# Diesel Trunk Space



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

It's no secret to the diesel owners that the diesel comes with no spare tire due to the DEF tank residing where the spare tire does on other Cruze models. However, all along I have kept reading in reviews how while the gas Cruze comes with a relatively large-for-its-class 15.0 cu.ft. trunk, the diesel model gets a more average 13.3 cu.ft. trunk.

Having seen the inside of the trunk several times before I bought one, I concluded they must be including the spare tire well in the trunk space measurement as I could find no discernible difference otherwise, effectively making the trunk the same size as any other Cruze.

However, it appears to me this is not the case, and I'm surprised it took me this long to notice, but it appears the protective layer between the trunk carpet lining and the DEF tank adds maybe in an inch or two to the bottom of the trunk floor making the trunk ever so slightly shallower, especially towards the rear. It you look in the back right (passenger side) corner in the trunk, it is more apparent where the added floor height comes in. Is this what contributes towards the loss of 1.7 cu.ft. of trunk space in the diesel?

Honestly, it really isn't that big of deal to me. I've probably filled my trunk to the brim twice in it's life, and the Pioneer speakers in the rear deck have probably done more to effectively limit my trunk space than the diesel changes.


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## Luigi (Jun 16, 2013)

I find the hinge of the lid to be the most annoying thing of all really. 

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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

We want to see pics of your trunks . So we can compare them to a real trunk !


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## Jorday (Jul 30, 2013)

Yup, that's what it is. The floor of the trunk in the diesel sits higher up compared to the others. My buddy and I compared his eco and my car side by side and the trunk is deeper in his car.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Luigi said:


> I find the hinge of the lid to be the most annoying thing of all really.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


yep, i commute with 2 large duffels and a cooler in the trunk

constantly hit the cooler with the hinge


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Not (honestly) throwing rocks, but the placement of both the diesel fuel filter (behind front wheelwell) and the diesel emission fluid (DEF) tank sure LOOK like "...stick it anywhere it'll fit..." exercises more than TRUE designed-in engineered incorporations! Just MHO.


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## titanman2789 (Oct 27, 2013)

Luigi said:


> I find the hinge of the lid to be the most annoying thing of all really.
> 
> Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


Yep. Gotta pack the trunk correctly with the hinges out of the way



70AARCUDA said:


> Not (honestly) throwing rocks, but the placement of both the diesel fuel filter (behind front wheelwell) and the diesel emission fluid (DEF) tank sure LOOK like "...stick it anywhere it'll fit..." exercises more than TRUE designed-in engineered incorporations! Just MHO.


Joke about it all the time. Seems like an afterthought. "Oh crap we need a def tank/system. Let's just put it where the spare tire is." Is there really no way to fit it somewhere else so that we could have a spare? I wouldn't mind an even smaller def tank. 


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

70AARCUDA said:


> Not (honestly) throwing rocks, but the placement of both the diesel fuel filter (behind front wheelwell) and the diesel emission fluid (DEF) tank sure LOOK like "...stick it anywhere it'll fit..." exercises more than TRUE designed-in engineered incorporations! Just MHO.


I guarantee this car was designed with OUT the diesel in mind.


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## Scott M. (Apr 23, 2013)

Yes, the hinges are really annoying. Cant tell you how many times I have closed the lid only to open it back up and re position stuff.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

These hinges are an old GM design that is very common. My 3 Pontiacs (01, 03, 07) used a different system that was under the trunk lid, external to the trunk, and so didn't have those huge arms and torsion members negating a couple square feet of trunk space, but the 2 Chevy Luminas (95, 00) I had before them had this identical trunk design--which made it a huge frustration to load up moving to and from college twice a year.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Simple, two-rod, torsion bar "lift" mechanism has been around for eons and proven reliable, but GM Daewoo took the "cheap" route so WE're stuck with 'cheap' result.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

70AARCUDA said:


> Simple, two-rod, torsion bar "lift" mechanism has been around for eons and proven reliable, but GM Daewoo took the "cheap" route so WE're stuck with 'cheap' result.


My 98 Buick had it. My Subaru has the arms but they are enclosed inside the panels stealing space to prevent hitting stiff in the trunk. 


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## dmaxpwr (Nov 29, 2013)

This car was designed with a diesel in mind, for europe as this is a global vehicle. But the DEF tank is definitely an add-on as were the first country to receive it. Correct me if im wrong but I believe europe is getting the DEF soon as well to meet the new regulations.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

dmaxpwr said:


> This car was designed with a diesel in mind, for europe as this is a global vehicle. But the DEF tank is definitely an add-on as were the first country to receive it. Correct me if im wrong but I believe europe is getting the DEF soon as well to meet the new regulations.


Exactly. The 2.0 fits snugly under the hood, which was clearly designed to accommodate a much larger engine than the normal Cruzen options (2.0L diesel or 2.0 turbo/2.4 in the Verano). 

DEF tank is definitely an afterthough but wasn't required overseas. 


