# Buying new cruze gas or diesel



## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

DWL said:


> I am looking at a new cruze and need input on diesel or gas . The prices i have been working on are the same for the gas as diesel . The diesel is 18 model and the gas is 19 model both are LT trim . I have 1995 geo tracker with 250,000 miles that i have spent about $500 dollars of repairs on in it since i purchased it at 90,000 miles been great truck. I what a small car to commute to work 120 miles daily 75 is hwy. I would hope to put 250,000 or more on a cruze. The emission controls and no way to control the auto shut off when stopping and no deletes tell me NO to diesel but the nine speed auto and the fact i like diesels say YES. The gas cruze i will run 93 octane witch is same price as diesel and only has six speed and the fact i like diesels has me on the fence .If i purchase diesel i will properly buy ext. warranty due to emission . Please help me make a choice


With your long highway commute: Diesel. No question about it. If you do mostly highway drives as you state, I would not expect problems with emissions... the problems come from frequent short drives where the system never gets up to temperature. It works fine with mostly highway drives as you plan to do. 

Have no fear of the auto-stop feature, if you really hate it, all you need to do is drive in L9 mode, which shuts it off completely. There are also some tunes out that delete it, but that is really not needed. It works, if a bit strange and hard to get used to. Keep in mind it will only auto-stop if all conditions are right, for instance if the outside temp is below 42F it won't do an auto-stop, there is a min battery charge, etc. Really that system is only strange and annoying to some, I've not heard of any actual technical failures of the Auto-stop. 

Especially for the same price, the Diesel is a far better choice for your driving pattern. Real world expect 55MPG with the Diesel, and for Gas if you are lucky low 40s. That adds up to some serious savings fast with your many planned miles.. and you'll love the low end torque of the Diesel. 

Welcome to CruzeTalk.


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## Rivergoer (Mar 30, 2017)

DITTO^^^

Everything @MRO1791 said...Diesel brother, with that commute you’ll love it.

Did you test drive the Gas vs Diesel yet? Curious about your thoughts........??


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## DWL (Nov 18, 2019)

Thanks for the input I have not driven a diesel Cruze the closes dealer with a diesel is 200 miles away . I have 2009 Chevy Duramax (no emission ) and love diesel power really the emissions on the Cruze was only reason I was considering a gas


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## Taxman (Aug 10, 2017)

The 1.6 seems to have fewer issues than the 2.0, but there are options currently available if you want to delete the 2.0, and AFAIK, the 1.6 is still untunable.


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## 6speedTi (May 18, 2018)

I have a 2018 sedan diesel with 6 Speed M/T.
Still not broken in.
I get 52 mpg flat out highway at 70 mph with AC running.
34 mpg around town. My work commute is mostly highway and average 47 mpg.
Those numbers are why I went with the diesel. As far as fuel cost goes, I always used mid or premium grade gasoline in my vehicles. 87 octane is crap. The new vehicles will run 87 with a performance penalty most consumers don't know or care about. So fuel costs are about the same at the pump but the bang for your buck or in this case MPG is a winner for diesel. At the end it's your decision based on price and what you want in a vehicle for comfort and features. Good luck.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Buy the gasoline Cruze and use regular 87 octane unleaded. You will spend the same amount as on diesel fuel but won't have to deal with obnoxiously expensive oil changes with Dexos2 oil that lots of placed don't have for a decent price.


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## RandyF (Nov 26, 2019)

I just recently purchased a 2019 diesel Cruze and absolutely love this car. Drove back to East Texas from El Paso and averaged 47.9 mpg at 75 mph speeds. I specifically wanted the diesel and I'm in NO way disappointed with my purchase. The 20% off MSRP sale going on during November makes this a great time to buy. If you decide to go diesel, don't wait long, they made very few in '19.


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## phil1734 (Aug 30, 2019)

It's pretty much impossible to justify buying the diesel via cost-savings, both in the short and long term.

I bought my diesel because 1.) I was tired of having to stop and buy fuel twice a week and can now go almost 700 miles between fill-ups (more than twice what I could previously), and 2.) the diesel drives way nicer in my opinion. With the cruise control set to 75mph, it's smooth, quiet, and has ample passing power available. The gassers are too thrashy and require dropping two gears if you want to pass anyone with any sort of haste at highway speed.


