# Thinking of buying a CTD



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Hey there, my names Brandon and I currently drive a 2005 Chevrolet cobalt 2.2L base model, not a power option anywhere other than steering 

I'll be buying a new car this spring an two cars are currently on my list, the Cruze diesel and the 2014 Accord. My main goal with a new car is fuel mileage because when I get bored I just go out and cruise around town. I also go on lots of long drives once the weather gets nice. My main thing is I have to get an automatic so that the girlfriend(basically wife) can drive it. It also needs to be super reliable because im tired of driving junk.

Have you guys had any transmission problems or engine problems with this new diesel GM is playing with? I read a lot of complaints about the automatic in the gas cars but they aren't diesels and I know the diesel uses the AisinAF40-6 transmission but I haven't found anything to tell me if they're reliable or just another trouble prone transmission. 

What about any common issues with the diesels? If you cant tell this will be my first diesel and im not to familiar with them. I'm sure ill think of more questions in a couple hours. I'm heading out tonight to test drive one


----------



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Welcome!

You've come to the right place!



money_man said:


> My main goal with a new car is fuel mileage because when I get bored I just go out and cruise around town. I also go on lots of long drives once the weather gets nice.


The diesel is amazing on mileage, but primarily only on the highway. It drops down to normal levels (27 mpg rated) in town. That said, very few people have actually gotten that low mileage in real-world driving. My wife and I are getting close to 5500 miles on ours now with probably about 70/30 highway/city with nearly all of that being in this awful, cold, snowy, northern Minnesota winter, and we're still averaging 39 mpg for the life of the car. I have yet to get a tank below 35 mpg (pump calculated).



money_man said:


> My main thing is I have to get an automatic so that the girlfriend(basically wife) can drive it.


No issues there. The CTD only comes in automatic.



money_man said:


> It also needs to be super reliable because im tired of driving junk.
> 
> Have you guys had any transmission problems or engine problems with this new diesel GM is playing with? I read a lot of complaints about the automatic in the gas cars but they aren't diesels and I know the diesel uses the AisinAF40-6 transmission but I haven't found anything to tell me if they're reliable or just another trouble prone transmission.


So far so good. There are a number of CTD owners on here, several with over 10,000 miles and one with close to 50k already, and we have had almost zero common issues. There have been the random CEL here and there and a couple of cases of gelled fuel (read up on cold-weather diesel fuel gelling if you're not familiar with diesels), but nothing major yet. These transmissions are solid; far better than the GM transmissions in the gas Cruze. There is a long list of cars that use a variation of this transmission (Volvo S60 and Mazda 6 just two of them); no issues reported by CTD owners so far.



money_man said:


> What about any common issues with the diesels? If you cant tell this will be my first diesel and im not to familiar with them.


No common issues have arisen on the CTD.

One thing to keep in mind (I eluded to above) is what type of driving you do. If you're doing mostly short, city driving, the diesel may not be the best choice as it doesn't get it's best mileage on short drives and with newer diesels and all the emissions equipment on them, short driving can increase the probability of problems. However, don't let that scare you away. There are several CTD owners on here who are self-professed short distance drivers who both love their CTD and have had no issues with them.

Certainly test drive one. I think you'll love it.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

shortest drive I do is 20 mins each way to the local mall or my dads house, I always let my car warm up in cold weather as well so the diesel should have no problems getting to operating temp.. Another reason im liking the diesel cruze is the amount of options and standard equipment it comes with for the price,along with tons of torque (cobalt makes 150ft.lbs  )


----------



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

money_man said:


> shortest drive I do is 20 mins each way to the local mall or my dads house, I always let my car warm up in cold weather as well so the diesel should have no problems getting to operating temp.. Another reason im liking the diesel cruze is the amount of options and standard equipment it comes with for the price,along with tons of torque (cobalt makes 150ft.lbs  )


Gas Cruze with the 1.4L turbo only makes 148ft.lbs, but it does so down low at only 1850 RPM, so it feels really good around town compared to a NA small four-cylinder.

One thing to note, these engines do not warm up while idling. Neither do the gas ones for that matter. These newer engines are so small and efficient, you could go through two full remote-start cycles (10 min each) and the temp gauge would barely have moved in really cold (subzero F) temps. The best thing to do and just get in, start up, and drive them, but be easy on them for the first couple of miles while the oil gets flowing. On the plus side, the diesel comes standard with an auxiliary electric heater to compensate. It is activated whenever the temp is turned all the way up. It won't warm the car, especially in the coldest temps, but it certainly does cut the chill much faster than even a gas car until the engine warms up.

I don't know if you've ever driven any Cruze before, but if you're used to the Cobalt (especially a basic one), the Cruze is going to feel like you've stepped into a Cadillac.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

never driven a cruze. Always liked them but nobody I know owns one. how often doesn't the DEF have to be changed?


----------



## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Def (Diesel Exaust Fluid aka Urea) is injected into the exaust to assist cleaning the catalyst.
It is never changed.....just replenished.
I believe the design limit for tank total volume is on the order of ten thousand miles.

For the first two years or twenty four thousand miles oil/filter changes are no charge and def top off is included.

Happy decision making!

Rob


----------



## MilTownSHO (Oct 9, 2013)

Diesel doesn't warm up just idling, you have to drive it to get it up to temperature. 

It can take quite some time when it's cold out and it can actually lose engine temperature if you quit moving or slow down.

Do a search and poke around in the diesel forum, most of your questions have been answered.

Also depending on where you live, with the price of diesel (filled up yesterday at $4.09), it doesn't pay off mileage wise.

The torque is fun and nice but this is not a sports car by any means.


