# Auto News: GM's diesel Chevy could make waves



## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

It's very strange to Google Cruze Diesel and review the commentary from a variety of publications. Some say it's not much fun to drive and others say it's a blast (the latter consistent with my thoughts). Others compare it to the entry level Cruze or other manufacturer's base models and say it's not much of a bargain because of the Cruze's entry price, something that really irks me! If they would or could option out any other compact car on the market the way a Cruze comes standard, they would find the Cruze very competitive cost wise. Look, I've had new BMWs and the Cruze doesn't give anything away to the quality of that car. The only high cost item on the Cruze is the engine compared to a gas version...yes, it costs more, but it's built like a tank and should be going strong at over 300k miles. Am I the only person that sees that? (I know the CruzeTalk folks are savvy). 

Auto News posted a review that says exactly what I would say (and do) about the Chevy Cruze if I wrote the review. As a matter of fact, they intimate that GM has leveraged the Cruze in the market to show an upscale, American assembled, diesel vehicle that can go toe to toe with any compact vehicle in the world, price and economy wise.

This article may have been posted before, but if not, have a look: http://www.autonews.com/article/201...s-diesel-chevy-could-make-waves#axzz2qWX3bRRC


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## MotleyCruze (Nov 17, 2013)

Thanks for the post, Paris. My thoughts exactly. The article's writer mentioned the price, and that you could have an Acura for that. Thing is, I don't want any of the entry-level ILX's. No diesels, no turbos, and according to Acura's website, they require premium gasoline. All for a brand - I'll take the Chevy any day.

So last night, in the driving rain, I test drove a Cruze TD. I told the salesman that if this car had a six-speed manual, I'd be signing papers tonight. My wife said she doesn't want me in a rental car. Well, after driving the TD and getting in my Volvo C30, THAT felt like a rental car in comparison. I think she's on board, but I have to come to grips with the automatic before parting with my 6-speed.

Any thoughts from die-hard manual transmission fans that have made the switch to the auto TD?


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## smkn600ctd (Dec 16, 2013)

D-for commute traffic. Manual shift mode for fun. The best of both worlds!


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

MotleyCruze said:


> Thanks for the post, Paris. My thoughts exactly. The article's writer mentioned the price, and that you could have an Acura for that. Thing is, I don't want any of the entry-level ILX's. No diesels, no turbos, and according to Acura's website, they require premium gasoline. All for a brand - I'll take the Chevy any day.
> 
> So last night, in the driving rain, I test drove a Cruze TD. I told the salesman that if this car had a six-speed manual, I'd be signing papers tonight. My wife said she doesn't want me in a rental car. Well, after driving the TD and getting in my Volvo C30, THAT felt like a rental car in comparison. I think she's on board, but I have to come to grips with the automatic before parting with my 6-speed.
> 
> Any thoughts from die-hard manual transmission fans that have made the switch to the auto TD?


I have recently had a 2012 Camaro SS 6m and a Corvette 6m (I currently have a C6 Vette 6a) and have to say I miss driving the manual, but the Cruze diesel is different, performance wise. 

The Cruze 6a transmission seems very well thought out. The shift algorithms seem to pick just the right gear for powering out of turns, accelerating from a stop or pulling hills. If it were an engine fun to drive at over 6,000 rpm, I might want the manual transmission, but it isn't and the auto trans seems a perfect fit for it. Plus it betters the VW TDI's manual fuel mileage with an auto, so something is "just right" for the Cruze TD.

Our cousin has 3 Lexus vehicles, one the biggest something 460 and they really like our Cruze TD...just emphasizing that the Cruze TD appeals to the demands of a wide variety of drivers. I could see me driving this Cruze for 200,000 miles or more.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

..but, as proven in europe, you can NOT beat a manual transmission for obtaining MAXIMUM fuel economy.


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## Mikeske (Jun 19, 2012)

The main reason I prefer a automatic is I have is the fact with a artificial left knee it is a lot harder for me to be constantly shifting. A properly set up automatic can be efficient and the Cruze has a properly set up automatic for this car. 