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## DWL (Nov 18, 2019)

I really appreciate the input if I can get the price wright going with the diesel. Has the diesels been reliable for you guys


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## RandyF (Nov 26, 2019)

DWL said:


> I really appreciate the input if I can get the price wright going with the diesel. Has the diesels been reliable for you guys
> [/Q


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## RandyF (Nov 26, 2019)

I just purchased my first diesel Cruze, but have a friend who has owned one for years. They are excellent cars. Do the required maintenance...keep the DEF tank filled. No issues.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

Barry Allen said:


> Buy the gasoline Cruze and use regular 87 octane unleaded. You will spend the same amount as on diesel fuel but won't have to deal with obnoxiously expensive oil changes with Dexos2 oil that lots of placed don't have for a decent price.


I get Dexos 2 Pennzoil at Walmart for $23 for 5 qt jug. Same price as Dexos 1 used in the gasoline Cruze. Knowing how to avoid being ripped off is applicable here.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

phil1734 said:


> It's pretty much impossible to justify buying the diesel via cost-savings, both in the short and long term.
> 
> I bought my diesel because 1.) I was tired of having to stop and buy fuel twice a week and can now go almost 700 miles between fill-ups (more than twice what I could previously), and 2.) the diesel drives way nicer in my opinion. With the cruise control set to 75mph, it's smooth, quiet, and has ample passing power available. The gassers are too thrashy and require dropping two gears if you want to pass anyone with any sort of haste at highway speed.


Except the OP says he's comparing a 2018 Diesel to a 2019 Gaser at the SAME price. So no extra for the Diesel means real fuel saving from day one. Generally the Diesel is a 3-4k extra cost, that is where it's difficult to justify the cost for fuel savings, but not in the case of the OP.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

DWL said:


> I really appreciate the input if I can get the price wright going with the diesel. Has the diesels been reliable for you guys


Yes, and I have 4 of them. The 2015 is the first generation. It had some issues, but never a breakdown and all work was covered by warranty at no cost to me. The Gen 2s have a far more refined emissions system. I do have one with an EGR cooler that was just replaced, but it wasn't a reliability issue since the car was drivable while waiting on parts. The other 2 will be getting a new that done when it's convenient for me, as it's not a condition that causes any drivability issue. The new cooler is a completely different part number, so appears they did a design revision. The only major issue I had was with the Manual 6apeed. It had a DMF flywheel failure at 12k, it was drivable to the dealership, and it was completely covered under warranty. I also got the improved clutch hydraulics, that has been an issue for others. I've heard of no problems with the 9sp, and 2 of my 4 cars have that transmission.


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## TDCruze (Sep 26, 2014)

Gen. 2 diesels seems to be pretty solid cars so far. Been less issues than with the Gen. 1 diesel. Seem to even have less issues than the gas cars IMO. Driving mostly highway miles is where the diesel really shines. The torque means it drives more like a V6 gas car and the 9 speed auto is a real smooth nice transmission.


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## 6speedTi (May 18, 2018)

phil1734 said:


> It's pretty much impossible to justify buying the diesel via cost-savings, both in the short and long term.
> 
> I bought my diesel because 1.) I was tired of having to stop and buy fuel twice a week and can now go almost 700 miles between fill-ups (more than twice what I could previously), and 2.) the diesel drives way nicer in my opinion. With the cruise control set to 75mph, it's smooth, quiet, and has ample passing power available. The gassers are too thrashy and require dropping two gears if you want to pass anyone with any sort of haste at highway speed.


My chevy Sonic had the 1.4 liter with 6 speed manual. The Sonic is smaller and lighter and yet I had to downshift from 6th to 4th gear to get any kind of acceleration to pass slower traffic on the highway. The 6 speed has 5th and 6th gear configured in a overdrive ratio so no torque on acceleration. Amazing with a turbo and still can't get out of my own way. 
My diesel cruze has so much low end torque that No downshifting is needed. It's amazing the torque and acceleration that 1.6 liter diesel has. It will blow the doors off any gas cruze and get better mileage to add insult to injury. 
Oil is no problem. Walmart has Penzoil EURO L which is Desos2. It is affordable and comparable to Desos1 oils.
The DEF fluid is cheap and a tank will last you an average of 10,000 miles unless your a Uber driver always stopping and driving around town. 
Don't listen to those telling you diesel costs more than gas. In the short term you'll benefit in more ways than gas. 
BTW, 87 octane gas is not recommended in a turbo engine regardless what GM states in the manual. GM even contradicted themselves with some documentation they put out that boosted engines require a octane higher than 87.
Professional tuners have tested the 1.4 liter with various octane and found 87 octane detonates often especially under loads and hot weather. They found that octane starting around 89 to 91 run better with no detonation. Good thing is sensors protect the engine from detonation damage but reduce performance and fuel economy. I believe it was either BNR or ZZPerformance who tested the 1.4 liter. 
So if you managed to read this far down my winded post I'm sure you won't be disappointed choosing a diesel over gas. The important thing is that it will be your choice based on availability and price. Good luck no matter which way you go.


