Buying a used Holden Cruze JG (2009-2012)

A short history of the Holden Cruze JG (2009-2012)

Replacing the long-serving, Euro-made Astra with a confusingly-named car from Korea was a gamble that paid off so encouragingly for Holden that
local production became viable. For a while anyway.

People with memories that extend into the early part of this century might recall the original Cruze as a small, Suzuki-cloned  4WD that made minimal impression in the compact SUV market.

The Cruze that Holden rushed to market during 2009 as a replacement for the increasingly-costly Astra was a very different vehicle and keenly priced. It was also the first small Holden since the 1980s to come with a diesel engine in its armoury.

However, sales success couldn't conceal the litany of component failures and assembly-line shortcomings that saw thousands of local and imported Cruzes making repeat visits to dealers for crucial remedial work.

Pitched into a tough market alongside the well-regarded Astra, the Cruze was sold only as a four-door sedan and in two trim levels. Cheapest of the breed at $20,990 was the five-speed manual 1.8-litre petrol CD. However an additional $3000 bought a car in the same spec but with the punchy and economical 2.0-litre turbo diesel.

From the outset, let's refer to the JG Cruze as a compact family car. Something the size of a 1980s Commodore and weighing more than 1400kg really doesn't qualify to be called 'small'. Leg and shoulder room was expansive and the boot at 440 litres matched the capacity of the class-leading Corolla.

Inside, the CD came with more gear than anyone in the sub-$25,000 price bracket might rightfully expect.  Safety concerns were served by a multitude of air-bags, plus ABS brakes, EBD and switchable traction control. For comfort and convenience there was air-conditioning, remote central locking, power windows, six-disc CD system and trip computer.

This was all in a car that with automatic transmission was list-priced at less than $23,000 – and a lot less once fleet discounts and other deals were factored in.

The CDX would have attracted a higher proportion of private buyers but even it wasn't expensive. Its list of features swelled to accommodate leather-trimmed seats – heated in the front – and steering wheel, 17-inch alloys and fog lights. That’s a lot in a car which, with the 2.0-litre diesel engine and manual transmission, retailed at $27,990.

In 2011, Holden shatted convention and announced that Cruze production would move from South Korea to South Australia. Although the Commodore tenuously retained its spot as Australia's biggest seller, its reign was ending and the company sensibly wanted the Cruze to be among the models filling the gap.

External changes were minimal and the 1.8-litre petrol motor was retained. However there was a revamped diesel plus a new 1.4-litre petrol turbo shipped in from Austria.

Significant change came late in 2011 with the release of two additional Cruze models and a locally-developed and very sleek Hatchback body variant.

The new SRi and SRi V models came with 103kW from the 1.4T engine, with six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Cheapest of the new releases was the SRi manual sedan, with the SRi V auto hatch just pipping the CDX diesel Hatch for the title of Most Expensive Australian Cruze.

The new SRi V justified its $31,790 tag via enhanced specification that had expanded to include voice recognition for your devices, a touch screen, light-sensitive headlamps and keyless entry with the obligatory push-button start.

Visual appeal is the Cruze's most viable attribute but while used ones look good and are usually attractively priced, you might be better served by looking for a Mazda instead.

Clever dealers who have all the Mazda 3s hidden down the back will urge you to slide inside the roomy Cruze cabin and that usually does the trick. Even if you're in the market for a car to carry one or two, the amount of space is impressive and that dash with its curves and colour-keyed materials is super-groovy. Then there's the mass of equipment on offer for relatively little money.

Take a test drive and you might notice a little drive-line harshness or body resonance on some surfaces. This may indicate on-going drive-shaft problems (see Check Points) but can also be cured by rotating or replacing the front tyres. These cars seem very sensitive to tyre pattern wear (even the original Kumhos annoyed some people) and edge wear.

On the topic of tyres, these cars had space in the boot for a full-sized spare but they were options on most models. If you intend travelling to isolated places, make sure your Cruze comes with a fifth wheel.

Those who aren't fans of electric steering might get a pleasant shock when they pitch their Cruze for the first time at a sweeping bend. The wheel won't  – or shouldn't – tug or twitch and demand constant driver adjustment. On loose surfaces they track predictably and the car can be guided with the foot pedals and minimal intervention via the steering.

Carparks highlight a less-endearing attribute common to four and five-door versions.  Big pillars and the sedan's shallow rear window make some obstacles difficult to see. Look for a car that's been optioned with a camera.

People who tested the Cruze when new were rarely complimentary about its performance. Even the turbo-diesel was bagged for its tendency to stumble just when you need it to sprint.

Later versions with the six-speed manual gearbox make the driver work but will deliver a rapid standing-start response and spend less time than an auto in the danger zone when overtaking.

Fuel consumption figures are hard to reconcile with the size of the Cruze engines. Be warned that it is apparently possible when driving a 1.4T automatic strenuously to drain the tank at a rate of around 16L/100km and that's V8-style thirst.  Diesels should slip easily below the 9L/100km barrier and so can petrol cars if you're being cautious with the throttle.

>> Early versions of the Cruze are still relatively new cars and should not suffer the range and frequency of problems being reported by repairers. Ensure that any car you consider has a rigorous on-hoist and mechanical inspection by a professional automotive engineer

>> Several thousand Korean-made and a few Australian-assembled cars were recalled during 2009-11 to have faulty driveshafts checked and replaced. During 2014 some cars were recalled again due to a similar safety-related fault. Then there were the fuel and oil leaks which affected both petrol and diesel versions, as well as brake failures and defective rear seat belts.

>> Even if the car has been through the full dance-card of recall repairs, walk quickly away from any that have a pungent smell or any kind of visible oil or fuel leak.

>> The auto transmission is a busy unit and wants to grab the highest gear possible as quickly as it can. If the car won't rev out in a low gear when accelerating hard or wants to grab a higher ratio while descending a hill, avoid it. A tranny-out overhaul will cost thousands.

>> Transmission issues might also contribute to accelerated brake wear that see some cars needing new disc rotors and their second set of front pads before the clock has chimed 50,000km

>> Build issues affected cars made here and in Korea. Those rattles, thumps and dash squeaks won't  go away when it warms up, and the chances of eradicating them are almost zero. Some cars are OK though, you just need to be lucky.

>> Smelly air-conditioners are an oft-reported problem. So too the evaporator behind the dash that leaks and can take many hours to repair or replace. If the a/c is stinky, blows room temperature air or leaks cold water on your feet, forget the car.