My old 1974 Duster 340 (my first new car) had a 4 speed manual and the car was a blast to drive but I could no drive it much as you really needed a strong left leg to punch the clutch. I know I had the car for over 35 years and sold the car to my son who still owns it. This car also had nothing in luxury just a heater and a uncomfortable bucket with no side bolsters and the lumbar support was a springs hitting you in the back to give a reminder that it was still there with just a little bit of padding. Sure that car is 40 years. 

My daily driver is a 1998 Buick Park Avenue and that old land barge is 16 years old but it has only 125,000 miles and it will be my daily driver for the foreseeable future as nothing on the road beats it on a comfortable car, plus with the aftermarket seat heaters I put in it right after I bought it nothing compares that is affordable has that Buick for the ride and the room. Yep with the automatic in it it is a easy car for me to drive.

My wife's car is a 2012 Dodge Caliber, my wife wanted something that is easy to drive and since she cannot drive a manual ( retired and will never learn) My attitude about her Caliber is I will not drive it much and with the CVT I really do not care to much for it but she loves the ability to haul a small desk in it a couple weeks ago it was sure cheaper then having my son drive his Ram Diesel up from Seattle up here for the small desk, the Caliber earns it keep.

My attitude is that car companies make cars with a variety of options and if you do not like select something else. 

What I really like to see is if GM would take the Sonic and add a Diesel with both a automatic and a manual model.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

MotleyCruze said:


> Thanks for the post, Paris. My thoughts exactly. The article's writer mentioned the price, and that you could have an Acura for that. Thing is, I don't want any of the entry-level ILX's. No diesels, no turbos, and according to Acura's website, they require premium gasoline. All for a brand - I'll take the Chevy any day.
> 
> So last night, in the driving rain, I test drove a Cruze TD. I told the salesman that if this car had a six-speed manual, I'd be signing papers tonight. My wife said she doesn't want me in a rental car. Well, after driving the TD and getting in my Volvo C30, THAT felt like a rental car in comparison. I think she's on board, but I have to come to grips with the automatic before parting with my 6-speed.
> 
> Any thoughts from die-hard manual transmission fans that have made the switch to the auto TD?


its a commuter car, auto is just fine

my miata was a stick, of course

my 30 wheel, 8 axle work truck is 6 speed auto, its just fine

my 50 wheel, 13 axle work truck is 6 speed auto, its just fine.


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

70AARCUDA said:


> ..but, as proven in europe, you can NOT beat a manual transmission for obtaining MAXIMUM fuel economy.


You're probably right, but I haven't seen comparisons that actually prove that. My point in the post was that the Cruze TD auto was more economical than the manual transmission TDI. Just imagine, then, what mileage the Cruze might attain with a manual???

I lived and worked in Europe for 13 years and found in latter years, auto transmission economy cars were very prevalent. My office leased a fleet of 7 or 8 compact cars which were similar in size to the Cruze and we had to change cars every 90 days (government requirement). Anyway, all were automatics and even though fuel mileage wasn't that important, the small engine cars were very efficient. 

I think GM could and should build an entry level Cruze TD with cloth seats, AC, power windows and cruise control, base stereo, and a manual transmission for those that want such a car. There are plenty of college students, traveling salesmen, parts deliverers, etc. that would buy them and enjoy the better fuel mileage. Some performance enthusiasts would certainly appreciate that as well. But, performance wise, you may or may not know that the new 2014 base Corvette Stingray automatic is faster than the manual and the 2015 Corvette Z06 was just revealed with an automatic with paddle shift mode. Most speculate that the Z06 with 8A transmission will be the better track performer...we'll have to wait for the answer on that.


