I Bought A Chevy Cruze

[katabeachbum]

Did the OP ever try a Mitsu 2 litre mivec 2 G.T. for under a Mill with discount.. What a precise Car, most impressed. Feels like an Engineer built it, not an Accountant.

It is an amazing car at that price, and looks far better than Cruze. Would be my choice in this segment, in red metallic

but still what? 200,000b more expensive?

Cruze 1,8 LTZ is 998k baht, lowest spec with factory leather and 4 airbags. OP has a low spec with one airbag and aftermarket leather

[WarpSpeed]

Did the OP ever try a Mitsu 2 litre mivec 2 G.T. for under a Mill with discount.. What a precise Car, most impressed. Feels like an Engineer built it, not an Accountant.

It is an amazing car at that price, and looks far better than Cruze. Would be my choice in this segment, in red metallic

but still what? 200,000b more expensive?

Cruze 1,8 LTZ is 998k baht, lowest spec with factory leather and 4 airbags. OP has a low spec with one airbag and aftermarket leather

Yes, so as CBR suggests..... Apples and oranges...

[wandrinstar]

This ones Red, she {Thai Lady} hasn't put tints on it yet.That's nice this weather,but she already knows about Cold Tea,as someone pointed out.The front end looks Audi, or Audi looks Mitsu, not sure. But I am sure it was 1 Mill incl Road Tax and Plate exchange,to her Vanity Plate.Seen the Paperwork. Ready for the Road, lights powerful, Seats Perfect for me,handling well,i'm speechless, on rails in the mountain rain last night.. I shall Go Play later today.Promise no Cruze Sniping, its not comparing the same class type apart from its labeled a C.Sector.Im having a re think , but it is 300 more than a top City, just to go shopping.

[thaicruze]

Did the OP ever try a Mitsu 2 litre mivec 2 G.T. for under a Mill with discount.. What a precise Car, most impressed. Feels like an Engineer built it, not an Accountant.

It is an amazing car at that price, and looks far better than Cruze. Would be my choice in this segment, in red metallic

but still what? 200,000b more expensive?

Cruze 1,8 LTZ is 998k baht, lowest spec with factory leather and 4 airbags. OP has a low spec with one airbag and aftermarket leather

1.8LTZ is low spec?

That sentence made no sense

The 1.8LTZ is the top Cruze. The 2.0 Diesel is the same car with a different engine.

Yes. My 1.8 LS has 1 airbag. Other than that is the same car as mine with a few more options I'll never use. 1 million baht just to get another airbag is not worth it for me. But that's my particular situation. Actually, it should come standard with 10 airbags. Even the 1.6 735,000 baht Cruze should come equipped with airbags everywhere. But even those won't make any difference for me. If I had many people in my car or kids, then I would go for something else.

You choose the car that fits you and your situation. For me the 1.8LS is perfect.

To answer the question, no. I don't like Mitsubishi cars. They're ugly.

And I'm not paying 1,000,000 baht for a Mitsubishi. Also a 2.0L GT Mitsubishi = shit real world fuel economy.

Guys who buy those cars have delusions of being "fast and furious". Get a Porsche if you want a sports car. I want a car that gives me a very quiet and ccomfortable ride. I would buy the mitsubishi GT if I had a 16 year old son, but not for a grown ass man.

I seriously doubt the GT Mitsubishi is anywhere near as quiet as a Chevy Cruze.

Edited August 21, 2011 by thaicruze

[thaicruze]

Did the OP ever try a Mitsu 2 litre mivec 2 G.T. for under a Mill with discount.. What a precise Car, most impressed. Feels like an Engineer built it, not an Accountant.

It is an amazing car at that price, and looks far better than Cruze. Would be my choise in this segment, in red metallic

The aggressive "sport" styling and the crap fuel economy would make me get sick of it in less than a year.

I leave these cars for Paul Walker and Fast and Furious part 6. For my real life, I prefer something like a Cruze.

