Thanks, but I've already explained the difference to her.

Just for the record, BTW, The Cascada, not surprisingly, uses the same manual hood-strut to brace the hood that the Verano does, though its base price is significantly more, starting over 33K.....about 10K more than a base Verano. You're paying, of course, for all that electro/mechanical top--drop mechanism.

Yes, it does represent cost-cutting to an extent, but it also adds at least some bracing and rigidity to the rear suspension and (if applicable) sub-frame.

 

In that sense, I also agree. I'm not denying that. Cost-cutting is in fact an issue with a rear-beam. But my point is that it does provide some advantages as well. Chief among them is that you won't see a heavily-loaded vehicle with the rear wheels cambered out like on a number of cars with IRS.


I've driven them both.....and reviewed them both. The Mazda 3, especially in its upper-line Grand Touring version, is in fact more sport/driver-centered than the Corolla, but that is only partially due to the IRS.....there are several other factors as well.

 

The 2.0 is not used in the Cruze. In both the 2016 Cruze and Cruze Limited (and the 2017 Cruze hatchback, which is new to the U.S. market), a N/A 1.8L and 1.4L turbo are offered. Here, see for yourself on Chevy's website:

http://www.chevrolet.com/cruze-compact-car.html

http://www.chevrolet.com/cruze-limited.html

(Chevy is doing the same thing with the American-market Cruze that they did with the 2016 Malibu, temporarily selling two different versions for 2016, an all-new one and a carryover from 2015).


The Verano Turbo uses a 2.0 turbo that is not, and never was offered in a Cruze.....though a interesting question, which Chevy marketers have yet to answer, is why Chevy never offered a Cruze SS with that as an option. It would have been the perfect power plant for it. Some Euro-versions used a 2.0 diesel, but not a gas version.

 

Seriously, we need to call a spade a spade. If a solid rear axle had advantages of any significance over an IRS then higher end cars would have them...and they don't. Thats the bottom line.

Heavy duty trucks have solid rear axles for load carrying...a Cascada or Verano or Corolla don't have solid rear axles so the rear wheels won't camber when they're loaded...they have them because its a cost cutting measure.

If you put an IRS on the Verano or this Cascada it would improve the ride and drive in every way. As it did the Prius, and as it has done all vehicles where the designers have made that change.

 

One of my favorite cars of the 80's/90's was the Maxima. I remember the outrage from car mags and enthusiasts when Nissan went to a beam axle on the 4th and 5th generation cars. They eventually went back to IRS on the 6th generation but by then the styling was all screwed up.

It was apparently attributed to the Japanese economy going downhill after a financial bubble.

 

Gotta side with Steve and the rest here. I've had warm hatches with a beam rear axle (Alfa Mito) and independent rears (Alfa 147) and I've taken both cars on track days. The Mito had sharper turn-in thanks to its shorter wheelbase but the 147 was a lot more stable through high speed turns, with less tendency to hop or shift over camber changes.

A beam axle provides decent performance at the expense of ride comfort and hey, it's cheap. It's a bit galling to see Buick use it on an expensive car like the Cascada when Toyota and Honda use IRS for most of their cheap models.

 

And the benefits are not just track or sporty handling, but like you said ride quality. A car with a solid rear axle is so much busier on the road, especially when turning. If you value ride quality you want IRS. You just always want IRS, unless you're buying a pickup or big SUV to town a heavy trailer or boat, then MAYBE you want a live axle. But...theres a tradeoff...drive an Escalade, or an LX570 and then drive a Range Rover. Drive a 4 Runner then drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee. The feel of the vehicle and how it rides is very different.

 

If you're going to the drag strip, its solid rear axle all the way IMO. Drag racing is a violent sport on the mechanicals of your car, a solid rear can take a lot more abuse and put down the power much more smoothly(no wheel hop like you can get from some IRS setups).

 

I agree on the drag-strip durability...one reason why non-Cobra Mustangs used a live rear axle for some 50 years, until finally switching to IRS a few years ago. But the FWD compacts that we're basically discussing in this thread (Cascada, Verano, Astra, Cruze, etc.....) are not likely to be purchased by their owners and taken to drag strips. And, being FWD instead of RWD, their solid-beam axle in the rear is quite different from the truck-like ones used on older pony cars....it does not house any driveshafts or differentials.

 

Although still firmer than I'd like, the Cascada's beam rear axle, 20" wheels, and low-profile 40-series tires were definitely less harsh or noisy over bumps than I expected. I don't think buyers are giving up much on this car by not having an IRS, even though it's obviously not designed to be a pure sports car. Given the choice, though, I'd still prefer smaller wheels and high-profile rubber.

I understand your opinion, respect it, and am not trying to be argumentative. I have to go by the seat of my pants, though.

 

I completely disagree. The car would be a lot more enjoyable to ride in and drive with an IRS. All cars are, that's why manufacturers upgrade models with live axles to IRS setups. It's not about handling or "being a sports car", it makes everyday driving more comfortable.

Don't just except mediocrity. It's only when customers demand a product be better that changes are made. Buick can do much better with this suspension for the money.

 

Funny enough, look what got traded in today at the Lexus/Toyota dealer while I was getting a tire repaired.

 

Hahaa, it looks sad with the headlights up, like "Why did you abandon me???"

 

173,000 km......that's roughly 107,000 miles. Can't expect 80s or 90's vintage GM products to run much longer than that. I'm surprised it made it that far....many of them didn't.

 

Well the odo display hasn't burned out yet, that's a good sign lol