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GREEN CAR COMPARISON: 2012 CHEVY CRUZE ECO VS. 2011 KIA OPTIMA HYBRID
11.16.11
By Sheryll Alexander
We weren’t surprised when Costa Mesa-based NADAguides announced today that the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze won the association's prestigious Car of the Year Award. Presented at this year’s LA Auto Show, which runs through Nov. 22 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, the award brings even more clout to this near luxury mid-sized sedan.
As professional road test reviewers, we recently tested the 2012 Chevy Cruze and the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid. Although we love the Kia brand and especially love the Optima Hybrid, we discovered The Cruze won in our comparison test.
Why did Cruze win overall? Value for the money. Period.
Plus, your family can feel good about buying American. Don’t think you can give up the status of a BMW or Mercedes-Benz for a Cruze? Think again. Chevrolet and Kia are making fuel efficient cars with hot Euro design and fun-to-drive performance.
Price Winner: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
The 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco has a base MSRP of $19,245. However, this model comes with a standard six-speed manual transmission. The $26,500 base MSRP 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid has a standard automatic transmission. For this comparison, therefore, we gotta tack on the $925 automatic transmission option on the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco for a total of $20,170. That’s $6,330 less for the automatic 2012 Cruze Eco! Sure, the 2011 Optima Hybrid may be somewhat more luxurious, but the Cruze Eco is crammed with loads of good design and near-luxury features for such a value price. (The 2012 Chevy Cruze Eco comes with the same interior package as the mid-level Cruze LT.) Also, the Kia Optima Hybrid’s optional technology package with way cool (and worth it!) UVO auto infotainment system costs a whopping $5,000 extra (for a total of $31,500). The 2012 Cruze Eco’s “infotainment” system comes standard on the base $19,245 manual tranny, has no graphic screen and is more like a patchwork of wireless services (such as using OnStar for voice-activated turn-by-turn navigation).
Fuel Efficiency Winner: Kia Optima Hybrid
The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid wins the fuel efficiency test over the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze by only two mpg combined. That’s good news for those new car buyers who want to save money both at the dealership and at the pump. Here’s the breakdown:
2011 Kia Optima Hybrid
40 mpg hwy, 35 mpg city, 37 mpg combined
2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
1.4-liter four cylinder six-speed manual transmission: 42 mpg hwy, 28 mpg city, 35 mpg combined
1.4-liter four cylinder six-speed automatic transmission: 39 mpg hwy, 26 mpg city, 33 mpg combined
Exterior Winner: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid
Sure, the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco has hot exterior design, but the 2011Kia Optima Hybrid’s exterior is just way more sporty. It starts with the wide wheelbase in the Optima, which makes this car feel beefy. Kia designers did a great job combining the luxury feel of a BMW or Mercedes-Benz as well as true racing inspiration in the open-mouthed matte black and shiny chrome grille. Other sophisticated and sporty features on the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid include 16-inch alloy wheels, low front fender, fog lamps, rear lower bumper and sleek sculpted side sills. The optional all-glass panoramic sun roof (comes with the $5,000 technology package) makes the Optima Hybrid look even more modern from the outside.
Interior Winner: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
Pitting these two well-designed interiors in this competition was challenging. The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid’s interior is hot and reminds this auto journalist and pro road test reviewer of a highly modern BMW. Still, there’s a bit of bling missing in the textures of the Optima Hybrid. On the other hand (and for more than six thousand dollars less!), the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco has chromed-out trims, cool black fabric inserts, a sporty built-in-control steering wheel and a luxury-minded central console. On my weeklong road test, I discovered the driver’s cockpit in the ’12 Cruze Eco is a paradise of comfort, design and seeming control. If you are looking for the latest auto infotainment system, however, the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid with optional UVO tech package is the way to go for $31,500.
Performance Winner: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco & 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid
Yes, it’s a tie. Both the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco and the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid have fun-to-drive and even thrilling performance at times. On my road test of a 2012 Cruze Eco with 1.4-liter four-cylinder “Ecotec” engine with six-speed manual transmission, I loved the overall performance on this hot mid-sized sedan. The manual tranny is easy to shift and delivers above-average acceleration as well as highly responsive handling, steering and braking. The 2011 Kia Optima is certainly a fun-to-drive hybrid sedan and is worthy of this title too. However, Kia’s new lithium-ion battery system has not yet been tested long term and the hybrid version of this cool sedan doesn’t have the super quick acceleration as gas-powered Optimas.
