This won't affect us here in the U.S., but, FYI, production of the Chevy Cruze is being terminated worldwide. It was quite popular and successful here in the U.S. for a number of years, but eventually went the way of many other sedans in the American market as crossover-sales kept gaining each year. The first-generation Buick Verano (I owned one) was mostly a rebadged Opel Astra design with a GM powertrain, but later versions of the Verano were much more closely based on the Cruze, after GM sold off Opel.

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2024/11...end-of-an-era/

 

Doesn’t help that it was one of the biggest piles of crap ever made.

 

My buddy has one that overheats all the time. I cannot tell you how many times it has been 'repaired.'

 

In general, it is significantly more reliable than its (now discontinued) Ford Focus competition....Focus dual-clutch automatics were garbage.

 

And therein lies GM's problem for decades - holding themselves to mediocre standards, rather than striving to be the best in any category. I've never been in a GM vehicle that was better than "OK".

 

Perhaps you just need to look a little closer. GM does do quite well in some areas. Buick has been at or near the top of the mass-market-vehicle reliability and customer-satisfaction ratings for a number of years now....and excels in giving you a comfortable-driving vehicle for a reasonable price. Corvettes routinely equal or exceed the performance-capabilities of a number much more expensive and exotic sports cars....although some dealerships are admittedly profiteering on them. And, from my experience, GM has some of the best heat/AC/climate-control systems in the industry......ditto for the quality of the vehicle-camera-screens.

However, I might (?) at least partly agree with you on Cadillac. Except for the new Escalade, Cadillacs, IMHO, do not match the luxury and interiors of their Lincoln competition....although Lincoln has had some recent problems with quality control.

 

But quite frankly their vehicles are still "just okay". I've never sat in a Buick that I found impressive in any way. Really the only GM vehicles that I have found impressive at all are the Corvette, the big SUVs and the Escalade. The rest are very blah.

The new Traverse and the new Acadia and the Enclave look impressive in pictures, will need to see them in person.

 

I have a Cruze here right now actually, holding zero coolant loop pressure and likely blew the headgasket at 107k miles

 

It actually hit 100k?

Deserves a trophy! 🏆 Haha
Going the distance ..



 

Well, no, of course they don't compete with a Mercedes S-Class...they don't cost $100+K. But, considering what they cost, IMO, they (arguably) give you more comfort and quietness than any other brand on the market.


The Enclave Avenir is especially nice inside, although one thing I don't like about Buick is that they tend to use larger wheels and 45-series tires on their Avenir versions, stiffening up the ride. Lower-trim versions tend to get better-riding 55s. Doesn't make sense to me, either......the top-line Avenir versions should have the most luxurious ride, and leave the sport-oriented wheels/tires to the mid-line ST versions.

Yes, on the track, Corvettes can compete with other sports/exotic cars that cost twice as much (that goes without saying), but you have to live with almost zero utility, a cramped interior, sit an inch off the ground, twist yourself into a pretzel trying to get in and out, have (with the new mid-engine C8) the engine roar/vibration just a couple of inches behind your head, and pay exorbitant insurance rates. Not my cup of tea...particularly with my not-so-young body.

 

We’ve been through this before lol. I don’t compare cars to my S Class unless they are comparable to the S Class. Compared to other cars of similar price and segment I don’t find Buicks or other GM vehicles very impressive

 

I’m not surprised that the Chevrolet Cruz is gone General motors lost the small car market from Toyota and Honda over 25 years ago. You’re much better off purchasing a Toyota or a Honda than you are a General Motors Chevrolet small car, and you could also buy a Hyundai ELANTRA, which is much cheaper and just hope it doesn’t get recalled all too often

 

I know right? They don't do well at all with the turbo engine....

 

GM actually SOLD several small cars, here in the U.S., that were Toyota-designed.



Chevrolet Nova (Toyota Corolla)




Chevrolet/Geo Prizm (Toyota Corolla)




Pontiac Vibe (Toyota Matrix)


GM, at one time, through the Chevy/Geo divisions, also sold small vehicles from Isuzu (Geo Storm, LUV small pickup truck), and Suzuki (Metro, Tracker)

 

I had an Enclave for a month. It was nice. Adequate I suppose is the word that I would use. But if I had wanted more that adequate, I suppose that I would pay for the Cadillac. ...Hertz did not have any on their lot of course.