Also, the 1980's interior and the thin steering wheel with the horrendous cheap silver accents really put me off

My Cruze has an infinitely more modern and classy interior

Edited August 21, 2011 by thaicruze

[elrey]

I guess it's a matter of choice, I prefer the Mitsu... by far! The chevy's interior, well, it looks ugly american, specially the radio.. I would get tired of that looking at it in the showroom..

Gawd that ugly chevy logo would just make me feel 2nd rate all day...

I fattened up my steering wheel by putting on a leather wrap, cost me the equivalent of about 600 Baht, still looks awesome today...

Plus, you can always rely on a Mitsu dealer far more than... a chevy..

Edited August 21, 2011 by elrey

[thaicruze]

I love it when cheap Japanese cars want to have an 'upscale" look and they put cheap plastic wood trim. like thats going to make it better

Not impressed.

Been driving my Cruze for over a week now. Nothing bad to report. Excellent. It's the best car I've ever owned. I used to have a Maxima many years ago. That was a great car. This is my new favorite. The more I drive it the shittier everything else looks.

Fuel economy is 10-11km/l City and 15hwy, although I haven't driven it a long way on the hwy. On your average stop and go and bits of hwy driving, typical bkk commute, the Cruze will average about 12km/l.

It's the bangkok stop and go that really kills any car's fuel economy. If you have a long stretch of hwy to cover, the cruze will give you 15-16km/l no problem, so I am getting what the sticker says. Sticker says 24-36. I would say on a regular basis you can count on 25-28mpg. Depends on your driving, this is based on my driving.

It really grips the road, excellent on wet roads, never feels out of control. excellent build quality. Not small but not so big you cant manage some weaving in and out of traffic. You can sit high, if you adjust the seat high, so you can see right down the bonnet. The A, B and C pillars are exactly where they are supposed to be. Unlike the City with an impossibly long A pillar, in the Cruze you don't find yourself looking around the pillars to see on coming cars.

The seats give you great lateral support so you don't feel like your sliding on the seat. It feels like a jet cockpit.

Overall, I'm extremely satisfied.

Not sure if the only way to plug in your iPOd in the Lancer is in the glove compartment, but if it is that's a terrible place to put a USB connection.

I put my iPhone in the center console. Close it and off I go. I can of course go through the songs using the steering wheel, or you can browse your albums using the HID car screen. You can tell it to shuffle or whatever. You can also set how the lighting in the car works and the locks. You can even tell it the exact volume you want the radio to be in when you turn on the car.

Loving my Cruze,

oh and I washed it yesterday,

Love the HUMONGOUS Chevy bow tie in the front.

It says: "I'm a Chevy and if you don't like it FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU"

Edited August 21, 2011 by thaicruze

[thaicbr]

I love it when cheap Japanese cars want to have an 'upscale" look and they put cheap plastic wood trim. like thats going to make it better

I suppose that's like putting cheap leather in a car that didn't have leather in the 1st place just saying

[transam]

I love it when cheap Japanese cars want to have an 'upscale" look and they put cheap plastic wood trim. like thats going to make it better

But it does look better.

[thaicruze]

I love it when cheap Japanese cars want to have an 'upscale" look and they put cheap plastic wood trim. like thats going to make it better

I suppose that's like putting cheap leather in a car that didn't have leather in the 1st place just saying

The leather in my car is the same that comes in the LTZ. Actually, the texture is much better in mine.

Go sit inside an LTZ and check out the leather for yourself.

The leather inside my car is not cheap leather. Otherwise I wouldn't have done it. The leather I have now is better than the leather my Sebring came with from the factory.

Also, if you get an LTZ but you don't want the 2 tone orange leather that comes with it, the dealer will give you the exact same leather that's in my car.

You have an option for Vinyl or other cheap leather if you want though.

Maybe you think the leather they put in the factory in Rayong is some sort of super leather

It's the exact same shit. I thought I showed pictures of my leather didn't I?