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## Greygoose (Sep 26, 2013)

From someone who loves, and has driven manuals on a daily basis, the manual mode on he car works pretty well. I like the fact that you can start off in 3rd gear when the weather is bad. And, as someone else stated, the shift algorithms are pretty good in this trans.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

ParisTNDude said:


> You're probably right, but I haven't seen comparisons that actually prove that. My point in the post was that the Cruze TD auto was more economical than the manual transmission TDI. Just imagine, then, what mileage the Cruze might attain with a manual???
> 
> I lived and worked in Europe for 13 years and found in latter years, auto transmission economy cars were very prevalent. My office leased a fleet of 7 or 8 compact cars which were similar in size to the Cruze and we had to change cars every 90 days (government requirement). Anyway, all were automatics and even though fuel mileage wasn't that important, the small engine cars were very efficient.
> 
> I think GM could and should build an entry level Cruze TD with cloth seats, AC, power windows and cruise control, base stereo, and a manual transmission for those that want such a car. There are plenty of college students, traveling salesmen, parts deliverers, etc. that would buy them and enjoy the better fuel mileage. Some performance enthusiasts would certainly appreciate that as well. But, performance wise, you may or may not know that the new 2014 base Corvette Stingray automatic is faster than the manual and the 2015 Corvette Z06 was just revealed with an automatic with paddle shift mode. Most speculate that the Z06 with 8A transmission will be the better track performer...we'll have to wait for the answer on that.


Have you owned a manual transmission tdi? Or are you going by what the "epa" says?


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I love the sentence in the article about GM having a hit and needing to stay on it. That is spot on.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

diesel said:


> I love the sentence in the article about GM having a hit and needing to *stay on it*. That is spot on.


Using "football analogy":

OK, GM you've got the *ball.* So, are you gonna just *stand* there? Or are you gonna * run with it *(pick the right direction) or *fumble* *with it* (the 'diesel' *ball*)?


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## fastduo (Dec 24, 2013)

boraz said:


> my 30 wheel, 8 axle work truck is 6 speed auto, its just fine
> 
> my 50 wheel, 13 axle work truck is 6 speed auto, its just fine.



Sorry for getting off the topic but........ Pictures of these please. ^^^^^


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> Have you owned a manual transmission tdi? Or are you going by what the "epa" says?


Nope, owned plenty of VWs, one a diesel, but never a TDI. If you're talking about fuel mileage, I have never personally done a comparison between the two, but what I've read in magazines, the TDI returns very respectable MPGs. When all things are equal, the Cruze gets better and most of the Cruze owners regularly report beating the EPA estimates by 10% or more. I'm sure the EPA does credible testing and I'm also sure there are drivers who can exceed the TDI EPA by a lot. I'm presuming, by your question, you're baiting me, so I will wait for your response.


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## gyrfalcon (Dec 27, 2013)

I don't mind driving a manual and sometimes enjoy it. My biggest gripe is that a manual transmission won't have as long of a service life as an automatic one. Clutches burn out... You don't have many cars with 200+k on them with the original clutch.

Yaaa! You can drive a clutch and you're a good driver. Congratulations! Modern automatics are very efficient and have a great service life. Hate to say it but truly manual transmissions are a dead technology.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

ParisTNDude said:


> Nope, owned plenty of VWs, one a diesel, but never a TDI. If you're talking about fuel mileage, I have never personally done a comparison between the two, but what I've read in magazines, the TDI returns very respectable MPGs. When all things are equal, the Cruze gets better and most of the Cruze owners regularly report beating the EPA estimates by 10% or more. I'm sure the EPA does credible testing and I'm also sure there are drivers who can exceed the TDI EPA by a lot. I'm presuming, by your question, you're baiting me, so I will wait for your response.


No bait, I've never owned a manual tdi but obviously own the cruise. The 2013 Passat TDI gets as good of mileage as the CTD and it's epa ratings are lower. I know this firsthand as my brother in law bought his at the same time as my car and we've been comparing. I think VW's mpg ratings are a bit low. 

This isn't a debate on what's better just trying to analyse honest facts and the blanket statement that the cruze gets better mileage then a TDI I think is misleading, especially if you compare mixed driving. 

Back to scheduled programming! 

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

gyrfalcon said:


> I don't mind driving a manual and sometimes enjoy it. My biggest gripe is that a manual transmission won't have as long of a service life as an automatic one. Clutches burn out... You don't have many cars with 200+k on them with the original clutch.
> 
> Yaaa! You can drive a clutch and you're a good driver. Congratulations! Modern automatics are very efficient and have a great service life. Hate to say it but truly manual transmissions are a dead technology.


Hmm...3 manual cars I owned before the Cruze went over 200K and were well over 10 years each on the clutch.

