[TDCruze]

Hmmm, I just had a gasoline Cruze rental on a business trip. 169 miles, virtually all highway... 33MPG, calculated from 5 gallons of fuel. I just got 52MPG in my Diesel, calculated, virtually identical driving conditions. That is a pretty massive difference. I could add that the gasoline engine screams higher RPM yet doesn't have the get up an go low end torque of the diesel. Where I live there is minimal cost difference from gasoline to Diesel, some parts of the US diesel is cheaper. As to DEF, it's statistically insignificant. A $7 2.5gallon jug at Walmart will get you well over 6000 miles... That is about a penny every 10 miles, and it's possible to get cheaper DEF at truck stops.
Yes, it's true the Diesel costs more to buy, but I got 2 of mine for $20k, well equipped... A comparable gasoline car with similar options would be about $17-18 k.. over the first 6 years with 12k/year the fuel cost savings cover that and then some, drive 24k per year it's covered in about 3 years. Beyond that the fuel savings cover the possible additional parts costs. This is just math. I should point out that it's typical to get near double the milage before overhaul than a much higher RPM gasoline engine.. that and there have been some difficulty with the gasoline engine and burning pistons, and some have determined that it really is best to use 89 or higher octane fuel to get best performance... All that said, the gasoline engine car is a fine option for some, especially if you look to replace the car before 5 years, and definitely if you drive limited miles. The diesel is an option that can make sense for higher milage, especially highway heavy drivers.

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I agree, the torque of the diesel is really nice and IMO worth a slight price premium.
Plus it is the only Cruze to get the 9 speed AT, which I so far really like.
The MPG is a lot better on the diesel cars as well. Just look at the reported Fuelly averages of gas vs. diesel Cruze's.

In my area, diesel is a bit cheaper than premium gas, which is what I would have been running if I had bought a gas Cruze. So, I feel I am ahead with the diesel Cruze as well.

 

[TDCruze]

People keep saying this like it's something that frequently happens in passenger cars. Oh, yeah, someone put 300,000 miles on a car and then put the engine in for an overhaul to keep on truckin'.

No one does that. Or almost no one does that. These aren't semi tractors where rebuilt engines are frequently fitted to dodge new emissions regulations and the cost of buying new. Passenger cars routinely rust/fall apart around the engine. I can count two people I've known in my life that had an engine rebuilt. One was a Chevy Astro van that they had a guy do a ring job and light rebuild on a weekend because it was cheap enough to make it worth it for a vehicle that was otherwise fine. The other was a Chevy Equinox with the POS made-in-China engine that dropped a valve, so a Jasper rebuilt engine was in order for a vehicle with only 40,000 miles on it.

Everything else becomes worthless to say you're going to overhaul and engine and keep the same vehicle. Technology is advancing enough that people desire new cars to get the latest Bluetooth satellite radio whatever. Or their car has tons of rust. Or the brakes, struts, tires, etc. are also all clapped out and it's another $2,000 to fix all that.

These mythical engine rebuilds for long-term car ownership just don't happen.

It is true that gas engines last long enough that most cars fall apart before the engine needs any major work.

For those that drive tons of miles a year a diesel is still a solid bet.

Not a lot of people rebuild engines anymore, because they do last longer and its not worth it by the time it is needed.
I have swapped in good low mileage junk yard engines recently though. It can still be worthwhile.

 

[TDCruze]

Man these fuel economy numbers y'all are posting are nuts. I get 40s. But I live in the hills and drive like a bozo. I think the sedan gets better fuel economy than the hatch, and the auto better than the stick...so I have both of those going against me.

Yeah I can't break 50 MPG very often.
Here in my area I almost never get to draft another vehicle, that and we always seems to have a head wind...