# New member/real life MPG



## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

I hear the Gen 2 CTD does better than my Gen 1. 

I get about 43-45 mpg at 70-75. It’s much more impressive at slower speeds. Yesterday did 230 miles @ 60 mph and achieved a solid 55.5 mpg. 

But dollar for dollar the 1.4 Eco is cheaper to buy. It’ll take a LONG time to make up the price premium in fuel savings. But man that diesel torque sure is fun.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

jakeinohio said:


> Hi everyone, I am a new member. I am currently on my second cruze and heavily weighing the decision to buy a new diesel. I previously had a 2012 Cruze I bought new, had no problems. I bought a new 2015 Cruze 2.5 years ago, been a pretty good car. At around 10k miles my power steering went out, dealer replaced under warranty. At around 70k miles I had that cam seal go bad? Its very common from what I read, dealer fixed it under warranty. I currently have 93k miles and last week it shifted hard. I have a 130 mile round trip to work typically 6 days a week, I actually work for General Motors. In the last week almost everyday on the way to or from work it will shift hard once maybe twice. Its not at a particular speed or gear. My cruze is a automatic with the 1.4 by the way. Other than that it runs flawless. No service engine lights or anything. Im not too worried about the transmission because mine has the 100k mile powertrain warranty with 7k miles left. It goes in for a oil change in a few days and the dealership can look at it then. What I think I want to do though is trade it in before the powertrain warranty is up. Weighing my option of buying a new diesel or gas Cruze. Mine currently gets high 30s or low 40s on the highway. My drive to work is entirely highway, doing between 65 and 75mph for about 60 miles each way. I can get a new Cruze LT gas model for around 15k or a new Cruze LT diesel for around 20k. I can actually get a new 2017 cheaper without my employee discount, because they are offering 25% off all new 2017 Cruzes, which is better than my employee discount. I only want a automatic. Just curious what real world mpg people are getting with the diesel doing 75mph on the highway? Is it worth it to go to a diesel? Are people paying even less than the 25% off sticker price? I drive roughly 40k miles a year almost entirely highway I live in the Midwest, where it gets cold and snows. Thanks ahead of time.


Your drive profile is perfect for a Diesel. Your current Transmission likely needs new fluid, there is no lifetime fill. I changed the fluid in my 2015 at about 46k and it was darker than uesd engine oil. Shift improved afterwards. I just got a new 2018 diesel, manual transmission. Got just shy of 58mpg on the 380 mile drive home, in less than ideal weather. Car has plenty of power and is fun to drive. I have heard good things about the 9sp auto, but haven't driven one, expect similar MPG highway, maybe slightly less, but better city, as the automatic has the auto engine stop/start accumulator as part of the transmission. 

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## jakeinohio (Dec 13, 2017)

I had the transmission service at 50k miles like the manual says. Still weighing my options. Ill need new tires in about 20k miles, still have original serpentine belt and original brakes, I am sure a brake job is at least a few hundred.


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## CJ954 (Dec 14, 2017)

I just bought 2017 diesel. My commute is 200 miles, 190 of that highway. Real world numbers 51.7 mpg at 75 mpg. This is with 2k miles on it. 
I just recently put on 20" wheels and now I'm just under 50 mpg (49.5)
Hope that helps.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

CJ954 said:


> I just bought 2017 diesel. My commute is 200 miles, 190 of that highway. Real world numbers 51.7 mpg at 75 mpg. This is with 2k miles on it.
> I just recently put on 20" wheels and now I'm just under 50 mpg (49.5)
> Hope that helps.



I doubt larger wheels will help mileage, probably a reduction. More weight and everything was designed for 16 wheel not 20...


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

CJ954 said:


> I just bought 2017 diesel. My commute is 200 miles, 190 of that highway. Real world numbers 51.7 mpg at 75 mpg. This is with 2k miles on it.
> I just recently put on 20" wheels and now I'm just under 50 mpg (49.5)
> Hope that helps.


Larger wheels will reduce MPG simply from the extra rolling resistance from the larger contact patch. They're also heavier so there will be a drop, maybe not noticeable, in city MPG as well.


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## CJ954 (Dec 14, 2017)

CJ954 said:


> I just bought 2017 diesel. My commute is 200 miles, 190 of that highway. Real world numbers 51.7 mpg at 75 mpg. This is with 2k miles on it.
> I just recently put on 20" wheels and now I'm just under 50 mpg (49.5)
> Hope that helps.



Sorry if I wasn't clear. Yes my MPG did drop to 49.5 from 51.7. 

Also this is with a manual diesel.