----------



## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

Welcome! Bottom line, drive one. Then you will buy one


----------



## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

PanJet said:


> Auxilary heat is activated whenever the temp is turned all the way up. It won't warm the car, especially in the coldest temps, but it certainly does cut the chill much faster than even a gas car until the engine warms up.


Arrgh! Did you read the manual or learn this on your own? 

I think I drove my new CTD 50 miles or so, watching my breath the day after I bought it, b/c I had the heat set somewhere in the middle as I waited...


----------



## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

Zenturi said:


> Arrgh! Did you read the manual or learn this on your own?
> 
> I think I drove my new CTD 50 miles or so, watching my breath the day after I bought it, b/c I had the heat set somewhere in the middle as I waited...


lol, I do believe it says somewhere in the manual. I read the entire thing but can't remember if I got that info there or not!


----------



## mr overkill (Dec 1, 2013)

DO NOT TAKE IT FOR A TEST DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


....>..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
you will like it you will forget the other car


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

well I took it out. Didn't have a sunroof or blind spot thing. It was beautiful, night and day better than my cobalt. The automatic shifted smoother than almost any other car ive driven 2009+. Stopped halfway through our test drive to let the girlfriend drive it and she liked it as well because its easy to see out of. I was shocked when I put it into reverse and a backup camera turned on, my gf was like OMG that is awesome. The car has great torque but didn't pull as hard as I thought it was going to, still liked it.

Regular fuel here is $1.396/L
Diesel is $1.46L

so currently im going 500km on a tank when I could be going around 900km on basically the same amount.


----------



## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

money_man said:


> The car has great torque but didn't pull as hard as I thought it was going to, still liked it.


That's my impression too. It has the power it needs to get onto ramps and around trucks. But I don't find the CTD suited to driving as assertively as I could in my Olds Intrigue. 

It's a good compromise car all around - not too small, but small enough to make nimble U turns, still heavy enough to feel planted on the road, and gets awesome fuel mileage. 
arty:


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I honestly don't drive that hard anyway so its not a huge deal. I've been going with 150ft.lbs for 2 years now and it was extremely noticeable how much more grunt the diesel had. Think if I get one ill get a white one and then tint the windows. 

The girlfriend keeps telling me about all the places we could go with that kind of mpg


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

money_man said:


> I honestly don't drive that hard anyway so its not a huge deal. I've been going with 150ft.lbs for 2 years now and it was extremely noticeable how much more grunt the diesel had. Think if I get one ill get a white one and then tint the windows.
> 
> The girlfriend keeps telling me about all the places we could go with that kind of mpg


Like Lordstown?


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

money_man said:


> Hey there, my names Brandon and I currently drive a 2005 Chevrolet cobalt 2.2L base model, not a power option anywhere other than steering
> 
> I'll be buying a new car this spring an two cars are currently on my list, the Cruze diesel and the 2014 Accord. My main goal with a new car is fuel mileage because when I get bored I just go out and cruise around town. I also go on lots of long drives once the weather gets nice. My main thing is I have to get an automatic so that the girlfriend(basically wife) can drive it. It also needs to be super reliable because im tired of driving junk.
> 
> ...


Hello and welcome to the forum. I am the one with close to 50K miles (47K currently) and I can say I have had absolutely zero issues with the car. Most of your questions have been addressed by others, but I do want to comment that they pull noticably harder once the engine is more broken in. My first impression on the test drive was that it didn't pull hard, but now it feels like it pulls much harder. I would recommend the car to anyone. It's a great driving experience all around. 

Not to bash Honda or anything, but I put 100K miles on a 2012 Civic and had fuel lines that needed replacing, a CV axle that needed replacing and several times it would not start on the first try. My friend has a 2013 Accord that has had enough serious problems that he now has a lawyer representing him for lemon law. Just stating facts lol


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I actually went over and priced one that was comparable to the cruze and it'll be $34k and still a 4 cyl with CVT and 100 less tq. So that car is no longer an option

One main concern is interior warm up times in the middle of winter. Will the aux electric heat warm the interior or at least defrost the windshield?


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I live in canada and in the middle of winter we have weeks where I doesn't get warmer than -15°c


----------



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Zenturi said:


> Arrgh! Did you read the manual or learn this on your own?
> 
> I think I drove my new CTD 50 miles or so, watching my breath the day after I bought it, b/c I had the heat set somewhere in the middle as I waited...


LOL! I honestly have no idea where I learned that. Probably somewhere in reading all the literature about the diesel Cruze before I ever bought one.



money_man said:


> I actually went over and priced one that was comparable to the cruze and it'll be $34k and still a 4 cyl with CVT and 100 less tq. So that car is no longer an option
> 
> One main concern is interior warm up times in the middle of winter. Will the aux electric heat warm the interior or at least defrost the windshield?


I live in northern Minnesota, probably pretty close to (if not) the coldest area of the lower 48 states. Currently we're on track for the coldest winter here since 1978 or something like that with about 62 days below zero (F) so far.

On the coldest mornings, the electric heat will get a little bit of heat out faster than even the gasoline cars, but don't expect to melt an icy windshield with it. However, once you start driving, it doesn't take long to get good heat out. Idling will not do much for you at all.

To be fair, the gasoline Cruze was no better. It took quite a while to get warm air on those as well. Like I said, these engines are just so small and efficient at idle, so there is very little waste heat until you start driving. For the most part this doesn't bother me though because I use a deicing windshield fluid and scraping for anything that the deicing fluid won't cut through.


