[psn]

This is not a review. Its more of an ongoing unintentional project which has stemmed out of my obsession for making my car perfect. I have a Chevy Cruze which I purchased in June 2015. All these years its been a pleasure owning the car.

Before the Cruze, I had the Honda City which was also fantastic and perfect in every possible way. It was easy to drive, comfortable, easy to maintain and trouble free. You can read about the parting story on the following link: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post3749973

But after driving it for 80,000 kms in 6 years “Yeh Dil maange more” happened.

And at a very flimsy excuse, which was, that the AC Fan blower got burnt, I convinced myself that now the age related problems will start to creep in. Thus, began my search for a new car.

Cruze was a long simmering dream and I had been eyeing it for a very long time. However, with fogged out eyes, I went about the business of test driving all the potential cars. Kissi ki drive achi thi, magar interiors nahi, kissi ke looks ache the magar drive nahi, kissi ka sab kuch acha tha, magar price nahi.

Cruze, as predicted by heart and my wife, ended up in GM showroom with the cheque book in my hand. I have a feeling, that trying out all the cars was only a way to further confirm that I was doing the right thing. Was I doing the right thing...? From No EMI to YES EMI...From a Honda to a now closed Chevrolet. The answer has now become a NO (Only because it shut shop)...But..DIL TOH BACHA HAI JI...


Since it has come, I have done 42000 kms and a lot of it is highway driving. As the name suggests its a great car to ‘Cruze’ in. 2000 cc with 166 bhp and 360 nm of torque feels relaxing to drive. At 100+ kmph the car is smooth, refined and relaxed. The auto gear box settles itself into 5th or 6th gear and there is absolute silence inside the car. The plaint suspension wafts through the smooth black or grey highway allowing for passengers to have interesting conversation without having to talk over the in-cabin noise.

The front seats are wrapped in leather and the contours hug the sides well, and ensure that the driver and passenger sit in them, nice and snug.


Then, sometimes...well many times...well you go searching for those times to be honest, there comes a time when you flex the right foot. That is a feeling not for the faint hearted. The engine wakes up from its slumber, the gears downshift and after a short second, there is a surge of power to the front wheels. The passengers are thrown to the back of the seats and the speedometer shows illegal speeds at a blink of an eye. The car remains solid like a seasoned player egging the driver on for more... And the driver...well...he is grinning.

The cost of servicing the car is around Rs.7500 on a 15000 Km service schedule and Rs. 3500 for 7500 kms schedule service.

However, now that GM has stopped selling cars in India, this car has become a keeper for as long as GM supports.
I am financially and emotionally invested in the car, I have been constantly getting things done to it regularly and here is the list of things that I have done to it, till now. The list is chronological in order.

Tires: the day the car came, first thing I did was to exchange the company fitted JK tires with Michelin Primacy 3 - Purchased from Ashoka Wheels at Rs. 5500 each after exchange.

New Head light bulbs: Within a few days of the purchase the stock headlamp bulbs were swapped with Osram Nightbreakers - Purchased from PitStop, Jubilee Hills for Rs. 1500

In-Car refrigerator: Waeco make. During the negotiation they gave me a voucher for Rs. 5000 to be redeemed against any accessories that I wanted. However, with the car they anyways gave me mud-flaps, carpet mats and boot mat, so there was hardly anything that I could buy. So bought this. Purchased for Rs. 8500 out of which I paid Rs. 3500 and the rest was against the discount voucher.



Bumper Scruff Sill protector: Bumper protector to save the bumper from being scratched during loading and uploading of suitcases. The protector is made of rubber and came with a roll of 3M tape, alcohol swab and was a simple DIY. Purchased from Alliexpress for USD 6.80


Foot well lighting: An OEM part but initially was advised not to install it by the local dealer, as it could cause short circuit. I visited Auto-expo in 2016 and there at the Chevrolet stall, met with a manager in the accessories team. Spoke with him and he gave me his number to be shared with the local dealer. He in turn put the dealers mechanic with an engineer who guided them to install the part. Purchased from Orange Chevrolet and is an OEM part for Rs. 850


Non-slip rubber mats for cubby holes: Had gone to purchase this item, and ended up purchasing the chrome lining for the power window button too. Purchased from www.alliexpress.com for USD 8




Window Lift button Sequins Sticker Decoration: A random purchase while buying the non-slip rubber mats. They looked nice and go very well with the chrome door handle and chrome rings around the AC vent inside the cabin - Purchased from www.alliexpress.com for USD 2.50


