Chevrolet Cruze saloon

Drive

If you want petrol power you can choose between a 111bhp 1.6 or a 139bhp 1.8, but neither engine is particularly impressive, requiring lots of revs for decent performance. Chevrolet reckons they return around 40mpg combined, but you’re unlikely to get much more than 30mpg, less if you want to get anywhere quickly. On the other hand, the 123bhp 2.0-litre diesel is much faster and returns 50mpg. Starting at £15,045, it's a better bet than the £16,845 148bhp version. A five-speed manual is standard on most models, with a six-speed automatic for the petrols and higher-powered diesel. The car is composed enough through corners, but the steering doesn’t offer much feedback. That said, there's not much body roll in high-speed corners.

Comfort

Does the Chevrolet Cruze live up to its name? Not really. The suspension isn’t very smooth, and the car fidgets around on rough roads, meaning you have to make constant, small adjustments to the steering to keep the car travelling in a straight line. It's a shame that Chevrolet hasn’t injected more of the ‘big car’ feel promised by the spacious interior. Comfort and luxury isn’t great either, with plenty of wind noise entering the cabin while the petrol engines can sound strained at high speed and on the motorway. At least the driving position is good, thanks to reach and rake adjustment, while rear visibility is fine for a saloon.

Reliability

Given the Cruze's Astra-sourced underpinnings, we’d expect it to be pretty reliable. The cabin is also very well made and should give no trouble. Its Vauxhall Insignia-inspired dashboard looks quite upmarket with an attractive centre console and instruments with blue-backed dials. It's a pity there's so much grey material, and while the plastics are hard-wearing, they are basic in places. But there's no doubt the quality on offer is a big leap over other Chevrolets we’ve driven.

Practicality

Value for money

Here's where the Cruze really starts to shine with all models getting an impressive level of standard equipment. Entry-level S versions come with electric front windows, remote central locking, a CD player and air conditioning. Middle specification LS models add alloy wheels, foglights, electrically-adjustable (and heated) door mirrors not to mention very useful goodies such as rear parking sensors. The flagship LT has the lot – climate control, cruise control and electric rear windows, as well as automatic headlights and wipers. What's more stability control is standard across the range as are six airbags.

Running costs

If anything is going to tempt you into a Chevrolet dealership, it's the Cruze's price tag. At £13,395, it's by far the cheapest family car you can buy, and there's added peace of mind thanks to the firm's Five Year Promise, which includes five years' warranty, servicing, roadside assistance and MoT test cover. It's a great deal. However, there is a catch with the Cruze. While you might not be shelling out much money up front, second-hand resale values are low. The diesel models are economical, but the petrol versions aren’t while their CO2 emissions – affecting road tax and company car tax – are nothing better than average.