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Music options galore!

by on 30. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews, video, Videos

After the first 6 months of the lease on my current car was up, the XM radio trial expired. I have been missing this amenity ever since! I was thrilled to hear the Cruze has XM Satellite radio AND an iPod hook up. There are two ways to jam your iPod in the Cruze, too!

**Editors note: Please forgive my lack of makeup and contacts ;) **















I was very impressed when I realized all my iPod controls appeared on the large digital screen. This ensures you can use your steering wheel controls instead of dangerously fumbling your iPod around while driving. This is a feature I wish I had in my current ride.

My iPod menu.

I love me some Ray LaMontagne!

Do you listen to your iPod, satellite radio, traditional AM/FM radio or CDs when you drive?

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OnStar Holiday Fun

by on 30. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews, video, Videos

I couldn’t help myself on Christmas Eve: when I heard you could track Santa using OnStar, the little kid in me had to press that little blue button:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Here’s to a fabulous 2011!

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The Chevy Cruze: A safe ride

by on 28. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews

Not only can Cleveland Cruze owners be proud their Cruze was made in Ohio, they have this awesome fact to relish in as well:

General Motors’ Chevrolet Cruze has won a Top Safety Pick award from the influential Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. GM has made safety a selling point for the Lordstown-built small car, often discussing its 10 airbags in commercials. (courtesy of The Plain Dealer)

I find it very ironic that the website I work for has featured the Chevy Cruze TWICE as the ‘top story’ during the month of December. It makes me appreciate the opportunity to drive the vehicle even more reading about how safe & reliable the car is and how it’s locally made!

cleveland.com

Safety is one of the top (if not the top) factors when shopping for a vehicle. Why not drive something that supports our local economy AND is a top safety pick? I know I am going to greatly miss this car when I have to give it back to my local Chevy dealer :( .

I can wholeheartedly say that I would recommend the Cruze to all my loved ones. It’s safe to say when my lease is up, I’ll be coming back to check out the Chevy Cruze.

I will miss her!

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Another Use for My Cruze’s Heated Seats

by on 28. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews

Earlier this month, my fellow Chevy girl Katie conducted The Heated Seats Experiment to see how fast her Cruze’s heated seats could get her warm and toasty. You MUST check out the video!! I discovered another added benefit of the heated seats that come standard in the 2LT and the LTZ editions of the Cruze.

(picture source)

One cold morning, I had a lot on my mind while walking from the parking lot to our offices at work. My supervisor had told me plenty of times to avoid an area of the sidewalk that was consistently icy in the winter months. I didn’t head my boss’ warning. I slipped and fell hard onto the icy sidewalk, taking the brunt of the impact on my tailbone. My pride was more bruised that my bottom, but I was still sore after the fall. As the day progressed, the pain increased and I prayed for a godsend. Little did I know it was sitting out in the parking lot.

Katie was right:  the Cruze heats up quick in this winter weather. That day, I was thankful for my heated seats function. My half an hour long commute from Cleveland’s East side turned into a therapeutic drive home, easing the pain in my back side. Who needs a heating pad when you have a Cruze?! I arrived home relaxed with a minimal achy-ness compared to the pain I had earlier in the day.  I took the rest of the evening to relax with an actual heating pad and felt much better the next day.

…but I do have to admit: my Cruze’s heated seats did a better job than that heating pad did!

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Chevy Girls Unite!

by on 27. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews

Last weekend, the northeast Ohio Chevy girls united for some fun! We met at the restaurant Southside in the Tremont area of Cleveland. It was my first time meeting Alana from The Dawg’s Dish and it’s always great to see Alicia from Poise in Parma!

It was my first time to Southside and I would say the food was good! I’m a sucker for cobb salads… so that’s what I got!

It was really fun getting to know Alana + the three of us talked about our Cruze’s a bunch too! I think our top features combined were: heated seats, remote start, bluetooth and the big trunk space! After lunch, we had a mini-photoshoot by our Cruze’s, as we conveniently parked beside each other.

After hugs and plans to see each other soon… we had a Chevy Girls Team Break!! Yes, we are that awesome.

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Lunch with the Chevy Ladies

by on 27. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews, video

A few weeks ago Alicia reached out to her two fellow Chevy girls, Katie and myself, to see if we could all meet for a Chevy girls adventure.  I can’t believe the three of us could actually fit in a date for lunch with all the holiday madness, but I am so glad we did!  It’s fun when blog friends become real-life friends…blends ;)

We decided on The SouthSide in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood.  This is one of my favorite summertime happy hour locations, but I rarely grab lunch or hit the popular spot in the winter months.  Just to be safe, I used my handy OnStar to ensure I knew exactly where I was going (Tremont is tricky!).

