# 1LT vs ECO vs Diesel, Which would you choose?



## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

Our 3 week old 2013 1LT was declared a total loss by the insurance company, so we will soon receive $20K+ from the insurance company... per a phone call from the adjuster today. I paid cash for our Cruze so we now have to decide what to buy to replace it. (The Avenger rental car doesn't compare.) I have a 6 passenger Ram Quad Cab if we ever need a 6 passenger vehicle, so the Cruze's size was nice for her.

We don't drive a lot of miles, but my wife is a recent college grad looking for work so she might have a considerable commute from our rural location.

We liked the 1LT Cruze and are considering another Cruze. Can the extra cost of the ECO or a Diesel be justified even without a long commute? I read through the Diesel section and it sounds like it might be worth the price for a better equipped Diesel?

One other consideration... is Nav available on the Cruze? We miss having that after having it on other vehicles.

(Other brand/model cars with high EPA MPG ratings may also be considered... up to ~$40K max.)

Opinions?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Diesel. Good fun around town and insane MPG numbers on the highway. 

If you're getting an AT like your last one was, the Eco package is pretty much worthless. 

Nothing else in the same class is really as nice to drive as the Cruze. While there are lots of competitive midsized offerings, they'll all get less mpg.


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## Smurfenstein (Nov 16, 2011)

I wouldn't even consider the 1LT, and the reason being is that you get the exact same car with the Eco, but with soo much more potential in terms of mpg, not to mention the Eco wheels look much nicer. The only reason why I would recommend the 1LT over the Eco is if you're not getting a manual.

In terms of Eco vs. Diesel thats all up to whether or not you're willing to pay the extra to buy the car and the fuel.


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

You have to take the EPA milage for each one and use your yearly estimated mileage to see if it will pay off or not. Depending on the minimum items you want in the Cruze can change the packages, but dont forget to factor in repair and maintence (diesels cost more to maintain but provide better fuel economy) and also fuel cost. If you know about how many miles you are going to drive the car a year, I can quickly give you the comparisons of what the difference in milage per gallon equates to fuel costs and purchase price. When I did it for my cruze (not knowing a diesel was comeing out in a few more months) the eco well payed for it self in a 3 year time by the fuel milage difference. The diesel would have taken alot longer to recoup the additional purchase price for the higher milage since we drive mostly country and city and minimal highway.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

mc2crazy said:


> Our 3 week old 2013 1LT was declared a total loss by the insurance company, so we will soon receive $20K+ from the insurance company... per a phone call from the adjuster today. I paid cash for our Cruze so we now have to decide what to buy to replace it. (The Avenger rental car doesn't compare.) I have a 6 passenger Ram Quad Cab if we ever need a 6 passenger vehicle, so the Cruze's size was nice for her.
> 
> We don't drive a lot of miles, but my wife is a recent college grad looking for work so she might have a considerable commute from our rural location.
> 
> ...


1st thing is find and drive a Diesel. Only thing to consider besides finding a ECO with navi is are you willing to pay diesel prices? ECO you could go back to 87 to pinch a penny but diesel is pretty much set in stone. 

I agree with the avenger not being a valid replacement. It feels like the entire drivetrain is separate from the rest of the car. I felt like a kid again, turning the wheel while accelerating made the car feel like a sit and spin. If you go to dodge website for the car, it just uses number of cylinders and displacement to claim it's better. 


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

You asked and will get answered.

*2LT*


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Although I would recommend my 12 eco auto, there have been several 'decontents'......enouph so I will no longer recommend it as it is no longer the same value it was.
I like diesels, but would never own one.
My low annual mileage and frequent short trips are not easy on a diesel and amarirization would take more than ten years....I don't know if our salty winters will allow ten years......that and I don't keep daily drivers ten years, so, no diesel.

I'd go for a 2LT auto....non RS

I like 17 inch tires for cost control, rear drum brakes for aggravation control (rust, snowbelt, sticking calipers, park brakes, rusty rotors)
The 2LT comes with the rear Z-link.....something that makes a twist beam axle behave IMO.....feels solid.

I have an auto, I'll have another.....I love to shift, have 3 manual cars, this is a daily driver and, once this trans set its adaptives, it shifts great.....bonus, the turbo stays on boost during upshifts.

You have already owned one...I leave the rest to you and, yes, you can get navigation.

Good luck on your quest and get healed!

Rob


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## ErikBEggs (Aug 20, 2011)

Go for the LT, it is cheaper. There is no benefit to getting the Automatic Eco, you will just waste gas money on the price difference.

Diesel is too expensive. Unless you have a marathon commute you won't recoup the benefits.

Think about overall vehicle ownership costs, not overhyped MPG numbers.


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## RWise (Sep 23, 2013)

Get the Diesel. And yes you can get the NAV on a Cruze. Just make sure it has it or you order one with it. Hard to add electronics on a Cruze. I wish I had gotten the diesel but who knew. I'm going to drive mine a couple of years and trade up hopefully to a Hatchback Cruze with a diesel. :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo:


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

ECO MT if you drive a stick. Otherwise the Diesel. The ECO is a step up from the 1LT and the Diesel is the 2LT with a different drive train. If you don't drive a stick and want a spare tire I'd go with the ECO AT. The Diesel's DEF tank is in the spare tire well.

The possibility of a long rural commute screams ECO, whether it be MT or Diesel.


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## Jorday (Jul 30, 2013)

obermd said:


> ECO MT if you drive a stick. Otherwise the Diesel. The ECO is a step up from the 1LT and the Diesel is the 2LT with a different drive train. If you don't drive a stick and want a spare tire I'd go with the ECO AT. The Diesel's DEF tank is in the spare tire well.
> 
> The possibility of a long rural commute screams ECO, whether it be MT or Diesel.


Agree with the above. If you want an automatic the ECO auto sort of isn't "worth it" with the diesel being available IMO...with the ECO AT the price jumps and the mileage takes a hit. At that point it's not hard to justify the diesel. If you don't mind a manual the ECO MT is nice. It will take the diesel a long, LONG time to pay for itself in fuel savings over the ECO MT...if it ever does. My best buddy has an ECO MT. I was actually going to just buy one of those, but two things made me decide to pay the money for the diesel. One, the ECO MT is painfully slow compared to the diesel. Two, I find myself in traffic jams both before and after work when staying at my girlfriend's house, and the MT is a pain when that happens. My buddy and I frequently compare notes on our cars. He usually averages 39-41 mpg for a tank in his car. I usually get 46-48. If he puts regular gas in his car instead of premium my car's mileage is barely enough to cover the extra cost of diesel fuel vs regular unleaded let alone paying for the cost of the car. After Thanksgiving we are going to trade cars for about two weeks so we can both see what we would be getting if I had the ECO MT and he had the diesel.


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## Blue Angel (Feb 18, 2011)

As much as I'd like to say otherwise, paying extra for a higher end model that gets better mileage will seldom, if ever, make financial sense. If you're looking for a $ case your best bet would be an LS... the money you save on the sticker will outweigh the savings of the more efficient model unless you're putting a ridiculous amount of mileage on the car. Compare the models here:

Compare Side-by-Side

There's only a $200/yr savings in fuel between an LS and an Eco, both manuals. At that rate, an MSRP difference of ~$2500 would take 12.5 years to break even! (MSRPs are listed there but don't look accurate, that's just my guess.) The diesel is a lost cause based on the cost of the fuel being higher than gasoline.

The other part of the argument is whether you're willing to pay for something nicer. I haven't driven one yet, but everything I've read suggests the diesel is by far the nicest driving Cruze if you are after an automatic. As others have said, the Eco looks much nicer than an LS or base LT with the forged wheels and trunk spoiler, and if I'm not mistaken the interior color options are nicer on the Eco and LT trims compared to the LS?

If you want a nicer version and are willing to pay for it, I say go for it. I love my Eco MT which is white outside with the red on black interior (I ordered it that way), but that's just me. If I drove a diesel I may prefer that. Drive 'em all, check your bankroll, and make your pick.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

mc2crazy said:


> One other consideration... is Nav available on the Cruze? We miss having that after having it on other vehicles.


Navigation is a $795 option on the ECO, 2LT, LTZ or diesel. It is not available on the 1LT or LS. Honestly you need to drive the diesel, I have a 1LT and if I could get out of my current payment thats what I would be driving. Sure even with extreme highway MPG numbers it takes forever to pay for, but with all that power its that much more fun to drive.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

2LT(m) = lowest "going in" price.

ECO(m) = best gasoline milage-to-ownership cost ratio.

DIESEL(a) = best Mercedes-Benz-Like "highway" cruiser, but more costly ownership ratio (higher diesel prices, DEF); automatic only is downer!


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The ECO MT and ECO AT are both less expensive than the 2LT (manual or automatic).