LED Headlamps and Fog Lamps: In September of 2016 swapped the night breakers with Philips LED bulbs.
7a. Philips Extreme Ultinon LED - H4 for the headlamps
7b. Philips Extreme Ultinon LED Car fog light Bulb - H8 for the fog lamps.
Total Cost - Rs. 17500
7c. Added Philips Vision - T10-W5W for front parking lights as the yellow light with the white light was irking me- Purchased for Rs. 1500
Pic with no light
With only parking light on
With Fog Lamps on
With Fog and Low Beam on
With Fog and High Beam on
From the outside


Under seat Amplifier and Sub-woofer: While the music system of the Cruze was good, the base was somewhat missing and I desperately, wanted to get the sound right. Thus started my search for enhancing the sound. My major criteria was, not to touch the HU, wasn’t on a massive budget and no wire cutting. One of the option was JBL Autostage and I have been wanting to try this since Honda days. However, in January 2017 during my trip to USA I came across JBL BasePro SL II an underseat sub-woofer with integrated amp on the US website. Got a dear friend to pick it up for me from a shop near his house. And he walked in knee deep snow to pick it up. Got it installed at my trusted accessories dealer in Hyderabad itself. Now the sound is right, Not booming but crisp and clear. I am not an audiophile but do understand if the sound is not to my liking. Now I can say, it is. Some think that the thump is not enough, but thats not what I was going for anyhow. However, if there is an audiophile in Hyderabad who would like to review it on team-bhp I extend an invitation to him - Purchased in New York for USD 250. Installation cost in India with wiring, Scosche line out converter and creating harness to put it on the floor cost an additional Rs. 5000.
The link for more info on BasePro is:https://www.jbl.com/BASSPROSL.html.
Installation done at: Pitstop in Jubilee Hills
JBL Base Pro SLII

Remote Base Controller: Recently, added a remote control to the Base Pro to make those fine adjustments to sound when needed. This is mainly, when the source or genre of the music changes It wasn’t available on any online platform and not even listed on JBL India website, So I wrote to JBL customer service, and over a period of few days, exchanged mails with the AFPAC team. They gave me the contact details of their service centre in Bangalore and the day I was going to write to the SC, I, as a last shot, tried amazon UK site. And lo and behold, 5 pieces had just got listed - Purchased on Amazon.co.uk for GBP 20 + freight. Total INR 4190. Installation at Pit Stop, Jubilee Hills - Rs. 100



Luxury Carpet Floor Mats: These are thick carpet, custom fitted mats. I have been using them for many years, in Santro, then Honda and for some reason, wasn’t able to find them in stores in Hyderabad anymore, not only for Cruze but also for any other car. Guess the carpet mats are out of fashion. Most retailers were pushing for 3D mats and Maxspider mats were offered for Rs. 7500. After a lot of research, found the website of Elegant auto, manufacturer of the mats. Placed the order, and I think they manufactured it specially for me as the date of Manufacture is after I placed the order. I was getting updates at every step and upon shipment, got a mail informing me courier details. In my excitement I was keeping track of the shipment, and to my surprise on the day of delivery, the status was showing as ‘requested for delayed delivery’. For the record, No I didn’t request for a delay in delivery. Next day the reason for non-delivery was mentioned as wrong address. So promptly, at night I wrote a mail to the delivery company with cc to Elegantautoretail. By the morning, there was a quick exchange of mail between elegant team and Delhivery and the mats were delivered in the afternoon itself - Purchased for Rs. 2790. Place of purchase:www.elegantautoretail.com.
Manufacturing date Nov 2017- hot from the oven it seems.
Additional Info on the mats:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDfs9BXrv5w

My Review of the Mats: The mats fit perfectly inside the car. They feel soft to the bare feet and are very well cushioned for that added luxury. They are made by bonding three layers. Top two layers comprise of a 1200 GSM dual tone carpet while the last layer is a specialised anti-skid backing, which ensures that the mat does not slip. In addition, they have also put velcro strip under the driver mat to further ensure that the carpet does not slip. The black mats leave a dust mark every time one steps on it, however, by just using a cloth, one can clean the mats very easily. The mats come with its own brush to clean also.







The journey to personalise the car continues. There are more cosmetic enhancements in the horizon. Ambient lighting, led lights for all the interior and exterior lights, an air purifier.

