2019 Chevy Cruze vs 2019 Honda Civic

• 2019 Chevy Cruze

  

  Starting at

  $17,995

  2019 Honda Civic

  

  Starting at

  $19,450

  177-240 lb-ft	Torque	138-192 lb-ft
  14.8 cu.ft.	Trunk Space	14.7 cu.ft.
  Available	4G LTE WiFi	Not Available

  For all those drivers not swept up in the current truck and SUV mania that is sweeping the nation, there are still plenty of viable car and sedan options on the market, at least for the 2019 release year. Soon cars may be a thing of the past, but it is hard to believe that the sedan will truly go the way of the dodo. Cars and sedans have been a mainstay in the automotive industry for generations due to a core reliability that leads to long-lasting vehicles, low gas mileage, and all-around affordability. They are a sturdy middle of the road vehicle that not only transports you from point A to point B, but also provide the style and comfort of a much larger vehicle. And to top it off, all of this is provided at a mid to low price point than SUVs and trucks. It is no wonder America has previously had such a love affair with small cars and larger sedans. Chevy and Honda are two heavyweights in the automotive industry and their 2019 offerings in their sedan lineup include two generational stalwarts in the Cruze and Civic, respectively. Deciding between these two iconic car models can pose a serious dilemma for potential car buyers; both vehicles have impressive track records, and their similarities can make selecting one over the other a difficult process. Since you have already made the brave decision to drive a car in an SUV dominated world, we have taken the liberty of providing a spec by spec analysis of both vehicles to help you decide which car best suits your needs as a driver. We have pitted the 2019 Chevy Cruze vs 2019 Honda Civic, and the results in the crowded compact car market reveal a tight race that eventually finds the Chevy Cruze pulling ahead of the competition by providing a maximum level of comfort on all trims with the latest up-to-date technology.

  In the compact car segment that reaches from sedan to hatchback, both the Chevy Cruze and the Honda CIvic are viable options at the top of their class. We think it is pretty clear, though, that given the higher price tag on the Honda Civic as well as its failings on the tech front, that the clear winner, dollar for dollar, is the Chevy Cruze. With the Cruze, drivers get practically the same storage capacity, similar if not better fuel mileage, and a well designed, working technology interface all for a much lower price. Oh yeah, and did we mention that J.D. Power and Associates awarded a 4.5 out of 5 rating to the Chevy Cruze for reliability standards. The majority of compact vehicles in this class fall between 2.5 and 3.5; so yeah, the Cruze is definitely among the best in the segment.

• Performance

  

  The Chevy Cruze may be limited on selectable engine options with only two available, the turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine (153 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque) and the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel (137 hp, 240 lb-ft of torque), but it more than makes up for this shortage with excellent handling and better than average gas mileage in comparison to industry standards for compact sedans. Even with only two engine options, Chevy has outfitted the Cruze with a engine that soundly bests the standard engine of the rival Honda Civic in overall performance, fuel economy standards, and pulling power. The Cruze’s 1.4-liter may not be the quickest to accelerate out the gate, but it moves quickly once you get going and even the automatic transmission makes it a fun compact to drive. Most reviewers acknowledge Cruze’s adaptability on the road, tight handling, and responsive presence, the compact sedan actually tends to feel more like a much larger vehicle on the road. Its braking is also impressively responsive given the vehicle’s class and only needed 110 feet to completely stop from 60 mph in Edmunds testing. As far as fuel economy, drivers will scoff at ever remotely considering purchasing an SUV with the Cruze getting an estimated 28 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway; outfitted with the 1.6-liter diesel, the Cruze one-ups itself providing an industry leading 31 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway (according to CarandDriver, this 48 mpg highway number has the potential to be significantly higher reaching 52 mpg in real-world testing).

  On paper, the 2019 Honda Civic can be deceptive as most stats will only reveal figures for the upgraded turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine (174 hp, 162 lb-ft of torque); the upgraded 1.5-liter is an impressive addition to any compact sedan and performs above industry standards, but it comes with a much higher price. The standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (158 horsepower, 138 lb-ft of torque) actually is averagely competitive for compact sedans but ultimately falls short of the Cruze’s performance specs from its standard engine. It comes with a more traditional six-speed manual transmission, a jumpy CVT automatic transmission is offered for better fuel economy as an upgraded option with an additional price tag, that earns it a below-average EPA fuel economy rating of 25 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. Of course the option of equipping the Civic with a 1.5L Turbocharged 4-Cylinder engine provides slightly better fuel economy than the Cruze (32mpg city/42 mpg highway), but all this must be achieved at an additional price and pales in comparison to the Cruze’s upgraded diesel option.

