Eco-D MSRP
Anyone got a ballpark for how much the Eco-D will go for? I'm expecting (ha!) it should come in around the same as the Eco, maybe a bit more.
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I did some research. The VW Jetta TDI starts at $22,700 and full optioned runs about $26. It's base models / mid models are comparable to that of the Cruze. I will guess it will be around $22 base with an Automatic transmission, probably almost $1K less with a manual transmission stripped bare. So my guess is $21K manual, around $22K automatic. However, the other question is how "top trimmed" they make the Eco-D. They can easily put some more options on it like the discs and leather and push it past LTZ territory.
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I don't foresee this being the case. Unless GM decides to shuffle up the option availability and packages for the Eco line, as it stands, you can't get rear discs, leather or a moon roof (as a few examples) on the Eco from the factory.
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*shrug* The drums stop my LS just fine, I don't like leather, and a moon/sunroof in Phoenix is a good way to get yourself roasted.
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Yep! the drums are actually massive for a passenger car. They stop the car perfectly well (when adjusted correctly, which they are far from being out of the factory). Considering they only do 20% of your braking, the fact that they aren't discs is really a non-issue. Even if they were discs, they wouldn't be vented.
The only time drums will give you an issue is if you have to make repeated emergency stops from very high speeds. However, as P. J. O'Rourke once said with regard to 4-wheel drum brakes, "if you have to make repeated emergency stops, you have a problem bigger than your brakes."
Aren't discs lighter than drums? That would seem like a logical consideration for an car designed for mpgs.
No moon roof? What about premium sound? This is concerning. I don't think I'd get the diesel Cruze if it didn't come with premium options. I can do without leather, but I like most of the other stuff.
I guess that's why I'm reading up on this stuff, so I don't get caught by surprise and waste time.
No moon roof? What about premium sound? This is concerning. I don't think I'd get the diesel Cruze if it didn't come with premium options. I can do without leather, but I like most of the other stuff.
I guess that's why I'm reading up on this stuff, so I don't get caught by surprise and waste time.
I tow a 1,000 lb. camper, which can cause brake fade on long grades.
from what i have read the drums have 0 drag where a disc brake has a slight drag on it even when the brakes are released. i think the drum brakes are the right choice for a car that is trying to get the best mileage it can. i dont know about the weight but having worked on both i think the drums might be a little less weight. drum vs disk is close to the same but a caliper and caliper bracket is kinda heavy where the slave cylinder in a drum brake is tiny. also you dont have the redundant brake set up for the parking brake to work.
same goes for the sunroof. why go to extremes trying to drop weight and then add in a sunroof. a sunroof is heavy. in the drag racing world many serious racers look for cars without sunroofs just to save the extra weight.
i hate sunroofs anyways. just let in the heat.
same goes for the sunroof. why go to extremes trying to drop weight and then add in a sunroof. a sunroof is heavy. in the drag racing world many serious racers look for cars without sunroofs just to save the extra weight.
i hate sunroofs anyways. just let in the heat.
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Not really. The rotor is heavier than the drum, but the brake caliper is heavier than drum brake hardware. Call it a wash.
YMMV, of course. I like options that add functionality, not just looks. I'm pretty much deaf from having been a firearms instructor, F-16 mechanic, and programmer in an industrial band, so premium audio is wasted on me. I'd like to have DVD nav, though.
Not to sound sarcastic, but why not downshift instead of riding your brakes?
Of course I downshift. But like most people, I also tend to go camping in mountainous areas. Lots of hills. Shifting can't do it all with trailer and a car full of gear. I was just pointing out that there are other situations besides frequent emergency stops that can cause brake fade.
I'm probably kind of an oddball in the market these days. I like my econo-boxes fully loaded. I'm not surprised that reality doesn't necessarily match my expectations
Those are some good points thanks. I know the rotors and calipers are hefty, but on the rear wheels they tend to be relatively small. Maybe 1/3 the size of the front. The point about the drag is a good one though. I never thought of that.
Point taken. However, if someone is going to get the sunroof anyway, then I don't necessarily see a contradiction with a higher-mileage engine and the sunroof. They're just getting the sunroof with the higher mileage engine instead of the sunroof with the lower-mileage engine.
I think the preference sometimes depends on where you live. I live in a place that's cool and cloudy much of the year. So I like both the extra light and the ability to enjoy the sunny days I get.
Also, I like the "tilt" function for hot days. You can tilt the roof up and close the hatch 3/4 of the way and it will create a nice draft that drafts heat out the top and draws fresh air in through the floor vents, etc. It makes a difference when parked.
Also, the A/C often works faster when you can blow the hot air out the tilted roof.
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I was going by the assumption that in other lines, the diesel option is the top trim. I don't see why Chevy wouldn't look into this. VW TDIs because you already pay a premium have all the extra top trim options. Logic: "I have to pay as much as an LTZ for the diesel engine, I may as well get leather, discs, etc." The diesel isn't exactly a budget saving MSRP.
Don't you just... close it? -_- It has the ability to close from both the inside and the outside so I don't know how heat is getting in.
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What's the point of a sunroof that you never open?
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Downshifting is nearly useless in the Cruze in higher grades. It doesn't do enough to actually slow the car down.
Regarding the 1000lb camper someone else mentioned, you shouldn't really be towing one with a Cruze in the mountains anyway unless it has its own brakes. I think if you overheated a drum brake as big as the one we have, you'd probably start overheating a rotor as well. Believe me, I've done it before.
It's there to make your life interesting should the drains ever start to leak. Also there to jack up your insurance rates as it's another break-in entry point in your car.
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Diesels, pretty much by definition, have a buttload more torque than gasoline engines. I can see GM approving maybe 500#, depending on frame strength.
Well, a blanket towing prohibition would be a definite deal-breaker for me. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. I don't tow very much weight or very often, but I do need to be able to do so 2 or 3 times per year.
I would assume that a vehicle with 200+lbs of torque would allow occasional towing. If not then that's a shame and a waste of all that torque.
Usually you tow in lower gear (i.e. not overdrive) and usually an automatic is better for towing than an stick, but I was thinking that it could be a transmission issue. Perhaps the Eco transmission can't handle the stresses of shifting with the extra load.
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