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## Mick (Dec 31, 2011)

Best thing to do would be to price them out. I'd skip the diesel unless you know you'll have long commutes. (A tune will make make the lt and echo just as fun as the diesel).



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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

obermd said:


> The ECO MT and ECO AT are both less expensive than the 2LT (manual or automatic).


That is true, but the 2LT is only $1400 more starting than an eco and is a lot nicer car. Leather, sport tuned suspension, rear disc brakes, Power drivers seat, heated seats & remote start(with the automatic). You also save $390 on the drivers convenience package(ECO its $770) which on the 2LT includes 


Rear Vision Camera to give you a view of what's behind your back bumper when you shift into reverse 
Illuminated vanity mirrors for both driver and front seat passenger 
Auto-dimming inside rear view mirror to reduce nighttime glare 
Heated, power-adjustable outside mirrors to melt away fog and frost


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

The way running costs of different models is doing my head in. Drive all the cars in your choice range and buy the one you like the best. The difference in running costs is not so great as to cost hardship so why not get your favourite. As for the diesel I have one and have been so impressed I can't imagine going back to petrol again, but that is just my opinion, so everyone should choose a car on satisfaction with what it offers for you.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

spacedout said:


> That is true, but the 2LT is only $1400 more starting than an eco and is a lot nicer car. Leather, sport tuned suspension, rear disc brakes, Power drivers seat, heated seats & remote start(with the automatic). You also save $390 on the drivers convenience package(ECO its $770) which on the 2LT includes
> 
> Rear Vision Camera to give you a view of what's behind your back bumper when you shift into reverse
> Illuminated vanity mirrors for both driver and front seat passenger
> ...


I thought Eco auto got remote or was that a package added? The Eco auto at my dealer was remote or they were all ordered that way at least.
That jump in price is something like the LS to Eco 6M for me at least when the 2 cars were back to back on the lot that day. I justified the higher price for wheels, aero lip spoiler, touuch screen, and solid interior vs the 1940's 2 tone Tuxedo Shoe with trade in, emp disc and USAA. My only regrets is RS package and maybe sunroof.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Merc6 said:


> I thought Eco auto got remote or was that a package added?


The remote start on the ECO auto is part of the $770 drivers convenience package, its standard on the 2LT. Remote start is also optional(in a package) on the 1LT, I have it on my car.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Not really a fair comparison. It really depends on what you're looking for, along with a myraid of factors. 

Let me give you an example, comparing the ECO MT to the Diesel. You'd think they are comparable, but they aren't. Not even close. 

The Diesel:
A 2LT with a FAR better Aisin transmission, a Diesel engine, the Eco's aero package, and more sound insulation, for a marginal price increase. You get lots more power, but you need to have a fuel station that sells Diesel. It also requires a bit more knowledge of Diesels to keep as they're a bit different, but the resale value will be notably higher as well. 

The Eco MT
A manual with cloth seats, no optional sunroof, drum brakes in the back (although that is arguably a good thing). Over a 1LT, you get an aero package, lowered springs, forged alloy and polished 17" wheels, and 3 overdrive gears.

The Eco AT doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless you do a lot of highway driving and don't want to fork over the extra $5k for a Diesel. The EPA estimates only give it 1MPG over the 1LT/2LT/LTZ Auto, but we know better than that. At speeds 65mph and above, the aero effects will matter more and more. 

The 1LT is a bargain if you're looking for the most cost-effective car and don't want to drive a manual. You get cheaper to replace 16" tires, drum brakes in the back, cloth seats, optional just about everything, and you still keep the 1.4T.

Stepping down to the LS removes things like a leather wrapped steering wheel (which I don't like as I have it in our Sonic), steel wheels with hubcaps, reduced fuel economy, and a slightly rougher running engine that still benefits from a higher octane fuel. 

How important is the cost?


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

I should have listed more info about our 1LT 6A. It had the Technology and Driver's Conveniece packages, That gave the 1LT a power seat for my bad back, a MyLink radio and other goodies. I don't drive a MT because of a rebuilt left knee, she doesn't know how, so it's an AT for us.

$795 for NAV is crazy when a good portable Garmin is only about $150. I think GM wants everyone to subscribe to On Star. I didn't subscribe with my Seville, but it still remained active. It was used at an unusual hour and they called the car suspecting it was stolen. The NAV and the passive entry with push button start are things we miss not having on the Cruze vs our Charger R/T. Other bells and whistles like auto climate control and more adjustable power seats are nice too. The gas mileage is terrible on our Charger and Ram truck, both with Hemis.

We bought the Cruze for economical transportation... better gas mileage, cheaper insurance, etc. We both liked the Cruze except for missing a few luxury items. The Charger was sitting in the garage, so we're thinking about trading it in. We opted for cloth seats because we both prefer them for comfort. From what I understand the diesel only comes with leather seats?

Is there a more loaded version of the Cruze available, such as a Buick or other brand? I'm kind of leaning towards the Cruze Diesel for the features it comes with, but it comes with a premium price tag and I think leather only seats, She doesn't like diesel because the pumps are farther away from the stores around here and usually dirty and smelly because of all of the trucks and construction equipment that use diesel.

Personally, I loved my first (1980) JD compact tractor with a 3 cylinder turbo charged engine. It had gobs of power (torque) and used very little fuel. I traded that in at about 20 years old for a smaller non-turbo 4 cylinder model that used more fuel for the same tasks. Changing fluids and filters were about the only maintenance they needed. What additional maintenance does a Cruze diesel need?

When we were shopping for our Cruze we looked at trading in our 2011 Charger on an Eco AT. We were offered the Eco plus the dealer giving us a check for the difference.

I'm surprised no one mentioned any other brand or model. We like our bells and whistles and can spend much more with trading in our Charger which we most likely will do. The Cruze's trunk and MPG sold us over a larger Chevy. Does GM have the 1.4T or diesel in other brands?

We were satisfied with our 1LT Cruze, but we gave up a lot of creature comforts over our previous cars. Seeing almost 30mpg on our first tank of dealer gas was nice! Then the next morning it was hit and destroyed while averaging 40mpg on premium. I had aired up the tires about 10 minutes before the accident and had just bought a new spark plug gapper...


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Fully loaded Cruze in another brand would be the Buick Verano. 1.4 is in the cruze, Sonic, Volt, Trax(not USA) and Buick Encore.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

drive them all.

then look at the numbers.

for me, i was set on eco mt for a couple mos, trying to get over the lack of sunroof, on a whim test drove the the diesel for an hour, went home and ran the numbers and the next day told the salesman to shut up and take my money....my wife loves driving the diesel.

had the eco mt come with sunroof, i wouldntve even tested the diesel...idve been happy with it (after adding aftermarket leather)...its a great shifting car


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## Mikeske (Jun 19, 2012)

I had a 2012 LS and it was a OK car it was originally intended for my wife as a daily driver but she hated the automatic transmissions slamming downshifts on deceleration and the lack of rear seat leg room for the grandkids. The fuel economy was good averaging right at 33 MPG but that was almost always freeway driving. I ended up driving the car but only drove it 4,500 miles, my wife wanted something a little bit larger and she found it in a new 2012 Dodge Caliber (one of the last ones built) The Caliber is a bit bigger and has a hatchback which is what my wife wanted.

I ended up having a car that I really did not need and I wanted something that got much better fuel economy and when the diesel came out I was curious but I was going to wait a while longer to get one. I was at the dealership having the oil change done on my 2012 LS and I walked outside and there sat a diesel Cruze in the the flesh, I had the salesman open it for me and got in (first mistake) I then decided that what the heck I take it for a spin. The dealership is right next to the freeway and as I got on the on ramp for the freeway I floored it (2nd mistake) , that little car had some real spirit and I thought it for a moment that it had a V6 under the hood. I went exactly 4 miles and I was back to to the dealership and they worked out some really good numbers for me and I left my LS and had me a diesel ride. The issues of having diesel further away from the station was really easy to adjust to as I just put in some green nitrile gloves in the pocket in the door and I just slip on a pair whenever I am fueling the car. When I finish I simply peel them inside out and throw them in the trash can next to pump and then leave. 

I also do not care much for leather seating and I was in a liquidator store a week after I traded the car and they had some black seat covers (approved for the side airbag) for $10.00 each, these matched the interior of the car perfect. I grabbed 2 for the front and put them on the seats. They worked great and are on the seats now. About every 3 months I take the covers off and throw them in the washing machine and since I prefer a non scent soap they come out nice and clean with no odor. 

It all depends on you and your wife what you really want and by my signature below you can see the average MPG on the 3 cars I have. Realize the Caliber will get 30 MPG on the freeway if my lead footed wife would actually drive the speed limit. She is so tiny 4'10" but I swear all she can think about is how fast I can to the Macy's sale.....

