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Cruze Boasts “Fuel-saving Technology”

by on 15. Feb, 2011 in Blog, Featured Bloggers, Raves and Reviews

One of the selling points of the Chevy Cruze is its efficient miles per gallon. Well I had one question this past month as I was test driving my Cruze- “Would it live up to the advertising?”

To sum it up…Yup, pretty much! The Cruze has this great feature that allows you to track all sorts of information. One of them being the fuel efficiency. Twice, I clicked over to this option and captured the results to share with you.

23.4...

Hmmm....

The Chevy Cruze website states, “Its standard six-speed transmissions, like the manual in Cruze LS, help offer 26 MPG city and 36 highway.” As you can see, my average MPG (which was mostly slow-going highway miles since I have to pass by the city’s edge on I-90) was not too far off what they advertise.

I also wanted to know how the Chevy Cruze compared to my car- the Ford Focus. Granted, I own a 2006 and this information is for the 2011, but here is what Ford had to say: “EPA-estimated 25 city/35 hwy/29 combined mpg, manual transmission.” So, very similar.

The pictures don’t lie, people. I have proof. For the most part, the Cruze is on par with other compact “fuel efficient” cars in the market.

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Chevy Girls Gather for Brunch

by on 12. Feb, 2011 in Blog, Featured Bloggers

Allison, Heather, Suzanne and I (all Cleveland Chevy Girls) try to get together for dinner and drinks every so often, and while trying to plan a trip to Umami in Chagrin Falls (which we still need to do, ladies) the concept of brunch was brought up and we immediately jumped all over it. Karen Small’s Flying Fig in Ohio City across from the Great Lakes Brewery was suggested, and I was actually surprised to learn that they served brunch. Turns out that it was a pleasant surprise.

We gathered last Sunday at 11:30AM…two of us pulling up in the Chevy Cruzes that we are currently driving.

Coffee and waters were ordered, and our glasses/mugs were never empty. Even though we stayed at the restaurant for close to 3 hours. Now that’s service! Four out of the five of us ordered the Migas($11)- local eggs scrambled with tortillas, peppers, scallions, roasted chili, aged cheddar, tomatillo cilantro salsa, crème fraiche, and breakfast potatoes. For an additional $2 you can add house-made chorizo, and two of us did that, including me. Overall, I think all four of us enjoyed it. But I was eyeing Suzanne’s pancakes, which says a lot because I don’t typically like them. Of course, the real star of the meal were the Tempura Battered Green Beans ($7) with ponzu sauce and pineapple caramel. These are a “must order” anytime that you are at Flying Fig.

So it was a great Sunday morning spent with hilarious company, delicious food, and wonderful (and patient) service. It left me already looking forward to our next excursion!

Chevy Girls out to brunch

As we left, Suzanne did inform me that my Cruze has a feature (well two, if you count the fabulous sun roof) that her car does not have. It’s a nifty little secret compartment in the trunk. When we picked up the cars at the dealership, the representative had showed us this compartment. We instantly threw out ideas of what to put in there. My personal favorite was ice and beverages, but Suzanne had promised to put Bacon (her dog) in the hidden compartment for giggles…so I’m pretty disappointed that we won’t get to see that. But this did leave me wondering….where is the spare tire on this vehicle?

*special thanks to Allison for this fantastic group shot outside of the restaurant

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90′s on 9 Rocks My World

by on 08. Feb, 2011 in Blog, Featured Bloggers

Driving the Chevy Cruze as part of the Girlfriends Getaway program is the first time that I have been exposed to XM radio. Shocker, I know. Apparently I live under a rock. No, I just work in non-profit and am so broke that I have never even considered purchasing it for myself. At least I knew that it existed. That’s something, right?

You know that saying that “You can’t miss what you don’t have.”? Yeah, well now I’ve had it. And I can already tell that I am going to miss it. Cr*p.