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

Rivergoer is correct about the ROI on the diesel -- it takes a lot of miles to recover the extra, up-front cost of the diesel. Also: diesel torque is fun.

My commute is around 100 miles round trip. About 20% of that is interstate and the rest is rural highway and it's all hilly. I'm at about 22k miles on my Gen2 with a manual transmission now and averaging 55+ MPG overall. I hit a new high on the 25-mile average this week: 82.5 MPG. This is on winter fuel on a cold morning. It's nuts.

My MPG generally drops off a little when I'm on the interstate, but most of my interstate run has a lot of ups and downs. On mostly flat ground, I think I would easily get mid-50s and maybe low 60s even at interstate speeds.

Drive one and see if you like it. I think it's fun to drive, comfortable, and excellent on fuel.


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## holliejo (Oct 9, 2017)

If you're debating on it, you're going to go with whether or not you want a diesel. I would look into the oil change costs & parts costs as well if you're putting that into a factor. I have found that the diesel is a bit different, a bit more expensive, but so much more fun to drive.

I have a 2014 Diesel I bought used & she is every thing and more I want in a car. I will not go back to gas. Is it worth it? I have no idea, but she sounds amazing, she has some get up and go & she is a work horse on the interstate.


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## jakeinohio (Dec 13, 2017)

I have a apt Tuesday for a oil change and they are going to check out my transmission. It has been shifting hard more frequently the past few days and getting worse. I still have 7k more miles left on my powertrain warranty. Besides the first few free oil changes, how much does a oil change on a diesel cost and how many miles between?


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## KalahariKid (Jun 25, 2017)

I am 4 months in or so on an 18 Diesel 6sp Sedan and you seem like a good fit for the diesel, you have to put miles on it or the break even point on the cost of the thing will be decade plus. I am pulling 60mpg on cottage runs for fun at 75mph. In city mode which my work commute of 10 miles or so each way and is still 75% hwy it drops to more 50mpg avg, I was shooting for 8 weeks on 1 tank and made it 7 weeks on 1 tank. Has been a good car thus far, having to fill up 3 times over 5 months in cruddy weather is bonus!


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## jakeinohio (Dec 13, 2017)

Well I took it to the local gm dealership today. They changed the oil, checked all fluids, said it's in excellent shape. They couldn't get it to duplicate the problem I'm having. Of course on my way to work today at 70mph it was having a hard time shifting, but this time the service engine light came on than went off. Also the service traction control and service stabilak warning messages came up. I have another appointment tomorrow morning now. Any ideas? It's still under powertrain warranty but not the bumper to bumper warranty. Hopefully whatever it is is covered.


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## jakeinohio (Dec 13, 2017)

Took my car back to the dealer today. They read the codes, I had a misfire on a cylinder. They checked my spark plugs, one of them had a crack in the porcelain. I actually changed the spark plugs at 70k miles, so I don't think I did anything wrong? I drove 25k miles after I replaced them. When I replaced them I went with NGK, at the dealership today I bought a set of AC Delcos, came home, replaced them. Disconnected the battery for a hour, started it up, no engine service light, drives fine, no issues, so that is what the problem was.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

jakeinohio said:


> I have a apt Tuesday for a oil change and they are going to check out my transmission. It has been shifting hard more frequently the past few days and getting worse. I still have 7k more miles left on my powertrain warranty. Besides the first few free oil changes, how much does a oil change on a diesel cost and how many miles between?


Interval for diesel oil is about 7500 miles , or when monitor says so, I always go early. Walmart carries the Dexos2 oil, about $23 for 5 Qt. The filter is about $10. Not sure how that is much more than any other modern car when they pretty much all require synthetic oil now. 

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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

ROI on fuel cost savings is dramatically affected by fuel prices. When I bought my VW TDI back in 2012 the fuel savings when gas was about $5/gal coming from a 12-13 MPG premium only Land Rover was sufficient to cover the car payment. Now from a gas Cruze to a Diesel that is a much smaller band, but still fuel price dependent and the ability of a Diesel to last much longer than a gas engine should also be considered. 

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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

MRO1791 said:


> Interval for diesel oil is about 7500 miles , or when monitor says so, I always go early. Walmart carries the Dexos2 oil, about $23 for 5 Qt. The filter is about $10. Not sure how that is much more than any other modern car when they pretty much all require synthetic oil now.
> 
> Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk



In theory using Walmart Brick & Mortar the 1.4 gen 1 Fram cartridge is $10. If you are lucky you can use the app, scan it and if the price is cheaper they price match it. Usually you can match everywhere except self checkout. Filters I used Rock Auto as they were loads cheaper and better quality. For the 1.4, the cheaper filters (and the $10 fram) didn't click into the housing. my 1.4 change oil messages was at about 8K miles. 