Note: I didn’t want to bore you with the entire OnStar segment.

Lunch was great.  It was so nice to finally meet (and get along with!) Alicia and Katie.  As for the food, my veggie burger hit the spot.  It was just what I needed before I marathon-shopped the rest of the afternoon!

I'm not a vegetarian!

The homemade chips we’re a nice accompaniment, but I ate too many, naturally.

The OnStar is such a convenient feature on the Cruze.  Not only can I tell the computer an address, I can opt to talk to a person who can help, too!  If I ever start a family (eiiicck!), I will need to have OnStar for peace of mind!

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Bluetooth Lovin’

by on 23. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews, video

When I think of Bluetooth, I immediately think of people walking around in stores with a little ear piece in their ear talking to air…

Bluetooth in the Chevy Cruze is completely different though… no ear piece, just air.

There are a few different ways to use the Cruze Bluetooth… the first being the way my video just displayed. However, the most common way I’ve been using it is when I know a phone number off the top of my head (ie. my husband John or my Mom). It’s so convenient because with the touch of one button on the steering wheel, I can be connected to the Bluetooth phone book and I can speak the rest!

Does your car have Bluetooth? Do you use an ear piece or just talk to air?

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Let’s talk about gas

by on 22. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews

Before the Chevy Cruze, I purchased gas every 7-10 days. I honestly don’t log many miles each week. My commute to work is roughly 13 miles one way. I stop at the gym, Heinen’s, Erie Island Coffee weekly, but they are all on my way to or from work or about 2 miles from my house. Once in awhile I’ll get crazy and take an excursion to Avon Commons or Crocker Park, but it’s not a far trip. I also save on gas because Dean loves to drive us around (right…? ;) )

It may sound naive or ‘girly’ but I gauge my gas budget by when the last time I purchased it was. If I fueled up on a Monday, I know I’ll be bone dry by next Thursday. That was until December and I started driving the Cruze!

My mom and I went on a shopping expedition on a Saturday in the beginning of the month. Since I was flirting with E on the gas gauge, we gassed up before hitting the shops (it cost a little less than $40 to fill her up at $2.95/gallon). I was completely shocked that I didn’t need to refuel for 13 days! That is nearly 2 weeks! If this was my forever vehicle, I’d be saving some major coin.

I love how the Cruze computer tells you how many miles you have left in your tank, how many miles you get per gallon and your average cruising speed.

I’ve been getting 24.1 MPG and averaging 25.4 MPH…no lead foot here ;)

What Cruze feature would you like to have in your ride?

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Keep Your Hands on the Wheel & Off Your Phone

by on 21. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews, video

Here’s a CLE fun fact: Just North of Parma, you’ll find the city of Brooklyn, Ohio. Another suburb of Cleveland, Brooklyn was home to not only the first seatbelt law, but also the first cell phone law. The Brooklyn law states a driver cannot use a cell phone unless the he/she maintains both hands on the steering wheel. This driving law suggests that a hands-free device – such as a Bluetooth – could be used while driving in the city.

This is where I turn to my Chevy Cruze. I’ve discovered my favorite feature in the Cruze to be the hands free calling ability.  I absolutely hate chatting on my phone while trying to navigate I-480 during rush hour.  Over the past week and a half, the Bluetooth is the feature I’ve used the most. I’m going to miss it when I go back to my Cobalt at the end of the month!

Take a look at how fantastic I am at hands free calling with my latest Gotta Love Chevy NEO video:

What do you do (or DON’T do) to stay safe in your car?

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Hide & Go Seek in the Cruze

by on 19. Dec, 2010 in Blog, Raves and Reviews

I can’t believe how fast my time in the Cruze is going! One thing I’ve been noticing about the Cruze is how many neat compartments there are!

Let’s play Hide & Seek shall we??

HIDE in a pop-up cubby on the top of the dashboard. SEEK your phone or valuables that need to stay hidden!


HIDE in side cubbies of all passenger doors. SEEK a book, papers, and anything you want to put in them!


HIDE in a small cubby in the center console. SEEK change or your garage door opener.


HIDE in the arm rest cubby. SEEK your iPod, GPS, or any gadget that should stay hidden!


HIDE in back seat arm rest. SEEK your beverage.


HIDE in the trunk. SEEK a small handle to shut the trunk so you don’t get your hand dirty!

The last HIDE is definitely my favorite!! No dirty hands or gloves!

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