Edited August 21, 2011 by thaicruze

[thaicbr]

I love it when cheap Japanese cars want to have an 'upscale" look and they put cheap plastic wood trim. like thats going to make it better

I suppose that's like putting cheap leather in a car that didn't have leather in the 1st place just saying

The leather in my car is the same that comes in the LTZ. Actually, the texture is much better in mine.

Go sit inside an LTZ and check out the leather for yourself.

The leather inside my car is not cheap leather. Otherwise I wouldn't have done it. The leather I have now is better than the leather my Sebring came with from the factory.

Also, if you get an LTZ but you don't want the 2 tone orange leather that comes with it, the dealer will give you the exact same leather that's in my car.

You have an option for Vinyl or other cheap leather if you want though.

Maybe you think the leather they put in the factory in Rayong is some sort of super leather

It's the exact same shit. I thought I showed pictures of my leather didn't I?

The exact same.... How can you be so sure. unless it came from the factory... I like your write up's about the Cruze but stick to facts.. in this thread you stated 'the leather is the same, actually the texture in mine is better" so ummmm not the same just saying.

I also think i remember you saying something about the factory leather is perforated but yours is not!!!

Edited August 21, 2011 by thaicbr

[thaicruze]

Not sure if the only way to plug in your iPOd in the Lancer is in the glove compartment, but if it is that's a terrible place to put a USB connection.

When you have an iPod, then I think that's the best place for it, you can leave your iPod in the car without someone seeing it laying in the Center Console

I put my iPhone in the center console. Close it and off I go. I can of course go through the songs using the steering wheel, or you can browse your albums using the HID car screen. You can tell it to shuffle or whatever.

That even a Vigo can do nowadays, so that's nothing special about the Cruze.

I think every modern car can do that. At least the competitive ones.

And no. You can't see my iPhone in my car. The center console is CLOSED. How can you see it?

You put it in here

You close the lid.

How are you plugging in anything into a glove box? There's all kinds of stuff in there.

Edited August 21, 2011 by thaicruze

[thaicruze]

I love it when cheap Japanese cars want to have an 'upscale" look and they put cheap plastic wood trim. like thats going to make it better

I suppose that's like putting cheap leather in a car that didn't have leather in the 1st place just saying

The leather in my car is the same that comes in the LTZ. Actually, the texture is much better in mine.

Go sit inside an LTZ and check out the leather for yourself.

The leather inside my car is not cheap leather. Otherwise I wouldn't have done it. The leather I have now is better than the leather my Sebring came with from the factory.

Also, if you get an LTZ but you don't want the 2 tone orange leather that comes with it, the dealer will give you the exact same leather that's in my car.

You have an option for Vinyl or other cheap leather if you want though.

Maybe you think the leather they put in the factory in Rayong is some sort of super leather

It's the exact same shit. I thought I showed pictures of my leather didn't I?

The exact same.... How can you be so sure. unless it came from the factory... I like your write up's about the Cruze but stick to facts.. in this thread you stated 'the leather is the same, actually the texture in mine is better" so ummmm not the same just saying.

I also think i remember you saying something about the factory leather is perforated but yours is not!!!

Sorry, but now I know you've never been inside a Cruze

Firstly, the show car with the orange 2 tone leather is the only leather that comes with the LTZ. That's it. Also, it's NOT perforated

This is how it comes from the Factory

Does that look perforated to you? No.

I did make a comment of a Chevy dealer that had a customer cat where the customer put some sort of cheap leather in the car that it was obviously not factory, not real, it had this horrible white stitching everywhere, it was perforated and it had the word CRUZE stitched in blue.

Now. If you get an LTZ, and you aren't into the 2 tone orange, they will arrange it for you just like they did mine. They order it and they install it. It's the same as the LTZ 2 tone but you can choose the texture. The texture in the LTZ is thin and feels a bit plasticky. It is an under 1 million baht car after all. If you get into a 2 million baht Camry hybrid, for example, the leather in that car is much better than in the Cruze (factory installed leather).

At least if you order it yourself, you ca. Choose the texture and it'll come out much better and comfortable than the factory installed 2 tone orange one.