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## DWL (Nov 18, 2019)

This has been great info from all . I hope to sign papers tomorrow on a Cruze diesel will be next week before pickup . I will update my thoughts after I log some miles


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## rcruze (Mar 22, 2018)

Definitely get the Diesel.. Not that I am bias in any way 
Mine is: 

2018 Diesel 6MT
99,500 miles as of 11/27 - 266 miles/day
best MPG = 63.5 - 69.3 mpg
Average = ~52mpg

I have done every oil change and all maintenance (oil, filter(s) belt on the way). I am about 4-6 months away from my 3rd set of tires and my only issue has been 1 TPMS sensor went about around 60K miles. I still even have the OEM brake pads. I have driven all but 1 mile of the 99K miles and I would say 95% of that has been all hwy.

It is a great car.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

MRO1791 said:


> I get Dexos 2 Pennzoil at Walmart for $23 for 5 qt jug. Same price as Dexos 1 used in the gasoline Cruze. Knowing how to avoid being ripped off is applicable here.


Yeah, I'm just talking about trying to find a package deal oil change from one place at a decent price. It's a pain to buy the oil one place, find a filter somewhere else, and then try to find an oil change shop that will do a basic oil change with the materials I carry in.

I like less friction in my life. I want to pop into the Chevy dealership and get the same $50 price for a Dexos2 oil change and tire rotation as all the Dexos1 cars get. I don't need oil that is $9 a quart for no reason. I don't need an oil filter that is $18 for no reason. I don't need an oil change that is $98 for no reason (without the tire rotation).

I've got the same Pennzoil from WM as you have, and some K&N filters I scored for about $5 each. Still, it's not what I want as an affordable, time-saving thing for my car service. For someone who commutes long distance you have to value your time and keep that in mind when you go through more oil changes than the average person. Get it to me at a basic, good price from somewhere that does it quickly because they value my time. Do that and I'll be a repeat customer.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

Barry Allen said:


> Yeah, I'm just talking about trying to find a package deal oil change from one place at a decent price. It's a pain to buy the oil one place, find a filter somewhere else, and then try to find an oil change shop that will do a basic oil change with the materials I carry in.
> 
> I like less friction in my life. I want to pop into the Chevy dealership and get the same $50 price for a Dexos2 oil change and tire rotation as all the Dexos1 cars get. I don't need oil that is $9 a quart for no reason. I don't need an oil filter that is $18 for no reason. I don't need an oil change that is $98 for no reason (without the tire rotation).
> 
> I've got the same Pennzoil from WM as you have, and some K&N filters I scored for about $5 each. Still, it's not what I want as an affordable, time-saving thing for my car service. For someone who commutes long distance you have to value your time and keep that in mind when you go through more oil changes than the average person. Get it to me at a basic, good price from somewhere that does it quickly because they value my time. Do that and I'll be a repeat customer.


I understand. I've found I can do it he changes myself faster than I can have it done by a service center. I schedule my own time, and time is typically the most limited resource. I also don't trust the barely qualified oil change "techs" to do it right. Many horror stories out there and when I've used them (usually because it's free) I can't say it's been correct each time. It's a sad reality of the world we live in. It's hard to find quality workmanship for a reasonable price.


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## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

MRO1791 said:


> I understand. I've found I can do it he changes myself faster than I can have it done by a service center. I schedule my own time, and time is typically the most limited resource. I also don't trust the barely qualified oil change "techs" to do it right. Many horror stories out there and when I've used them (usually because it's free) I can't say it's been correct each time. It's a sad reality of the world we live in. It's hard to find quality workmanship for a reasonable price.


It was a Chevy dealership that screwed up my skidplate to where it had to be replaced under warranty.

I live in an apartment and can't do the oil changes myself. If I knew someone with a lift I would probably do it myself.


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## MRO1791 (Sep 2, 2016)

Barry Allen said:


> It was a Chevy dealership that screwed up my skidplate to where it had to be replaced under warranty.
> 
> I live in an apartment and can't do the oil changes myself. If I knew someone with a lift I would probably do it myself.


Totally understand. I use ramps I bought at my Walmart and a piece of cardboard, certainly I would rather use a lift, but it's not an absolute requirement. I can't fit under on a creeper, just slide under on cardboard. That access panel is a bit odd, on 2 of my three in hinges on the front side, the other it comes off and has a 4th fastener. That one had it's first free oil change and it wasn't put on correctly and was almost lost. I happened to see it hanging down in my driveway.


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