Modern automatics and reliability are very hit-or-miss, especially as transmissions are getting more and more gears and more and more complex. Honda, VW, some GM's, Chrysler, Ford, Nissan, and probably others I'm not aware of all have extensively documented problems with their 5- and 6-speed automatics on the market at <100K miles. Early mechanical 3-speed automatics were ridiculously reliable because they were much, much simpler, with more room in the tolerances before something would go wrong.

Luckily, the Diesel Cruze uses an Aisin automatic, which are known to be some of the best in the business. Unfortunately, some of the 6T40 owners have NOT been as lucky.

Sadly, though, manuals ARE a dying breed since the 1980's. Automatics finally became somewhat less terrible to drive...and less and less drivers in the US know how to drive them anymore. As technology continues to grow on us, the number of driver aides for drivers that SHOULD be paying attention is getting a bit ridiculous as well...


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

diesel said:


> I love the sentence in the article about GM having a hit and needing to stay on it. That is spot on.


 Also cruze getting redone next year for its cycle refresh. U can google the spied shots of it. interior completely changed and more room in back. Gm has a chance at putting 2 succesful compact cars out in a row if the next one is a hit like this one is. And can bring out a tuner cruze now the cobalt ss was imppressive so cant wait to see what they do from here. Manual and wagon will probably come


My personal opinion is they wanted to get the diesel with all the emmissions, calibration, and everythimg else squared away so its not all pushed out together with the refresh coming. theres info on all this and pretty sure gm has already said if the demand is there with diesel they will bring both wagon and manual to US Go big or go home is what I say. time will tell.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

gyrfalcon said:


> I don't mind driving a manual and sometimes enjoy it. My biggest gripe is that a manual transmission won't have as long of a service life as an automatic one. Clutches burn out... You don't have many cars with 200+k on them with the original clutch.
> 
> Yaaa! You can drive a clutch and you're a good driver. Congratulations! Modern automatics are very efficient and have a great service life. Hate to say it but truly manual transmissions are a dead technology.


Not dead, but definitely dying. Unfortunately automatics don't teach you to pay attention to the road as well. With a manual you have to learn to anticipate what's coming ahead to avoid stalling the car.


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## gyrfalcon (Dec 27, 2013)

jblackburn said:


> Hmm...3 manual cars I owned before the Cruze went over 200K and were well over 10 years each on the clutch.


That's exceptional but I don't think it comes close to reality with most vehicles. My brothers 1952 International still has its first clutch in it, but it's a lot different than my Saturn SC2 or VW Golf that was manual.

Automatics can now shift quicker than a human can while avoiding unnecessary wear. The only advantage a manual transmission had was weight, but that's a tossup now as well.

If a manual offers anything, it should be a cost savings. Unfortunately we live in a world where it's cheaper to mass produce a single line with the same options on everything.

I think most of you manual drivers are just jealous when you see me driving by talking on my cellphone and eating Mc'Donalds while tuning my XM-Radio! :th_salute:



(j/k /sarcasm)


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> No bait, I've never owned a manual tdi but obviously own the cruise. The 2013 Passat TDI gets as good of mileage as the CTD and it's epa ratings are lower. I know this firsthand as my brother in law bought his at the same time as my car and we've been comparing. I think VW's mpg ratings are a bit low.
> 
> This isn't a debate on what's better just trying to analyse honest facts and the blanket statement that the cruze gets better mileage then a TDI I think is misleading, especially if you compare mixed driving.
> 
> ...


I'm not trying to "mislead" anyone, just stating that I have never compared the two personally and have to judge the two on my experience with the Cruze and compare the two based on what I read from others, along with the EPA ratings. Most professional car testers have been surprised that the Cruze far exceeds the EPA estimates as well. 

I agree the VW TDI is a great car and a super MPG getter...I almost bought the TDI Passat despite it's poorer option content, lower mpg, higher price and poor quality leatherette interior. The Cruze had a huge advantage in price and it's made in the USA...mostly. AutoGuide.com did a head to head comparison of the Jetta TDI vs the Cruze tD? They drove both practically bumper to bumper for a good distance and could only muster 37.5 MPG from the Cruze (and 40.5 MPG from the TDI???)..pretty much contrary to the mileage reported by CruzeTalk owners. Then, Car & Driver tested them both over 900 miles driving at steady speeds of 75 mph and the Cruze bested the TDI by 4 mpg. So, without having a brother in law to compare mpgs, I believe the Cruze is the mpg champ over the TDI.

