[resurgent cineribus]

Hi everyone!

I've been seriously looking at the Cruze diesel for some time to replace my trusty (but sadly rusting out) Escape. I've had my eye on it for some time but am finally getting serious and was hoping for some advise. I figure what better advise than in this thread?!

So I have some requirements with my car search:

1) Excellent fuel economy; I do a lot of driving; long commute to work and multiple locations etc so something efficient is a big help to my budget. Even with spending more on diesel the economy is impressive
2) space; my needs are modest but I do often have to lug some supplies around for work (IT) so a hatch would be ideal. A truck/SUV is overkill and I'm actually looking to buck the trend and downsize to a car. I do have to have enough space for a car seat for my son (who is 2.5) but other than that I rarely need to carry passengers especially not in the back so rear space isn't too critical. That said I am about 6'1 or 6'2 so I do need to fit reasonably comfortably.
3) at least a little bit fun to drive. I'd like to get the 6 speed assuming its an easy manual to live with. I'm a bit rusty driving a stick (learned on a TDI jetta years ago) A real high performance car probably wouldn't be as easy for me to live with my daily commute. Also hoping for something comfortable that doesn't feel really cheap inside. I really liked the look of the fancy seats available; for a car I spend so much time in in should be nice despite my modest budget. I've locked at sportier cars (ie fiesta ST, but honestly those seem a little small and maybe not the easiest to live with day in/out not to mention MPGS not quite where I want) I'm 33 years old so I haven't totally given up yet but I may be too old for some other cars lol

The combination of these things keeps leading me back to the Cruze. I was quite disappointed to see it being discontinued (and the 2019 eliminating the manual) So my hope has been to find a 2018 hatchback 6 speed unfortunately they seem to be hard to find. Im assuming you can't order them anymore. I'm willing to go out of state to get what i want. I just found a 2018 manual hatch with about 20k miles for 17.5 which seems pretty reasonable (not my exact specs but I may have to compromise a little given how rare they seem to be)

Is anyone willing to share their advice on this car or the process of finding/buying one?

thanks!

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Thanks,

I guess it might be a little early to know the long term reliability of these but I haven't heard much about the diesels one way or another yet. I should mention I don't know much about diesels but I consider myself a pretty decent wrench for basic jobs and am pretty diligent about maintenance I just don't want to rush into something with serious design problems. I've kept my escape (2005) going on original engine and trans at 282k miles with no sign of slowing down its just at this point the rust is starting to win the war

If the diesels are going to be trouble I guess I could still consider the gas one (they certainly are cheaper and easier to find) but that's why I'm asking around now. Also in the back of my mind trying to figure how hard it will be to source parts in 5-10 years if I kept one for the long haul.

thanks

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Thanks for everyones advice so far. My normal commute to my main office is about 40 miles one way and that often has a period of stop and go traffic in the middle (the only time i might regret having the manual if its not a fairly easy one to drive) and many days I have to travel throughout the day too so short trips are somewhat rare to say the least and fuel is not an insignificant part of my limited budget. I know these ones require DEF to be filled up periodically.

As long as most maintenance stuff is pretty easy I don't imagine i'll have much trouble; I'm hoping to find one that has at least some of its warranty left. I'm sure if I bought one there's lots of knowledge floating around here. I live in Mich which of course means lots of cold, horrible roads and salt/rust so keeping a car together is a challenge (If I buy anything more than a year or two old I'd probably buy it down south to buy some time before the rust takes over) So far it sounds like most diesel owners are pretty satisfied; kind of a shame the car didn't catch on better and the automakers keep killing off car models.

Which brings me to finding one. Do you think any dealers still have 2018s in stock? I don't really want the 19 since its automatic only. Hopefully hyperlinks are allowed I did just find this one on ebay that is pretty close to what I'd want (only missing the fancy seats!) I think half the time the dealers barely even know the diesel is a thing.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2018-Chevr...h=item3b2bdfc7ed:g:MVAAAOSwY7lcc0XH:rk:3:pf:0

17.5 seems pretty reasonable right? The MSRP as I spec'd it came to about 26k. Depending on finding one I wonder how aggressive the discounts are. Fortunately I have a little time to search.

