2016 Chevrolet Cruze vs 2012 Cruze

The Chevrolet Cruze is a sweet little compact sedan that comes complete with a peppy powertrain, comfortable cabin, and plenty of high-tech modern features. You’ll also love its fuel-efficient ride and sharp exterior styling. As you shop for yours, you might be wondering whether it’s better to buy a new or used Cruze. We’ve created this guide to help you solve this problem. Here, we compare the used 2012 and new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze. Check it out to get a better idea of which model is right for you.

REFINED, HIGH-TECH CABIN

There’s no question here – the new 2016 Chevrolet Cruze is more refined than ever, making it our pick in this important category. The new Cruze is also full of modern tech features, many of which weren’t around with the used 2012 Chevrolet Cruze. There’s no way you can be disappointed, because the 2016 cabin is sleek, stylish, and completely comfortable.

The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze is not merely better than previous models; it’s competitive with the newest of the new compact sedans – especially when it comes to tech features. The MyLink infotainment system gets an update for 2016, so that it’s now easier and more intuitive than ever. You also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technology, so there are also more smartphone integration features that in the past. With the used 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, it didn’t yet feature MyLink or a comparable infotainment system.

The 2016 Cruze has also got everything you need to stay vigilant on the road. Its technical safety features are light-years ahead of what they were in 2012. First of all, you get the OnStar telematics system, which really comes in handy when you need features like on-demand roadside assistance and remote door locking. You also get high-tech systems like lane-departure and forward collision warning. These increase driver vigilance and, therefore, your overall safety.

FUEL ECONOMY

When you want to make the most of your hard-earned dollar, the 2016 Cruze definitely has the fuel economy numbers you need. With the automatic transmission, the new turbocharged four-cylinder engine earns up to 30 city/42 highway mpg.

Compare those numbers to the ratings from the used 2012 Chevrolet Cruze, and you’ll see that the new Cruze is an improvement. With the standard engine, the 2012 Cruze only earned 25 city/36 highway mpg. And that’s with the manual transmission, so you’d better be able to drive a stick shift. With the automatic transmission, those numbers drop to 22/35 mpg.