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They say the third time is a charm, with Chevrolet and its current compact cars, we have gone through the Cavalier, Cobalt, and now we have the new Chevrolet Cruze. As gas rolls back into the $4/gallon range, this may be one of the most important launches the company has had in recent years save for that of the Chevrolet Volt. The Cruze has the best chance to win in the current marketplace. The Corolla has taken a sales hit from quality issues and the Honda Civic has gone the way of Myspace as the market has progressed forward. On paper the new Cruze can jump out with phrases such as “36mpg” with “interior refinement” and a staring price around $16k. So we shall see if the marketing and hype can keep up with reality and see if Chevrolet has finally got a compact to compete with the Japanese, and also the new heavy hitters from Korea...

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