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Not an engineer, but just a thought; given the diesel's high mileage, couldn't they have put the smaller Eco fuel tank in the diesel and used the extra space for the DEF tank? That is, unless the smaller Eco tank isn't really that much physically smaller.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

PanJet said:


> Not an engineer, but just a thought; given the diesel's high mileage, couldn't they have put the smaller Eco fuel tank in the diesel and used the extra space for the DEF tank? That is, unless the smaller Eco tank isn't really that much physically smaller.


Wouldn't be a bad idea, except that the Eco tank isn't physically smaller. Capacity is limited by the fuel pump assembly (stupid) to shed a few pounds of weight. 


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

PanJet said:


> Not an engineer, but just a thought; given the diesel's high mileage, couldn't they have put the smaller Eco fuel tank in the diesel and used the extra space for the DEF tank? That is, unless the smaller Eco tank isn't really that much physically smaller.


The Eco uses the same physical tank so no saving there, but why didn't they put a smaller DEF tank in each rear guard inside the trunk to leave the spare wheel well free? You could even have a filler cap without having to open the trunk and making room if the trunk is full.


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## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

Aussie said:


> The Eco uses the same physical tank so no saving there, but why didn't they put a smaller DEF tank in each rear guard inside the trunk to leave the spare wheel well free? You could even have a filler cap without having to open the trunk and making room if the trunk is full.


You could have been one of the multitude of engineers that GM has given packages to over the last few decades in order to reduce costs with "common sense" thinking like that!

Too bad only bean-counters and time-servers are left.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Aussie said:


> The Eco uses the same physical tank so no saving there, but why didn't they put a smaller DEF tank in each rear guard inside the trunk to leave the spare wheel well free? You could even have a filler cap without having to open the trunk and making room if the trunk is full.


2 tanks would be worse


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Mercedes Benz puts the DEF tank in the spare tire well, so it's not just Chevy.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

diesel said:


> Mercedes Benz puts the DEF tank in the spare tire well, so it's not just Chevy.


Don't they also use those horrible "run flat tyres" as well?


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Aussie said:


> Don't they also use those horrible "run flat tyres" as well?


Yep


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## rescueswimmer (Mar 28, 2013)

Here are some pics I did of the Diesel and the ECO Trunks with some measurements.

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/64-c...-picked-up-my-replacement-eco-2-0-diesel.html


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## smkn600ctd (Dec 16, 2013)

Make you wonder.

So you have 12-20 engineers sitting in a room contemplating the def placement and not one of them raises their hand says...."hey...this is a dumb idea???".


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## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

smkn600ctd said:


> Make you wonder.
> 
> So you have 12-20 engineers sitting in a room contemplating the def placement and not one of them raises their hand says...."hey...this is a dumb idea???".


What are you smoking that you think an _engineer_ was consulted on this, it's beancounters, all the way down.


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## Garandman (Dec 31, 2013)

Has anyone found a "donut" spare to use? I don't mind leaving it in the trunk, the idea of no spare is not appealing.


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

I guess if I have to put up with poorly designed hinges and less trunk space to get this great engine...so be it. It's worth that sacrifice. If I had the continuous need for more trunk space, I might have to consider a TDI Passat Sportwagen instead. (yeah, I know that's a cuss word around here...lol) Thank goodness it's just me and my lovely bride.


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## DieselEnvy (Jun 22, 2013)

I'm beginning to think I'd like to have the spare tire well open for a spare... Got my second flat in two months today. :angry:

Both required a patch from the inside of the tire (plug wouldn't work). Fortunately, the first flat (November) occurred just as I was arriving home from work; the second occurred this morning as I arrived at work...and fortunately, there's a tire shop "next door".

If I would have been out on the road somewhere, I'm not confident that the factory-issue fix-a-flat would have worked.

Either these Goodyear's have wimpy puncture resistance, or I'm particularly unlucky...


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

DieselEnvy said:


> I'm beginning to think I'd like to have the spare tire well open for a spare... Got my second flat in two months today. :angry:
> 
> Both required a patch from the inside of the tire (plug wouldn't work). Fortunately, the first flat (November) occurred just as I was arriving home from work; the second occurred this morning as I arrived at work...and fortunately, there's a tire shop "next door".
> 
> ...


Another post somewhere the OP said he was having terrible trouble with the original Goodyears. Knock on wood...at 6500 miles, mine's still doing well.


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## Garandman (Dec 31, 2013)

Has anyone figured out a donut spare that will fit? Can you buy the jack and lug wrench as a kit with one part number? We have snow tires on now but I want an actual spare.


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Garandman said:


> Has anyone figured out a donut spare that will fit? Can you buy the jack and lug wrench as a kit with one part number? We have snow tires on now but I want an actual spare.


I can't remember who it was, but I thought I remembered reading in a thread a while back from one of members on here who had purchased a spare for their CTD that they leave in the trunk. For some reason the member "diesel" comes to mind, but I could be wrong.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

PanJet said:


> I can't remember who it was, but I thought I remembered reading in a thread a while back from one of members on here who had purchased a spare for their CTD that they leave in the trunk. For some reason the member "diesel" comes to mind, but I could be wrong.


Yes it was me. Bought the cheapest tire and rim they had on Tirerack and threw a jack and lug wrench in there too. About $200 for the whole works.


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## Garandman (Dec 31, 2013)

I'd like to use a donut of possible as we use the trunk for work.


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