• Interior

  

  Juggling cargo space and room enough for comfortable passenger seating often times can make or break a sale on a vehicle. This is a dilemma that even many SUVs are still struggling to find a solution to; that perfect ratio of leg room and storage space in the smallest of packages. The Chevy Cruze and the Honda Civic both deftly balance the two by sectioning off a respectable amount of room for storage while never sacrificing the comfort or more aptly the legroom of its passenger seating. Considering the Cruze is an entry-level compact car with an entry-level price, drivers are in for a treat in regards to its spacious interior cabin, especially for leg and headroom in the back seat. Plenty of leeway is provided in both the front and back row of seating, as well as a significant amount of room for passengers to stretch their legs even with tall riders in the front. All this passenger limb and head space is provided while maintaining a sizable trunk space of 14.8 cubic feet in the sedan models and 22.7 cubic feet in the hatchback, the Cruze is a few a decimal points short of the Honda Civic’s storage capacity but drivers can get the decked out Cruze at a fraction of the price; it seems like a fair trade for an almost unnoticeable difference in cubic feet, thus placing the Cruze close to the top of its class for cargo space. As far as the quality of the Cruze’s roomy interior, the relatively inexpensive vehicle has an unexpected upscale feel. The entire cabin is outfitted with high-quality materials, and the higher trim levels come with luxury accents along with the option of leather upholstery. Drivers will be hard-pressed to find such high quality and luxury finishes on any vehicle at a similar price point.

  As mentioned previously, the Honda Civic does not disappoint and is more than up to the challenge when it comes to balancing storage capacity and passenger comfort. With seats in their full upright and locked positions, the Civic’s sedan option provides 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space and the hatchback is capable of 25.7 cubic feet of cargo space; both sedan and hatchback models provide more than respectable numbers for cargo space capacity, but it seems designers may have sacrificed the comfort of the back row seating for additional cubic feet of storage. Although the front seating provides ample head and leg room for both driver and shotgun passenger, the second row of seating in the rear can feel crampedcr. When comparing the two compact cars for utility, the Civic only makes sense for parties of two or three looking to hit the open road or with a penchant for outdoors activities. For overall ride quality and functionality, our money is still on the Chevy Cruze even though the numbers game plays out in favor of the Civic. Practically the same amount of cargo space is afforded the Chevy Cruze without sacrificing the comfort of riding passengers and all of it comes at a much more inexpensive price.

• Technology

  

  On the tech front, the Cruze benefits greatly from being a part of the Chevy family. Many companies have struggled with Bluetooth connectivity and creating easy to use infotainment systems especially on their cheaper no-frills automobiles, but this is not the case for Chevy. The GM subsidiary has mastered the infotainment aspect of modern vehicles making their MyLink infotainment system standard on practically all classes of Chevy vehicles. The 2019 Chevrolet Cruze gets the same treatment, as a 7-inch touchscreen comes standard on all trims run by the intuitive MyLink operating system. The display is both responsive and easy to use for even the most unsavvy tech patrons, and the color graphics and menu options have a crisp HD appearance that makes them easy to read. Even the base model Cruze offers Bluetooth compatibility, a 4G WiFi hotspot built in, and of course it is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

  As far as safety and driver assist aids, the Cruze once again benefits from being in Chevy’s stable of vehicles as all trims are outfitted with their StabiliTrak system. The system is essential in providing vehicle control in inclement weather or poor road conditions with traction control as well as stability and rollover protection, anti-lock brakes, and a rear-view camera. Upgraded trim level have the option of several driver assist aids like parking assist, blind-zone alerts, forward-collision detection, and rear cross-traffic alert. The top of the line driver assist aids only come with the top tier package, but at an already low price, the upgrades for the Chevy Cruze still place it well below industry standard prices for similar vehicles. These aids include lane-change alert, front pedestrian braking and a following-distance indicator.

  For such a legacy, flagship vehicle, the Civic has a history of underwhelming when it comes to the tech front. Honda has always provided the latest in tech offerings, but most of them seem like an afterthought as their performance is middling at best. The Civic’s tech generally gets the job done, but not without a sizable amount of driver frustration which also could be a safety hazard on its own when fumbling with stalling tech on the road. Honda has reportedly updated their infotainment system to much applause, but we are not so sure they got all the kinks out yet. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard as usual, and one advantage for the Civic is that Honda provides many safety systems standard on all trim levels. These features include automatic high beams, lane departure warning and mitigation, forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, road departure mitigation, and automatic cruise control. Bluetooth connectivity and a rearview camera are also standard features, but once again the voice control is more frustrating than operational as are many of the safety features. The collision warning system is overly sensitive and although drivers can alter the sensitivity settings, the constant warnings are unnecessarily annoying. As for the LaneWatch blind-spot camera, it once again seems like an unnecessary addition that becomes more of a dangerous distraction than its intended purpose of helping.

Check Out McCluskey Chevy!