Yes thanks, my goal has been to hit 300k but I'm not sure I'll get to. One of my rear strut towers rusted completely through and is now poking through the interior; furthermore the repair bracket that could be used has to attach to a piece of frame where mine is about 2/3 rusted through. Such a shame because it still runs great and the body looks pretty good cosmetically. Maybe I'm superstitious but I've always changed the oil with Valvoline maxlife 5w20 every 3,000 regardless of how many people told me that was overkill (mine is the V6). I believe mine is the CD4E which is a strange layout (no real replaceable filter but it does have a drain plug that I periodically refresh the ATF every few oil changes because its so easy. Neither the engine or trans have ever had major work done (maybe I'm just lucky?) I have no idea what I get for MPGs these days but its probably not that great; a more fuel efficient car would help a bit with making the payments.

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Thanks for the feedback everyone; lots of good points/ideas.

I have crunched the numbers a bit. gas/diesel prices fluctuate sometimes at different rates times. Last time I filled up I think diesel was 2.99 and 87 was about 2.30. I think i mentioned in the beginning that I do a lot of highway driving which probably is a pro for the diesel; my commute to work is about 30 miles each way and I do a far amount of driving for work throughout the day some days. It possible that under some conditions my costs could be a little less with the gas but even then it would be close (and probably more likely the diesel would win) i'm less worried about calculating the exact break-even point vs gas with initial purchase price especially if i buy a lightly used one that has already been hit pretty hard by depreciation. I'm driving an old V6 escape right now and probably average 2-2.5 tanks of gas a week (14 gallon tank). I didn't do the math on that but the gas savings over my current car will probably be a nice perk with how much driving I do.

I do worry about major mechanical system issues ie clutch, turbo, etc. Years ago a friends TDI jetta (that introduced me to small diesels and i learned to drive a stick in) had the turbo fail while we were driving through the mountains; that car barely made it up them without the turbo kicking in. I've been shopping some almost new-used ones that still have at least a good chunk of factory powertrain warranty on. Basic maintenance and repairs I'm plenty happy to do myself

The longevity of gas vs diesel engines may or may not be a major factor. My escape is still cruising along with 282k on it but the rust is what is killing it. Unless I moved or got a dedicated winter beater it will probably be what kills all my cars before the engine goes (assuming a decent engine of course) With that said in several years if you needed a replacement or rebuilt gas engine they'll probably be easy to find vs diesel.

I'm shopping around seeing if i can make a purchase happen. I suppose i should at least go by a dealership and sit in one just to make sure its a good fit for me before buying.

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Uh oh I didn't mean to start huge debate on cost/efficiency/roi lol

Yes there are a lot of variables but I imagine I might fall into the camp that would ultimately come out ahead. Near my house today a gallon regular is 2.55 and diesel is 2.83. Assuming mostly highway driving at 40MPG for the gas (6.38 cents per mile) and 50mpg for the diesel (5.67 cents per mile) My 38 mile each way mostly highway commute route trip would be about $4.30 for the diesel and $4.84 with the gas. Yes I didn't factor in the DEF because I'm not too sure the average miles per gallon of DEF (I thought it was around 5000-6000?) at around $10 a gallon? that would add in roughly .2 cents per mile (and would no doubt be paid for with all the autozone gift cards I get as rebates)

So yes assuming these numbers only I'd come out ahead even if not by a lot. The cost differential up front also assumes you are buying brand new and I think that narrows a bit on the pre-owned market. For someone like me that drives 25-30k miles a year and tends to keep cars for over 10 years there may eventually be a break-even point but like some of you the mileage isn't the only consideration. As a bit of an enthusiast I like the extra torque and to have something a little unique. The only variable that would torpedo any of these calculations is if one engine was significantly more reliable than the other.