If you want close ups of mine, I can take some shots and show you it's much better quality than the leather pictured above that comes installed in the LTZ.

[WarpSpeed]

How's this for a shocker, people saying how much more expensive it is to live in the west and all. Last night looked up a 2011 Cruze in the States and the first one that came up was a mid spec with more features and airbags including side air bags for a starting price, not even after cutting a deal unsderstand, of, get this,,, 479,940b!! In fairness this was a used Cruze with 37 miles on it Isn't the Cruze manufactured/assembled here? So why the ridiculous difference in price? It's not even close, especially when you consider package too. Rhetorical question btw as someone is clearly lining their pockets and calling it Taxes ...

BTW it dawns on me now after searching cars back home that one of the things I like about the Cruze is the lines from the side mirror the previous Passat which I loved, I like the new one too but the 2000 Passat had a nice sweeping roof line the Cruze mirrors..

Edited August 21, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[thaicruze]

How's this for a shocker, people saying how much more expensive it is the west and all. Last night looked up a 2011 Cruze in the States and the first one that came up was medium spec with more features and airbags including side air bags for starting price, not even after cutting a deal, of, get this,,, 479,940b!! In fairness this was a used Cruze with 37 miles on it Isn't the Cruze manufactured/assembled here? So why the ridiculous difference in price? It's not even close, especially when you consider package too. Rhetorical question btw as someone is clearly lining their pockets and calling it Taxes ...

BTW it dawns on me now after searching cars back home that one of the things I like about the Cruze is the lines from the side mirror the previous Passat which I loved, I like the new one too but the 2000 Passat had a nice sweeping roof line the Cruze mirrors..

And the nicer the car, the worse it is.

I'm paying about 70% over the price from the USA.

A guy buying a porsche boxter is paying about 230% over te actualy price.

I'm paying about 300,000 baht over the price. The Boxter guy pays about 4.5 million over the price.

[rixalex]

Cruze 1,8 LTZ is 998k baht, lowest spec with factory leather and 4 airbags. OP has a low spec with one airbag and aftermarket leather

1.8LTZ is low spec?

That sentence made no sense

Made sense to me. He wasn't saying the the LTZ was the lowest spec in the range, he was saying that if you buy the LTZ without any extras (ie lowest spec version of LTZ) it comes with leather and 4 airbags.

[thaicruze]

This is my "cheap ass" leather compared to the factory one. I tried to get the same angle

Yes. It's the same. The only difference is my texture is thicker and rougher than the one the LTZ comes with from the factory.

Here are some closeups.

So, the 2 tone orange stuff is not some sort of magical leather. It's the same stuff. If you don't want it, you can change it and they will give you the samples so you can choose the texture and color.

[WarpSpeed]

I suppose that's like putting cheap leather in a car that didn't have leather in the 1st place just saying

The leather in my car is the same that comes in the LTZ. Actually, the texture is much better in mine.

Go sit inside an LTZ and check out the leather for yourself.

The leather inside my car is not cheap leather. Otherwise I wouldn't have done it. The leather I have now is better than the leather my Sebring came with from the factory.

Also, if you get an LTZ but you don't want the 2 tone orange leather that comes with it, the dealer will give you the exact same leather that's in my car.

You have an option for Vinyl or other cheap leather if you want though.

Maybe you think the leather they put in the factory in Rayong is some sort of super leather

It's the exact same shit. I thought I showed pictures of my leather didn't I?

The exact same.... How can you be so sure. unless it came from the factory... I like your write up's about the Cruze but stick to facts.. in this thread you stated 'the leather is the same, actually the texture in mine is better" so ummmm not the same just saying.

I also think i remember you saying something about the factory leather is perforated but yours is not!!!

Sorry, but now I know you've never been inside a Cruze

Firstly, the show car with the orange 2 tone leather is the only leather that comes with the LTZ. That's it. Also, it's NOT perforated

This is how it comes from the Factory

Does that look perforated to you? No.