----------



## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

money_man said:


> I actually went over and priced one that was comparable to the cruze and it'll be $34k and still a 4 cyl with CVT and 100 less tq. So that car is no longer an option
> 
> One main concern is interior warm up times in the middle of winter. Will the aux electric heat warm the interior or at least defrost the windshield?


i live in BC, it gets -40...i drive 500 miles over the rocky mountains to work in alberta, same temps -40

the car has zero issues with heat/defrost


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

money_man said:


> I actually went over and priced one that was comparable to the cruze and it'll be $34k and still a 4 cyl with CVT and 100 less tq. So that car is no longer an option
> 
> One main concern is interior warm up times in the middle of winter. Will the aux electric heat warm the interior or at least defrost the windshield?


Where I drive, it's been mostly in the teens in the winter, and I find that the electric heat combined with the seat heaters makes the car superior to anything else I've ever had. I think the electric heat stays on about 5 minutes in my observation, before it shuts off and relies on coolant. This may be a function of engine temperature and not time, I am not sure. Either way, I am able to get into a cold car and drive with my jacket off straightaway and not freeze. The electric heater is not a huge blast of heat, but it definitely makes a worthwhile difference.

I also keep the RPMS up in the 3000 range with the manumatic - helps engine warm up quicker.


----------



## Barefeet (Jan 1, 2014)

Is there no-one from Yakutsk?:wink:

Breathtaking Photos of the Coldest City in the World - weather.com


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

The ice isn't a big deal, I have a scraper. Mostly just worried about it clearing the fogged up windshield. I'm actually getting close to pulling the trigger on this. The car was amazing and now driving my cobalt sucks


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

money_man said:


> The ice isn't a big deal, I have a scraper. Mostly just worried about it clearing the fogged up windshield. I'm actually getting close to pulling the trigger on this. The car was amazing and now driving my cobalt sucks


No issue with that, BUT all Cruzes don't defrost the entire front windshield. The design of the defrost vent is in the center and does not spread all the way out to the ends of the windshield. It doesn't affect field of vision though, so I don't consider it a problem. It's just the bottom left and right corners of the windshield that don't get hit. It was never a big deal to me, just an observation that all Cruze owners have seen at one point or another.


----------



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

money_man said:


> The ice isn't a big deal, I have a scraper. Mostly just worried about it clearing the fogged up windshield. I'm actually getting close to pulling the trigger on this. The car was amazing and now driving my cobalt sucks


Yeah, mine works just fine clearing a fogged windshield.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Now I just need to decide color


----------



## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

money_man said:


> Now I just need to decide color


Unless you are married to "no black leather" I would get black leather. Having a **** of a time keeping the tan clean.


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

money_man said:


> Now I just need to decide color


Would be nice if it came in Cool Blue like on the Sonic. That color looks nice to me. For me, color wasn't really an issue, though I was never much a fan of red. Mine is silver over black. The black leather has held up well, not showing any wear, and I don't do anything special to it.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Has to be the black leather. I'm an electrician and the seats would get to dirty to fast. I meant exterior color


----------



## mr overkill (Dec 1, 2013)

I am looking at a silver one but that crystal red is really growing on me


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Wish there was a dark gunmetal color  

I find black to be to plain, white is nice but I have to see a vehicle I like before I ever choose white. The red I've seen done up a bit and like it


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

money_man said:


> Wish there was a dark gunmetal color
> 
> I find black to be to plain, white is nice but I have to see a vehicle I like before I ever choose white. The red I've seen done up a bit and like it


There is, it's called Tungsten Metallic


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

How did i miss that!!!!!???


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

oh my, the g/f hates the tungsten and says all my cars are black and murdered out so i guess that helps me choose between them. now its just red/white as my choices


----------



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

money_man said:


> oh my, the g/f hates the tungsten and says all my cars are black and murdered out so i guess that helps me choose between them. now its just red/white as my choices


Choose between what? The color of the car or the car and the girl?


----------



## Sperry (Aug 3, 2013)

The DEF fillup is not included in Canada.. I top mine up every 10,000 kms.. 34,000 kms with no issues so far.. I'm in the Toronto area and this winter hasn't been a problem .. My commute is about 1050 kms a week and 1 tank will do that easily on the highway


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

well, just got home from the dealership. I pulled the trigger and got the financing going through and put down a deposit to hold a red tintcoat colored cruze diesel with the black leather interior. YAY!!!!! I go in to see it in the day light tomorrow, along with a test drive. I got the GMPP extended warranty as well.

It has the pioneer stereo, moonroof, Navigation, along with the other normal CTD goodies.

Bargained it down so I got the moonroof, stereo, and nav for free. :)


----------



## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

Crystal Red and Rainforest Green are the glitzier 2014 colors, I would say. Tungsten is very mirror-like when it's polished up. 

The other ones offered this year are more conventional automobile colors. I think some of the prior years Cruzen offered a little more interesting palette to select from.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I think im going to enjoy this crystal red tintcoat color.


----------



## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

It's one of the colors I was open to... I ended up getting an Atlantis Blue. I'd been driving a midnight blue car for 13 prior years, but it's different "enough". Blue Ray is not bad but would have been too close to my prior car


----------



## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

Congrats on the purchase!


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

The dealerships around here only get 2 cars at a time and only every couple months. Options were red or black. Of course I jumped at red even though its $500 more for the color. Its 4am and I can't sleep because I'm oodles of excited for this. I've never had a new car before, but I figured @ 25 years old it was about time


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

money_man said:


> well, just got home from the dealership. I pulled the trigger and got the financing going through and put down a deposit to hold a red tintcoat colored cruze diesel with the black leather interior. YAY!!!!! I go in to see it in the day light tomorrow, along with a test drive. I got the GMPP extended warranty as well.
> 
> It has the pioneer stereo, moonroof, Navigation, along with the other normal CTD goodies.
> 
> Bargained it down so I got the moonroof, stereo, and nav for free. :)


Woot! Congrats!