While on the topic of Chevrolet, I would also like to state, that till date, I have not had any service related problems. GM has changed the exhaust fan, the inter-cooler pipe under warranty and I have recently had to change the pulley arm - belt idler which was readily available and got changed in a few hours in the service centre. Till date I haven’t had any issue with Orange Chevrolet and the SA, Anand is doing a good job. GM also is constantly sending me mails, reassuring me of service and honouring the extended warranty. I am disappointed that the company has shut shop, thus pummelling the price of resale for me which has led to actual financial loss. Today the cost of the car is less than the liability that stands against it. The cost of insurance has also increased as TATA AIG believes that with Chevrolets exit, the cost of parts will also increase.

[pramodkumar]

Glad to see a cruze thread. I own a 2010 AT, 93k Kms, I have bought all the Ali express stuff except the power window garnish .

My car has a RD dual channel box and aftermarket dual beam headlights.

My experience with the service center is not as good as yours, Details here

I have bought an after market bumper from Autopsyche and the car will go for a facelift soon.

Wish you many more happy miles with your car.

Pramod

[shifu]

Great thread Pathik! Your passion for your car is very evident in the way you have hand picked the accessories and painstakingly got information from customer care, etc. All the best in maintaining her!

Originally Posted by psn

I am disappointed that the company has shut shop, thus pummelling the price of resale for me which has led to actual financial loss. Today the cost of the car is less than the liability that stands against it. The cost of insurance has also increased as TATA AIG believes that with Chevrolets exit, the cost of parts will also increase.

We hardly buy cars for resale now, don't we? What else would explain having a Chevy and a Skoda in your garage!

[psn]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

Glad to see a cruze thread. I own a 2010 AT, 93k Kms, I have bought all the Ali express stuff except the power window garnish .

My car has a RD dual channel box and aftermarket dual beam headlights.

My experience with the service center is not as good as yours, Details here

I have bought an after market bumper from Autopsyche and the car will go for a facelift soon.

Wish you many more happy miles with your car.

Pramod

Wow! that's a terrible experience. I guess experiences like this is only a matter of time. Eventually all GM owners will get there. Fingers crossed that Orange remains as is for as long as possible.

Please share your pics on this forum, once the mod is done. I bet it will look amazing.

[superutp]

Originally Posted by psn

Wow! that's a terrible experience. I guess experiences like this is only a matter of time. Eventually all GM owners will get there. Fingers crossed that Orange remains as is for as long as possible.

Please share your pics on this forum, once the mod is done. I bet it will look amazing.

Hi Psn,
Great to see a Cruze thread in this day and age

I have a '15 Cruze LTZ too. Funnily enough have some of the same 'soft' mods in my car like the floor mats, cubby hole mats and some others as well. Will take photos and upload soon.

How much difference have the LED bulbs made? are they worth the investment?
What ambient lighting options are you looking at?

[hserus]

Ha ha. I have a similarly superbly built car that is also super rare. Fiesta 2014 facelift - but at least Ford is still around and going strong in India.

So here is my Aliexpress haul from the 11/11 sale. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4314406

[psn]

Originally Posted by superutp

Hi Psn,
Great to see a Cruze thread in this day and age

I have a '15 Cruze LTZ too. Funnily enough have some of the same 'soft' mods in my car like the floor mats, cubby hole mats and some others as well. Will take photos and upload soon.

How much difference have the LED bulbs made? are they worth the investment?
What ambient lighting options are you looking at?

I think its high time, we have an active thread for such a lovely car. Hey, its a dying breed..if we can save tigers, we should do something for the Cruze also.

To answer your question in detail I would like to share with you my experience of all the bulbs that I have used till date.

1. Stock 55\60 Bulb. The throw is very short and in very dark places, it was inadequate.

2. 90\100 Phillips bulb with a Phillips replay which I used in my 2008 Honda City.
Benefits
1. The throw was longer and the light itself was brighter.
2. White light looked good as compared to yellow light on some colours like Black, Red and Grey.
Disadvantage:
a. A relay had to be put which I didn't want to, for a car which was under warranty.
b. The life of the bulb was not very long. Every year I had to get one or the other changed.
c. Emitted a lot of heat, and I was always worried that it may spoil the headlamp. It never did in my 2-3 years of usage.So maybe my fear was uncalled for.

