So like a bunch of you (I suspect, anyway; or maybe I'm weird), I occasionally get new car lust and start playing with online configurators. The other day I realized that I could build a diesel, manual trans, hatchback Chevrolet Cruze. And that it's not a terrible looking new car. And that they get like 45 mpg. With 240 lb ft of torque. All pretty sweet.
Then I saw that Chevy is running 20% off on these suckers and my local dealer has two (2!) of them in stock in a really great shade of Arctic Blue. That's right- an Arctic Blue Sports Wagon (sort of). 20 grand out the door, more or less.
I was so intrigued I stopped by the dealer to gander at them and ended up taking a test drive. And, I gotta say- I liked it. The diesel lags below 2000 RPM and, man, 6 gears is an awful lot of gears to keep track of...but visibility was good, the steering felt pretty good and the brakes were terrific. I got the salesman to grab the "Oh E36 M3" handle a couple of times and seats felt good.
The 20% of deal ends Monday. Should I go down there and pull the trigger? I crank off 400 miles or so a week in my current daily (A 214,000 mile Volvo 240) which gets about half the mpg of the Cruze...which, if I'm being honest, would probably pay for the difference in insurance cost, the DEF, and a few bucks towards the monthly note.
Big question- will the diesel be reliable??? And I mean, like, 200k mile reliable? Turbocharger, common rail, DEF, catalysts....lots of stuff to go wrong.
There weren't any Diesel Cruzes available when I got mine, so no chance to drive one. Diesel with manual trans should get you 50+ mpg. Diesel seems to be reliable so far, I wouldn't be afraid of one.
I almost pulled the trigger on an 2014 unit this week till I got the insurance bill , Christbless! At 40+ years of age and a clean driving record the car was going to cost almost 2k a year to insure.
Might want to call your insurance company before pulling the trigger.
Paul B
The diesel lags below 2000 rpm??? Thats odd, i would assume it has loads of torque down low
Donebrokeit said:
I almost pulled the trigger on an 2014 unit this week till I got the insurance bill , Christbless! At 40+ years of age and a clean driving record the car was going to cost almost 2k a year to insure.
Might want to call your insurance company before pulling the trigger.
Paul B
Woof- good to know! My total insurance bill on 4 cars now is only about $800 a year. Who do you go through? I'm Geico.
In reply to Donebrokeit :
Just checked...Geico wants another $700/ year to insure the Cruze. Right now I pay about 180/ year on my Mercedes and 240/ year on my Volvo; if I removed both vehicles (since they're my DD's, I keep two so one always runs) the net change would be about $360 extra per year, or $30/month. That's reasonable.
That's a reasonable amount, I think the older cars are grouped together, I have seen quite a few of these cars driven by complete assclowns. That might be the reason for the price.
As for insurance companies I have been with AMICA for many years and this is the first time they gave me a number like that. My current bill is $7xx a year with four cars and one with full coverage.
I have a '15 Cruze, gas engine. LOVE IT! My standards aren't the same as others on the forum ( meaning mine are a little lower :) )but I think it is a blast to drive. Only wish I had gotten the stick, I was out voted.
Antihero said:
The diesel lags below 2000 rpm??? Thats odd, i would assume it has loads of torque down low
It might, if you can wait long enough for the turbo to wake up.
OTOH, the argument could be made that you have a manual transmission, if you are not in the powerband when you want power, that isn't really the car's fault...
Knurled. said:
Antihero said:
The diesel lags below 2000 rpm??? Thats odd, i would assume it has loads of torque down low
It might, if you can wait long enough for the turbo to wake up.
OTOH, the argument could be made that you have a manual transmission, if you are not in the powerband when you want power, that isn't really the car's fault...
Truth. Since I'd never driven one before, I was experimenting with the powerband. Turns out, it WILL lug along happily at 40 mph in 6th gear at 1k RPM without any shudder. There's just no acceleration there.
In reply to Donebrokeit :
I had AMICA until very recently. About a year ago, out of no where and for no reason, our insurance went up $400 per year. From 1300 to 1700 on the 4 cars. I'd been with AMICA for 20 years. Home insured thru them, too. Called up GEICO, and cut my insurance nearly in half.
Brief internet searches say the low rpm lag is normal and a tune gets rid of it.
I've had gas powered Cruzes as rentals several times and liked them. They also got great mileage ( ~38mpg), so I'm wondering if there's any real benefit to getting a diesel model instead of gas.
I gotta say, every time I see one in person I do a double-take. They are even better looking in person than in photos, and with some tint and some rims, they are downright sexy. I'd de-badge it and leave people guessing. 
STM317
SuperDork
6/10/18 5:53 p.m.
stuart in mn said:
I've had gas powered Cruzes as rentals several times and liked them. They also got great mileage ( ~38mpg), so I'm wondering if there's any real benefit to getting a diesel model instead of gas.
This is a valid question. The Gas versions of the Cruze are rated @40mpg hwy. The diesel/manual combo is rated @52mpg. The .gov says that annual fuel costs for the average person would probably be equal.
VCH will need to do some math regarding difference in upfront cost, maintenance, fuel costs, and maybe even resale value to see if there's a clear winner between gas or diesel.
I also was looking at the Cruze eco. On the used market the gas cars are very cheap. The diesels cars hold their value better at this time. With the general shift to CUV/SUV that might not hold up except for true cars lovers.
@ VCH, my last insurance company was the evil lizard, left due to a 133% increases in rates in less than 9 months. That was about 8 years ago maybe I will ring them up.
Paul B
Around here, diesel is not much more pricey per gallon than regular unleaded. The only (well, main) reason I'm considering the diesel, though- is this special they're running (it's only on the diesel lt models iirc) and it brings them down to about the price of the gassers.
Plus, the diesel makes 240 lb-ft of torque, vs around 170 for the gasser.
A de-badge would be mine plan, too. ;-)
Duke
MegaDork
6/11/18 9:44 a.m.
I'd say do it. I test drove a 2016 Cruze and for the price I was very impressed.
I've had no real issues to speak of with my 2014 1.4 Cruze at 155k now. A wheel bearing, pcv valve, and a plastic coolant line split.
Returns about 35mpg mixed with a good amount of highway in there.
The 20% off deal expired yesterday, and I wasn't really in a hurry, so looks like I'm passing on the car for now. At 20k, it was tempting; at 25k, not so much. The 1.4T gasser models are still about 20k though. I'd have to drive one to see what it's like.
I bet if you go.in and tell them you want to buy one today they will give you the 20% off. The sales manager might have to make a phone call but a sale is a sale.