----------



## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

I'm just gonna leave this here as a shameless selfish plug for Crystal Red:


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

What % tint?


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Well went in today and its all figured out. Pick it up tomorrow at 4-5.


----------



## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

I just accidentally discovered the auxiliary electric heater on my Diesel after 2 months of ownership. Missed it when reviewing the Owners Manual. What a great standard feature! The only other car I have seen with this was a $50,000 BMW convertible.


----------



## BradHerr (Sep 29, 2013)

Awesome! I couldn't sleep the nights leading up to getting mine. It was a dealer trade 500 miles away. They went and picked it up on Friday and said I may get it Saturday or Monday. It showed up at 8:00 Saturday night and it sat at the dealer all day Sunday. It was the longest weekend ever.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

that's how i'm currently feeling. I even got off work a little earlier today to hopefully take it home with me. But living in Nova Scotia, Canada its not a good idea to drive around a brand new car with no undercoating unless you don't care about that car.

It was -7c today and the car warmed up so it was on the gauge within 10 mins. Cant wait to go cruising tomorrow


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Since I've never owned a diesel, here is a question. Is all diesel basically the same or can you get higher cetane ratings? Been reading up and looks like in eastern canada, petrocan or shell is the way to go


----------



## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

money_man said:


> What % tint?


20% front, limo, or 5% rear



money_man said:


> Since I've never owned a diesel, here is a question. Is all diesel basically the same or can you get higher cetane ratings? Been reading up and looks like in eastern canada, petrocan or shell is the way to go


Not that any station will tell you. There is a product called Diesel Kleen that will boost Cetane levels. I use this every few tanks to help keep the injectors clean.


----------



## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

Congrats on the diesel money. I got my first ever diesel innovember and love it. Def does pull harder after breakin in a little. Ive felt the overboost twice and it put a grin on my face. Hahaha. One question. I was jokin with a buddy how aweful the sticker they put on canada cars on passenger front for cars being closer than appear. How long it take u to remove? Hope ur lovin ur cruze


----------



## ParisTNDude (Oct 7, 2013)

If you drove a Cobalt for a long time and it didn't bother you that it was small and relatively slow, you will love to cruise in a Cruze. It feels like what Cadillac might have made if they were interested in this segment. It really is a great thought out car. My best mileage for a long trip was 59.8...just could not get 2/10s more to make it 60, but it only had 600 miles or so at that time and it was summer. I'm sure I'm going to hit the magic 60 this summer. The Cruze turbo diesel has a lot of upgrades, better suspension and 4 wheel disk brakes along with bigger wheels and tires than the gas Cruzes. Comes with 2lt equipment and leather seats as well. You couldn't go wrong buying a CTD...good luck on your decision.


----------



## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

money_man said:


> Since I've never owned a diesel, here is a question. Is all diesel basically the same or can you get higher cetane ratings? Been reading up and looks like in eastern canada, petrocan or shell is the way to go


its refined to a standard

your local petro can station could receive petro can fuel one day, esso fuel the next, shell the next....all depends on if the refineries can keep up or not.

dont overthink it, fuel up when and where its convenient


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Absolutely love this car. 100km so far and only on the first notch below full. On my way home I was seeing 3.3L/100 km


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

So parked it for the night. AVG is 6.9L/100km and its still falling. my average with my cobalt never fell below 7.4L/100km

I do have 1 problem though. my phone disconnects on phone calls then reconnects


----------



## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

Good to hear! Does your cell phone service deteriorate is certain spots? That is the only thing I could think of for that problem. Regarding the bluetooth connection there have been a couple times that I have had to reconnect my phone to the car because it looses connection.


----------



## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

This is a common problem when the Bluetooth spec in your phone is more advanced than what is loaded in the car. It really renders the hands free useless. Definitely mention this to the dealer and GM Customer Service. Maybe you'll get better service than I did.

My solution was to buy a Samsung Galaxy Note II.


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

I may have missed it but nobody mentioned that the front seats have heaters in them and have 3 heat settings each having their own controller. My wife loves it and with winter on the way we will use them again in a month or so.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I currently have the nexus 4 with the 4.4 kitkat update. It reads my messages to me just fine but I would like to have my Bluetooth work properly.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

just got the remotelink app working. love it.


----------



## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

Aussie said:


> I may have missed it but nobody mentioned that the front seats have heaters in them and have 3 heat settings each having their own controller. My wife loves it and with winter on the way we will use them again in a month or so.


Heck yeah, the heated seats are my favorite! Can't imagine it without them this winter and the general lack of heat for awhile in the car!


----------



## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

I was told that the Cruze Diesel Has very Poor resale Value and that having the Diesel Cruze will hurt resale value .. I got my car Appraised at RickHendrick Chevy in KS and was told the car was worth $17,000 and this is a fully loaded car with 5,000 miles in it ,the only thing I did not get was Nav. and the GM said that the Diesels are not selling well and does not see them lasting long ?????? So here is what I did . I took out 3,000 cash I put it on the table and said to the GM . Get me the same car for that price and I will give you this cash as a give ,shake on it and put it in writing if you can't find the same car with the same miles give a take 100 miles on it ,you will give me $3,000.. The GM said I am not going to make that bet with you . I said why not you said you can by this car all doy for that , ok get me one like it for that price and you just made $3,000 bucks ...I was told to leave after that ... wounder why ??? FYI this is the Dealer that also didn't not do all my service correct and spilled Urea that I had to clean up after arguing that the the urea was included in the service ... I know I asked for it right ?????


