# 2017-2018 New Cruze Diesel Stories



## jblackburn (Apr 14, 2012)

I drove one with the 9-speed auto. 

If you interested in first impressions:
-Super quiet. Slight diesel clatter at idle from outside the car; mostly inaudible from inside.
-Sounds almost like a gasser when it revs inside.
-Very peppy from a stop (and through the first few gears) and none of the exacerbated throttle lag from the earlier 2.0 TD
-Transmission's very good about knowing what gear to be in *except* when you do sort of a rolling stop (like to make a left turn). Very smooth gear changes compared to the old Aisin in the 2014-15 CTD.
-Not a ton of top-end or 50+ MPH power, but there is tons of torque to scoot you along, up hills, and to pass moderately quickly. Flooring it and dropping gears doesn't deliver much additional acceleration than lower RPMs.
-There is not as much sound insulation as the 1st gen CTD, but at the same time, the car doesn't feel massively nose heavy like the 1st gen. Aside from the additional torque, it is much like a gas Gen 2 from behind the wheel.


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## danielfox118 (May 5, 2017)

Well, I've had mine for a little over 2 months and have put a little over 5000 miles on. As you'll probably see from my signature, I'm averaging 54 or so after several fill ups. My best tank is the one I just had was 60.9, which was almost all highway which was cruised at 70-75 except during construction. I came over from a Jetta after a deer rendered it undrivable. My Jetta was too old to have been a part of the 'Dieselgate' thing, and honestly if VW had still been making diesels I would have considered it. 

When I was looking for new cars, it was either a Cruze diesel or a Prius. The wait for the diesel to become available was pretty painful, as I was stuck driving an old minivan in the interim. I had mine ordered through the dealership, having never once driven a 2017 diesel, and I can say now it was a great decision. It has its annoying things, and I think we discussed that in another thread, something about impressions after XXXX miles.

Edit: Found the post: http://www.cruzetalk.com/forum/418-...n/205474-my-impressions-after-5000-miles.html


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

I'm on danielfox's 5000 miles thread as the 10k guy. Mine's sitting at 12k miles today. It's also sitting at the dealer with a broken flywheel.

Mine also had an exhaust sensor that was unhappy, but that issue didn't require an extended stay at the dealer and was taken care of at my first oil change.

I came from a 2009 Jetta TDI that has so far been my favorite car of any I've owned.

I like my Cruze. I bought it for the fuel economy and it has delivered above and beyond my expectations. The service writers were going on and on about how I have over 70MPG on my best 25-mile average MPG. The dealer loaner I'm in is a LOADED Sonata Sport model. It has a lot of features I'd like to have on my Cruze, but I'd rather have my Cruze without the options than the Hyundai with all its bells and whistles.


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## NoDanaOnlyZool (Jun 29, 2017)

tgbcruze, I have just over 5300 miles on my 6-speed manual 2017 Cruze TD Sedan. This is my first Diesel vehicle I've owned. I am very pleased with the car so far! It has plenty of torque and can chirp the tires on the 1-2 shift if you aren't careful. The shifter works well and I enjoy it. I added DEF fluid once so far at just over 3300 miles, and my average fuel economy has been excellent. I filled up for the 9th time today and got 53.57 MPG. One interesting thing is that the Driver Information Center (DIC) reads low for fuel economy. It read 51.1 MPG for today's fill-up. I'm keeping a spreadsheet for the fuel and the DEF consumption, just for fun. I'm averaging 4.45 cents per mile in Diesel fuel costs so far. $260.38 is the total spent on DEF and Diesel during my ownership (Six weeks). I suppose that's pretty economical!

Issues: Only one of consequence. I had a really noticeable buzzing sound in the 2000-2500 RPM range from the top center of the dashboard near the center speaker grill. I mentioned it to one of my dealerships where I work (as a product trainer for Cadillac), and they found that there is a bulletin for just such a buzzing issue. The cure apparently is to install new bolts for the speaker; six of them. They ordered the bolts and installed them, and the buzzing is MOSTLY gone, but on some surfaces it still happens. I may have another dealership check it out if it becomes any worse. But besides this item, occasional Apple CarPlay hiccups (which are now gone, it seems), fairly staid styling and a somewhat average sound system, I really love this car!

