1.4 or 1.6 engines. Still, not a bad option if you’re after pure utility on a budget…and preferably with the torquer and more frugal oiler.
Cruze depreciation is such that younger used examples in higher-grades make for a compelling entry point to contemporary motoring on a relative shoestring. The fresher Aussie-built stuff doesn’t carry a reputation for poor reliability the early imported versions do.
But how do they rate under the used car microscope? Read on to find out.
- Let’s start with the exterior, first up there are reports that the door handles become harder and harder to use eventually breaking.
- There are reports that the chrome trim is just flaking off.
- The plastic shields in the wheel arches are known to split.
- There are also reports that the lights can just come on randomly due to a faulty body control module.
- There are reports that on cars with heated seats, the seats either stop heating immediately after they’ve been selected to heat, or they just refuse to heat at all.
- Many owners have had issues with the buttons on the infotainment system being completely unresponsive, thanks to the radio’s control panel dying.
- The air conditioning and heater system can either not cool or heat or at times will cool or heat when not requested.
- Also smelly air-conditioners are a regularly reported problem.
- The air conditioning evaporator behind the dash can leak and it can take many hours to repair or replace.
- If the a/c is stinky or leaks cold water on your feet or it blows room temperature air on you with the ferocity of an asthmatic child, forget the car.
- Also, the reversing camera screen can just glitch out and show a plain white screen.
- Mechanically, everything goes wrong.
- Coolant leaks, from every single component in the cooling system.
- Intake manifold failures & vacuum leaks from everything connected to it.
- PCV & valve cover problems.
- Turbo problems & oil cooler leaks.
- Actually, everything that’s attached to the engine, and everything inside the engine is problematic.
- The electronics that control the engine are also very unreliable.
- The automatic transmissions fail often and should your clutch fail in your manual transmission its eye-wateringly expensive to replace.
- Servicing costs are reasonable but most people don’t bother because they hate them.
- Let’s start with the exterior, first up there are reports that the door handles become harder and harder to use eventually breaking.
- There are reports that the chrome trim is just flaking off.
- The plastic shields in the wheel arches are known to split.
- There are also reports that the lights can just come on randomly due to a faulty body control module.
- There are reports that on cars with heated seats, the seats either stop heating immediately after they’ve been selected to heat, or they just refuse to heat at all.
- Many owners have had issues with the buttons on the infotainment system being completely unresponsive, thanks to the radio’s control panel dying.
- The air conditioning and heater system can either not cool or heat or at times will cool or heat when not requested.
- Also smelly air-conditioners are a regularly reported problem.
- The air conditioning evaporator behind the dash can leak and it can take many hours to repair or replace.
- If the a/c is stinky or leaks cold water on your feet or it blows room temperature air on you with the ferocity of an asthmatic child, forget the car.
- Also, the reversing camera screen can just glitch out and show a plain white screen.
- Mechanically, everything goes wrong.
- Coolant leaks, from every single component in the cooling system.
- Intake manifold failures & vacuum leaks from everything connected to it.
- PCV & valve cover problems.
- Turbo problems & oil cooler leaks.
- Actually, everything that’s attached to the engine, and everything inside the engine is problematic.
- The electronics that control the engine are also very unreliable.
- The automatic transmissions fail often and should your clutch fail in your manual transmission its eye-wateringly expensive to replace.
- Servicing costs are reasonable but most people don’t bother because they hate them.
- Let’s start with the exterior, first up there are reports that the door handles become harder and harder to use eventually breaking.
- There are reports that the chrome trim is just flaking off.
- The plastic shields in the wheel arches are known to split.
- There are also reports that the lights can just come on randomly due to a faulty body control module.
- There are reports that on cars with heated seats, the seats either stop heating immediately after they’ve been selected to heat, or they just refuse to heat at all.
- Many owners have had issues with the buttons on the infotainment system being completely unresponsive, thanks to the radio’s control panel dying.
- The air conditioning and heater system can either not cool or heat or at times will cool or heat when not requested.
- Also smelly air-conditioners are a regularly reported problem.
- The air conditioning evaporator behind the dash can leak and it can take many hours to repair or replace.
- If the a/c is stinky or leaks cold water on your feet or it blows room temperature air on you with the ferocity of an asthmatic child, forget the car.
- Also, the reversing camera screen can just glitch out and show a plain white screen.
- Mechanically, everything goes wrong.
- Coolant leaks, from every single component in the cooling system.
- Intake manifold failures & vacuum leaks from everything connected to it.
- PCV & valve cover problems.
- Turbo problems & oil cooler leaks.
- Actually, everything that’s attached to the engine, and everything inside the engine is problematic.
- The electronics that control the engine are also very unreliable.
- The automatic transmissions fail often and should your clutch fail in your manual transmission its eye-wateringly expensive to replace.
- Servicing costs are reasonable but most people don’t bother because they hate them.