----------



## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

GotDiesel? said:


> I was told that the Cruze Diesel Has very Poor resale Value and that having the Diesel Cruze will hurt resale value .. I got my car Appraised at RickHendrick Chevy in KS and was told the car was worth $17,000 and this is a fully loaded car with 5,000 miles in it ,the only thing I did not get was Nav. and the GM said that the Diesels are not selling well and does not see them lasting long ?????? So here is what I did . I took out 3,000 cash I put it on the table and said to the GM . Get me the same car for that price and I will give you this cash as a give ,shake on it and put it in writing if you can't find the same car with the same miles give a take 100 miles on it ,you will give me $3,000.. The GM said I am not going to make that bet with you . I said why not you said you can by this car all doy for that , ok get me one like it for that price and you just made $3,000 bucks ...I was told to leave after that ... wounder why ??? FYI this is the Dealer that also didn't not do all my service correct and spilled Urea that I had to clean up after arguing that the the urea was included in the service ... I know I asked for it right ?????


1. You had your car appraised. Does that mean you're looking to sell it? Or did you just decide to go down there with 3 grand cash in your pocket with this in mind to see what would happen?

2. I followed the bet you purposed to the general manager of the dealership. Is your point that they are full of crap and the CTD does indeed have a higher resale value? 

3. What was the point of all of this again? Were you at the dealership for a particular reason or did you really go just for this?


----------



## titanman2789 (Oct 27, 2013)

KpaxFAQ said:


> 1. You had your car appraised. Does that mean you're looking to sell it? Or did you just decide to go down there with 3 grand cash in your pocket with this in mind to see what would happen?
> 
> 2. I followed the bet you purposed to the general manager of the dealership. Is your point that they are full of crap and the CTD does indeed have a higher resale value?
> 
> 3. What was the point of all of this again? Were you at the dealership for a particular reason or did you really go just for this?


Good points. I think the appraisal was crap. They want to see just how badly you want out of your current car. I'd say 18k would be a fair FIRST appraisal number, 20-22k being an actual trade number. There was no mention of test driving so you didn't actually show that you wanted a new car. Of course they're going to low ball you, dealer has to make money too. If you wanted a real appraisal, take it to carmax. I've sold 4 cars them in the past 3 years. Always better offers than dealerships

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

GotDiesel? said:


> I was told that the Cruze Diesel Has very Poor resale Value and that having the Diesel Cruze will hurt resale value .. I got my car Appraised at RickHendrick Chevy in KS and was told the car was worth $17,000 and this is a fully loaded car with 5,000 miles in it ,the only thing I did not get was Nav. and the GM said that the Diesels are not selling well and does not see them lasting long ?????? So here is what I did . I took out 3,000 cash I put it on the table and said to the GM . Get me the same car for that price and I will give you this cash as a give ,shake on it and put it in writing if you can't find the same car with the same miles give a take 100 miles on it ,you will give me $3,000.. The GM said I am not going to make that bet with you . I said why not you said you can by this car all doy for that , ok get me one like it for that price and you just made $3,000 bucks ...I was told to leave after that ... wounder why ??? FYI this is the Dealer that also didn't not do all my service correct and spilled Urea that I had to clean up after arguing that the the urea was included in the service ... I know I asked for it right ?????





KpaxFAQ said:


> 1. You had your car appraised. Does that mean you're looking to sell it? Or did you just decide to go down there with 3 grand cash in your pocket with this in mind to see what would happen?
> 
> 2. I followed the bet you purposed to the general manager of the dealership. Is your point that they are full of crap and the CTD does indeed have a higher resale value?
> 
> 3. What was the point of all of this again? Were you at the dealership for a particular reason or did you really go just for this?


First, any car that has a lot of options relative to the base model will lose value very quickly the first year. Basically the options values go to zero in just a few months. Second, the base model for the Cruze CDT is the LS MT, which is the least expensive trim in the US. Finally, the Cruze CDT hasn't been around long enough to build a trade value history so it will always be low-balled for trade value, especially at a dealership. I wouldn't trust any dealership to tell me a particular model isn't selling well and that GM will be discontinuing the model. Car sales are somewhat like real estate - Location, Location, Location. I know this because my dealership owns two locations in the Denver Metro area and one location can't sell Volts to save their lives but the other one can't keep them in stock. It may be that Rick Hendrick Chevy is simply not in a location that will sell large numbers of Cruze CDTs. I also know from talking to the sales staff at my dealership that they are having problems getting enough CDTs to meet the demand they have.

As for why to appraise a car I do this periodically at KBB.com out of simple curiosity.

If the dealership did indeed do a sloppy job of servicing your car, definitely let GM know. Spilling fluids and then not cleaning up is simply not acceptable for any dealership. You may have to use some tact with them to get them to clean up. I always do a vehicle check before I leave just to ensure everything is at the correct levels and there is no damage to the car. It's much easier to get it corrected before you leave.

Manny, are there any other dealerships near you? I'm not sure I'd want to take my car back there after they spilled fluids on my car and didn't clean them up. This sounds like a sloppy service department to me.


----------



## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

Thanks .Car is to new and Not listed on KBB just yet. I also look my car over before I leave after a service to make sure no damage and that the services were done. I will not be returning back to this dealer again for any thing . Also yes, Customer service on here did get involved to get my services done right. Thanks for the input and advise.


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

I will never trade in a car at a dealership after buying the Cruze. I had a 1999 Commodore S 5 speed manual with duel fuel (petrol or LPG at the flick of a switch) and 250,000km on the clock, dealer would not even give me a trade in figure. I sold it privately for $5000.00 to the first person who test drove it. I did get a great price on my new diesel though.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Don't tell me after I bought one that they're going to have horrible resale!!!!