End of the day my 1.4 hated 87 and they wouldn't reflash the newer model year manual tune so I ended up paying 93 prices and tuning from here. 93 was at times more than diesel was. Same time diesel locations isn't as easy to find and none were gas points program like Shell/BP and GetGo.


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## rfhbrando (Oct 31, 2017)

I have a similar commute to you. I had a 2015 Cruze LS Manual that I racked up 75k in 2 years. Ended up getting a 2017 Diesel Manual partly due to wanting something slightly more fun to drive/more efficient, and partly because sitting in an LS for 35k miles a year with really no modern amenities was getting old. So far, I have 10k on the diesel. I drive 75 miles each way to work in the Pittsburgh Area, and I was getting 52mpg calculated back when I got it. Lately with the car running in the mornings to thaw things out, I'm still getting 48ish on a tank. So far no issues. A lot more fun to drive than my LS was and definitely more comfortable. 

Not sure you can figure anyway to actually justify the diesel up charge other than for the performance, or if you are paid mileage for work maybe it helps. My 2 cents.


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## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

Greetings Everyone , 
I wanted to get some feed back on the new 2017/2018 Cruze TDI Diesel in a manual and what type of mileage are you getting so far. I am almost ready to pull the trigger on a manual with leather seats and this trim lever along with the sick seems very difficult to find for some reason. Also I did test drive the hatchback and really prefer the sedan on top that it gets better mpg from what I have read so far . 
On another note ..I'm quite done with the VW TDI after the whole crapola on top of the fix has made the cars really perform like crap and not the same get up and go especially on the DSG transmissions ... Stealerships want way to much for the 15 and the older ones ...well people have are on something as I'm so tired of seeing the TDI's asking prices are way over book ... 

I hope every one has had a good Christmas and may you all be blessed into the new year .


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

GotDiesel? said:


> Greetings Everyone ,
> I wanted to get some feed back on the new 2017/2018 Cruze TDI Diesel in a manual and what type of mileage are you getting so far. I am almost ready to pull the trigger on a manual with leather seats and this trim lever along with the sick seems very difficult to find for some reason. Also I did test drive the hatchback and really prefer the sedan on top that it gets better mpg from what I have read so far .
> On another note ..I'm quite done with the VW TDI after the whole crapola on top of the fix has made the cars really perform like crap and not the same get up and go especially on the DSG transmissions ... Stealerships want way to much for the 15 and the older ones ...well people have are on something as I'm so tired of seeing the TDI's asking prices are way over book ...
> 
> I hope every one has had a good Christmas and may you all be blessed into the new year .


The Cruze Turbo Diesel (CTD) is a great replacement for the TDI. The 17/18 (Gen 2) CTD will far outperform your VW fuel efficiency. 

Finding a manual may be difficult, they are in demand. Folks here that have been flexible with their requirements have gotten some excellent deals on 2017s lately.

I did the buyback in March and have been very happy with my Gen 1 CTD so far.


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## IndyDiesel (May 24, 2015)

GotDiesel? said:


> Greetings Everyone ,
> I wanted to get some feed back on the new 2017/2018 Cruze TDI Diesel in a manual and what type of mileage are you getting so far. I am almost ready to pull the trigger on a manual with leather seats and this trim lever along with the sick seems very difficult to find for some reason. Also I did test drive the hatchback and really prefer the sedan on top that it gets better mpg from what I have read so far .
> On another note ..I'm quite done with the VW TDI after the whole crapola on top of the fix has made the cars really perform like crap and not the same get up and go especially on the DSG transmissions ... Stealerships want way to much for the 15 and the older ones ...well people have are on something as I'm so tired of seeing the TDI's asking prices are way over book ...
> 
> I hope every one has had a good Christmas and may you all be blessed into the new year .


There is a 25% off of 17 Cruzes right now, if I wanted a manual I would do an autotrader search for diesel manual nationwide, they are out there. Good luck.?


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

GotDiesel? said:


> Greetings Everyone ,
> I wanted to get some feed back on the new 2017/2018 Cruze TDI Diesel in a manual and what type of mileage are you getting so far. I am almost ready to pull the trigger on a manual with leather seats and this trim lever along with the sick seems very difficult to find for some reason. Also I did test drive the hatchback and really prefer the sedan on top that it gets better mpg from what I have read so far .
> On another note ..I'm quite done with the VW TDI after the whole crapola on top of the fix has made the cars really perform like crap and not the same get up and go especially on the DSG transmissions ... Stealerships want way to much for the 15 and the older ones ...well people have are on something as I'm so tired of seeing the TDI's asking prices are way over book ...
> 
> I hope every one has had a good Christmas and may you all be blessed into the new year .