Returning home from the dealership I was averaging almost 50 MPG on the freeway.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

mc2crazy said:


> Is there a more loaded version of the Cruze available, such as a Buick or other brand? I'm kind of leaning towards the Cruze Diesel for the features it comes with, but it comes with a premium price tag and I think leather only seats, She doesn't like diesel because the pumps are farther away from the stores around here and usually dirty and smelly because of all of the trucks and construction equipment that use diesel.


The Buick verano would be considered an upgraded version of the cruze, however its a downgrade when it comes to MPG. Only two engines are offered in the Verano, the 2.4L ecotec(yuk) and in the highest priced verano a 2.0T. They are rated at 32mpg(2.4L) and 30mpg(2.0T) highway. 

Where the diesel pumps are located really doesn't matter, with the 15.6 gallon tank even at 35mpg it's more than 475miles to a tank(leaving a 2 gallon reserve). If one does achieve the diesel highway rating of 46mpg(which most people meet or exceed), That range is increased to 625miles(with a 2 gallon reserve). I don't know about you but I can drive for a weeks on that mileage so I rarely would be filling up. 

Sure diesel pumps are mostly dirty, however just buy a box of gloves to put on when you fuel up.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Diesel pump handles and the ground in front of the pump is usually dirty. Reason I try to avoid the diesel/gas combo pumps. Same time gas isn't any better when you have last leg cars with leaky fuel systems and people who use the gas nozzle to select fuel grade.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

Every time someone mentions a non-hybrid getting over 40mpg it makes me laugh. Oh, I don't doubt it at all for the short time we had our 1LT. The only thing I ever owned that got over 40mpg was a pair of 50mpg mopeds, but if both were being ridden then it was only 25mpg. The only car I owned that got over 30mpg was a Honda Del Sol although my Sevilles with the Northstar V8s would hover around 30mpg highway... on the gauge and actual.

I'm leaning towards the Cruze diesel. I just wish it had a few more bells and whistles like passive entry, Nav at a reasonable price and an adjustable lumbar support. Those things and more are found in the Buick Regal with a 250HP 2.0 gas turbo, but are they worth $5K or more to me?

You might have noticed that I prefer GM cars from what I'm looking at, but I'll buy any brand that meets my needs. I absolutely HATE Toyotas after a very bad experience with a 2011 Camry I-4 that only got in the very low 20mpg range. Toyota and the dealer wouldn't do a thing about it. I said the **** with it and bought my Charger R/T that gets the same 20mpg with the 5.7L Hemi. The only good thing about the Toyota was the trade in value after owning it only 6 months. That's where GM cars hurt the most, their resale prices. 

Getting twice the mpg with the Cruze is addictive!!

Some dealers around here have Cruze diesels in stock. I'll tell the wife about using gloves at the pump, thx!

She likes the Cruze for many reasons. After our accident she feels much better about driving a small car. But I'm the one with all of the injuries...

On Star finally stated that their info says the 5000# "mini" van that hit us was going "at least" 15mph faster than our 55mph speed.

The damaged Cruze is going to the auction in Chattanooga, TN. I imagine someone will rebuild it.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Son and daughter-in-law with three babies now and baby car seat problems and after test driving every minivan wanted a Chrysler Town and Country 30th anniversary edition. Son also wanted the towing package for three reasons. Comes with a heavy duty alternator, battery, radiator, engine oil cooler, AT cooler, automatic leveling system, hitch, and trailer harness. So he can pull up to a 3,600 pound trailer and mount his four bike rack to it.

Was told the only way he can get this option is to also buy a sunroof and their navigation radio that comes with a map already two years old and a couple hundred bucks extra for each map update. So he went up to the top at Chrysler not wanting either two of these forced options. After a couple of days of discussions, finally said, okay. Not only getting what he wanted, but they also tossed in that 2013 model year $2,250 locked in rebate. So he is getting what he wants for $4,250.00 less.

Maybe we should do this with Chevy to get what we want. Like a spare tire with a manual transmission, would insist on getting factory installed fog lamps, don't like paying twice as much, screw you, if you won't provide this, will go someplace else. Wife wanted electrically heated seats, we both wanted a power adjusted drivers seat since we both share this car.

Wouldn't offer this in the 2011 models, so we said, screw you. Son and I were discussing our frustrations in buying a new vehicle and getting what you want, finally occurred to me with problems like this in other situations, if you can't get what you want with a robot like dealer, you go to the top.

Cruze with the over sized tires should come with mudflaps, if you don't get this badly needed option that shouldn't even be an option, should have flared the fenders in the first place, If you don't install flaps yourself will end up with stone chips all over your doors and rear bumper. Why do we put up with crap like this. Or those expensive, but worthless carpeted floor mats wanting 150 bucks extra for something that is practical. So why don't we go to the top. Worked for my kid, why not for us?

Or a short ranged Eco, another stupid idea. Bad enough dealing with the government that won't respond, in this case, dealing with a competitive private industry that will listen if enough of us walk away. Oh, son is getting factory installed fog lamps. These vehicles need these so you can see where you going, dealer installed option is pure stupidity. Then this latest mean trick about having to pay a hundred bucks extra to have your car reprogrammed. If we all said, screw you, they will comply with common sense items.

But in mc2cracy's case already experiencing severe injuries, maybe he doesn't want to buy a Cruze at all. Should think in terms of buying an Abrams tank. 

Here is another issue to think about, in my case, the vehicle damage was settled instantly, but with multiple injuries, that dragged on for three years. My own health and auto medical insurance was picking up the bills. But at the end at my hearing, sent in a ton of attorneys to get all that money back!

Wasn't enough money left over from the claim for me to buy a cup of coffee, what in the **** was I was paying super high premiums for insurance cost for? The only thing that saved me, was turning 65 years old and starting getting medicare for future medical expenses. If I was stuck with paying high health insurance premiums, would have been kicked off that policy due to a precondition. 

And here is something I didn't even think about with SS benefits, since most of my life been paying the maximum in FICA taxes and income taxes on top of that. But with SS, they don't look at that, but your last five years. And since I was laid up for a year, my benefits greatly decreased. So here I am at 74 years of age and still working, mostly to pay my outrageous property taxes. If I don't pay these, will kick me out on the street and sell my home off at an auction.

Least I have skills, run into guys even ten or more years my senior working at minimum wage jobs. One thing I learned in this life, somebody always have it worse than I do.

With my vehicle, good thing those AH's couldn't find any modifications in it. I don't give a darn if you even mount a fox tail to your antenna, will say the cause of your accident was due to that.

None of you younger guys know this, until you have experienced this. 

And since my wife's and my combined income is above the poverty level, have to pay income taxes on 85% of my SS benefits. Any way the government can screw us, they will do this.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Wow, this must have been my longest post ever. Wasn't born paranoid, but made this way.


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## Patman (May 7, 2011)

NickD said:


> You asked and will get answered.
> 
> *2LT*


I went thru the same thing in Feb after my LS was totaled. What car to buy. I like the Cruze and did not want to "learn" another car. I felt kinda jealous about the high MPG of the Eco when I had a LS and a friend just bought me some Cruze oil and filters. Besides the time of year I could locate a 2012 for a reduced price clear out for 2013. You could do the same, locate a 2013 for a reduced price clear out for 2014. I found a 2012 6M ECO. The 2LT would have been a better choice since I don't do a lot of highway driving. I like my ECO but from what I hear the 2LT would have been a better choice for the type of driving I do. It all depends on the type of driving you do and what you are looking for. Don't mind the high diesel prices go diesel. If you have a GM credit card, that is just "icing on the cake". I got an extra $2000 in Feb for my GM card in Feb. It depends on the type of driving *and your finances Don't forget how much you can spend no matter what you "want"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!* Since you paid cash for your first Cruze (like I do) you probably know how to manage "money vs wants". If you can afford and don't mind the high diesel prices go diesel.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

I retired due to disabling spinal injuries in 1988. I have accepted it Nick...
Now I have new additional injuries to deal with, but not whining about it.
Being on a fixed disability income for so many years I have had to learn to manage my money. Like I said at the beginning of this thread I have a budget of ~$40K to spend.

Let the bickering begin!
My wife is sold on the Cruze diesel, at least the last time I checked 5 minutes ago! :th_SmlyROFL:

I want to check out the Buicks for more bells and whistles and a cushier ride with better seats for my back problems, cost about 3mpg over the 1.4L Cruze from my research so far... 2.0 gas turbo, 250HP...

Oops... she's sitting behind me talking about the Cruze Diesel... "I would rather have the better gas mileage than something fancy... yap yap yap..."

I wonder who or what will win? :tempted:


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

A happy wife ...