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Yeah the sedan is a little better than the hatch but strangely on these cars the auto knocks off a few MPGS. I know auto transmissions have gotten good enough that they usually beat the rated manual MPGS (in the old days it tended to be the opposite) not on this one though

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Well again I feel like there are too many variables to keep debating the MPG/cost per mile but in my mind the main two are: Cost differential between 87 and diesel and the mix of driving you do.

In the prices you mentioned Diesel had a 20.7% higher cost than gas. My gas station as of this morning had 87 for 2.59 and diesel for 2.89 so for me at this moment the price difference is only 10.4% so yes given those numbers the difference starts to get narrower. The other is the mix of driving you do, my driving is probably 85% highway so thats where diesel shines but if I changed and my commute became more city driving then yes the gas might end up being the better fit. There are too many time and regional factors in the price of fuel at any given moment. The extra torque/power band is also a big selling point for me. A friend years ago had a TDI jetta that I loved to drive so I'm hoping the Cruze comes close to that (although that wasn't the most reliable car)

With all that said I'm excited because I have a purchase pending on a 2018 hatch 6 speed with pretty low miles, in beautiful condition and a good piece of warranty left. It is out of state so I will have to figure out when I can go pick it up.

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Well I officially own one of these now and am planning to go pick it up this weekend!

Looks like the forum is somewhat split between loving their Diesel and concerns about maintenance/reliability. I'm hoping I end up being more in the first category!

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Hi everyone!

I picked up my car over the weekend and absolutely love it. Mine is a black on black hatch in amazing condition (the owner was a professional car detailer!) Black wasn't my first choice when looking but with the tints this one really works and looks amazing. The previous owner is a great guy and really loved this one but couldn't keep two cars (he is a huge car nut so that is quite the endorsement; his replacement was a much higher end sports car but he still missed lots of things about the cruze) I have all the documentation and remaining warranty. The car was about 6 hours from my house so I got a one way car rental (Toyota Yaris) and he picked me up at the return. Boy comparing this with that little Yaris is a stark difference. The poor little yaris was brutally utilitarian and felt every bit its small size.

The Cruze drove like a champ the 400 miles home and averaged 47MPG back (got home with 3/8 tank left) It really feels like a bigger car on the road and the torquey engine barely needed any input from me and was perfectly content to stay in 6th on Cruise control. It felt like the engine barely broke a sweat with anything i threw at it.

Sure time will tell how it holds up but I absolutely love this car. I'm simultaneously super impressed and super disappointed that GM built such an amazing car then killed it. Sure everyone is moving up to bigger crossovers and such but I think they could have done a better job promoting it to win some buyers over. With the interior space of the hatch I think I will rarely miss the room of my escape (but then now my girlfriend has a pick up for big loads anyway) The seats are great (though I'm hoping to swap in the leather ones!) I'm about 6'2 and not a small guy and the car is super comfortable and roomy. I've never driven a car that better combines looks, power, driving dynamics, efficiency and practicality. It was totally worth all the homework and travel to get.

Anyway just letting everyone know if they were curious and thanks for the advise. As a now owner I'll likely be a regular on this forum. Cheers!

 

[resurgent cineribus]

Agreed, I guess the sedan has a pretty good size trunk but the way I carry things around they tend to roll around and be tough to get to. Yesterday it held a weeks groceries comfortably and today I had to move a 32" TV which fit right in without even having to move seats around.

I was a little rusty on driving a stick and did manage to stall it out a few times but I got it home and should be a pro in a few weeks of driving! I'd also say this was a good car to learn stick on since the clutch is pretty forgiving and the engine has enough torque to compensate. I imagine some of the higher performance cars would be a bit tougher to live with day in and out. I'm looking forward to learning some of the maintenance steps like replacing the fuel filter and anything else to keep in running great.



This is a pretty good rebuttal to the crossover obsession IMO. It's not super low/hard to get in either.