Body style:
4-door sedan
5-door hatchback
5-door wagon (marketed as Sportwagon)
Engine & outputs:
1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol (CD, Equipe, SRi, SRi V)
1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol (SRi, SRi V, SRi Z-Series)
1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)\
Power:
103kW – 1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
132kW – 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
104kW – 1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol
110kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel
Torque:
200Nm – 1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
230Nm – 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
176Nm – 1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol
130Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel
Transmissions:
5-speed manual, front-wheel drive (CD, CDX, Z-Series)
6-speed manual, front-wheel drive (CD, SRi, SRi V) – 1.4 litre
6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)
Fuel use:
6.7 – 7.9L/100km (depending on engine and variant)
Length:
4597 – 4629mm (4-door sedan)
4518 – 4543mm (5-door hatchback)
4645mm (5-door wagon)
Width:
1788 – 1797mm
Height:
1477 – 1521mm
Kerb Weight:
1344 – 1578kg (depending on variant and spec)
Body style:
4-door sedan
5-door hatchback
5-door wagon (marketed as Sportwagon)
Engine & outputs:
1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol (CD, Equipe, SRi, SRi V)
1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol (SRi, SRi V, SRi Z-Series)
1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)\
Power:
103kW – 1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
132kW – 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
104kW – 1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol
110kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel
Torque:
200Nm – 1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
230Nm – 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
176Nm – 1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol
130Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel
Transmissions:
5-speed manual, front-wheel drive (CD, CDX, Z-Series)
6-speed manual, front-wheel drive (CD, SRi, SRi V) – 1.4 litre
6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)
Fuel use:
6.7 – 7.9L/100km (depending on engine and variant)
Length:
4597 – 4629mm (4-door sedan)
4518 – 4543mm (5-door hatchback)
4645mm (5-door wagon)
Width:
1788 – 1797mm
Height:
1477 – 1521mm
Kerb Weight:
1344 – 1578kg (depending on variant and spec)
Body style:
4-door sedan
5-door hatchback
5-door wagon (marketed as Sportwagon)
Engine & outputs:
1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol (CD, Equipe, SRi, SRi V)
1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol (SRi, SRi V, SRi Z-Series)
1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)
2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)\
Power:
103kW – 1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
132kW – 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
104kW – 1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol
110kW – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel
Torque:
200Nm – 1.4 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
230Nm – 1.6 litre 4-cylinder turbo petrol
176Nm – 1.8 litre 4-cylinder petrol
130Nm – 2.0 litre 4-cylinder turbo diesel
Transmissions:
5-speed manual, front-wheel drive (CD, CDX, Z-Series)
6-speed manual, front-wheel drive (CD, SRi, SRi V) – 1.4 litre
6-speed automatic, front-wheel drive (CD, Equipe, CDX, Z-Series)
Fuel use:
6.7 – 7.9L/100km (depending on engine and variant)
Length:
4597 – 4629mm (4-door sedan)
4518 – 4543mm (5-door hatchback)
4645mm (5-door wagon)
Width:
1788 – 1797mm
Height:
1477 – 1521mm
Kerb Weight:
1344 – 1578kg (depending on variant and spec)
Warranty:
3 years / 100,000km
Servicing:
Every 12 months or 15,000km
Every 9 months or 15,000km (from MY12)
Model range, pricing & features
No, Nup, Nada, do not buy a Holden or Chevrolet Cruze.
Yes they are cheap but they’re cheap and nasty.
For what the Cruze costs to buy, we’d recommend an older, higher kilometre Toyota, Honda or Mazda over a newer lower kilometre Cruze.
Actually we’d recommend walking, public transport or learning how to rollerblade instead of buying a Cruze, these are genuinely bad cars.
Yes there may be a few okay examples out there but do you really want to risk it? We certainly wouldn’t.
No, Nup, Nada, do not buy a Holden or Chevrolet Cruze.
Yes they are cheap but they’re cheap and nasty.
For what the Cruze costs to buy, we’d recommend an older, higher kilometre Toyota, Honda or Mazda over a newer lower kilometre Cruze.
Actually we’d recommend walking, public transport or learning how to rollerblade instead of buying a Cruze, these are genuinely bad cars.
Yes there may be a few okay examples out there but do you really want to risk it? We certainly wouldn’t.
No, Nup, Nada, do not buy a Holden or Chevrolet Cruze.
Yes they are cheap but they’re cheap and nasty.
For what the Cruze costs to buy, we’d recommend an older, higher kilometre Toyota, Honda or Mazda over a newer lower kilometre Cruze.
Actually we’d recommend walking, public transport or learning how to rollerblade instead of buying a Cruze, these are genuinely bad cars.
Yes there may be a few okay examples out there but do you really want to risk it? We certainly wouldn’t.
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Disclaimer
Please note that pricing information is subject to fluctuations in the automotive market.
Information correct as of December 10, 2021.
The advice provided on this website is general advice only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this advice, you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs.
Read our full terms and conditions here.
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