Seriously - go with the Cruze Diesel. It's an upgrade from what you had and since you think she's going to be doing a lot of rural highway driving I suspect she'll be pushing 50 MPG once the engine brakes in. GM currently has a $1,500 off offer on the Cruze Diesel.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

I would absolutely recommend the Diesel. After 2 months and 5000 miles, I prefer it unconditionally over my 260+ HP supercharged Grand Prix GT that I traded for it. Most of my miles are 50-100 at a time on 2-lane rural Iowa highways, but I spend a couple hours driving around in-town between, which brings my total mileage down. I'm seeing numbers well over 50mpg on the highway runs, but even with all the in-town hours between, and even though 4000 of those miles are on winter fuel, I'm still over 40 for the lifetime average. 

At the same time, based on what you said about the options and features that you like or would miss from your other vehicle, it sounds like you might be a candidate for the Cruze LTZ. You would give up some fuel economy compared to the Diesel, but would still get only 1mpg less than the Eco AT. You could get it loaded with every factory option and still come in under $25,000 with current offers.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Did the Cruze diesel manage to solve that age old cold weather starting problem. Been dealing with this for years and the only true solution to it is heat. But if you live down south, won't have this problem, but did take them years to solve emission problems.

Same with hybrids, but has two problems they don't talk about, first is cold weather, just dragging around a couple of hundred pounds worthless of batteries, when cold. Next is, you have to drive it like a hybrid, nearly impossible to drive a vehicle like this in jammed city traffic. They don't mention this either. Another little mentioned problem is high energy storage in a smaller box using very active materials that with an internal short can blow the darn things up.

Any form of high energy storage in a small space is dangerous, batteries are no exception, then the replacement cost for these things is also not mentioned. This is a 200 year old subject, Edison and Ford spent over ten years and ten million back then dollars trying to solve this problem and got nowhere. But some guys think they can solve this problem today with the aid of a computer. Wonder who composed the software?

Some think they can solve this problem with a capacitance battery and a computer, can only wish them good luck.

Diesel fuel was actually much cheaper than regulator gas, reason why we used diesel on the farms, more plentiful and cheaper to produce than regular gas. But had to put up with the cold weather starting. Oil companies took that advantage away, today, 70 cents more per gallon than regular gas. Plus you have to pay around 5,000 extra to buy a diesel.

So I am listening with wide open ears the advantages of buying a diesel, if especially living in a cold climate.


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## revjpeterson (Oct 2, 2013)

No problems with the cold starts here along the IA-MN border, and we have been down to 2* F on a couple mornings so far. Most of my local stations have Diesel that is labeled for -10* F, while others have blender pumps that will allow varying blends of #1 and #2 Diesel to get down to -20* F. One station owner told me last night that he has an "Arctic" diesel being delivered today that will handle -40* F.

It might take a long time to make up the 4mpg difference between the Diesel and the Eco MT, but for those who want or need to drive Automatic, the difference evens out much faster, especially if driving habits or conditions would necessitate running higher octane fuels in gas motors, which brings the fuel costs much closer. Factor in the longevity and resale value, and the diesel has the potential to work out very nicely for many of us.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

mc2crazy said:


> I want to check out the Buicks for more bells and whistles and a cushier ride with better seats for my back problems, cost about 3mpg over the 1.4L Cruze from my research so far..


Think the difference in MPG is much larger than you are seeing. Based on the combined MPG rating(the average MPG most will get), the Cruze gets 5-9MPG better than the Verano. Highway MPG were talking a good 6-14mpg better with the cruze(14mpg better highway is the cruze diesel). 

Source: Compare Side-by-Side


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Sounds like a Diesel is in the cards. Gas stations being far away won't make that much of a difference given the incredible range that car gets. Bigger tank and better fuel economy. On 100% highway runs in good conditions, it will do 900 miles on a single tank.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Yep, Test out the LTZ Vs the Diesel and see what you want more. I wanted manual trans and highway mpg over Luxury seeing that I run cars down the turnpike monthly. 

NickD the 3M and $150 dealer add on mud flaps didn't prevent rock chips on my dog leg. I got a chip just above the 3m strip in the 1st 1500 miles. 


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Merc6;NickD the 3M and $150 dealer add on mud flaps didn't prevent rock chips on my dog leg. I got a chip just above the 3m strip in the 1st 1500 miles. [COLOR=gray said:


> Sent from AutoGuide.com App[/COLOR]


It they can ever call that a mud flap, or stone guard shield, they like the term, "splash shield".

Reason why I purchased a set of four from Fleet Farm for 20 bucks. Installed myself using the same kind of plastic rivet the rest of the Cruze is using. Can't expect a sheet metal screw to hold to a thin plastic well.

View attachment 49185
View attachment 49193


Lots of gravel roads around here, stay off of those, but the highways are loaded with small stones. Needed something that will work. So far, good.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

revjpeterson said:


> No problems with the cold starts here along the IA-MN border, and we have been down to 2* F on a couple mornings so far. Most of my local stations have Diesel that is labeled for -10* F, while others have blender pumps that will allow varying blends of #1 and #2 Diesel to get down to -20* F. One station owner told me last night that he has an "Arctic" diesel being delivered today that will handle -40* F.
> 
> It might take a long time to make up the 4mpg difference between the Diesel and the Eco MT, but for those who want or need to drive Automatic, but the difference events out much faster, especially if driving habits or conditions would necessitate running higher octane fuels in gas motors, which brings the fuel costs much closer. Factor in the longevity and resale value, and the diesel has the potential to work out very nicely for many of us.


Good to hear this from a consumer and not a lying salesperson, and never met a dishonest person from Iowa yet, LOL.

So how quiet is your diesel? One of the key reasons we purchased a Cruze from all the other competitive cars we test drove in this price range.


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

NickD said:


> It they can ever call that a mud flap, or stone guard shield, they like the term, "splash shield".
> 
> Reason why I purchased a set of four from Fleet Farm for 20 bucks. Installed myself using the same kind of plastic rivet the rest of the Cruze is using. Can't expect a sheet metal screw to hold to a thin plastic well.
> 
> ...


Those look pretty good, and look like they'd offer better protection than what I'm currently using. I initially bought the ebay ones for $30 or so, then got rear ended and had one damaged, so the insurance company replaced them all with the GM original ones. They're really rather small.


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## Jorday (Jul 30, 2013)

This newer stuff is way different than it used to be. Our 1989 Ford 7.3 diesel truck won't start without being plugged in if it's much below freezing. 20 or 25F is about it's limit if it's not been plugged in for a while, the hard starting in the cold is mostly a thing of the past modern stuff like the diesel Cruze or the Duramax diesel. My Cruze has only been in weather down to about 15 degrees F or so, but it started the same as when it's summer outside. Car didn't even seem to notice it was cold. I've also had three Duramax trucks. All started no problem without being plugged in down to -20F.

As far as noise, it's certainly no gas cruze in that department. The eco 1.4 is difficult to even tell the engine is running a lot of the time. The 2.0 diesel doesn't make much noise once you're moving, but at slow speeds, idle, or if you're outside the car while its idling, its noisy compared to the gas cars.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

If comfort or creature comforts/technology would be a priority over MPG, take a look at a 2013 Accord EX or Acura ILX (they will both do around the same 26/38 MPG as an automatic Cruze). Or the Verano.

I didn't want leather seats either after having them in a previous car. They are either REALLY hot or REALLY cold and pain to take care of. And strangely, the Cruze cloth seats are much more comfortable than the leather ones.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

XtremeRevolution said:


> Those look pretty good, and look like they'd offer better protection than what I'm currently using. I initially bought the ebay ones for $30 or so, then got rear ended and had one damaged, so the insurance company replaced them all with the GM original ones. They're really rather small.


These are the ones I used.

RoadSport Pro-Fit Splash Guards - Model #1 - Mills Fleet Farm

Pro-Fit model 1, Cruze is listed, but the fronts only. Same ones fit the rear perfectly as well, but due to a small bump in the rear fender well, had to cut a small notch in them.

My Chevy dealer sure liked them. Even called his sales, service, and parts manager, they liked them too. Never checked back to see if they are using them. Bet if they are still charging 150 bucks or maybe even more since these are far superior.

Heck, at $19.98 for a set of four and about 30 minutes to install them, 130 bucks would be good profit.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Jorday said:


> As far as noise, it's certainly no gas cruze in that department. The eco 1.4 is difficult to even tell the engine is running a lot of the time. The 2.0 diesel doesn't make much noise once you're moving, but at slow speeds, idle, or if you're outside the car while its idling, its noisy compared to the gas cars.


Ha, is it quiet enough so a guy could sneak back home late at night without waking his wife?

