Time to finally buy a TD, Good deal or ??

2352 Views 16 Replies 9 Participants Last post by diesel, Mar 31, 2016

Ryankpro

Discussion Starter · Mar 30, 2016

Hello, I've always been interested in the TD Cruze but aren't sure if I should hold off with the new one coming out.

Heres the deal,

One owner diesel cruze with 26.5k miles options, sunroof/trailer-hitch/bra/backup camera. oil change @ 25k,and new tires @ 20k.

He wants $13,800

Is this a good deal?

Thanks in advance.

1 - 17 of 17 Posts

PanJet

· #2 · Mar 30, 2016

2014 or 2015?

It sure seems like a pretty good deal. Mine (2014 model) has almost 35,000 and KBB still lists it around $15,000 in excellent condition. I do not have a sunroof.

Be sure to do a good history check on the car - not just a Carfax. See if you can take the VIN to a GM dealer and look up the entire service record. The CTD is a great car, but a few of them seem to be somewhat problematic with frequent emissions sensor problems. There is some speculation that much of it might be caused by incorrect oil or overfilling oil (they are very sensitive to that).

Don't necessarily let that scare you off, however. Like I said, the CTD is a great car and several members on here have had them for many miles (one over 160,000 now) with little to no trouble.

Reactions: 1

Ryankpro

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 30, 2016

2014, and the VIN checked out (friend at a dealership).

IndyDiesel

· #4 · Mar 30, 2016

I would want to make sure of the service records and know the history of car, I would take vin to your local dealer and have them pull records, probably all done at a dealer, there was four free oil changes up to 24 k miles. Sounds like a reasonable deal to me if everything checks out.

outdoorjr

· #5 · Mar 30, 2016

I got 2014 CTD with GM Buy Back with 23K miles for 15,600 dollars and now at 33K without any issues. 13.8K is a good deal, but still need to check with carfax. You mentioned that CTD have hitch to pull trailer?? In owner manual, says Trailer Towing (Fuel Economy Model or Diesel Engine) - The vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow a trailer. Strange because in other country, it is ok for diesel to pull a trailer but in USA, not recommend.

IndyDiesel

· #6 · Mar 30, 2016

I might also inquire why tires were replaced at 20k? Correct size? Seems a little unusual.

Reactions: 1

Ryankpro

Discussion Starter · #7 · Mar 30, 2016

@indydiesel I agree with that, guessing cheaper tires? who knows. I will be inspecting them forsure. The owner passed and the family is selling car. Trailer hitch was unknown to family due to nothing to tow, they said maybe a small boat he planned to buy but never did.

PanJet

· #8 · Mar 30, 2016

outdoorjr said:
I got 2014 CTD with GM Buy Back with 23K miles for 15,600 dollars and now at 33K without any issues. 13.8K is a good deal, but still need to check with carfax. You mentioned that CTD have hitch to pull trailer?? In owner manual, says Trailer Towing (Fuel Economy Model or Diesel Engine) - The vehicle is neither designed nor intended to tow a trailer. Strange because in other country, it is ok for diesel to pull a trailer but in USA, not recommend.

The primary reason for the no-tow recommendation is because of the brakes from what I understand. The diesel is about 2-300 lbs heavier than the gasoline model. It also has larger brakes, but I've heard that due to the heavier weight of the car itself, GM does not recommend towing with it.

There are a few who do tow with it, however, and it supposedly pulls well for a small car. It should with all that torque.

Seeing the hitch on that used car wouldn't concern me all that much, especially with only 2x,xxx miles on the car. Maybe just check out the brakes on a test drive to make sure they haven't been overheated and warped, and perhaps do a fluid flush on the tranny (note this is NOT a GM tranny, it is a heavier duty Aisin, and uses different oil) if you're concerned it may have been used to pull too heavy of a trailer.

Towing (depending on weight, how often) might explain the added tire wear requiring early replacement.

Reactions: 1

IndyDiesel

· #9 · Mar 30, 2016

Ryankpro said:
@indydiesel I agree with that, guessing cheaper tires? who knows. I will be inspecting them forsure. The owner passed and the family is selling car. Trailer hitch was unknown to family due to nothing to tow, they said maybe a small boat he planned to buy but never did.

Sorry to hear the owner passed. I bought a 15 CTD. With 3700 miles in January for $12,800 plus a $600 doc fee, will never get that deal again, it was a weird deal and I had to drive 700 miles to go get it and the dealer sucked big time. I might respectfully ask for a modest price reduction. The worst they can say is no.

Reactions: 1

Ryankpro

Discussion Starter · #10 · Mar 30, 2016

Good thought PanJet. Anything I should be looking for besides the normal car stuff? Any suggestions? seems like it's a good deal and will hold its value.

IndyDiesel

· #11 · Mar 30, 2016

Check the oil change receipts if he kept them and make sure dexos 2 oil was used, would also check the level of oil on the stick, even some dealers were over filling the oil. It takes around 4.5 liters or even slightly less.

PanJet

· #12 · Mar 30, 2016 (Edited)

Aside from checking the service history on the car itself, maybe talk to whatever dealer you plan to use for service. The diesel Cruze is a beautiful but rare and sometimes temperamental beast (I stress sometimes - a few folks have had more issues, as can be the case with any car, but most on here really love the car). Some dealers are not at all familiar with them. From a drivetrain perspective, the CTD (Cruze Turbo Diesel or Clean Turbo Diesel depending on who you ask), is not a gasoline Cruze. It has 100% different drivetrain. Different (unique) engine, different (unique) transmission, different brakes, different (complex) diesel emissions system, etc.

Your experience will be best if you have a dealer who knows the diesel Cruze, (or at a minimum knows diesel trucks) and can help you out should you run into issues. Because of the relative rarity of the car, a good dealer who knows the car may mean the difference of you waiting overnight (my experience for the most part) or two weeks or more for parts, etc should you have any major issues.

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Chris Tobin

· #13 · Mar 30, 2016

Trailer hitch mount can also be used for bike racks in many cases...

Reactions: 1

Gator

· #14 · Mar 30, 2016

Or a power chair Carrier for the hitch if he was elderly

boraz

· #15 · Mar 31, 2016

Ryankpro said:
and will hold its value.

youve not seen auction prices then

Reactions: 1

jkhawaii

· #16 · Mar 31, 2016 (Edited)

See some good deals on new ones on cars.com. But seems like a good deal on the one your talking about. Be sure to have the ECM software updated and the fuel trim reset if it's not been done. Latest fix (yet to be seen if it works) for emissions sensor issues.

diesel

· #17 · Mar 31, 2016

I always check the kbb.com trade in value and work up from there. It seems to be pretty close to what dealers actually pay for the cars.

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