So, I think it's best to say that I could easily have bought either, but thought the Cruze a better car and I'm very happy with my decision.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

ParisTNDude said:


> I'm not trying to "mislead" anyone, just stating that I have never compared the two personally and have to judge the two on my experience with the Cruze and compare the two based on what I read from others, along with the EPA ratings. Most professional car testers have been surprised that the Cruze far exceeds the EPA estimates as well.
> 
> I agree the VW TDI is a great car and a super MPG getter...I almost bought the TDI Passat despite it's poorer option content, lower mpg, higher price and poor quality leatherette interior. The Cruze had a huge advantage in price and it's made in the USA...mostly. AutoGuide.com did a head to head comparison of the Jetta TDI vs the Cruze tD? They drove both practically bumper to bumper for a good distance and could only muster 37.5 MPG from the Cruze (and 40.5 MPG from the TDI???)..pretty much contrary to the mileage reported by CruzeTalk owners. Then, Car & Driver tested them both over 900 miles driving at steady speeds of 75 mph and the Cruze bested the TDI by 4 mpg. So, without having a brother in law to compare mpgs, I believe the Cruze is the mpg champ over the TDI.
> 
> So, I think it's best to say that I could easily have bought either, but thought the Cruze a better car and I'm very happy with my decision.


The TDI is rated 31 in the city over the 27 of the Cruze. That gives you 37.5MPG combined vs Cruze's 36.5MPG. This would translate to a higher MPG rate in "normal mixed driving" scenario. Interestingly, fuelly backs up that hypothesis in real world numbers. The two things men exaggerate about in life are how many women they've slept with and how many MPG's they get  I can't tell you how many guys I work with who try to convince me they get 30MPG Hwy in their full sized trucks. Yeah...If you look at the instant reading going downhill...

I'm drinking the Cruze kool-aid but I don't think it's really any better on fuel than the VW's in real world driving where it counts. Maybe a straight, flat, dedicated highway run which isn't the most common driving mode for most people. Just sayin'

Fuelly.com real world results. 

2014 VW Passat TDI 260,181 miles tracked. 40.1MPG AVG Overall. 58 Cars. 
2014 VW Jetta TDI 92,290 miles tracked 41.8MPG AVG Overall 21 Cars

2014 Cruze Diesel 207,166 miles tracked 40.0MPG AVG Overall 37 Cars. 

The Cruze diesel isn't a clear winner here. Passat is a full sized sedan as well...

We both love our Cruzes though and I do feel like the quality is better which was most important first and foremost. I'm not trying to be a jerk, I just honestly like BS'in about this stuff.


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> The TDI is rated 31 in the city over the 27 of the Cruze. That gives you 37.5MPG combined vs Cruze's 36.5MPG. This would translate to a higher MPG rate in "normal mixed driving" scenario. Interestingly, fuelly backs up that hypothesis in real world numbers.


I hesitate to take the Fuelly number into full consideration until there has been a good solid year or more of the CTD. Don't forget winter is skewing the numbers right now.

There are a total of 66 Cruze diesels (U.S. model) on Fuelly, nearly half of which (32 if I counted correctly) have been added since October or later. I think we can all agree that winter driving is notoriously inefficient for a multitude of reasons (both gas and diesel), and if you go back and read the winter mpg loss thread, you'll see there are some significant losses because of winter fuel, cold temps, winter tires, lots of idling, etc etc. That alone plus lower amounts of data from more efficient driving seasons could skew the numbers down.

I've owned my CTD two months and probably could count on one hand the number of days since I've owned it that it has been above freezing. I'm averaging 38.6 in mixed driving of probably 70/30 hwy/city. What give me solace is that my gas version was just as bad in the winter, and when summer came around my mileage improved significantly. 