Not that I would do this, just asking, LOL. 1.4L is quite enough, don't ask me how I know why, LOL.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

1LT with the 6spd. Diesel is too expensive for an econobox as is diesel fuel. Buying the diesel to achieve extra MPG will never pay for itself in the long run. If the 1LT had been available in a manual when I bought my ECO there would have been no decision. I think overall it is the best bang for the buck between fuel mileage and performance potential.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

NBrehm said:


> 1LT with the 6spd. Diesel is too expensive for an econobox as is diesel fuel. Buying the diesel to achieve extra MPG will never pay for itself in the long run. If the 1LT had been available in a manual when I bought my ECO there would have been no decision. I think overall it is the best bang for the buck between fuel mileage and performance potential.


Great minds think *alike*...given the same *facts* (ha,ha)!


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Verano vs Cruze was the leather real or faux?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Don't forget that the Diesel is quieter than the Verano. No joke. 



NickD said:


> These are the ones I used.
> 
> RoadSport Pro-Fit Splash Guards - Model #1 - Mills Fleet Farm
> 
> ...


That's great Nick. I'll order a set of those and sell my GM ones to turn a profit even! Might even get a set for my wife's Regal. 

I think those are the best ones I've seen anyone try for our cars. Hi5!

Sent from mobile.


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## Jorday (Jul 30, 2013)

jblackburn said:


> And strangely, the Cruze cloth seats are much more comfortable than the leather ones.


LOL, that's a fact. The cloth seats definitely more comfortable in this particular car. First thing I notice every time I get in my buddy's ECO. They're softer; the cruze leather seats are too hard. 


NickD said:


> Ha, is it quiet enough so a guy could sneak back home late at night without waking his wife?
> 
> Not that I would do this, just asking, LOL. 1.4L is quite enough, don't ask me how I know why, LOL.


It could be done I suspect.


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## Jorday (Jul 30, 2013)

double post.


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

jblackburn said:


> I didn't want leather seats either after having them in a previous car. They are either REALLY hot or REALLY cold and pain to take care of. And strangely, the Cruze cloth seats are much more comfortable than the leather ones.


I have black leather seats in my diesel and even at 117F they were no problem as I have good quality tints and the seats have heaters so cold weather is also no problem. I had cloth seats in my previous car and both cloth and leather were comfortable, but leather cleans easier.


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## NBrehm (Jun 27, 2011)

mc2crazy said:


> Every time someone mentions a non-hybrid getting over 40mpg it makes me laugh. Oh, I don't doubt it at all for the short time we had our 1LT. The only thing I ever owned that got over 40mpg was a pair of 50mpg mopeds, but if both were being ridden then it was only 25mpg. The only car I owned that got over 30mpg was a Honda Del Sol although my Sevilles with the Northstar V8s would hover around 30mpg highway... on the gauge and actual.
> 
> I'm leaning towards the Cruze diesel. I just wish it had a few more bells and whistles like passive entry, Nav at a reasonable price and an adjustable lumbar support. Those things and more are found in the Buick Regal with a 250HP 2.0 gas turbo, but are they worth $5K or more to me?
> 
> ...


Check out a 90's Geo Metro 3 door, little ******* got like 55MPG


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

NBrehm said:


> 1LT with the 6spd. Diesel is too expensive for an econobox as is diesel fuel. Buying the diesel to achieve extra MPG will never pay for itself in the long run. If the 1LT had been available in a manual when I bought my ECO there would have been no decision. I think overall it is the best bang for the buck between fuel mileage and performance potential.


The gear ratios are absolutely fantastic in the 6 speed LT. No massive gaps where you're left lagging for power if you shift up a gear at a reasonable RPM. That said, I wish 6th was taller (it is your ECOs 5th). They purposely did that so as to not encroach on the ECOs territory by having it get 40 mpg highway. 

However, it doesn't sound like the OP is looking for a manual. Despite the overwhelming MT demographic prevalent on this board, 90% of Cruze drivers buy the AT. 

Bit of a shame really. In a way I was completely surprised the Cruze even came with a manual offering these days, much less one in each major trim offered (LTZ and Diesel aren't volume sellers). Typically it's only the stripped down base models. 



NBrehm said:


> Check out a 90's Geo Metro 3 door, little ******* got like 55MPG


Yeah, but unlike a Prius, Corolla, or Metro, the Cruze is an economy car that doesn't make you absolutely miserable driving it. 


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## DieselMan33 (Oct 13, 2013)

NBrehm said:


> 1LT with the 6spd. Diesel is too expensive for an econobox as is diesel fuel. Buying the diesel to achieve extra MPG will never pay for itself in the long run. If the 1LT had been available in a manual when I bought my ECO there would have been no decision. I think overall it is the best bang for the buck between fuel mileage and performance potential.


The diesel cannot even be compared to the 1LT or the ECO in terms of price. It has been discussed many times before and you are comparing apples to oranges with a ECO or 1LT compared to the diesel. You get so much more with the diesel; leather seats, heated seats, quietest ride, bigger brakes, better ride/handling (due to heavier weight), mylink, better trans, endless power on tap. 

GM is not trying to target the person who is going to buy a base model Cruze, they are going after the person who wants most of the upgrades and who wants a premium product. I drove a LTZ Cruze and a 2LTZ 14 Malibu before I decided on my diesel and both cars did not feel as well built or as solid as the diesel Cruze. If you are sitting there with your calculator trying to figure out to the last dime if it is going to be a better buy then buy a cheap base Cruze. If money is not the biggest thing when buying a Cruze then drive them all and let that be the deciding factor. For me the diesel felt so much better then the rest of the Cruze's and that is why there is one in my garage.

I am not bashing the entry level Cruze or anyone who buys them but it seems like on this forum and today that people bash the diesels because THEY COST SOOO MUCH MORE and COST SO MUCH MORE TO MAINTAIN. Those are not the people GM is targeting for the diesel. I laugh when people talk about the extra cost of DEF....it is like $9 every 10 to 13k miles. Seriously if you are really worried about that then a diesel is not for you. 

Sorry for the long post/rant...Happy Thanksgiving to all!!! Cheers!!!!!


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

The boss says the diesel is what she wants for 2 reasons... more power and better mpg.
I told her if you use more power you won't get better mpg. I can't ever seeing us making up the price difference between the 1LT and a diesel model. I think it's the better build and features such as better sound insulation that has us leaning towards the diesel.

In reality there are a lot of cars out there that get decent mpg and are nicely equipped. We don't drive a lot of miles, but why not get something economical and green?

She's shopping and sending me links to all kinds of cars with good mpg. Women like to shop and we're not in a hurry. We have the rental that the insurance company is paying for, not on my dime, plus our Charger and Ram, and only 2 drivers in the house.

Our son will start driving in less than 3 years, so we should consider that too when choosing. I see nothing wrong with another 1LT AT for a new driver in a few years... very good mpg and cheap insurance, relatively speaking.

Our last 2 GM vehicles were a Seville and a HHR. The Cruze is in the same class as the HHR, but with many upgrades and improvements. I wish GM would put a longer drivetrain warranty on the diesel, like at least 100K miles.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

So many choices... I bought the 2013 Cruze 1LT a month ago because GM had deep discounts on them and she needed her own car for work... if that ever happens! It was the least expensive car we could find with the minimum amount of features we felt comfortable in. It should be perfect for our son when he starts driving in about 3 years. We were satisfied with the 1LT with the options we had on it. The insurance company is giving us enough for the car to buy a new 2014 with the same equipment. That's much more than I see used 2013s selling for.

Now we're sitting around second guessing our choice of the Cruze 1LT and I'm sitting here thinking... why?


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

mc2crazy said:


> I wish GM would put a longer drivetrain warranty on the diesel, like at least 100K miles.


It has a 5 yr/100k powertrain warranty just like other Cruzes. Most manufacturers are only 60k. 



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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

NBrehm said:


> 1LT with the 6spd. Diesel is too expensive for an econobox as is diesel fuel. Buying the diesel to achieve extra MPG will never pay for itself in the long run. If the 1LT had been available in a manual when I bought my ECO there would have been no decision. I think overall it is the best bang for the buck between fuel mileage and performance potential.


You're right only we need the 6A... I bought the 2013 Cruze 1LT a month ago because GM had deep discounts on them and she needed her own car for work... if that ever happens! It was the least expensive car we could find with the minimum amount of features we felt comfortable with. It should be perfect for our son when he starts driving in about 3 years. We were satisfied with the 1LT with the options we had on it. The insurance company is giving us enough for the car to buy a new 2014 with the same equipment. That's much more than I see used 2013s selling for.

Now we're sitting around second guessing our choice of the Cruze 1LT 6A and I'm sitting here thinking... why?


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Mc2cracy, this was my 100 buck GPS solution, pick up this Garmin 1450 LMT two years ago on a Black Friday from Target on half price. With lifetime maps, ha, yes just yesterday got a notice from Garmin that a new map update was available, has to be the 23rd free update. This has the five inch display, would like to update to a six inch display, but haven't found any deals yet. 