I had a 2013 Chevy Sonic RS Hatchback prior to this for just under 160,000 miles (which I had bought new). That car was a bit more fun to drive (The Sonic chassis was tuned by the Corvette chassis team, which many people do not realize!) in the corners, but the Cruze is no slouch in the handling department. The ride of the Cruze TD is definitely smoother and softer (and a bit floatier over bigger bumps). I also have just 16" wheels and 205/55R16 tires (vs. 205/50R17 tires on the Sonic RS) and no lowered sport suspension. I'd love to get larger wheels and tires on my Cruze, if for no other reason than they'd fill the wheel wells better. But I'm not ready to drop $2500 on those at this point! 

As I posted in other places on this forum, I got this car because my Sonic RS needed a new cooling fan which was not available and I found my new car in stock at the Chevy Dealer in Oxford, MS while traveling for work. I'd have loved to get one with more equipment (like the Side Blind Zone Alert), but I just took what they had in stock at that moment in time. It's my third Summit White Chevy in a row, following a 2011 Malibu 1LT sedan and the Sonic RS. If I could do it all over again, but a year from now, I MIGHT choose a Cruze Diesel Hatchback, because I love hatchbacks and wagons, but I'm thrilled with my new Cruze TD Sedan.


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## Sperry (Aug 3, 2013)

The gen 2 should be able to beat this . My 2014 gen 1


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## sledstorm1 (Mar 9, 2017)

Road and Track article http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...u-learn-after-driving-the-chevy-cruze-diesel/

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## Sperry (Aug 3, 2013)

By all accounts it's better than the gen 1 but I still want to take out the diesel terrain . That's what I would really like to get


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

NoDanaOnlyZool said:


> Issues: Only one of consequence. I had a really noticeable buzzing sound in the 2000-2500 RPM range from the top center of the dashboard near the center speaker grill. I mentioned it to one of my dealerships where I work (as a product trainer for Cadillac), and they found that there is a bulletin for just such a buzzing issue. The cure apparently is to install new bolts for the speaker; six of them. They ordered the bolts and installed them, and the buzzing is MOSTLY gone, but on some surfaces it still happens. I may have another dealership check it out if it becomes any worse.


Would you happen to know the service bulletin number on that? Mine's at the dealer right now and I've mentioned it to them, but if I can point them right at the service bulletin, that would help.


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## [email protected] (Aug 14, 2017)

I just got my 2017 diesel Cruze manual this weekend - so far so good. I drive 75 miles one-way to work and got 50.3 this morning. I'm expecting that to get better over time. Car drives well, manual shift is smooth, car runs quiet. I'm a previous VW Golf/Jetta diesel owner - loved those cars - so disappointing that VW screwed us and themselves with their diesel car scandal. I think the Cruze is a good alternative. I haven't seen any Cruze diesel commercials yet. The radio/speakers are adequate in the Cruze - I'm hoping there is a way to upgrade the speakers/add a sub eventually. For a daily commuter car I think the Cruze will be great (much better than a Prius!)


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

[email protected] said:


> I just got my 2017 diesel Cruze manual this weekend - so far so good. I drive 75 miles one-way to work and got 50.3 this morning. I'm expecting that to get better over time. Car drives well, manual shift is smooth, car runs quiet. I'm a previous VW Golf/Jetta diesel owner - loved those cars - so disappointing that VW screwed us and themselves with their diesel car scandal. I think the Cruze is a good alternative. I haven't seen any Cruze diesel commercials yet. The radio/speakers are adequate in the Cruze - I'm hoping there is a way to upgrade the speakers/add a sub eventually. For a daily commuter car I think the Cruze will be great (much better than a Prius!)


Couldn't agree more. Congrats on the new diesel and welcome.


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## Dirk vds (Aug 2, 2017)

I did not drive my Cruze myself a lot yet. but at almost 4500 miles lifetime average is 47 mpg. My wife got 52 mpg+ doing 75 mph where allowed. This was an almost 4000 mile trip all freeway basically. I myself drove on the I-15 in Utah from Salt Lake City north for about 50 miles. I drove strictly 55 mph on cruise. Best 25 mile average was 75.4 mpg.
Its a 2017 Diesel Auto


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## NoDanaOnlyZool (Jun 29, 2017)

Sorry I did not reply sooner! I just saw this, and I do not have the receipt with me right now (traveling for work). I'll try to check it when I get back. It improved things, but not completely. It looks like I'm going to have to have the dash top removed from the car to really fix it. My selling dealership will probably do this the next time I visit them for my day job (about five weeks).


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

NoDanaOnlyZool said:


> Sorry I did not reply sooner! I just saw this, and I do not have the receipt with me right now (traveling for work). I'll try to check it when I get back. It improved things, but not completely. It looks like I'm going to have to have the dash top removed from the car to really fix it. My selling dealership will probably do this the next time I visit them for my day job (about five weeks).


