Workout day for cruze

Status
Not open for further replies.
N

Nick R

Joined
Jul 14, 2009
Messages
11,196
Location
NY Capital District
So today I drove from Saratoga NY to kittery Maine, 250 highway miles. Managed 35.2mpg which is excellent considering I was going mostly 75 with a/c on high. Picked up my friend and decided to drive up my Washington, which is the tallest mountain in the northeastern united states.

They tll you to stay in lowest gear.so the whole way to the mountain. Was mostly 40-55 and I kept it locked in 6th gear for fuel economy as often as I could. Heavy throttle uphills still gives the Turbo a workout. So another 120 miles to the mountain. Beautiful by the way got a lot of good pics I will post as soon as I have a good opportunity. Up the mou tain, 6288 feet in first gear. Spent a lot of time between 4500 and 6500 rpm depending on speed. Long way up 8 miles. Then, using first gear the whole way down as engine braking same

engine speeds but with the windows down I could actually hear the Turbo
whistle going g downhill. Then drove back to kittery again. After we the the summit and I shut the car off after waiting 30 second s for the Turbo to cool down, the electric cooling fan stayed on for a good 5 minutes, I'm guessing the engine and transmission were pretty toasty even though the temp gauge never moved.

First of all, should I be worried about the Turbo? I figure not but it got a workout today and so did the transmission. Oil is fresh barely 800 miles on it now.

Also my Washington is a stunning, awe inspiring place to be, if you have the chance to go, do it, its worth it.
 
I wouldn't worry about the turbo; it is made for a workout like this. As long as you are using a good synthetic(which you are with Quaker State Ultimate Durability), the engine and turbo will be well protected.

It was smart to let the turbo cool down a bit with the engine at idle. Post those pictures!
 
Originally Posted By: Nick R
So today I drove from Saratoga NY to kittery Maine, 250 highway miles. Managed 35.2mpg which is excellent considering I was going mostly 75 with a/c on high.

My old Camry had 34-35.6 mpg (not sure on exact numbers), couple weeks ago,under same conditions + about 30 miles in little town with very high hills and swirly roads. Where is promised 42 mpg for Cruze?
 
Mine is the LT with auto its only rated for 36 highway. The manual eco is rated for 42 and there are plenty of reports of achieving and exceeding it. Also my Cruze is much safer than that Camry among, many other differences. Also, this car is a pleasure to drive for long distances. The smooth and quiet ride and comfy seats definitely make it ideal for long trips.
 
Last edited:
What I was trying to say, that 36mpg in modern, small car is not so impressive.
Camry is quiet and comfy. Safety: I think front airbags and side airbags, is enough.
Toyota Camry
1997-2001 models
FRONTAL OFFSET TEST

OVERALL EVALUATION: Good
Structure/safety cage Injury measures Restraints/dummy kinematics
Head/neck Chest Leg/foot, left Leg/foot, right
Good Acceptable Good Good Good Good

Important: Frontal crash test ratings can be compared only among vehicles of similar weight.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze: good performance in front, side, rollover, and rear tests and standard electronic stability control
FRONTAL OFFSET TEST

OVERALL EVALUATION: Good
Structure/safety cage Injury measures Restraints/dummy kinematics
Head/neck Chest Leg/foot, left Leg/foot, right
Good Good Good Good Good Good

Not such a big difference, except 12 years in age.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick R
engine speeds but with the windows down I could actually hear the Turbo
whistle going g downhill.

Under these conditions (presuming you were off gas pedal which means off boost), the turbo should not have even been running. What you heard was probably just the regular engine whine.
 
Originally Posted By: zyxelenator
What I was trying to say, that 36mpg in modern, small car is not so impressive.
Camry is quiet and comfy.


Start your own thread, then.

One thing about BITOG that never disappoints: Someone starts a thread about a particular vehicle, and then other people have to hijack the thread about how their such-and-such car is better, cheaper, more reliable, safer, better looking, or whatever. Sorry, but it really kills any desire I've ever had to start a thread of my own.