3. Osram Nightbreaker 55\60.(If mostly city driving and occasional Highway driving, I would rate them the best)
Benefits:
a. The throw is much longer as compared to 55\60 that the car comes with.
b. In 2 year never had to change them, so the life was long.
c. Reasonably inexpensive as compared to LED.
d. Bright enough for most tasks.
Disadvantage:
a. Yellow light didn't look good on the Sanddrift grey colour. I preferred a White light.

LED Lamps
Advantages:
a. The light is as bright as 90\100. Makes a world of difference on the underlit roads and highways.
b. Heat sink is part of the bulb, so heating should be under control at all times.
c. Plug and Play. No additional relay required.
d. The bulb packaging promises a 12 year life, so pretty much the life of the car. 1 year replacement warranty.
e. White light as compared to Yellow.
f. Car lovers, do notice the difference between this bulb and any other bulb.

Disadvantage:
a. Price
b. They say white light is not good for fog lamps, but Hyderabad has no fog at all, so thats not an issue for me.

To Summarise, is it worth the price, I would say Osram is total value for money.

Then why did I switch? 1. Its the latest technology and comes with all high end cars, so wanted to experience it.
2. I wanted white light and not the yellow light and I just thought having Plug and play LED is better than a relay and 90\100.
If the cost of LED setup thats is, Headlamps and Fogs was 10,000 I would have said its worth the extra money, but at 17500, i would say, hold on to your purses, and let the technology become more mainstream, then hopefully the prices will come down and then surely go for it cause they are that good.

Which Ambient lighting am I looking at?
I am yet to research on it. What I intend to achieve with it is, that while driving at night, I get a very subtle, relaxing light coming from the inside door handles and side door bin pockets on all 4 doors. They should be relaxing and not a Pimp my ride kind of way. I will try and also find if the colour of the light is matching the blue of the dashboard lights, else at least the speedometer blue. Else its a no go for me.

Please post pics of your mods.

[psn]

Originally Posted by hserus

Ha ha. I have a similarly superbly built car that is also super rare. Fiesta 2014 facelift - but at least Ford is still around and going strong in India.

So here is my Aliexpress haul from the 11/11 sale. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4314406

Wow!! that is some impressive shopping. Please put pictures and detailed review. Thank god and Jack Ma for Aliexpress and the products that we get tailor made for each car.
Fiesta is one of the best cars I have ever experienced.The suspension and the steering setup is just sublime and definitely is pure Ford DNA. The front seats were extremely sporty and the driving position perfect.

[pramodkumar]

Got the interiors detailed, AC disinfected and sunfilim installed all around, got Garware Ice cool shield for the front and Garware Classic lite for the sides.

The front has 70% visibility and 55% heat reduction, the rear has 70% Visibility and 45% heat reduction. The sides have 50% visibility and 45% heat reduction.

Next is to get the front windscreen Polished.

I am planning an EGR and DPF delete. Looking for options, heard blackworks is great but can't take the car to Bangalore in the near future.

Pramod

[pramodkumar]

Any updates on the thread?

Pramod

[hserus]

Originally Posted by psn

Wow!! that is some impressive shopping. Please put pictures and detailed review. Thank god and Jack Ma for Aliexpress and the products that we get tailor made for each car.
Fiesta is one of the best cars I have ever experienced.The suspension and the steering setup is just sublime and definitely is pure Ford DNA. The front seats were extremely sporty and the driving position perfect.

There are updates on that thread for the first few products.

[eapen]

Originally Posted by pramodkumar

I am planning an EGR and DPF delete. Looking for options, heard blackworks is great but can't take the car to Bangalore in the near future.

Pramod

I have a 2017 March registered 6-speed Manual LTZ Cruze. There is no DPF for it & also for the earlier Cruze models launched in India.

Have installed strut brace & coil spring buffers. Updated here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post4395863

[pramodkumar]

Originally Posted by eapen

I have a 2017 March registered 6-speed Manual LTZ Cruze. There is no DPF for it & also for the earlier Cruze models launched in India.

Have installed strut brace & coil spring buffers. Updated here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ml#post4395863

Came to know about it when I spoke to Code 6. Thanks for the reply.


Pramod

[superutp]

Hi
Any new updates on your Cruze??Especially the ambient lighting part?
I got LED bulbs, footwell lighting and some other soft mods fitted. Will share pics soon

[pramodkumar]

There has been some updates on mine, Here is mine painted in Bentley beluga Black.


http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ml#post4397167


Pramod