Driving a car that normal people can afford isn't necessarily a bad thing. Especially if your transport is a Chevrolet Cruze, writes Thomas Falkiner It's easy to be spoiled by this job. The motoring correspondent of a major publication becomes accustomed to piloting the most exotic vehicles known to man. Some months I won't test anything under R1-million. In the time it takes most to earn another repayment for their Toyota Yaris I've hopped between a Porsche 911 Turbo, Range Rover Supercharged, Mercedes E63 AMG and Audi S7. That's cramming R7-million and 1519kW into 30 days - more than most will manage in the average lifespan.Of course it's not just the calibre of the machinery. I've also sampled the best roads and racetracks the world has to offer: Yas Marina, Ascari, the Côte d'Azur, Angeles Crest Highway.story_article_left1So you can see why the thought of negotiating the robotless, construction-soiled streets of Joburg behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Cruze doesn't generate much excitement. When you've got an all-access pass to the latest European exotica, cars like these are often seen as nothing more than empty-date fillers in one's test diary. In the great scheme of things they slip through the cracks of significance.Except, as it turns out, I grew quite fond of this four-doored wedge of Americana. Which is surprising, considering that I had just been playing tag team with an Audi S6 and a Renault Mégane RS.The Chevrolet Cruze. From a styling perspective it's as daring as a Toyota Corolla. Despite a recent facelift this bow-tied saloon remains the embodiment of that white-collar worker living out a joyless call centre existence.Yet once you're inside the cabin a fair dose of this automotive analgesia starts to wear off. Not only does the driver's door close with a reassuring thunk, it operates with a degree of weight. And weight, as you will know if you have ever watched Guy Ritchie's movie Snatch, is apparently a sign of reliability.The dashboard and centre console are well pieced together with materials that seem game for the bull-in-a-china-shop trials of family life. There are no squeaks. No rattles. No sonic evidence to suggest the Cruze is built below par. There is also an abundance of kit. Bluetooth. Cruise control. USB. Rear park assistance. Chevrolet's handy touchscreen Sync infotainment system that comes loaded with the streaming internet radio app Stitcher. Not to mention some of the most comfortable seats I have sampled in months. This Chevy is a rather pleasant thing to spend time in.story_article_right2It drives well, too. It isn't sporty but it is comfortable, absorbing scabby Johannesburg road surfaces with ease. There's a sense of almost German refinement that belies the car's sub-R300k price tag. Although the six-speed automatic gearbox feels like a technical refugee from the previous century, the turbo engine is a lovely all-rounder with plenty of lowdown torque for cut and thrust urban trawling plus enough legs for a brisk-ish highway charge. Space? The rear seats are perhaps a bit cramped but the boot is a cavernous void capable of swallowing all sorts of paraphernalia.The Chevrolet Cruze. It may not be glamorous. It may not represent the grand sum of mankind's motoring aspirations. But what it does do is remind us that the car, at the end of the day, should essentially be a semi-affordable aid in delivering Homo sapiens from point A to point B safely and in comfort.Strip away all the sweet poster car promises of power and prestige and you are left with an honest transport tool. Viewed in this light, the Cruze is at the top of its game.sub_head_start FAST FACTS: CHEVROLET CRUZE LS 1.4 TURBO sub_head_endEngine: 1364cc four-cylinder turboPower: 103kW at 4,900rpmTorque: 200Nm at 1,850rpmTransmission: six-speed automatic0-100km/h: 10.4 secondsTop speed: 204km/hFuel: 9.4l/100km (achieved)CO2: 157g/kmPrice: From R272,400Follow the author of this article, Thomas Falkiner, on Twitter: @tomfalkiner111..