This is how I de-stress on the way home from work…

(The Proclaimers)
When I wake up yeah I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who wakes up next to you
When I go out yeah I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who goes along with you

If I get drunk yes I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you
And if I haver yeah I know I’m gonna be
I’m gonna be the man who’s havering to you

But I would walk 500 miles
And I would walk 500 more
Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles
To fall down at your door

This is how I start the next morning…

(Sir Mix-A-Lot)
I like big butts and I can not lie
You other brothers can’t deny
That when a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist
And a round thing in your face
You get sprung, wanna pull out your tough
‘Cause you notice that butt was stuffed
Deep in the jeans she’s wearing
I’m hooked and I can’t stop staring
Oh baby, I wanna get with you
And take your picture
My homeboys tried to warn me
But that butt you got makes me so horny
Ooh, Rump-o’-smooth-skin
You say you wanna get in my Benz?
Well, use me, use me
‘Cause you ain’t that average groupie
I’ve seen them dancin’
To hell with romancin’
She’s sweat, wet,
Got it goin’ like a turbo ‘Vette
I’m tired of magazines
Sayin’ flat butts are the thing
Take the average black man and ask him that
She gotta pack much back

I am completely and uberly obsessed with the 90′s on 9 station. I have re-discovered some “lost” songs of my past, and truly enjoy rockin’ out to some of my all time favorites. I even squealed like a 5 year-old in a candy shop when Hanson’s Mmm Bop came on one day when I was driving into work. True story.

There are so many presets available in the Cruze, but my dial has rarely waivered from the one station. I’m not experiencing the full potential of the Cruze’s ability, but I don’t even care. I’m hooked. Does it get any better than the 90′s? When I return the Cruze next week, I am going to have to give some serious thought into XM radio. There is also my birthday that is right around the corner…hint, hint.

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Nooks and Crannies

by on 06. Feb, 2011 in Blog

One thing that I have noticed about the Chevy Cruze is all of the great little nooks and crannies (a.k.a. compartments). The center console is much larger than the one in my current car, and I haven’t even mentioned the ports and connectors for your electronics that are hidden inside! But beyond the center console, there is another small storage compartment on the dashboard (great for sunglasses)…

Sunglasses holder!

There are also small openings (or “nooks” as I like to call them) all over the interior of the car.

A nook...or is it a cranny?

My BlackBerry easily sildes into one…

Room for my cell phone

…and I don’t even know what to do with the rest! Go-Go-Gadget-Car.

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Shopping in the Cruze

by on 03. Feb, 2011 in Blog

One of the “missions” of the Chevy Girls this month is to go shopping and see how much we can fit into the spacious trunk of the Cruze. Now you already saw that a human body can fit inside, so I was pretty sure that my purchases from a shopping trip weren’t even going to make a dent in it. Well, it took three attempts…but I was right.

Last weekend, we did waaay more errands than intended and ended up with enough shopping bags that I felt the mission was doable. Ha. For my official mission, I wanted to take you to the West Side Market where “R” and I shop almost every other Saturday for produce, protein, treats, and more goodies.

View of the West Side Market

From their website: “With its origins dating back to 1840 the West Side Market is Cleveland’s oldest publicly owned market.The markethouse was dedicated in 1912 and with its 137 foot clock tower has stood as a Cleveland landmark for nearly a century. Today the market is home to over 100 vendors of great ethnic diversity. You can find not only fine meats and fresh vegetables, but also fresh seafood, baked goods, dairy and cheese products, and even fresh flowers. There are also booths that sell ready-to-eat foods, herbs, candy and nuts.”

It is a foodie’s heaven. Yes, Suzanne…I said foodie. :)

We are fortunate to live close by, so we tend to head there on Saturday mornings for our weekly goods. But this Saturday, we only ended up with one small bag of purchases which looked so lonely in the Cruze’s large trunk.

So I decided to try, for a third time, to fill it by going shopping on Sunday. A dress, nail polish, and some tops for TJ Maxx STILL didn’t fill that trunk.

