Five-Point Inspection: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Eco

Uses gas like a hybrid – without being one

Driving the Chevrolet Cruze Eco is like bringing someone who hates wine on a vineyard tour: they’ll sip the liquid slowly and drink the cheap stuff without complaint.

Refreshing and unusual like an episode of Judge Judy that doesn’t involve perjury, the Cruze Eco actually met its EPA fuel estimated 28/42 mpg in the city and on the highway. In fact at times it beat the highway figures, averaging as much as 45 mpg on a long drive.

Best of all, even with 87 octane priced around $4 per gallon, the Cruze Eco is cheap to fill thanks to a stomach-stapled 10.5 gallon tank compared to the usual 13-gallon equipment found on other Cruze models.