Overall Green Value Sedan Winner: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
Honestly, both vehicles are real winners when it comes to buying, owning and driving a more fuel efficient green car. For those truly seeking value, the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco is the way to go for keeping the monthly payment as low as possible. And although the auto infotainment system on the Cruze doesn’t have a screen and isn’t an integrated system, it works well enough for basic wireless needs while on the road. (With the thousands of dollars you are going to save, buy a TomTom portable navigation device with HD Traffic). If price isn’t such a big concern, however, look hard at the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid with UVO auto infotainment. You won’t be disappointed when driving this hot green sedan with the best integrated voice recognition technology and on-screen graphics.
Cruze Eco or Optima Hybrid? Either one of these green rides is a top pick for a brand new fuel-efficient sedan.
Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer and automotive journalist based in coastal Orange County, California. GM and Kia provided vehicles for this review.
LOVE DODGE DURANGO!
11.09.11
Review by Sheryll Alexander
Costa Mesa-based NADAguides recently named the 2011 Dodge Durango as November Car of the Month. We agree. After our family road tested this family-friendly SUV for a week, we proclaimed the seven-seat Dodge Durango is definitely a smart new car buy for overall value.
First off, let’s get to the price. The 2011 Dodge Durgano has a base MSRP of $29,195. That sounds like a pretty good value, but our road test Durango Citadel RWD topped out at a whopping $45,645 (including $850 destination charge).
Although expensive, the fully-loaded Citadel model has no options and comes with loads of standard luxury features (see interior and infotainment sections below), excellent design, rather good fuel efficiency (18 mpg city, 23 mpg hwy!) and top safety marks.
Completely overhauled inside and out for 2011, the “new” Dodge Durango surprised us as an awesome family-minded SUV. We also loved showing up to restaurant valet stations and hotel porte cochères in our gorgeous Durango. Who knew American design could be so brash and yet so subtle at the same time?
Exterior: Outside, the 2011 Dodge Durango has a good balance of American beef and European style. Sure, the chromed-out grille, front bumper and bulging hood is super masculine, but it works. The sleek side lines and bold, yet minimalist booty hatch work well too.
Interior: Inside, the 2011 Dodge Durango is an oasis of calm, comfort and spacious luxury. The interior design is also nice balance of American and European tastes with good-looking materials and quality construction. The driver’s cockpit is exceptionally comfortable with plush seats, a feel-good steering wheel, a cool instrument panel, a minimalist dash and a handsome central console. Just a few of the luxury features that come standard on the Durango Citadel are heated front and second row seats, eight-way power driver seat with memory, eight-way passenger seat, third row 50/50-folding seats, dual zone and rear automatic temperature control, perforated and heated leather-wrapped steering wheel with infotainment controls, power tilt-and-telescoping steering column,
Infotainment: Chrysler wowed us with the Durango’s integrated infotainment system. In fact, the software system and graphics are very similar to GM’s infotainment systems, which we love for their simplicity, elegance and ergonomics. Called “Uconnect,” this system comes as standard equipment on the 2011 Dodge Durango Citadel and features a crisp 6.5-inch touch screen, CD, DVD, MP3, HDD, Sirius satellite radio, voice recognition Garmin navigation and Bluetooth wireless for phone capabilities.
Performance: The Durango Citadel’s 3.6-liter V6 with five-speed automatic transmission tows up to 6,200 lbs. and roars like a powerful V8. It drives like one too. Perhaps performance doesn’t feel as powerful up hills and mountains, but 2011 Durango V6 definitely has quick acceleration, spot-on braking, responsive steering, fun-to-drive handling and a tight suspension. (A V8 Hemi powertrain is also available and tows up to 7,200 lbs.)
Safety: The 2011 Dodge Durango was awarded a hard-to-get Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Plus, the Durango comes loaded with advanced safety features such as side air bags in all rows, electronic stability control (ESC), rear back-up camera, rear park assist system, keyless entry, blind spot and rear cross path detection, adaptive speed control with forward collision warning, hill start assist, trailer sway damping and remote start.
And remember, the new Dodge Durango is built in Michigan, so your Chrysler purchase is putting Americans to work. Do you really need a new Rover when a Dodge Durango will do the job and then some in a stylish American wrapper?
Okay, so you need one more reason to consider Durango over another Rover, right? How about “no cost maintenance plus” as well as a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer, automotive journalist and professional road test reviewer based in Costa Mesa, California. Follow her! @sheryllalexande