View attachment 49257


Back then, Cruze wanted 2000 bucks extra for navigation and something like 200 bucks for each map update.

Got a piece of 20 mil brass plate from True Value like on Home - K & S Precision Metals: Full Line Metal Specialists, removed that worthless suction cup, traced the base of the mounting bracket on it, with a square, cut it out, filed the edges, put a dimple where the original screw for that suction cup goes and glued felt to the bottom of it.

That panel snaps out with your fingers, formed that square back with my fingers for a tight fit for a firm mounting without damaging that panel in anyway.

Remove the PCB from the cigar lighter, shorten the cable and where the cigar lighter PCB board was soldered to the lighter. Use a piece of left over cable where I could attach the black lead to ground and the hot lead to the right hand side of the OnStar fuse for power. I did wrap the PCB with foam and taped it so it would rattle or short out.

It has the FM receiver for traffic, resets the route to avoid traffic jams. If I want to. Shows a real photograph for complex interstate exchanges, gets me in the correct lane. Has points of interest, can find a Mobile gas station, restaurant, hospital, or even a Kolh's store in a strange town my wife loves to visit plus a host of other things.

Mounted right in line with the IP, sun never blocks your view.

I also picked up an additional Garmin mounting bracket and power cable cheap off of ebay, so can use it in my motorhome, boat, and Supra, or put it in walk mode and walk into the woods. With three of my kids building new homes that were fields before and free map updates, just key in their new addresses. For really out of the places we go to for kayaking, can save those locations when there, name them and save those in my favorites. Ha, so I can find them again.

Did open it up, GPS PCB is only 2 square inches with about three bucks worth of parts on it, rest of the space is for the battery. With the way things are today, paying a lot more for software than for hardware. Cruze did drop the price from 2,000 down to a 1,000 bucks. Outrageous, the for software updates, mounted a SD flashdrive slot next to the USB and Aux sockets inside of the console, but want around 200 bucks for an 18 month old map update.

Just a bit unreasonable and also awkward looking at your radio for directions. With this location, can glance at it with the other eye watching where I am going. With 23 map updates instead of laying out a hundred bucks, would be more like $6,600 bucks plus another 356 bucks in sales tax.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Mc2cracy, this was my 100 buck GPS solution, pick up this Garmin 1450 LMT two years ago on a Black Friday from Target on half price. With lifetime maps, ha, yes just yesterday got a notice from Garmin that a new map update was available, has to be the 23rd free update. This has the five inch display, would like to update to a six inch display, but haven't found any deals yet. 

View attachment 49257


Back then, Cruze wanted 2000 bucks extra for navigation and something like 200 bucks for each map update.

Got a piece of 20 mil brass plate from True Value like on Home - K & S Precision Metals: Full Line Metal Specialists, removed that worthless suction cup, traced the base of the mounting bracket on it, with a square, cut it out, filed the edges, put a dimple where the original screw for that suction cup goes and glued felt to the bottom of it.

That panel snaps out with your fingers, formed that square back with my fingers for a tight fit for a firm mounting without damaging that panel in anyway.

Remove the PCB from the cigar lighter, shorten the cable and where the cigar lighter PCB board was soldered to the lighter. Use a piece of left over cable where I could attach the black lead to ground and the hot lead to the right hand side of the OnStar fuse for power. I did wrap the PCB with foam and taped it so it would rattle or short out.

It has the FM receiver for traffic, resets the route to avoid traffic jams. If I want to. Shows a real photograph for complex interstate exchanges, gets me in the correct lane. Has points of interest, can find a Mobile gas station, restaurant, hospital, or even a Kolh's store in a strange town my wife loves to visit plus a host of other things.

Mounted right in line with the IP, sun never blocks your view.

I also picked up an additional Garmin mounting bracket and power cable cheap off of ebay, so can use it in my motorhome, boat, and Supra, or put it in walk mode and walk into the woods. With three of my kids building new homes that were fields before and free map updates, just key in their new addresses. For really out of the places we go to for kayaking, can save those locations when there, name them and save those in my favorites. Ha, so I can find them again.

Did open it up, GPS PCB is only 2 square inches with about three bucks worth of parts on it, rest of the space is for the battery. With the way things are today, paying a lot more for software than for hardware. Cruze did drop the price from 2,000 down to a 1,000 bucks. Outrageous, the for software updates, mounted a SD flashdrive slot next to the USB and Aux sockets inside of the console, but want around 200 bucks for an 18 month old map update.

Just a bit unreasonable and also awkward looking at your radio for directions. With this location, can glance at it with the other eye watching where I am going. With 23 map updates instead of laying out a hundred bucks, would be more like $6,600 bucks plus another 356 bucks in sales tax.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Sounds like the diesel won out. Now you have to agree on a color choice. 


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

We picked out the 1LT with the options we wanted and we liked it. Maybe we shouldn't try to second guess ourselves?

Besides, I think it would make a good started car for our son who has less than 3 years until he can start learning to drive.

The wife like the idea of more power plus better mpg with a diesel. I think if she got that she wpuld burn extra fuel with her heavy right foot.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

We picked out the 1LT with the options we wanted and we liked it. Maybe we shouldn't try to second guess ourselves?

Besides, I think it would make a good started car for our son who has less than 3 years until he can start learning to drive.

The wife likes the idea of more power plus better mpg with a diesel. I think if she got that she would burn extra fuel with her heavy right foot.


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## brian v (Dec 25, 2011)

Dang man that is a hustle . Hay Jon now I won't know which cruzen to paint ball .
Atleast I get mine washed so jon doesn't feel ( IT ) should get Murdered out ...


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Posted another money saving reply yesterday, hit Post Quick Reply, never showed up.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Bump - let's see if a reply will unlock pages 6 and 7.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

With all this talk about what vehicle to get to replace your 1LT with, what arrangements did you make with the insurance company that is liable?

Are they going to pay for a rental for a period of time until you can find something. Look at the bottom line of your invoice and just write a check to you for that amount? Or two checks if you purchased it on time. If financed, will be a lien on your 1LT. Or just replace your 1LT with one exactly or less like the one that was totaled?

We went seven pages on this issue with our opinions, but positive this insurance company also has a say in this matter. Been my experience, you never come out ahead, and darn lucky even to break out even. If you have to hire an attorney, they will get a third of that value plus expenses.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

I like your nav solution Nick. I have a portable Garmin in my truck and use on of those stiction bags on the dash. It works, but it's not a solid mount.

We went black Friday shopping at the Buick Cadillac dealer today. We tried a loaded Encore with the 1.4T. It was nice, but we couldn't work out a decent deal on it. They couldn't find the new Regal 2.0T we went to look at. I brought a Caddy CTS home for the night. Great deal, but it's too harsh of a ride with rock hard seats. It's going back in morning. 

I think the Chevy dealer is next. I have my eye on the most expensive Cruze on the lot: a green Cruze Diesel, MSRP $26,900. If we can't work a deal on that then we'll probably end up with another 1LT. The dealers seem like they don't want to sell you what you really want at a decent price. 

If I don't get something soon I may wait until right after Christmas. I've got some great deals then on GM cars in the past.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

NickD said:


> With all this talk about what vehicle to get to replace your 1LT with, what arrangements did you make with the insurance company that is liable?
> 
> Are they going to pay for a rental for a period of time until you can find something. Look at the bottom line of your invoice and just write a check to you for that amount? Or two checks if you purchased it on time. If financed, will be a lien on your 1LT. Or just replace your 1LT with one exactly or less like the one that was totaled?
> 
> We went seven pages on this issue with our opinions, but positive this insurance company also has a say in this matter. Been my experience, you never come out ahead, and darn lucky even to break out even. If you have to hire an attorney, they will get a third of that value plus expenses.


The car is settled. It's a total loss and they agreed to pay me enough to buy a new 2014 model 1LT like our 2013. We only had 395 miles on it so they're paying for a new one. There was never any problem with who was at fault, we were doing 55mph and got rear ended. That driver was issued tickets for moving violations.

They (the other driver's insurance company) have already supplied us with a rental car which we will keep until they actually hand me a check for the wrecked Cruze and we transfer the title to them... the title came in the mail while I was in the ER after the accident.

I incurred many medical injuries and problems from the accident. The attorney will get his 1/3 when everything is settled. That may take years and is a separate issue with a different department and different adjuster within their insurance company. The medical treatment, evidence and bills are piling up and they're collecting the bills and paying them. I've been through this before a few times with myself and family members. You never get what you think you deserve. It's hard to put a $$$$ value on pain and disabilities, what it will cost you in the long run, etc.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Did get interested in a TomTom 1605 with lifetime maps and traffic and a six inch screen. Knocking off 80 bucks from it now for Dark Friday for 120 bucks. One thing I liked about my old TomTom, had a degree compass, but after reading reviews from other guys that assumed this new model will also have that compass, TomTom dropped it. They were not happy.

