Used car: 10 facts about the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze

Medium sedan is spacious and well equipped for those who want a comfortable day-to-day used and cheaper than Japanese rivals

Life has never been easy in the midsize sedan segment for those who are not Japanese brands. But the Chevrolet Cruze managed to remain as a third way in the category in relation to the darlings Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

The car had two generations and was produced for 13 years, always offered with a more attractive cost-benefit ratio compared to Japanese rivals. In this way, it remained for a long time as the third best seller in the segment.

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Let’s talk about the first wave of the Chevrolet Cruze. Today a spacious used sedan option, with competent performance and a good level of equipment – in addition to generally being more affordable than Asian competitors of the same year.

Chevrolet Cruze generations

The Chevrolet Cruze was launched globally in 2009 and became the brand’s best-selling car worldwide. In Brazil, the General Motors medium sedan was presented in September 2011, to replace the Astra Sedan.

Produced in Rosario, Argentina, the car arrived in two versions, with the same 1.8-liter naturally aspirated engine. And manual or automatic transmission options, both with six speeds.

The manual option did not last long, and was extinguished in 2015. Before that, in November 2014, the Chevrolet Cruze underwent a restyling.

The second generation, called Project Phoenix, was launched in June 2016 with a 1.4 turbo engine. It followed the logic of few versions, had a special series, underwent an update in 2019 and stopped being produced after more than 200 thousand registrations in Brazil – in the sum of the two generations.

Cruze hatch

In addition to the sedan, the Cruze range gave rise to a medium hatch, even when this segment was already showing signs of dehydration. Nicknamed Sport6 in the first generation, the car followed the same mechanical set and options as the three-volume.

That is, don’t be fooled by the number that appears after the name of the car. It is a reference to the six-speed gearbox, and not to a six-cylinder.

Cruze 1.8 performance

Let’s focus on the first generation of the Chevrolet Cruze. The 1.8-liter aspirated engine of the Ecotec family yields 144 hp with ethanol and 140 hp with gasoline, which are well used by the six-speed automatic transmission in the initial accelerations.

The 0 to 100 km/h exceeds 11 seconds. Which does not mean that the Cruze is slow or lame. On the contrary, the touch proves to be more agile and even “sporty” compared to its competitors from Japanese brands – even more so in relation to the Corolla of the time.

In the retakes, the same automatic gearbox that is exemplary in the starts, kind of disappoints. It takes a while to respond and often downshifts two gears to make the sedan pack. Torque of 18,9/17,8 kgfm is available at 3,800 rpm.

In the mountains, a positive point. In the Cruze, the GF6 box had among its differentials a tilt sensor. The device identifies that the sedan is on a descent. If the driver does not have his foot on the accelerator, he makes an engine brake.

Consumption of the Cruze 1.8 is bad

The consumption of the Chevrolet Cruze 1.8 (2011 to 2015) is poor. See the averages of the 2013 line of the General Motors sedan.

• Ethanol city consumption: 6.6 km/l
• Fuel consumption: 8.6 km/l
• Ethanol road consumption: 9.1 km/l
• Fuel consumption: 11.8 km/l

Firmer dynamics

This sportier aspect within a segment that prioritizes tradition also stands out in the drivability of the Chevrolet Cruze. The driver always has the car at hand and the precise steering reinforces this.

The suspension – with a torsion axle at the rear – is also firmer. In curves, what is perceived is a balanced sedan, which attacks well and twists the body little in these situations.

Space and comfort

With 4.60 meters long, 1.79 m wide, 1.47 m high and 2.68 m wheelbase, the Chevrolet Cruze welcomes its occupants. At the front, the driver enjoys a good driving position and the steering wheel offers height and depth adjustments.

The driver also notes good leg span, although the door trim limits the knee little. In the rear seat there is enough space for two adults and a child, but the low roof makes it difficult for people over 1.75 m to enter.

The finish brings a lot of clear plastic, but of good quality and with correct closures most of the time. The LTZ version of the first-generation Chevrolet Cruze still has parts that imitate a metallic finish and some soft coatings.

The firmest suspension we talked about is that it doesn’t treat the occupants well. Even more so with the lower profile tires (225/50 R17), the passenger column suffers in potholes and speed bumps.

The little ground clearance of 13.1 cm and the front deflector still make the sedan scrape easily on garage ramps. Acoustic insulation is another negative point in the model and engine vibration is felt in the cabin.

Our tip for Chevrolet Cruze 2013

Let’s go with the top-of-the-line version of GM’s medium sedan, in the LTZ version year 2013. In safety, the car is equipped with six airbags, electronic stability and traction controls, reverse sensor, four-wheel disc brakes, electrochromic rearview mirror and headlight height adjustment.

The air conditioning is automatic and the version was equipped with a small multimedia center with native GPS, CD player, USB port and Bluetooth connection, as well as steering wheel controls – this one with height and depth adjustments, as said.

Face-to-face key for opening the doors, electric trio, electrically folding mirrors, light and rain sensors, leather seats, front and rear armrests, lights in the trunk and glove compartment and autopilot complete the list.

Cruze is cheaper than Civic and Corolla

If we compare the Cruze with the other top-of-the-line versions of rivals from the same year, the Chevrolet model is much more affordable in the used market. See the average store prices, according to KBB Brasil (July 2026).

• Chevrolet Cruze LTZ 1.8 16V 2013: BRL 59.059
• Honda Civic EXS 1.8 16V 2013: BRL 72.604
• Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0 16V 2013: BRL 69.273

Maintenance

Based on the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze with automatic transmission, the parts are very competitively priced. Here are some values for mechanical and external components.

• Set with four front brake pads: from R$ 110 to R$ 200
• Set with four spark plugs: from R$ 180 to R$ 310
• Fuel pump: from R$ 350 to R$ 480
• Oil change kit (5 liters 5w30 + filter): from R$ 380 to R$ 520
• Rear shock absorber: from R$ 460 to R$ 800 (pair)
• Rear bumper: from R$ 490 to R$ 930
• Right headlight: from R$ 260 to R$ 550

Main problems of the Cruze 1.8

Keep an eye on the main complaints of the owners of this first phase of the Chevrolet Cruze, published in forums, discussion groups and on the Reclame Aqui website.

• oscillating idle due to faulty lambda sensor
• automatic transmission that goes into safety mode and causes excessive jerks
• Defects in the air conditioning compressor
• Brakes with excessive vibration and noise

The only recall of this initial generation of the Chevrolet Cruze was for changing the fuel filter in units made in 2013 and 2014.