My goods

You get the point. For a compact car, its trunk is surprising large. I now refer to it as the “black hole”.

Disclaimer: The Girls On The Go campaign is being sponsored by Northeastern Ohio Area Chevy Dealers, who gave me a Chevy Cruze to test drive for one month and blog about my experience using the vehicle. The program has given us some fun “missions” to do and will be providing me with gift certificates to allow me to do this. Follow Gotta Love Chevy NEO on Facebook or on Twitter (#chevygirls).

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Chevy Girls Meet Up at Whole Foods

by on 31. Jan, 2011 in Blog, Featured Bloggers

The Ohio Blogging Association (yes, apparently there is such a thing) kicked off their Cleveland-area meet ups last week with a cooking demo, appetizers, and wine at Whole Foods Market Cedar Center. Whole Foods graciously hosted about 20 of our area’s bloggers, and for a $10 fee it really was a fun little event. I always love seeing some of the bloggers that I’ve gotten to know well and now consider friends, but meeting others IRL (in real life) for the first time is really why I attend events such as this. This time, I met The Chubby Cook, Quarry Lane Farms, and former Chevy Girl Alana from The Dawg’s Dish.

Yes, that’s right…it turned into quite the unexpected reunion for several of our area’s female bloggers that have participated (or currently participating, like myself) in the Chevy program. In attendance were Allison, Alicia, Heather, Alana, Katie, and then current drivers Suzanne and Michelle. We had fun talking about the program and the different Chevy cars that we test drove. The Traverse may have been a better option for Cleveland winters, but I’m enjoying driving a compact car similar to my own.

Some Chevy Girls gather at Whole Foods

After the Whole Foods event, a couple of us (all Chevy Girls) headed down the street to Melt Bar & Grilled for one of their towering grilled cheese sandwiches. A little more my speed. Former Chevy Girl, Allison from Green Dog Wine, hopped in my Cruze to help navigate over to the east side location (this was my first time there) and she really enjoyed checking out the features of the Cruze. She instantly started to play with the buttons, do-dads, and do-hickies since she had driven the Traverse.

I finally made it home in a Parmageddon coma around 11PM, but with a smile on my face from spending time with some of my favorite Cleveland bloggers, fellow Chevy Girls, and learning a little more about Whole Foods.

*photo “borrowed” from Allison at Green Dog Wine because I was standing next to the table at the time and didn’t jump in the picture. Photo op missed, boo!

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“Cruzing” Around on a Sunday

by on 24. Jan, 2011 in Blog, Featured Bloggers, Raves and Reviews

Hey guys, it’s Katrina from the blog Bite Buff. I’ve been driving the Chevy Cruze for just over a week now, and I continue to find little things that I like about the car. Unlike Suzanne and Michelle, I drive a small compact car that is similar to the Cruze so it has been easy for me to compare them side by side. I’ve been a Ford girl my entire adult life, but my loan will be paid off this summer and before I know it…it will be time to car shop again. I consider this month of driving the Chevy Cruze a very extended test drive! I have always loved driving a smaller car. I think it’s the zipping in and out of traffic and the ability to park in small, tight spots that I love. But the snowy roads (okay, unplowed at times) have had me considering a small SUV lately. I have’t taken the Cruze out on a really snowy day yet, so I’ll be interested to see how it handles the winter roads in Cleveland. Already, the windshield wipers are waaay better! They are keeping the windshield clean and dry for me, which is key when commuting around this city.

So I plan on taking you on a shopping trip to the West Side Market this Saturday (video and all), but I do have to comment on this past weekend’s errands as it relates to the Cruze. We headed out on Sunday to do ONE errand, which of course turned into six stops by the time we were done. I was in a shoe shopping mood, and demanded that we head to DSW. Three boxes of shoes later, we headed to a few more stops in the area…including purchasing new throw pillows for our living room furniture and a TV tray table. Yes, a small table. And it totally fit into the Cruze’s trunk even with all of our other purchases. Pillows may be soft, but they are dense and take up a lot of room. Of course, you can’t forget about my shoes (oh, glorious shoes!).