I did make a comment of a Chevy dealer that had a customer cat where the customer put some sort of cheap leather in the car that it was obviously not factory, not real, it had this horrible white stitching everywhere, it was perforated and it had the word CRUZE stitched in blue.

Now. If you get an LTZ, and you aren't into the 2 tone orange, they will arrange it for you just like they did mine. They order it and they install it. It's the same as the LTZ 2 tone but you can choose the texture. The texture in the LTZ is thin and feels a bit plasticky. It is an under 1 million baht car after all. If you get into a 2 million baht Camry hybrid, for example, the leather in that car is much better than in the Cruze (factory installed leather).

At least if you order it yourself, you ca. Choose the texture and it'll come out much better and comfortable than the factory installed 2 tone orange one.

If you want close ups of mine, I can take some shots and show you it's much better quality than the leather pictured above that comes installed in the LTZ.

I'm going to make one comment on this and I'm not going to argue the point. The seats in your car were not the same as factory leather seats and you also made the comment about them being more forgiving then the factory leather seats once you had the leather installed and it also shows in the pictures but a leather seat has a firmer feel for a reason and that's to support the leather from over-stretching and in short order tearing out the seams and cracking the leather so putting leather over frames and foam supports of a cloth seat is eventually going to end up in tears if the leather is not tufted at the seams IT IS NOT THE SAME AS FACTORY maybe this doesn't happen while you own the car but maybe it will.

[rixalex]

And the nicer the car, the worse it is.

I'm paying about 70% over the price from the USA.

A guy buying a porsche boxter is paying about 230% over te actualy price.

I'm paying about 300,000 baht over the price. The Boxter guy pays about 4.5 million over the price.

Personally, i'd much rather pay a lot more for a car and a decent wedge of that money back when i sell it, than buy it at a cheaper price and then have it worth peanuts a few years later. In the UK if you look around at Benz's on used car forecourts you can pick of something top notch like an S-Class, an SL, a CLS, that is a few years old, for around the 10 thousand pound mark. Have a look at what price those cars sell for used in Thailand.

Same goes for the likes of BMW, Porsche etc

[thaicruze]

Cruze 1,8 LTZ is 998k baht, lowest spec with factory leather and 4 airbags. OP has a low spec with one airbag and aftermarket leather

1.8LTZ is low spec?

That sentence made no sense

Made sense to me. He wasn't saying the the LTZ was the lowest spec in the range, he was saying that if you buy the LTZ without any extras (ie lowest spec version of LTZ) it comes with leather and 4 airbags.

You also make no sense.

Here in Thailand, the Cruze comes in 3 versions. The 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0

The 1.8 comes in 3 different trims. The LS, LT, and LTZ. The LTZ is the top Chevy Cruze. It costs 998,000 baht.

You can't get a "cheap" LTZ. The LTZ is the LTZ. It comes with a set of standard features. There are no "extras". What "extras" are you talking about?

The 2.0 LTZ is the same car, only with a diesel engine. The options are the same as the 1.8LTZ.

There is no such thing as a "cheap LTZ". You can get an LT, that's cheaper. Comes with 2 airbags.

Edited August 21, 2011 by thaicruze

[WarpSpeed]

And the nicer the car, the worse it is.

I'm paying about 70% over the price from the USA.

A guy buying a porsche boxter is paying about 230% over te actualy price.

I'm paying about 300,000 baht over the price. The Boxter guy pays about 4.5 million over the price.

Personally, i'd much rather pay a lot more for a car and a decent wedge of that money back when i sell it, than buy it at a cheaper price and then have it worth peanuts a few years later. In the UK if you look around at Benz's on used car forecourts you can pick of something top notch like an S-Class, an SL, a CLS, that is a few years old, for around the 10 thousand pound mark. Have a look at what price those cars sell for used in Thailand.

Same goes for the likes of BMW, Porsche etc

And how is one different then the other? It's all relative.. Pay more get the same back as if you pay less and get less back. But I'll tell how it's different, when paying more on the front end and in the financing so more cash down and it adds up to cost even more in the end due to interest paid as well during the loan term..