I don't normally look at resale but I was kind of hoping it would hold a resale like the TDI jettas do.


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

money_man said:


> Don't tell me after I bought one that they're going to have horrible resale!!!!
> 
> I don't normally look at resale but I was kind of hoping it would hold a resale like the TDI jettas do.


Don't worry when you have 100,000 miles on the clock and it still drives like a new car you will get a good price for it.


----------



## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

money_man said:


> Don't tell me after I bought one that they're going to have horrible resale!!!!
> 
> I don't normally look at resale but I was kind of hoping it would hold a resale like the TDI jettas do.


Yeah Im pretty sure the point was that the dealership is full of crap. It takes time but like Aussie said diesels hold their value more as they age.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Phew. Sorry I was talking to my mom and reading that at the same time. Was like WTF!!!!I'm all good now though.


----------



## GotDiesel? (Sep 9, 2013)

This car should hold the resale like the VW TDI. Go see how much a use TDI of any year and any one that is selling one will tell you that you can toss the book out on them and this is a better build diesel in many ways .


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I've been showing everyone I know my car and everyone says the same thing, " wow, gm has really stepped it up lately!"

My mother in law says a cruze might be her next car because she's in love with mine. Nobody has told me they don't like it and that's amazing because my family is very blunt and to the point.


----------



## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

GotDiesel? said:


> I was told that the Cruze Diesel Has very Poor resale Value and that having the Diesel Cruze will hurt resale value .. I got my car Appraised at RickHendrick Chevy in KS and was told the car was worth $17,000 and this is a fully loaded car with 5,000 miles in it?


UGH. Hendrick. I had several criteria for selecting my CTD, and one of them was *avoiding* Hendrick dealerships.

Anyway, resale doesn't mean diddly to people who keep their cars a decade or more. I still have my Olds Intrigue as a backup. Why trade it to a stealership for $500? It runs, the A/C works, was good enough to be my only car for 13+ years. It does fine as a parking lot "door guard" vehicle next to my CTD. 
:th_coolio:


----------



## Chevy Customer Care (Oct 29, 2011)

Hey Money_Man, 

Glad to see you are enjoying your Cruze! Congratulations on the purchase. Happy driving!

Erica Tiffany
Chevrolet Customer Care


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Thank you. The guys at my local dealership were actually great to deal with as well. I bought my car from O'regans, the other large automotive group here is Steele and their prices were insane compared to what I got at O'Regans. 

Now I just need to break her in and get that wicked mileage I bought her for


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

My 2 cents worth on resale value - I believe it will hold its value like a Jetta TDI, but now they are so new that dealers will most likely make an offer them like a gasser LT since there probably isn't too much history on them yet. Here is one that went up to $19759 on Ebay, reserve not met. This seems about right to me for nearly 10K miles. Chevrolet Cruze Diesel | eBay


----------



## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

diesel said:


> My 2 cents worth on resale value - I believe it will hold its value like a Jetta TDI, but now they are so new that dealers will most likely make an offer them like a gasser LT since there probably isn't too much history on them yet. Here is one that went up to $19759 on Ebay, reserve not met. This seems about right to me for nearly 10K miles. Chevrolet Cruze Diesel | eBay


That one has been on there for like 4 or 5 months.


----------



## Garandman (Dec 31, 2013)

If they'd put a spare in the thing I'd buy two more for our fleet.

Contacted the rep here "we need a spare." "Contact dealer." Call dealer parts, get voice mail, leave message, they don't call back. Unreal.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Why don't you buy one and then just buy a steel wheel and a cheap tire and lay it in the trunk?


----------



## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

I guess I don't see why the spare is a big deal. Maybe the people that need them are out in the sticks but if I ever got a flat a tow truck is not far away. Also if I ever got one on the highway, there is no way in **** you would get me to change it there. I would drive it on the bare rim to the exit before I tried that.


----------



## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

DieselMan33 said:


> I guess I don't see why the spare is a big deal. Maybe the people that need them are out in the sticks but if I ever got a flat a tow truck is not far away. Also if I ever got one on the highway, there is no way in **** you would get me to change it there. I would drive it on the bare rim to the exit before I tried that.


Yup, have AAA with 2 free tows up to 100 miles


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

KpaxFAQ said:


> Yup, have AAA with 2 free tows up to 100 miles


If you had a spare the AAA could park behind your car with it's flashing lights and change the tyre for you, no tow required.


----------



## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

DieselMan33 said:


> That one has been on there for like 4 or 5 months.


The dealer has an unrealistic reserve.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Well first tank with a bunch of idling and everyone in my family trying it along with myself being a little hard on it because its new. 

Got 560km on 49L of fuel. The gas light was not on however but it was close to E


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

So that's 32.1mpg imp. Hoping it jumps as I get higher mileage. It has been anywhere from -20 to -6°c all week


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

money_man said:


> So that's 32.1mpg imp. Hoping it jumps as I get higher mileage. It has been anywhere from -20 to -6°c all week


Best I have seen is 780km for 44 liters or just over 50mpg imp. with a/c on and 3 passengers inc driver and luggage. That is at 110kph using cruise control. Aussie.


----------



## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

I set my trip odo and have been doing city-only driving the past few weeks. The DIC said 29 when last parked. I'm just driving, not trying much to keep MPG up. Have only used 1/3 of a tank. I suspect 30 mpg all-city is easily obtainable as the tank empties, and the car lightens up.