Let Nick enjoy his new car.
 
^ I could give an example with any other car. And yes, there are at least 2 big threads about my car.
 
Last edited:
The turbo will be fine, I would be more worried about the transmission. You should plan a full ATF flush around 10-15k mile mark to get rid of break in metals, just like you did with the engine oil.

Edit:

To the poster trying to compare his 99 Camry to Cruze, just look at the weight, Cruze weights almost the same as your Camry. Also, that V6 engine is low strung with something like 170-180 HP and 200 ft-lbs of torque and your emission system is far less restrictive than today’s systems. Get into the current V6 Camry and you will be lucky to break 30 mpg.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Nick R
So today I drove from Saratoga NY to kittery Maine,


Why didn't you call?
lol.gif


MT Washington has a list of banned cars. Saturn S series automatics and retired cop cars (with lockout) make the list since they can't shift into first gear. Did you get inspected by the staff?

Most cars whine in manual first with serious engine braking. Maybe using the other side of the gear teeth? Automatics usually freewheel unless in low, so your car will make strange noises.
 
Originally Posted By: crinkles
They say go to lowest gear but you kept it in 6th?


Sorry, sixth on the way to the mountain, typing this on my phone is difficult
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Nick R
So today I drove from Saratoga NY to kittery Maine,


Why didn't you call?
lol.gif


MT Washington has a list of banned cars. Saturn S series automatics and retired cop cars (with lockout) make the list since they can't shift into first gear. Did you get inspected by the staff?

Most cars whine in manual first with serious engine braking. Maybe using the other side of the gear teeth? Automatics usually freewheel unless in low, so your car will make strange noises.


I guess they knew I had manual first because that's what he told me to do. It wasn't really a wine it was more of a whistle. I dunno, its odd.

Also, I'm still here and will be thru midday friday
 
Originally Posted By: zyxelenator
Originally Posted By: Nick R
So today I drove from Saratoga NY to kittery Maine, 250 highway miles. Managed 35.2mpg which is excellent considering I was going mostly 75 with a/c on high.

My old Camry had 34-35.6 mpg (not sure on exact numbers), couple weeks ago,under same conditions + about 30 miles in little town with very high hills and swirly roads. Where is promised 42 mpg for Cruze?


"Under same conditions"?

Your old Camry has the same miles on the clock as his '11 Cruze? Right.

I promise his Cruze is quieter DBA inside, and a much smoother ride than your older Camry. And no, his optimal mileage won't be in mountains, or at over 70mph.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Nick R
engine speeds but with the windows down I could actually hear the Turbo
whistle going g downhill.

Under these conditions (presuming you were off gas pedal which means off boost), the turbo should not have even been running. What you heard was probably just the regular engine whine.

The turbo doesn't just stop running. The turbo will ALWAYS be spinning when the engine is running. You can definitely hear the turbo whine when coasting downhill with the RPMs up. I've been driving turbo vehicles for years and can always hear the turbo whistle when the conditions are right.
 
Not bad! Glad to hear the Cruze was up to the challenge, and that it meets EPA ratings under significantly tougher highway conditions than the test mandates.

The turbo was spinning since there was still engine braking going on. No fuel was being injected, but the air was still moving through the cylinders at a pretty good rate.

Agreed on the transmission flush at 10-15k miles. Get that junk out of there, and put in a Magnefine or other filter. Knowing GM, the "filter" in that transmission is just a rock-catcher.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

L
  • Locked
Starved vehicle for fluids on hill climb?
Replies
8
Views
5K
fsskier
W
  • Locked
More cost effective: Braking or downshifting?
2 3 4
Replies
61
Views
26K
BMWTurboDzl
N
  • Locked
Advice on travelling on I-95 south
2 3
Replies
40
Views
18K
CROWNVIC4LIFE
THORROMIG
  • Locked
Anyone cringe when someone drives your car?
2 3
Replies
45
Views
8K
CourierDriver
W
Mountain driving
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
UG_Passat
Back
Top Bottom