Then the mounting bracket, just sticking out a stub from the back to go directly to the windshield, but can buy one that would work for twenty bucks more. Then mounting, for that extra size, would have to move it a half inch to the left, but my existing installation is already against a locking tab under that panel.

So I took the easy way out, just said the heck with it. Did have some nice features, can key in your own address and a point of interest, if the Garmin doesn't have that in their database, well have to find the closest spot. But we we are there, can add it as a favorite, like our hidden boat launch.

So I gather your insurance company is going to write you out a check. I gather our dealers do not subscribe to Black Friday. Drove by my Chevy dealer yesterday, no lines in front. Pulled in, showroom was empty.

But the new car lot was overflowing with brand new vehicles and the salesman were out brushing the snow off of them. So I am gathering they would prefer to brush the snow off of them rather than sell them. Automotive has always been a supply and demand market, and it seems they sure have the supply, but not the demand. They must have this backwards.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

The new Cadillac is stiffer seats in general, softest seats were last found in the outgoing DTS. Take your time finding a replacement that you both(or 3) will enjoy.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

Our final choices were narrowed down to a Buick Regal 2.0T(gas), a Buick Encore 1.4T and another Cruze. I liked the Regal best, but it's claimed 250HP felt weak and it's gas mileage was poor. The Encore was like a Cruze CUT with the trunk cut off much like the Sonic sedan/hatchback. We might have bought the Encore with a nice list of extras, but selection was poor and they weren't dealing on them. The Encore also feels cramped compared to the Cruze.

After another day of (Black Friday) car shopping we finally ended up back at the same dealer where we bought our 1LT that was wrecked. This evening we drove away with a 2014 Cruze Turbo Diesel in Blue Ray Metallic. I had a Rainforest Green picked out, but she liked the blue. Both had the same options: 2LT Driver Convenience Package and Premium Pioneer Audio System. Sticker price was about $5K more than our 1LT, but it looks and drives like a more refined car. Most of the refinements are inside such as less road noise and the leather seats. The made in Germany diesel engine makes me think of it as an American BMW. :wink: 

I finally parted with my 2011 Charger R/T and traded it in. It was just a garage queen after we bought our first Cruze on 10-14-13.

The new Cruze was built in October 2014. I hope it's worth the extra money and doesn't have any (or many) problems! 

"I'm going for just one more burnout"








Weird "Blue Ray" Cruze Diesel:


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

Congratulations. I think you picked the best car for her driving patterns. Here's to wishing this car a long and useful life for the two of you.


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

mc2crazy said:


> The new Cruze was built in October 2014. I hope it's worth the extra money and doesn't have any (or many) problems!
> 
> "I'm going for just one more burnout"
> View attachment 49689
> ...



I think you ment built in October 2013, but glad to see you guys got what you wanted. Hopefully this one will have much bettter luck than the last one, but at least you know it will protect you. Any plans for Mod's?


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

APCruze said:


> I think you ment built in October 2013, but glad to see you guys got what you wanted. Hopefully this one will have much bettter luck than the last one, but at least you know it will protect you. Any plans for Mod's?


Thanks for catching the wrong year. My brains are still scrambled and have been making stupid mistakes like when I'm typing and memory problems.

I hope trading in my R/T wasn't another stupid mistake. The power couldn't really be utilized legally on public highways, so maybe buying the R/T was a mistake?

I'm very unfamiliar with the Cruze diesel. I don't know if I'll be modding anything. I may need an adjustable lumbar support installed in the seat. I have had that done before covered by the GM Mobility Program. My dealer has me set up for oil changes every 6 months or 5000 miles, whichever comes first.

This is mainly my wife's car. She can probably drive a month or more on a tank of gas.... and it won't cost $70-$80 per week like our Hemis did. My truck is 10 years old with only 17K miles. I had to buy new tires due to age, not wear. I use Sta-Bil in the truck. I don't think I'll need any diesel additive in the Cruze. I run an additive in my diesel tractor though.

I know there's a lot of info about the diesel. Just on this site I think there's more than I need or can read. I would appreciate any tips or tricks though since I'm new to the diesel Cruze.


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## grs1961 (Oct 23, 2012)

For the moment, just drive the Cruze, that's what it needs.

When it's nicely run-in, and and your brain is tracking properly, *then* start thinking about what can be done with it.

The only "gotcha" I would point to, which is because the USA is not (yet) used to diesel _cars_, and has been noted as a worry by other US diesel owners on this forum, is to make very, very sure that when the dealer services it they have all the right bits, filter and oil, to hand before they start.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Whats this about AdBlue at 22 bucks a US gallon, with a 4.5 gallon tank, (100 bucks plus labor, can you do this yourself?). And must be refilled at every 10K miles. Some questions about having your dealer do this at each oil change so your warranty won't be voided. Kind of another hidden expense with a diesel.

Injected into the catalytic converter to convert NOx's into nitrogen and water. Gather its not a requirement if driven in Europe, but not in the good old US. 

View attachment 49705


Just other questions, is this block cast iron or aluminum, kind of question aluminum due to its high coefficient of expansion. Slowly proving itself in gas, but a diesel has a huge compression ratio to deal with. Also understand that Bosch fuel injector pump is quite expensive, but shouldn't have to worry about it for the first 100K miles, not sure about the time limit.

Never like to see plastic idler and tensioner pulleys, get brittle and break at any time leaving you stranded with a single belt drive system. Talking about not so good experience with these. 

Also note the diesel is only available with an AT, with all this plastic now, one tiny fluid leak, your AT will be toast before you know it. Can get a MT in Europe, but apparently, not in the US yet. Ha, what about a spare tire? Included?

Just questions at this point and doing some homework. Microsoft already taught me not to be the first kid on the block with a new OS. Nothing but problems, wait until they come out with service pack three first. Being the first kid on the block is not a good idea anymore.


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## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

Congrats on the diesel! While not much "faster", the midrange power delivery is soooo much better than the 1.4T stuck with an automatic. 

Here's to many happy accident-free miles with this one. 


Sent from AutoGuide.com App


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

Congrats on the diesel! I also liked the Green but picking the other color was a "sane" decision for years to come. Let us know how differently(better) this trans shift from your last car. 


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## Aussie (Sep 16, 2012)

You won't regret your choice as the longer you own it the more you will like it. Just got back from a trip today and even after 16 months still am finding how quiet it is surprising. I don't have urea but the engine still runs clean with no smoke or smell.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

NickD said:


> Whats this about AdBlue at 22 bucks a US gallon,


$14 for 2.5 gallons.



NickD said:


> with a 4.5 gallon tank, (100 bucks plus labor, can you do this yourself?). And must be refilled at every 10K miles. Some questions about having your dealer do this at each oil change so your warranty won't be voided. Kind of another hidden expense with a diesel.


$25 for 4.5 gallons...yeah, you can do it yourself....but its free in usa for first 2yrs, here in canada ill have to shell out myself

link to having to have dealer fill it?



NickD said:


> Injected into the catalytic converter to convert NOx's into nitrogen and water. Gather its not a requirement if driven in Europe, but not in the good old US.


into the Selective Catalyst Reduction convertor....DEF isnt a requirement in the usa, its one method pf many to reach the needed levels of clean exhaust.




NickD said:


> View attachment 49705
> 
> 
> Just other questions, is this block cast iron or aluminum, kind of question aluminum due to its high coefficient of expansion. Slowly proving itself in gas, but a diesel has a huge compression ratio to deal with.


block is iron



NickD said:


> Also understand that Bosch fuel injector pump is quite expensive,but shouldn't have to worry about it for the first 100K miles, not sure about the time limit.


$600



NickD said:


> Never like to see plastic idler and tensioner pulleys, get brittle and break at any time leaving you stranded with a single belt drive system. Talking about not so good experience with these.


looks like there is one plastic pulley...feels like it at least...would bet the bearing on the pulley goes before the actual plastic part of it...or of course the belt...i havent owned anything in recent times(since '93) with several belts...havent been stranded yet



NickD said:


> Also note the diesel is only available with an AT, with all this plastic now, one tiny fluid leak, your AT will be toast before you know it.


 my volvo highway tractor had a plastic oil pan, i dont know of any that leaked more than metal oil pans....gaskets are the usual culprits...and dont know of any plastic leaky issues with this transmission in the other cars that its been in for years.