So I agree with the conventional discussions here, that the EPA estimates can be viewed as a "lower bound" to expectations.


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

Zenturi said:


> I set my trip odo and have been doing city-only driving the past few weeks. The DIC said 29 when last parked. I'm just driving, not trying much to keep MPG up. Have only used 1/3 of a tank. I suspect 30 mpg all-city is easily obtainable as the tank empties, and the car lightens up.
> 
> So I agree with the conventional discussions here, that the EPA estimates can be viewed as a "lower bound" to expectations.


Don't forget we were using imperial MPG which is 4.56 liters where as the US gallon is about 3.9 liters, so 50 mpg works out to about 42 mpg US. There was about 20% urban driving in my trip as well. Also lots of gradient our roads are hillier than US freeways.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Best I ever saw in my cobalt was 56mpg doing 90km/h (55mph) over the course of 225km journey. On avg I saw around 50mpg. Once I beat those numbers in this diesel I will be super impressed


----------



## jalaner (Dec 28, 2013)

56 mpg in a cobalt? Maybe the faulty ignition had failed and you were coasting without power.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

That's imperial btw. I only saw it once because then I did some mods. After the mods I routinely saw 53mpg


----------



## Sperry (Aug 3, 2013)

This little monster is a highway star.... Even setting the cruise @ 70 you'll blow away those cobalt numbers.. Right now it's the long warm up period that's bringing down everyone's mileage.. Today it was just above freezing and I saw my 31 mile and 62 mile scores both well over 50 mpg... It's been a while since I 've seen that


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I can't wait til summer. I love high mpg numbers. I really like how much tq this car has while still returning amazing mpg


----------



## VtTD (Nov 5, 2013)

Sperry said:


> This little monster is a highway star.... Even setting the cruise @ 70 you'll blow away those cobalt numbers.. Right now it's the long warm up period that's bringing down everyone's mileage.. Today it was just above freezing and I saw my 31 mile and 62 mile scores both well over 50 mpg... It's been a while since I 've seen that


Yeah.. I'll second that. 30S to about 40 degrees today. Was able to sustain 25 mile averages above 50 for about 60 or 70 miles. Haven't before seen that kind of sustained high mpg. Irving diesel BTW. I swear that stuff is better than the other stations around. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

So looked at my economy gauge after 950km. I'm only on my second tank and its been anywhere from -20°c to +6°c since I got the car two weeks ago and I'm averaging 6.6L/100km (42.8mpg imp). Can't complain, I'm at 400km on this tank and only a needle width below half  that's with almost no highway, maybe 20% hwy, 80% regular commuting

I've been using petrocan diesel because I don't know where to buy diesel in Atlantic canada or if it even matters


----------



## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

money_man said:


> So looked at my economy gauge after 950km. I'm only on my second tank and its been anywhere from -20°c to +6°c since I got the car two weeks ago and I'm averaging 6.6L/100km (42.8mpg imp). Can't complain, I'm at 400km on this tank and only a needle width below half  that's with almost no highway, maybe 20% hwy, 80% regular commuting
> 
> I've been using petrocan diesel because I don't know where to buy diesel in Atlantic canada or if it even matters





money_man said:


> Since I've never owned a diesel, here is a question. Is all diesel basically the same or can you get higher cetane ratings? Been reading up and looks like in eastern canada, petrocan or shell is the way to go


Shell offers a premium diesel called V-power Diesel. It's not available everywhere but if you use the Shell station finder I'm sure it will turn up a couple of locations in hafilax or dirtmouth. The other thing is that you have Irving. Irving is said to have a well-regarded diesel that I personally would use in the absence of Shell V-power diesel.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Really? I never think about Irving at all. I do have an Irving 5km away that is the main hub for nova Scotia power and their sub companies. I'm going to go on that shell station finder


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Well I have 1 shell with v-power diesel within 100km from me. Now to research the plus' of it

>edit<

well im reading that v-power is basically no better than regular diesel...anyone use it here on the forums?

this is from a tdi site where they contacted companies in Canada for cetane ratings. if the company only said their minimum then only one number was posted
*CETANE Ratings in Canada

*Claim to _EXCEED_ the minimum requirements:*

45 - 52 Petro Canada
45 - 50 Sunoco Gold
45 - ?? Shell V-Power
45 - 50+ Autogas/Cascadia Biofuels (British Columbia)
**42 - 45 Husky's DieselMax*
*41 - 43.5 Red River Co-op *Co-op EP3000 Summer cetane is 46.5, winter is 44.0.



Claim to meet the minimum requirements:*

40 Sunoco non-Gold / Pioneer
40 Pioneer (they buy Sunoco non-Gold)
40 Shell non-V-Power
40 Flying J
40 Ultramar
40 Irving
*


----------



## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

That TDI info is a little dated. For example Sunoco no longer offers a premium diesel and has withdrawn from the Canadian market. 

Here's some prior posts on the Shell product. 

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/64-chevy-cruze-diesel/26338-diesel-fuel.html

http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/64-chevy-cruze-diesel/46257-shell-v-power-diesel.html


----------



## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

One of the things those of us with gas engines have to watch out for are stations that just don't get a lot of traffic as the gas will tend to sit in the underground tanks far longer. Is diesel the same way? - basically you want a station that has to refill their underground tanks frequently?


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

obermd said:


> One of the things those of us with gas engines have to watch out for are stations that just don't get a lot of traffic as the gas will tend to sit in the underground tanks far longer. Is diesel the same way? - basically you want a station that has to refill their underground tanks frequently?