No worries. My dealer folks might find it on their own. They've had plenty of time. Today marks two full weeks mine's been in the shop.


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## danielfox118 (May 5, 2017)

johnmo said:


> Today marks two full weeks mine's been in the shop.


Update on this? I hope you have it back by now!


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

danielfox118 said:


> Update on this? I hope you have it back by now!


Yes, I got it back that day. Still has some interior buzzy noises and the clicky noise I hear on the driver side when I drive with the windows open. But aside from those little annoyances, it's back to eating miles and sipping fuel just like it should.


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## sledstorm1 (Mar 9, 2017)

Over the weekend the wife and I went on a trip that was 600 round trip. I filled at 400 miles and hand calculated and got 58.4 mpg. This included some city driving. These cars are kick ass. 

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## sledstorm1 (Mar 9, 2017)

johnmo said:


> Yes, I got it back that day. Still has some interior buzzy noises and the clicky noise I hear on the driver side when I drive with the windows open. But aside from those little annoyances, it's back to eating miles and sipping fuel just like it should.


The clicking sounds you hear is the def injector firing. 

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## a1gr (Mar 15, 2017)

I had a Gen 1 2014 diesel and traded it for a 2017. Here is what I have found: The gen 1 had many good things that were eliminated or changed on the gen 2. 
The gen 2 only has a seat back pocket on the passenger seat gen 1 had it on both seats. The seats were for me more comfortable on the gen 1. 
They eliminated the cup holders on drivers door panel storage and in a driving seat position I can not get my hand into it without leaning forward then if I lean back my hand gets caught in the storage bin. This is a safety hazard.
The gen 2 is much noisier both road noise and an an engine hum that is not there in the gen 1. The ride on the gen 2 feels more like an economy car than the gen 1. I suspect the small wheels may have something to do with it.
Moving the DEF tank and providing a spare tire was a much needed improvement and one of the reasons why I upgraded but the gen 1 got 10-12,000 miles on a fill and the gen 2 is only projected to get 3500-5000 miles on a fill.
The engine shut off and restart at a stop while in gear is extremely annoying... for example I normally pull into a parking space and stop about 3-5 feet before being fully in place then creep up so I do not damage the spoiler. On the Gen 2 the engine stops when the car stops. Same thing happens when I stop and wait for the garage door to open and why on that subject there is still no garage door opener built into the Cruze. Also, I suspect the wear and tear on the starter motor and etc. may be a problem when the car gets older. There should be a way to turn it off. 
And, since there is now no need to use a key to start the car why didn't they provide a system to automatically lock the car when walking away I still have to dig out the key for that.


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## danielfox118 (May 5, 2017)

a1gr said:


> Moving the DEF tank and providing a spare tire was a much needed improvement and one of the reasons why I upgraded but the gen 1 got 10-12,000 miles on a fill and the gen 2 is only projected to get 3500-5000 miles on a fill.
> 
> And, since there is now no need to use a key to start the car why didn't they provide a system to automatically lock the car when walking away I still have to dig out the key for that.


I didn't have to fill my DEF tank until 6,000 something. So those estimates seem to grossly underestimate. I also don't know that my DEF tank was filled completely on purchase. 

As for the key fob mention, I think it might be something you have to turn on, but mine locks as I walk away. It's something that has left me hugely spoiled.


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## a1gr (Mar 15, 2017)

Thank you I got the door lock settings to work.


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## [email protected] (Mar 16, 2017)

We wrote a review on the Gen2. Really like it! https://idpartsblog.com/2017/09/11/chevrolet-cruze-gen-2-diesel-review/


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## jpeloke (May 26, 2011)

After research and shopping I have purchased my 3rd Cruze. We first purchased a 2011 LT2 and love it. I then bought a 2011 Eco 6 Speed manual and really loved it. I sold it after retirement to buy a Chevy Colorado. I was disappointed with the truck so I have now bought a 2017 Cruze Diesel. This car has the automatic in it. My wife wanted an auto instead of the 6 speed. With the current incentives and we are a GM Family First customer I got a really good deal (i think). Waiting to get word from the dealer it is there as it had to come from another location. Making my accessory list now.


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## 91794 (Mar 25, 2015)

Picking up new 2017 Cruze Diesel stickshift tomorrow, 25% below MSRP minus GM card... 
Dealer throws an extra 5% on top of GM's 20% off if I use their financing for a while, which is OK with me. 

And the sales rep ensures all the TSBs/recalls are taken care of, and he will top off the DEF . 
The heated Steering Wheel is one of the biggest selling points for me.

