Car Buyer Labs

Car Buying Advice, Tips, and Reviews

A grey 2019 Chevy Cruze sedan is parked next to a red hatchback.

The Chevy Cruze

Here we are in the year 2019. Unfortunately, flying cars aren’t yet the norm, but that doesn’t mean that we haven’t made a ton of significant advancements. The 2019 Chevy Cruze and its competitors are a great example of the impressive technologies we have that are meant for the typical working person.

A few years ago when I began my college journey, I began dating a guy I had worked with while in high school. To spare you the details, we were on and off for about five years. The last time we got back together, he told me he wanted to turn things around that year and really push himself to progress and better himself. Within a few months, he got a good job, his own place, and what was most impressive to me, a new car.

At the time, I was still living at home, and I loved being picked up in this new car because other people our age were so impressed that we were riding around in a new Chevy Cruze. Little did they know, that it was actually affordable and within reach for the average working person. He nicknamed the car the “booze cruise,” not realizing that was a terrible choice even though the words rhymed. Now when I think about 2019 Chevy Cruze, I wonder (we’re on good terms so it’s not weird) if he’s planning on upgrading to a new and improved “booze cruise.”

The 2019 Chevy Cruze

A grey 2019 Chevy Cruze is driving around a corner with a city skyline in the distance.

Overall, the 2019 Chevy Cruze is pretty impressive. It’s a five-seat compact car that gets between 28-31 city miles and 38-48 highway miles. The fuel economy alone is a reason to get this car, especially if you plan on driving long distances to and from work, home, etc. Four-wheel drive is available, and offers between 137 and 153 horsepower, although not all trim levels perform the same.

The L trim is a sedan that has a starting price of $17,995 and a combined gas mileage of 32. The 1.4-liter Ecotec engine takes regular gas and provides 153 horsepower. The transmission is a 6-speed automatic with overdrive and auto-manual. Unfortunately, the L trim only comes in two exterior colors, Silver Ice Metallic, and Summit White. On this trim, both the sedan and hatchback will have standard features such as Daytime Running Lamps, a Rear Vision Camera, and the Teen Driver system. Teen Driver is offered across all trim levels and is one of the greatest things Chevy offers on base models that not every manufacturer has. Teen Driver lets you set speed and volume limits as well as allowing you to monitor your young drivers (or secondary drivers) so that you can both couch and encourage best driving practices.

The LS comes in both sedan and hatchback styles. The LS has a starting price of $19,995 and a combined gas mileage of 32. Both versions of the LS have the same 1.4-liter engine with 153 horsepower as well as the same 6-speed automatic transmission with overdrive and auto-manual. The biggest difference between the sedan and the hatchback is that the hatchback costs just a little bit more with a starting price of $20,495. Both the LS sedan and hatchback come in five color options, which are Mosaic Black Metallic, Oakwood Metallic, Red Hot, Silver Ice Metallic, and Summer White.

With the LT, which also comes in a sedan and a hatchback, we get more similar specs. The sedan has a starting price of $22,595. Again we get a 153 horsepower 1.4-liter engine and as well as the 6-speed automatic transmission. The LT comes in all of the color options mentioned previously as well as Cajun Red Tintcoat, Kinetic Blue Metallic, Pacific Blue Metallic, Pepperdust Metallic, and Satin Steel Grey Metallic. The hatchback style has a starting price of $22,995, the same engine, and the same transmission. The hatchback has nine color options, but some are much different than what was offered for the sedan, including Black, Midnight Metallic, Graphite Metallic, and Nightfall Grey Metallic. Both the L and LS have been four-wheel drive vehicles; however, both of the LT styles are front wheel drive.

The Premier trim has the sedan and hatchback styles like previous trims. The sedan’s starting price is $24,395 and has the same gas mileage, engine, and transmission. It has front-wheel drive and has the same color options as the LT sedan. The hatchback starts at $24,895 and a combined gas mileage of 31, which is lower than the others but not by much. It has the same engine and the same transmission and the same color options as the LT hatchback. There are many available safety features offered on this level not offered on the lower trims such as Rear Cross Traffic Alert, the seat belt assurance system, and Rear Park Assist.

The Diesel trim, like the previously mentioned trim levels, comes in the sedan and hatchback styles, but with more impressive configurations. The sedan starts at $26,495 with a combined gas mileage of 37. The engine, a 1.6-liter turbodiesel Ecotec 4-cylinder provides 137 horsepower. Finally, the Diesel hatchback has a starting price of $26,995. On the Diesel trim, you will get included features such as Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Rear Park Assist, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, and many others.

Other Notable Features

A red 2019 Chevy Cruze hatchback is driving in front of mountains.

It’s more than the price that changes with the different trim levels of the 2019 Chevy Cruze. Any 2019 Chevy Cruze trim comes with at least four speakers, and some come with up to six total speakers. The Chevy Cruze has a USB connection, auxiliary output, and AM/FM stereo. Another cool feature with some of the trim levels is satellite radio with three months of service. The included features are more than worth it for the price, which can be easily managed by financing or leasing. There are multiple warranties available as well to fit your needs for three, five, or six years for a basic package, drivetrain coverage, rust, and roadside assistance.

The Chevy Cruze’s technology is easy for anyone to learn which allows for a very user-friendly experience. The Infotainment 3 is very similar to the MyLink system in the previous model; it has a 7 in color touchscreen, Bluetooth, voice command pass-through, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are driver assist packages and convenience packages to further the ability to be driven by a wider range of owners.

Final Thoughts

Some who have driven the 2019 Chevy Cruze may have mentioned that the acceleration rate isn’t very impressive, but the external appearance comes across much sportier than previous models. There is more cubby like spaces to fit plenty of toys for busy families on the go, or in my ex’s case, to store plenty of guitar picks and backup strings. When compared to its competitors like the Ford Focus and the Kia Forte, the 2019 Chevy Cruze takes the lead by far. The Ford Focus would break down as soon as it leaves the lot, and most of the Kia Fortes are already being driven around by someone’s weird Aunt. There is no doubt in my mind that anyone with a previous model would trade up for the newer model, and with that deduction, I still don’t know if my ex will take advantage of the new model.