I am off this week on the very first road trip with my husband since, hmm ... since before the eldest, now 19, was born. Chevy has provided me with some extra oomph and instead of driving my 2004 Ford Freestar minivan, we'll be test driving the 2012 Chevy Cruze LTZ.
Since my other car is a 2007 Ford Focus, I couldn't resist taking the Cruze for a quick drive before the road trip. It has many bells and whistles that none of my previous cars have had, so the dashboard was a bit confusing but also fun.
The questions I'll be looking to answer on this trip are:
1. Are those bells and whistles, such as the built-in navigation system, the USB port, the remote start, the photo-sensitive headlights and the heated seats worth it?
2. How does the 4-cylinder engine handle highway speeds?
3. How does it corner? I know it will be much, much better than the minivan. I'm going to test how responsive the steering is versus the Focus.
4. Is the engine quieter than any previous cars? GeekMom reported earlier this summer than Chevy's new Malibuwas designed by moms to cut down interior noise.
5. Just how accurate is the internal navigation? I'm much more of a fan of maps. I feel the urge to pit the navigation system against my map savvy.
6. How well can three kids fit in the back seat? The kids have to ride 90 minutes to the in-laws house to be dropped off. We'll see if they're comfortable or if the situation devolves in the back.
In the meantime, I know one answer. I could definitely get used to the satellite radio station of 80s hits.
