Used 2019 Chevrolet Cruze

The 2019 Chevrolet Cruze is a comfortable, competent choice among compact cars. It competes with best-sellers like the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla, and can match most rivals in features. In addition to being offered as a sedan or practical hatchback, the Cruze boasts an attribute that puts it alone in its class: the availability of a diesel engine good for up to 48 mpg. The 2019 Cruze doesn’t have the fun-to-drive nature of a Mazda3 or even a Honda Civic, but on the flip side offers a plush, refined ride more akin to a midsize car. Like its rivals, the Cruze appeals with a sub-$20,000 starting price, but unlike others, active safety systems like forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking are reserved for the top trim and still cost extra.

The Cruze feels like a downsized version of the midsize Chevy Malibu, which itself feels like a smaller Impala. That is to say, the Cruze is more akin to a comfortable and refined cruiser, and certainly not like economy cars of the past. It’s quiet and confident. This is true on both the highway and in city and urban settings, where its small size makes it easy to maneuver and park. If most of your miles will take place on highways, be aware that despite offering forward-collision mitigation, lane-keeping assist and other advanced safety features, the Cruze isn’t available with adaptive cruise control, as in other compact cars like the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Jetta. The standard 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine provides average acceleration, enabling the Cruze to do 0-60 mph in an estimated 7.7 seconds. For the diesel fans still out there, the Cruze diesel offers the two traits for which these engines are known: torque-rich power and laudable fuel economy of up to 48 mpg.

As with its exterior, the interior of the 2019 Chevy Cruze is contemporary and attractive without feeling overly adorned. Both the comfort of the seats and the placement and size of switches to control audio, climate and other commonly used functions are above average. Rear-seat room is tight compared to the Honda Civic, but the Cruze does seat five, at least in a pinch. We commend the expanded cargo space — 18.5 cubic feet behind the rear seats, and 47.2 cubic feet with them folded — in the Cruze hatchback.

The Cruze was hardly looking old, but slight updates for 2019 help keep it fresh. Most notable is the new front fascia, which features a larger, more pronounced grille. In back, the Cruze is snazzier with a new, dual-element taillight design, with LED versions available on the Premier trim. If you’re going for a more aggressive feel in your compact car, Chevy offers the Cruze RS package, which features blacked-out window moldings and emblems. The biggest difference in Cruze models is the choice of two body styles. There’s the traditional 4-door sedan or the 5-door hatchback. At 175.3 inches, the hatchback is eight inches shorter than the sedan, but features laudable cargo room inside.

INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM
Today’s drivers are more connected than ever, and the Cruze’s updated infotainment system helps them stay safe on the go. The system features an easy-to-see 7-inch touch screen that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity standard, plus 4G LTE that turns the car into a Wi-Fi hotspot.

TEEN DRIVER TECHNOLOGY
This clever system monitors your teen’s driving habits and sends you updates and alerts. It allows you to set a speed alert, as well as a max volume limit on the Cruze’s audio system. It also disables the sound system until the front-seat occupants have buckled their seatbelts.

At its most basic, the 2019 Chevrolet Cruze L sedan is still a pretty basic car by today’s standards. Highlights include things you’d expect, like air conditioning and Bluetooth connectivity, and some you may not, like a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. You’ll also get keyless entry, 6-way manual-adjust driver’s seat, a folding rear seat, 10 airbags, and GM’s OnStar connected services with built-in 4G LTE and Wi-Fi hotspot. Unlike a Honda Civic, cruise control isn’t offered in the base model and still costs extra in the Cruze LS sedan. Chevy Cruze hatchback models now begin in the LS trim, which has a deluxe steering wheel and room for more options.

If your budget can afford it, the Cruze LT trim is a more recommendable model. It includes single-zone automatic climate control, a 6-speaker audio system (vs. the standard four) with satellite radio, rear USB charge port, cruise control, and 60/40-split folding rear seats with armrest. Top-line Cruze Premier models come with keyless start, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated front seats and heated steering wheel, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and 17-inch aluminum wheels. Among the most recommendable options is the Convenience Package on LT trims. It bundles keyless entry and start, power driver’s seat, heated front seats and the formerly stand-alone Driver Confidence Package. That latter package includes blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors. LT and Premier models can get the RS package that adds sportier elements and unique aesthetics. If you want additional active safety features like forward-collision alert with automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist, you’ll have to step up to the Premier model, then add the Driver Confidence II package.

The standard engine in the 2019 Chevrolet Cruze is a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine. It makes 153 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. That’s mid-pack power output for this class, but it delivers high fuel economy, attaining up to 40 mpg on the highway. The big differentiator between the Cruze and its rivals is the Chevy’s optional diesel engine. Also, a turbocharged 4-cylinder, this 1.6-liter powerplant packs less horsepower 137 — but a lot more torque — 240 lb-ft. That combination equals lots of low-end grunt and eye-popping fuel economy of up to 48-mpg highway for the sedan model or 45 mpg for the Cruze hatchback. As noted, a manual transmission is no longer available on the Cruze, either with the gasoline engine or the diesel. As such the standard Cruze comes with a 6-speed automatic, while the diesel Cruze uses a 9-speed automatic. All models are front-wheel drive. The diesel Chevy Cruze uses diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), an additive required roughly every 5,000 miles that cuts emissions. There’s an inlet next to the fuel cap, and the 2-gallon system can be refilled in a similar way as standard refueling. To save fuel, all Cruze models use an engine-idle start/stop system that cuts engine power at stoplights. For 2019, though, Chevy has given drivers the ability to defeat the system.

1.4-liter turbocharged inline-4
153 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
177 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 28/38 mpg (sedan), 28/38 mpg (Premier sedan), 28/38 mpg (hatchback), 28/37 mpg (Premier hatchback)

1.6-liter turbocharged diesel inline-4
137 horsepower @ 3,750 rpm
240 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 31/48 mpg (sedan), 30/45 mpg (hatchback)

Our Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings.

We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology.

Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing.

Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.)

We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.