Edited August 21, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[rixalex]

Cruze 1,8 LTZ is 998k baht, lowest spec with factory leather and 4 airbags. OP has a low spec with one airbag and aftermarket leather

1.8LTZ is low spec?

That sentence made no sense

Made sense to me. He wasn't saying the the LTZ was the lowest spec in the range, he was saying that if you buy the LTZ without any extras (ie lowest spec version of LTZ) it comes with leather and 4 airbags.

You also make no sense.

Here in Thailand, the Cruze comes in 3 versions. The 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0

The 1.8 comes in 3 different trims. The LS, LT, and LTZ. The LTZ is the top Chevy Cruze. It costs 998,000 baht.

You can't get a "cheap" LTZ. The LTZ is the LTZ. It comes with a set of standard features. There are no "extras". What "extras" are you talking about?

The 2.0 LTZ is the same car, only with a diesel engine. The options are the same as the 1.8LTZ.

There is no such thing as a "cheap LTZ". You can get an LT, that's cheaper. Comes with 2 airbags.

Who said anything about getting a "cheap" LTZ? Nobody.

All i did was tell you my understanding of what KBB said. And that was that an LTZ without any extras comes with factory leather and 4 airbags. If you are saying there are no extras available, i have to say i find that very surprising. Usually even top models have some extras. Anyway, by the by. Point was, KBB wasn't claiming the LTZ to be the lowest spec model.

[thaicruze]

I'm going to make one comment on this and I'm not going to argue the point. The seats in your car were not the same as factory leather seats and you also made the comment about them being more forgiving then the factory leather seats once you had the leather installed and it also shows in the pictures but a leather seat has a firmer feel for a reason and that's to support the leather from over-stretching and in short order tearing out the seams and cracking the leather so putting leather over frames and foam supports of a cloth seat is eventually going to end up in tears if the leather is not tufted at the seams IT IS NOT THE SAME AS FACTORY maybe this doesn't happen while you own the car but maybe it will.

You haven't sat in my car. How do you know how firm my seats are?

My seats, just like every Cruze, are very firm. Some say they are too firm. This is all subjective. You can't judge the firmness of my seats by a comment I made.

It's true, that the leather I have now make the seats softer. It doesn't make them any less firm. They are as stiff as any Cruze, but you don't have the Cruze cloth which is more like a rough backpack material.

My seats are very firm. The seats are the same as that LTZ.

Your post is highly speculative. You've never sat in an LTZ and if you have, you've never sat in my car.

Difference is, I know I've sat in both.

[katabeachbum]

Cruze 1,8 LTZ is 998k baht, lowest spec with factory leather and 4 airbags. OP has a low spec with one airbag and aftermarket leather

1.8LTZ is low spec?

That sentence made no sense

Made sense to me. He wasn't saying the the LTZ was the lowest spec in the range, he was saying that if you buy the LTZ without any extras (ie lowest spec version of LTZ) it comes with leather and 4 airbags.

spot on, thats what I said. and this would be the only Cruze close to Mitsu Lancer GT in spec/price, except Mitsu comes with more power and much better handling and steering

and changing leather on a car with side airbags built into seats, you are basicly down to 2 front airbags, as the seat airbags are not likely to work as designed

[rixalex]

And how is one different then the other?

Bottom line for me is how much money i lose, not how much i pay, and i believe that in not all, but a lot of cases, one would lose less money in Thailand, than one would in let's say the UK.

[thaicruze]

.

Who said anything about getting a "cheap" LTZ? Nobody.

All i did was tell you my understanding of what KBB said. And that was that an LTZ without any extras comes with factory leather and 4 airbags. If you are saying there are no extras available, i have to say i find that very surprising. Usually even top models have some extras. Anyway, by the by. Point was, KBB wasn't claiming the LTZ to be the lowest spec model.