Shoot, my Subaru Outback is experiencing upwards of 25% efficiency loss in these awful cold winter temps we've had this year. I had one tank where I got a little over 250 miles on a tank of gas on my Subaru averaging about 19 mpg when in the summer I rarely get less than 24 even with lots of city driving. I can't complain too much about averaging nearly 39 mpg with my diesel Cruze in these conditions.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

PanJet said:


> I hesitate to take the Fuelly number into full consideration until there has been a good solid year or more of the CTD. Don't forget winter is skewing the numbers right now.
> 
> There are a total of 66 Cruze diesels (U.S. model) on Fuelly, nearly half of which (32 if I counted correctly) have been added since October or later. I think we can all agree that winter driving is notoriously inefficient for a multitude of reasons (both gas and diesel), and if you go back and read the winter mpg loss thread, you'll see there are some significant losses because of winter fuel, cold temps, winter tires, lots of idling, etc etc. That alone plus lower amounts of data from more efficient driving seasons could skew the numbers down.
> 
> ...


Sorry but the comparable number of VW 2014's are going through the same thing...so it is fair. I couldn't even buy a 14' TDI when I got my Cruze. I test drove a 13'

Did you even read the numbers I posted? There aren't 66 Cruze diesels unless they posted in inappropriately under the wrong trim.

I got mine in the summer, I'm aware how it performs between 80 and -9F


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## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

It seems like most of the distribution of the CTD has been in the northern states that have seen pretty cold temps. Whereas the VW has been distributed throughout the whole country in greater numbers. I bought mine in October and had about half a month of warm temps and my worst tank was 39mpg and I drive 80% city. The week it was -11 I saw as low as 20mpg for 50 miles.


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## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> The TDI is rated 31 in the city over the 27 of the Cruze. That gives you 37.5MPG combined vs Cruze's 36.5MPG. This would translate to a higher MPG rate in "normal mixed driving" scenario. Interestingly, fuelly backs up that hypothesis in real world numbers. The two things men exaggerate about in life are how many women they've slept with and how many MPG's they get  I can't tell you how many guys I work with who try to convince me they get 30MPG Hwy in their full sized trucks. Yeah...If you look at the instant reading going downhill...
> 
> I'm drinking the Cruze kool-aid but I don't think it's really any better on fuel than the VW's in real world driving where it counts. Maybe a straight, flat, dedicated highway run which isn't the most common driving mode for most people. Just sayin'
> 
> ...


Yeah, I went to the fuelly site and it was a little confusing since you could filter the Cruze based on the type of diesel engine the car had such as L4, W8, H4, Diesel, and bi-fuel??? Not sure if they include Cruze's from foreign countries or not. In the H4 sort, there were 52 reports with an average mpg of 42.8 (listed under the heading 2014). What engine is that? I thought the American Cruze engine was called an I4 and was the only 2014 Cruzes listed???


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

DieselMan33 said:


> It seems like most of the distribution of the CTD has been in the northern states that have seen pretty cold temps. Whereas the VW has been distributed throughout the whole country in greater numbers. I bought mine in October and had about half a month of warm temps and my worst tank was 39mpg and I drive 80% city. The week it was -11 I saw as low as 20mpg for 50 miles.


Kudos to you if you took the time to break down exact locations. I did not go that far. Honestly though. My lifetime avg will be under 37MPG soon. That is with a lifetime of probably 50/50 Hwy driving. 

In town during the summer I was getting barely 30mpg's, winter it's more like 25mpg's. On the hwy my best run for a 260mi trip on anything but flat hwy was 48mpg, same exact trip in winter netted 42mpg. 



ParisTNDude said:


> Yeah, I went to the fuelly site and it was a little confusing since you could filter the Cruze based on the type of diesel engine the car had such as L4, W8, H4, Diesel, and bi-fuel??? Not sure if they include Cruze's from foreign countries or not. In the H4 sort, there were 52 reports with an average mpg of 42.8 (listed under the heading 2014). What engine is that? I thought the American Cruze engine was called an I4 and was the only 2014 Cruzes listed???


It's L4. I'm honestly not sure where you got those numbers. I'm looking at it right now. 