I'm about 55 and have bought about 30 new cars total over the decades, sometimes for other drivers in household. 
I like car salespeople, car service people, any kind of car people except car thieves. 

I've owned ~5 3rd and 4th gen Z28s. 3 1990s Honda Civics. 2 Volvo Wagons. One mercedes wagon. One Volvo SUV, 2004 XC90. 

4 VW diesels: 2001 jetta wagon diesel stickshift, 2004 passat diesel, 2006 jetta diesel stickshift, 2006 New Beetle Diesel DSG. 
Most every car of the 30 had 80k to 100k when traded, except for the GTO. 
My better half drives a 2016 sonic stickshift currently. 

I also own a 2015 Chevy SS Sedan stickshift, and a 2005 Pontiac GTO stickshift Grey(now for sale) 
Also I have a 2001 Corolla 3-speed-automatic which my youngest son drives. 

I enjoy cross-country drives many times as well as short-hauls of ~1300 miles to Minnesota or Florida, from New England.
Most recent cross-country drive was in Chevy SS which returned its best mpg with 87 octane: solid 25 mpg. And about 23 mpg with the higher octanes. As expected, slightly better highway mpg with the lower octane, results were for-sure/repeatable over many thousands of miles of highway driving.


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## rfhbrando (Oct 31, 2017)

I picked up a 2017 Diesel Cruze manual in early September. Since then I have put 5300 miles on it, primarily driving it all highway 70 miles each way to work. Over the 10 fill-ups, I have been very consistently getting 50.5 mpg on each tank. I was hoping it would start to break in and do a little better but I guess can I can't complain. Other than that, no issues so far. DEF warning came on at 5k miles so I filled it up this past week.


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## DrKlahn (Feb 10, 2014)

Haven't been on here in a while, but thought I would share my recent change. I bought a Gen1 Cruze Diesel about 4 years ago. Our local dealer was wanting clear some inventory and wanted used cars for their expansion lot, so they convinced me to trade for a '17 Gen2 Diesel. I've only had it for about 3 days, but I wanted to give some feedback.

-The Gen1 car had less body roll as the Gen2 is a base car. But the Gen2 seems more stable overall. I haven't looked at the specs but the new car feels a bit wider and more firmly planted. Steering had more weight to it on the Gen1, but the Gen2 is fine with good feedback.

-The 9spd auto is a definite improvement over the transmission in the Gen1. I always felt the Gen1 could use a taller gear

-The Gen1 felt slightly more powerful. But this could be placebo as the new car is certainly shifting more vs. the old car staying in the torque band in one gear longer. Either way it's not a huge difference.

-I miss the leather on the Gen1. Alas there wasn't a 2017/2018 diesel that had leather without being $10k more. Still the cloth is attractive and the seats are very comfy. Probably get a leather steering wheel cover and call it a day. No complaints on the ergonomics of either car.

-The engine in the Gen2 heats up WAY quicker. If you live in colder climates this will be a very welcome change

And of course how is the mileage? Well in the 60K miles I put on the Gen1 probably 99% of it was my trip back and forth to work (about 50 miles a day). This is a hilly route and there are several stops. The Gen1 car averaged about 42-44 in the summer months (600-650 miles a tank) and about 38-42 (550-600 miles a tank) in the winter months. When I sold it the 50 mile average was at 39MPG (been chilly here lately). After driving the new car a few days my average has been 48-49MPG. Needless to say, I find that outstanding. The old car would only exceed 46MPG on long highway trips with it's best reading being 52MPG on a 50 mile average. I have no doubts the new car will easily exceed that.


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## 91794 (Mar 25, 2015)

bought cruze diesel stickshift because i like TORQUE and ECONOMY and because I liked the soot cloud emitting pre-2007 VW TDIs and drove 4 of them to about 100k each. I first decided to buy a diesel VW jetta wagon around 1998 when i noticed the VW TDI got 50 mpg on fuel that cost 48 cents per gallon, compared with my other cars that got 20 mpg on fueld that cost 87 cents per gallon.

also i have multiple-vehicle-personality-syndrome and need the diesel to complement my other cars/personality: 2015 Chevy SS stickshift and 2005 Pontiac GTO stickshift.