There is no lower spec LTZ. It comes with a standard set of features. You can't say "I want an LTZ without remote start and without auto rain sensing". They'll tell you to get an LT then. You can't take the options out.

Just go to the Chevy Thailand website and you can see each model and what they come with. They aren't things you can take on or off. You get a 1.8 LTZ, you pay 998,000 baht. The end. There are no "extras" that you can take out for a cheaper LTZ. That would be an LT.

[WarpSpeed]

I'm going to make one comment on this and I'm not going to argue the point. The seats in your car were not the same as factory leather seats and you also made the comment about them being more forgiving then the factory leather seats once you had the leather installed and it also shows in the pictures but a leather seat has a firmer feel for a reason and that's to support the leather from over-stretching and in short order tearing out the seams and cracking the leather so putting leather over frames and foam supports of a cloth seat is eventually going to end up in tears if the leather is not tufted at the seams IT IS NOT THE SAME AS FACTORY maybe this doesn't happen while you own the car but maybe it will.

You haven't sat in my car. How do you know how firm my seats are?

Years of buying cars and evaluating them on sight that's how, and besides look back at your own quotes and unless you're waffling now that's one way as you yourself said they're more forgiving then the factory leather. Secondly the fact that you put leather over previously cloth seats and I know for a fact they aren't the same support, as cloth stretches without tearing but leather has little give intentionally. Finally I can see the difference in the pictures I don't need to sit on seats to tell if they're softer, I can just look at the material and such and see the patterns on the material and whether or not it's loosely installed..

[WarpSpeed]

And how is one different then the other?

Bottom line for me is how much money i lose, not how much i pay, and i believe that in not all, but a lot of cases, one would lose less money in Thailand, than one would in let's say the UK.

Right so by that logic I guess the rest of my post went over your head or you ignored it because the economics of it say you lose more paying and financing more up front..

That also doesn't take into account the future resales market and right now both economies are first rate examples of that, as many people bought cars and SUV's for example which have been significantly reduced in resales value now which is a major reason the prices are depressed anyways and they're upside down on their payments..

Edited August 21, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[thaicruze]

Cruze 1,8 LTZ is 998k baht, lowest spec with factory leather and 4 airbags. OP has a low spec with one airbag and aftermarket leather

1.8LTZ is low spec?

That sentence made no sense

Made sense to me. He wasn't saying the the LTZ was the lowest spec in the range, he was saying that if you buy the LTZ without any extras (ie lowest spec version of LTZ) it comes with leather and 4 airbags.

spot on, thats what I said. and this would be the only Cruze close to Mitsu Lancer GT in spec/price, except Mitsu comes with more power and much better handling and steering

and changing leather on a car with side airbags built into seats, you are basicly down to 2 front airbags, as the seat airbags are not likely to work as designed

Well, mine doesn't have side airbags, so who cares?

Also, your comment about "better handling" in the lancer, we can assume that you test drove them both extensively, correct?

And again, there is no "stripped down version" of an LTZ. There is nothing to take out. It comes as it comes. It's the LTZ. Period.

Edited August 21, 2011 by thaicruze

[rixalex]

.

Who said anything about getting a "cheap" LTZ? Nobody.

All i did was tell you my understanding of what KBB said. And that was that an LTZ without any extras comes with factory leather and 4 airbags. If you are saying there are no extras available, i have to say i find that very surprising. Usually even top models have some extras. Anyway, by the by. Point was, KBB wasn't claiming the LTZ to be the lowest spec model.

There is no lower spec LTZ. It comes with a standard set of features. You can't say "I want an LTZ without remote start and without auto rain sensing". They'll tell you to get an LT then. You can't take the options out.

Just go to the Chevy Thailand website and you can see each model and what they come with. They aren't things you can take on or off. You get a 1.8 LTZ, you pay 998,000 baht. The end. There are no "extras" that you can take out for a cheaper LTZ. That would be an LT.

I wasn't talking about taking options off. I was talking about being able to add extra options. Even top of the line models in their range usually have extra options that you can add.