I didn’t capture any photographs of our errands, or the slightly packed trunk when we finished, but here’s an image that helps show you just how spacious the Chevy Cruze’s trunk really is…

Inside of the Chevy Cruze

Yes, that’s me inside of the trunk when we picked up our cars last weekend. My trunk is large in my current car, but I’m pretty sure that it can’t fit a human body. I even had room to spare in there!

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First thoughts on the Chevy Cruze…

by on 21. Jan, 2011 in Blog, Featured Bloggers, Raves and Reviews

Katrina here, from the blog Bite Buff, and I wanted to share with you my experience picking up the Chevy Cruze from the Northeastern Ohio Area Chevy Dealers and my first thoughts about the vehicle. The other two Chevy Girls this month, Suzanne and Michelle, and I showed up at the dealership at the same time. Which was fun! A Chevy representative showed us all of the car’s features….

Checking out the car's features

…including the trunk…..

Suzanne and Michelle checking out the trunk right before I climbed in

…which I then climbed into. Yes, into the trunk. Suzanne (after watching too much Dexter recently) wanted to know if the Cruze’s spacious trunk could fit a human body. So I showed her that it clearly could. Watch for pictures later, but I’m just glad that the other girls didn’t have time to whip out a video camera because climbing back out was a challenge. And quite entertaining for them, I’m sure. So after we learned about all of the car’s features (you know, the important things…like where the button for the heated seats was located), I took off on the highway in the Cruze for the first time.

Initial Thoughts:
- LOVE the heated seats
- LOVE the remote start
- Enjoying rocking out to the 90′s on 9 station on XM radio
- the engine is incredibly quiet, like so quiet that “R” and I couldn’t tell if the car had actually started once
- the tires are slightly larger than the tires on my current car (compact car, comparable to the Cruze), so that makes for a smoother ride over the many potholes and bumps on our city’s streets
- being able to see my speed on the display screen is helpful for this lead-footed girl

Keep that speed in check, yo!

Seriously, my driving instructor when I was 16 told me that I drove like a race car driver…and not much has changed. I blame my mother. I get my lead foot from her. Just ask my dad! So having my speed displayed large and “in my face” has been helpful. It is much harder to ignore in the Cruze.

So there are my initial thoughts on the vehicle, but there is a lot more to come. Check back throughout the month for fun stories, pictures, video, and more as I test drive the Chevy Cruze.

Disclaimer: The Girls On The Go campaign is being sponsored by Northeastern Ohio Area Chevy Dealers, who gave me a Chevy Cruze to test drive for one month and blog about my experience using the vehicle. The program has given us some fun “missions” to do and will be providing me with gift certificates to allow me to do this. Follow Gotta Love Chevy NEO on Facebook or on Twitter (#chevygirls).

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Meet Katrina

by on 18. Jan, 2011 in Blog, Featured Bloggers

Hi, I’m Katrina from the blog Bite Buff (http://bitebuff.blogspot.com). Even though I’ve only lived in Cleveland for three short years, it is “home” and I am here to stay. It did not take me long to fall in love with this city, and in particular…the culinary scene!

I lucked out moving to Cleveland, because I am a terrible cook. In high school, I ruined some of my mother’s best pots by trying to boil water for pasta and then walking away only to discover a burned, empty pot on the stove later. My college roommates banned me from the kitchen after burning toast (twice) in our toaster oven and setting off the fire alarm in the entire apartment building. Yup, I’m that bad. So I knew that as an adult, I had to quickly learn to love the art of dining out.

My inner “foodie” was born, and the blog follows my culinary adventures as I explore all that our local, independently-owned restaurants have to offer. This includes not only some amazing food and dining experiences, but some great special events as well.

I look forward to being a Chevy Girl this month, and I hope that you enjoy following my excursions around the city as I check out all of the Cruze features. You can also look forward to reading about some good eats along the way!

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