Best to go to a station where big rigs fill up as well. Aussie.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Well there was no stickers saying v power diesel but I needed fuel anyway so I filled up. I think I'm going to go back to my petro can that I usually fill my vehicles at because its much closer to home and it was only built 6 months ago so everything is new which should help with fuel contamination.


----------



## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Shell V-Power Diesel is dispensed from a separate pump and is only available at Shell stations equipped to sell it. 

Near Hafilax there's only a few locations: Bedford, Truro, New Minas, Amherst.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I went to the Bedford location. Didn't see any separate pumps although I may have over looked it


----------



## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

Here in Oz, the Shell V-Power has the same cetane rating as the bog-standard stuff, but it has more/better detergents/lubricants and a nicer perfume!


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

Car is in right now for tint, and ordered my weathertech digital fit floor mats. Cha Ching!!!!


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

The tint looks awesome, got 20% on the rear windows. The weathertech floor mats fit so amazingly well that I almost couldn't believe it.


----------



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

obermd said:


> One of the things those of us with gas engines have to watch out for are stations that just don't get a lot of traffic as the gas will tend to sit in the underground tanks far longer. Is diesel the same way? - basically you want a station that has to refill their underground tanks frequently?


It didn't used to be much of a problem with diesel, but biodiesel tends to bread down pretty fast, so now it's almost worse than gas.


----------



## Garandman (Dec 31, 2013)

I'll just piggy-back onto this thread.

Over the last few days I took a longish trip with the CTD. Drove from Boston to Philadelphia to Laurel, MD. Made some local shuttle trips, then drove back to Boston. This was mostly highway speed limit travel, with some traffic tie-ups and some local trips. Bottom line I did most of the trip on one tank of fuel: I was within sight of NYC on the return trip when I filled up in NNJ for $3.99 per gallon. I used 14.51 gallons to drive 707 miles, for an average of 48.7mpg. What was cool was I wasn't using any "hypermiling" tricks: I just drove it like anything else.

This is the quietest car I've ever driven on the highway. While there is some vibration at idle and some clatter at idle and low speeds, on the highway it's so quiet all you can hear is the wind going around the cabin and some tire noise. The front seats are great, the ride is well-controlled but smooth. It may be the highest-quality car we've ever bought, out of a fleet of Honda, Fords, and Subarus.

The vehicle has just over 9,000 miles on it and the DEF tank is still at 30% so it looks like we will have to refill it at 12 or 13,000 miles. Oil life system directed first change at around 7,500 miles.


----------



## PanJet (Jun 18, 2013)

Garandman said:


> The vehicle has just over 9,000 miles on it and the DEF tank is still at 30% so it looks like we will have to refill it at 12 or 13,000 miles. Oil life system directed first change at around 7,500 miles.


Did your dealer not top off the DEF tank when they did the oil change, or did you do the change yourself? DEF topoffs are part of the 2yr/24k miles free services, at least in the U.S.


----------



## DrKlahn (Feb 10, 2014)

Garandman said:


> I'll just piggy-back onto this thread.
> 
> Over the last few days I took a longish trip with the CTD. Drove from Boston to Philadelphia to Laurel, MD. Made some local shuttle trips, then drove back to Boston. This was mostly highway speed limit travel, with some traffic tie-ups and some local trips. Bottom line I did most of the trip on one tank of fuel: I was within sight of NYC on the return trip when I filled up in NNJ for $3.99 per gallon. I used 14.51 gallons to drive 707 miles, for an average of 48.7mpg. What was cool was I wasn't using any "hypermiling" tricks: I just drove it like anything else.
> 
> ...


I want to echo this. I am continually impressed with the fit and finish of this little car. It's a huge improvement over the Cobalt it replaced. It competes very well with other cars in its segment. It really feels and performs like a more expensive car.


----------



## Zenturi (Jan 25, 2014)

I took my father for a brief drive yesterday in my CTD. He thought it was pretty quiet for a diesel and said he would not have known unless I told him.


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

So bringing my thread back from the dead. 

Installed my 5smd 5k led #194 bulbs a couple days ago for my license plate lights. Absolutely love them, they actually look identical (light wise) to my friends new BMW license lights which makes me super happy. Bought them from vleds.com and they are amazing quality. 

Just ordered about 5 mins ago some black carbon fiber overlays for my badges. Cost $19.50 shipped so its not worth it for me to cruze (haha) all over town looking for the stuff locally. I bought my vinyl which comes in two 5x10" sheets from jdmvinylfanatics. 

I'm taking my time so I'm only buying things once instead of changing my mind over and over like I've done with other cars

Btw I use my phone so ignore some odd grammar, it's just my phone auto correct


----------



## DJSW (Apr 8, 2014)

PanJet said:


> Did your dealer not top off the DEF tank when they did the oil change, or did you do the change yourself? DEF topoffs are part of the 2yr/24k miles free services, at least in the U.S.


BTW. I asked three different dealers about topping of the DEF tank during the 2yr/24k miles free services and they all said it was NOT included. But that is just what I have been told, is it documented that it is included anywhere?


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I know in Canada it isn't included


----------



## money_man (Feb 25, 2014)

I'll post pictures when I get my bow ties tinted


----------



## LemonGolf (Feb 17, 2014)

DJSW said:


> BTW. I asked three different dealers about topping of the DEF tank during the 2yr/24k miles free services and they all said it was NOT included. But that is just what I have been told, is it documented that it is included anywhere?


Look on your window sticker..mine says it's included.


----------



## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

DJSW said:


> BTW. I asked three different dealers about topping of the DEF tank during the 2yr/24k miles free services and they all said it was NOT included. But that is just what I have been told, is it documented that it is included anywhere?


Is the service free or not? Unless everything is included it is not really a free service.


----------