The diesel choices and number of cars are:

-Diesel (2)
-Diesel H4 (2)
-Diesel L4 (38)
-Diesel W8 (2)

I went by L4 which is the majority of US owners. Looks like someone else added their car overnight.

I'll agree to disagree with the defenders are the cruze being the unequivocal mileage champ. I don't buy it but I do not love her any less. Should be interesting when the 2015 Jetta TDI adds ad-blue, it's mileage will increase further.

I follow that VW's closely as well because my family will be looking for another car in a couple years. I'd love a wagon but I refuse to buy a VW until the HPFP issues are addressed. BMW makes an amazing diesel wagon but it's 60k lol.


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## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> Kudos to you if you took the time to break down exact locations. I did not go that far. Honestly though. My lifetime avg will be under 37MPG soon. That is with a lifetime of probably 50/50 Hwy driving.
> 
> In town during the summer I was getting barely 30mpg's, winter it's more like 25mpg's. On the hwy my best run for a 260mi trip on anything but flat hwy was 48mpg, same exact trip in winter netted 42mpg.
> 
> ...



I didn't break it down. I was just going off of the ones for sale and the majority of owners on here. Seems like there are a lot more available in the colder regions of the US at the moment. I cannot wait until spring and summer to see what I can achieve. My commute to work is only 6 miles with about 8 stop lights but if I can get through most of them I am usually cruising at 60mph so it is not bad in warm weather. In the cold it is horrible.


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## gulfcoastguy (Feb 21, 2013)

gyrfalcon said:


> That's exceptional but I don't think it comes close to reality with most vehicles. My brothers 1952 International still has its first clutch in it, but it's a lot different than my Saturn SC2 or VW Golf that was manual.
> 
> Automatics can now shift quicker than a human can while avoiding unnecessary wear. The only advantage a manual transmission had was weight, but that's a tossup now as well.
> 
> ...


Hmm, my manual car: has bluetooth hands free phone, XM radio, iPod and sd card media playing capability, diesel, and is a wagon. I don't eat in my car though.


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## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> Did you even read the numbers I posted? There aren't 66 Cruze diesels unless they posted in inappropriately under the wrong trim.


You're right. My bad. For some reason, even though I had already selected diesel L4, when I clicked on the "View All" to see all the individual ones it releases the filter. There are 66 total 2014 Cruzen on Fuelly. I stand corrected.


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> Kudos to you if you took the time to break down exact locations. I did not go that far. Honestly though. My lifetime avg will be under 37MPG soon. That is with a lifetime of probably 50/50 Hwy driving.
> 
> In town during the summer I was getting barely 30mpg's, winter it's more like 25mpg's. On the hwy my best run for a 260mi trip on anything but flat hwy was 48mpg, same exact trip in winter netted 42mpg.
> 
> ...


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

Sorry messed reply with quote. This is what I responded. 
Well I drive on the turnpike 3 times a week and from ohio to south of pittsburgh is anything but flat. Got the cruze in november so all freezimg temps pretty much and lifetime mpg at 4000 miles is 34. 60 40 city/highway averaged 50 at 65 for 120 mile run yesterday at 20 degrees so how u driving has alot to do with it. Keep under 2000 rpms the majority of the time and ur gonna be happy


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## 567Chief (Feb 25, 2013)

Another interesting Fuelly observation: 44 Jetta TDI 2014s listed (33 sedans and 11 wagons) and the CTD has a respectable 38.


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

70AARCUDA said:


> ..but, as proven in europe, you can NOT beat a manual transmission for obtaining MAXIMUM fuel economy.


Depends on the car. I had a '12 Civic which was rated at 36 MPG highway, but the auto was rated at 39MPG. (EPA)


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

diesel said:


> Depends on the car. I had a '12 Civic which was rated at 36 MPG highway, but the auto was rated at 39MPG. (EPA)


The 14' mazda 6 I looked at had lower mpg rating for stick over auto. It was only 1mpg's but still interesting!


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

KpaxFAQ said:


> The 14' mazda 6 I looked at had lower mpg rating for stick over auto. It was only 1mpg's but still interesting!


Probably the final drive ratio. At least with the Civics, I know the manual versions run higher RPM on the highway than the manuals. The Cruze LS/LTs are the same way. 


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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