NickD said:


> Can get a MT in Europe, but apparently, not in the US yet. Ha, what about a spare tire? Included?


no MT and no spare tire, but you know this already, you just wanna be comfortable in your choice to not buy one, youre allowed....had MT been available, im sure i wouldve saved the ~$1000 and got the stick, but i dont miss it....didnt carry a spare tire last 8yrs in my miata, so im used to it, though had it come with one, sure I'd leave it in there...i drive 450 mile trip 3x a month....knock on wood, i havent missed that spare the last 8yrs



NickD said:


> Just questions at this point and doing some homework. Microsoft already taught me not to be the first kid on the block with a new OS. Nothing but problems, wait until they come out with service pack three first. Being the first kid on the block is not a good idea anymore.


yeah, i havent bought new car since 93....bought 3 used ones since then....the diesel isnt all that new...long time motor with simple changes to it, long time trans, the emissions tech isnt new, but its the first run on this engine, im eggspecting it to be the weak point


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

ive had great experiences with everything new I bought ps3 all my phones are pretty much glitch free and this diesel isnt really new its been around awhile overseas but thats ur choice I have 1000 miles on my diesel and am a first time diesel owner. All I can say is stuff happens, things break, thats life. If it turns out to be a bad choice ill live and learn but my wife loves it and I just have to make sure I stay on top of maintenence for the cars sake hahaha But im addicted to wanting to drive it everywhere. Having a 14 mpg gas sucking gmc sierra is my excuse. Hahaa.

so far my numbers are 945 miles on 23 gallons 350 highway miles. Thats 41mpg in ohio weather which is avg 30 degrees tops since we had car


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

grs1961 said:


> For the moment, just drive the Cruze, that's what it needs.
> 
> When it's nicely run-in, and and your brain is tracking properly, *then* start thinking about what can be done with it.
> 
> The only "gotcha" I would point to, which is because the USA is not (yet) used to diesel _cars_, and has been noted as a worry by other US diesel owners on this forum, is to make very, very sure that when the dealer services it they have all the right bits, filter and oil, to hand before they start.


Thanks for the tips grs.

I noticed you have a 2009 2.0L diesel. Is that the same (or similar) engine that we are getting in the Cruze over here in the US?

BTW, this is not my first Holden. I had what I believe was called a Monaro... a Pontiac GTO. The Corvette engine was nice, but the drivetrain was weak. Other than that it was a quality car loaded with lots of goodies, very nice comfortable leather, nice balance of ride and handling... I had the only option available in the US, a 6M tranny. I had all the goodies to build this car to go faster such as a ProCharger and stronger drivetrain, but I blew out my left knee and still can't drive a MT. I had to sell it.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The US Cruze CDT is a new power train for the Cruze. The European and Holden Cruze Diesels are not the same engine or transmission.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

chevycruzeassembler said:


> ive had great experiences with everything new I bought ps3 all my phones are pretty much glitch free and this diesel isnt really new its been around awhile overseas but thats ur choice I have 1000 miles on my diesel and am a first time diesel owner. All I can say is stuff happens, things break, thats life. If it turns out to be a bad choice ill live and learn but my wife loves it and I just have to make sure I stay on top of maintenence for the cars sake hahaha But im addicted to wanting to drive it everywhere. Having a 14 mpg gas sucking gmc sierra is my excuse. Hahaa.
> 
> so far my numbers are 945 miles on 23 gallons 350 highway miles. Thats 41mpg in ohio weather which is avg 30 degrees tops since we had car


You gotta love 40+mpg!

By any chance do you assemble the Cruze in Ohio?
My friend and his wife both worked at the GM plant and lived in zip code 44444.

My Hemi Quad Cab pickup used to get decent mpg's on real gas. Now I'm lucky if I can get 14mpg on mid grade. In fact I'm trying premium and I'm seeing 14.5. I used to get that when towing a boat or camping trailer. If I had put more thought into it I would have bought a diesel. If I out live the Ram I'll be switching to a new GM truck.


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

Merc6 said:


> Congrats on the diesel! I also liked the Green but picking the other color was a "sane" decision for years to come. Let us know how differently(better) this trans shift from your last car.


I guess that confirms that I'm a bit "nutty." I wanted a green "green" car. 
The "boss" has green eyes and she loves emeralds...

First impression is even though the 1.4T had good torque, this 2.0L is a real torque monster. There are a lot of hills where we live and the diesel shifts much less. Due to all of that torque it pulls up the hills with ease. This is my first diesel so I will have to get used to it running at lower rpms. One thing I noticed is the engine is so strong at low rpms that I think it could use a taller 6th gear at expressway speeds, IMHO.

It will take some time to break it in and for us to adjust to the different characteristics of the diesel. It's physically a larger engine and the turbo looks much larger too. I wonder what I should gap the plugs at?


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## APCruze (Mar 7, 2013)

mc2crazy said:


> I wonder what I should gap the plugs at?



Im waiting to see how many people try and give you a number to gap them at... someone out there is going to chime up, you just know it....


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

apcruze said:


> im waiting to see how many people try and give you a number to gap them at... Someone out there is going to chime up, you just know it....


sshhhhhhhh.... Lol


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## titanman2789 (Oct 27, 2013)

I agree on the taller 6th gear. Seems a little unnecessary for the car to run a little above 2k rpm at 75-80 mph. 1700 rpm would be just fine. 

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

BTW, This diesel has the buzzing/hissing noise from under the hood. Opening the doors and stuff like that while going over it in our garage last night made it do it many times. Was it ever determined what makes that sound? I think it's related to the alarm system.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

mc2crazy said:


> BTW, This diesel has the buzzing/hissing noise from under the hood. Opening the doors and stuff like that while going over it in our garage last night made it do it many times. Was it ever determined what makes that sound? I think it's related to the alarm system.


fuel pump and stuff, you open the door or unlock the doors with the fob, it goes into mode to get ready to start up


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## mc2crazy (Oct 25, 2013)

boraz said:


> fuel pump and stuff, you open the door or unlock the doors with the fob, it goes into mode to get ready to start up


Back to the buzzing thread, post #203
http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/10-powertrain/3384-buzzing-sound-after-turning-off-car-21.html


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

mc2crazy said:


> Back to the buzzing thread, post #203
> http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/10-powertrain/3384-buzzing-sound-after-turning-off-car-21.html


yeah, what i said.

more....http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/64-chevy-cruze-diesel/31050-common-cruze-diesel-noises.html


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

obermd said:


> The US Cruze CDT is a new power train for the Cruze. The European and Holden Cruze Diesels are not the same engine or transmission.


Well thats news to me. Would u be able to post the source for this from what ive been told this engine comes from overseas. Think germany and has been used for a while.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The engine has been used before, just not in a Cruze.


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

obermd said:


> The engine has been used before, just not in a Cruze.


Oh ok thats why I put the diesel isnt new in my last post wasnt sure what it was in just new it wasnt new.


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## chevycruzeassembler (Aug 20, 2013)

mc2crazy said:


> You gotta love 40+mpg!
> 
> By any chance do you assemble the Cruze in Ohio?
> My friend and his wife both worked at the GM plant and lived in zip code 44444.
> ...


Yes im in 44437. been out at the plant since 2000


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

APCruze said:


> Im waiting to see how many people try and give you a number to gap them at... someone out there is going to chime up, you just know it....


They probably all got gaped all over the place between .1 and 6 ohms. 


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

EPA is not screwing around with diesel fuel yet? Still 150,000 BTU's per US gallon? Car gas dropped from 120,000 BTU's to as low as 90,000. Charging extra for oxygen and nitrogen that to the best of my knowledge, the oil companies can get for free.


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## Jorday (Jul 30, 2013)

The conversion to ultra lower sulfur diesel fuel is one of the reasons why diesel is more expensive than gas now.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Must have fallen asleep with diesels, for years the catalytic converter was never required by the EPA for diesels. EPA never realized this with automotive gas when they first made it a requirement for all vehicles to have the cat.

High temperatures in the cat, H2O and S inside of that thing, generated tons of H2SO4 into the atmosphere, not exactly good for your lungs.

I see that cats are now required for diesels as well, maybe not on the real big stuff, but certainly for the little guys driving tiny toy like cars.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

NickD said:


> Must have fallen asleep with diesels, for years the catalytic converter was never required by the EPA for diesels. EPA never realized this with automotive gas when they first made it a requirement for all vehicles to have the cat.
> 
> High temperatures in the cat, H2O and S inside of that thing, generated tons of H2SO4 into the atmosphere, not exactly good for your lungs.
> 
> I see that cats are now required for diesels as well, maybe not on the real big stuff, but certainly for the little guys driving tiny toy like cars.


Our Ford power stroke handled the new requirements fine. We somehow managed to get 25 mpg on NJ roads with it. I guess it's the fact that it has a ***t ton of power and no weight on the flatbed stake body rear end. I felt like Vin Diesel talking about his dad's car and why he was afraid to drive it. 


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