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## NoDanaOnlyZool (Jun 29, 2017)

Just wanted to add a quick update....Today I hit 19,000 miles on my Gen 2 Cruze TD Manual Sedan. I also discovered the beauty that is the "High Velocity" Diesel Pump at a truck stop in Indiana! I had no idea that you could fill up a fuel tank so quickly! Just slightly more than a minute to fill about 12.1 gallons. I thought it had clicked off in error, then I noticed I had a full tank. Nobody told me about this, and I like it! Y'all probably all knew, but this is nice extra information for a Diesel Newbie like myself. Also, for the first 19K miles, my cost per mile for Diesel Fuel and DEF (which I filled today at 13% remaining) is 4.99 Cents per Mile. Seems pretty reasonable to me. I'm still loving this car, and I definitely get the most out of it, seeing as how my driving is typically long-haul Interstate style stuff. My worst MPG for a tankful was 46.10 MPG - the WORST - and I still went 533 miles on that tank. My best was 57.27 MPG for a 636 mile tank range. The most I've gotten from one tankful was 672 miles (fill-up was 11.865 gallons). I really hoped to get 700+ from a tankful, but that hasn't happened yet. Mostly because I'm too chicken to push THAT far. But I'm sure it'll happen one day.

Keep on Cruze-ing, y'all!


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## johnmo (Mar 2, 2017)

NoDanaOnlyZool said:


> My worst MPG for a tankful was 46.10 MPG - the WORST - and I still went 533 miles on that tank. My best was 57.27 MPG for a 636 mile tank range. The most I've gotten from one tankful was 672 miles (fill-up was 11.865 gallons). I really hoped to get 700+ from a tankful, but that hasn't happened yet. Mostly because I'm too chicken to push THAT far. But I'm sure it'll happen one day.


You should easily hit 700 miles on a tank some time. I feel like I've failed if I don't get 700 miles or close to it. I'm looking for an 800-mile tank. I've had a couple tanks where the remaining range plus elapsed miles added up to more than 800, but the stars really have to be aligned to make it work out. It doesn't help that the estimated range drops to "low" under 60 or 70 miles remaining.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

Just put a deposit down on a Cruze Diesel, sedan, manual transmission. Will pick it up Saturday and give it a 6 hour drive break in to get home. This will add to the fleet of cars, which includes 2 Gen 1, 2015 Diesel Cruze sedans. I'll follow up with my impressions from the drive and comparison to the Gen 1. 

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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

MRO1791 said:


> Just put a deposit down on a Cruze Diesel, sedan, manual transmission. Will pick it up Saturday and give it a 6 hour drive break in to get home. This will add to the fleet of cars, which includes 2 Gen 1, 2015 Diesel Cruze sedans. I'll follow up with my impressions from the drive and comparison to the Gen 1.
> 
> Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


Ok, got the car (Manual transmission). Drove it home, 380 miles.. 6.6 gal. 57.6 MPG! Best 50 mile average was 69MPG. Most of my Biscan for GM/Torque app by Snipesy (used for my gen 1 Diesels) works on the new car. I'll write a more in-depth review when my wife has a chance to drive it, her impression will be more unbiased. 

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## Big M (Nov 25, 2017)

got my 2017 diesel, automatic used with 1800 miles on it. I have had a couple of VW diesels in the past and own a 2006 Jetta now that I gave to my daughter. Love the 06 Jetta but have been very impressed with the Cruze. got 58.6 coming home and have averaged 45 around town. for me it was quiet and has comfortable seats. Visibility is good but couldn't get forward warning or braking on this model. MyLink is nice. Disappointed is the lack of fog lights and the headlights need improving. The headlights have a good throw down the road but are narrow. It is actually dangerous to make sharp turns because you can not see. The trunk could have been designed to get more storage out of it. The transmission (9 speed) that is matched with this engine are well engineered. It is a joy to drive and it could be a keeper like my Jetta was. If VW was still making diesels I may have stuck with them but Chevy has a very fine product.


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## KalahariKid (Jun 25, 2017)

I nailed 806 miles on a 100% hwy tank, run at it near empty just to say I did once, will not do it again for fuel pump cooling concerns, but wanted to verify mileage readings on a full tank fill and without going back to reference the numbers I jotted down the trip avg on the dash was near identical to the hand calc numbers, think it was off by .3 or so. I'll take it, done with the hand calcs.


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

KalahariKid said:


> I nailed 806 miles on a 100% hwy tank, run at it near empty just to say I did once, will not do it again for fuel pump cooling concerns, but wanted to verify mileage readings on a full tank fill and without going back to reference the numbers I jotted down the trip avg on the dash was near identical to the hand calc numbers, think it was off by .3 or so. I'll take it, done with the hand calcs.


Excellent! 

How many gallons used? Did you click-fill it to the brim and then do the same after the trip?


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