My manual 2018 is same as the one you are looking at, the leather is a nice option to have and basically costs what that 9sp auto would add. If I were you, I'd get it for sure. You'll like it better than the VW. My wife and I preferred the Cruze over the VW in almost every aspect, and the was Gen 1. Gen 2 is even better. There is only a couple of odd things that went away on Gen 2 that Gen 1 had.. Auto dim rearview mirror and auto UP driver window.. that is about it. I found my manual at Dave Smith Motors in Idaho, they have about the biggest inventory of any dealership, but had only 3 Diesel Cruzes.. 1 auto sedan, 1 manual sedan, 1 manual hatch. All 2018. Mine had been in their inventory for less than one month. The manual hatch is now also gone, only the auto remains. Moral of that story, if you find a manual, get it. I don't think you'll regret it. MPG is way better than the VW, and it's plenty powerful, I can't seem to shift fast enough when I want to go. It's fun to drive. Right now in local driving where the VW and Cruze Gen 1 would get about 30-35 , the Gen 2 manual is sitting at 49MPG. The auto has fewer miles, but looks to be on track for about 43 MPG, it's equipped with Auto stop.. interesting fuel saving in stop and go traffic. Some have said it can't be turned off, not true. One can go to L9 (manual mode, top gear 9) and it shifts just like Drive, no auto stop. In any case I don't find the auto stop to be a problem, it's just weird to come to a stop light and have the engine go silent! The manual doesn't have this (the technology is tied to the hydraulic system of the automatic transmission). Anyhow, hope you are able to get that car.. I'm sure glad I did. 2018 may be the last year for a manual, it's looking like GM is going to try a CVT. CVT is weird to drive when I had them, I'd much rather shift my own gears.. it you do too, 2018 is the time to make the switch.

I don't get the die hard VW fanatics who will pay more than those cars are worth and drive a ticking time bomb with a failure prone HPFP (this is the primary reason I got rid of mine, can't have that failure in a car my wife drives, VW charged me $50 to tell me metallic particles in my fuel filter we're OK! No, no they are NOT). They cheated emmisions to save $330 per car, the crappy HPFP saved $600 per car. Cruze uses a much more robust 3 piston/crank shaft driven HPFP, and Gen 2 has no expensive timing belt, it's a chain! Another big cost saver. 

People get all wrapped up in brand loyalty and it's really niave, modern cars share many of the same components across all brands, even some of the high end cars. Sure there are options, styling, etc. That differ, the real engineering, much of the same component suppliers for all OEMs. For example, Bosch, engine and fuel controls. GM and VW use Bosch, interesting though, VW went with the cheapest possible pump, and the failures have racked up some epic threads on the VW forums! 

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## car54 (Dec 24, 2017)

*break in mileage*

275 miles on our new 2017 cruze diesel sedan. back from hwy break in drive. best/ave 50 mile run is currently at 57.9 mpg. 
WOW.


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## jcountry (May 30, 2017)

jakeinohio said:


> Took my car back to the dealer today. They read the codes, I had a misfire on a cylinder. They checked my spark plugs, one of them had a crack in the porcelain. I actually changed the spark plugs at 70k miles, so I don't think I did anything wrong? I drove 25k miles after I replaced them. When I replaced them I went with NGK, at the dealership today I bought a set of AC Delcos, came home, replaced them. Disconnected the battery for a hour, started it up, no engine service light, drives fine, no issues, so that is what the problem was.



This is an unfortunate reality with spark plugs. They are often dropped (at the parts store or warehouse) and that porcelain is easy to crack. They should come in foam packages.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

car54 said:


> 275 miles on our new 2017 cruze diesel sedan. back from hwy break in drive. best/ave 50 mile run is currently at 57.9 mpg.
> WOW.


Manual transmission or automatic?

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## car54 (Dec 24, 2017)

*9 speed automatic*



MRO1791 said:


> Manual transmission or automatic?
> 
> Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


9 speed automatic LT sedan loaded with options including sunroof and leather


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

car54 said:


> 9 speed automatic LT sedan loaded with options including sunroof and leather


Great to know, that sounds like my wife's 2017 we just got. I originally got her the manual, only to learn she'd gotten used to the auto in her Gen 1.. well the deals were good so traded my Gen 1 to get her the auto... Darn the luck.. now I'm stuck with the manual (oddly that is what I like), really didn't plan it this way, honestly.. 

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