[obermd]

My ECO MT (1.4T) has zero, no, zilch (you get the idea) issues with mountains, even when loaded down. I do have to downshift, sometimes as far as 3rd gear to maintain speed going both up and down mountain passes. With the additional torque in the Diesel I would expect nothing less.

 

[obermd]

Downshifting to third going up a hill on the highway constitutes "not liking a hill" . My Cruze has never met a hill where I had to drop under 5th.

Meanwhile, the diesel could pull up a small boat and not go over 2500 RPM.

When my wife and I went to Grand Junction this past spring I had to downshift to 4th only up the steepest and highest climbs and I used 3rd coming down to avoid having to ride my brakes. When I did a waterfall drive last summer over I-70 I didn't have to drop below 5th going uphill but I still used 3rd coming down. I have yet to see a vehicle that doesn't have to downshift climbing to Vail Pass and the Eisenhower tunnels at the Continental Divide. On both those trips I averaged 47 MPG (pump measured) driving at the posted speed limits of 65 and 75 MPH. My ECO MT will accelerate up these climbs, something that the vast majority of the cars on the road simply cannot do.

I did just find the 'Mine Hill Rd" referenced in the WSJ article - impressive, but short hill. My ECO MT would make quick work of this hill. As one of the commenters to the WSJ article observed, a lot of how a car handles hills is the driver.

 

[obermd]

I drove my ECO MT up the Foothills highway to Estes Park shortly after I purchased it. Other than having to down shift to 4th the car did extremely well, even with the A/C running, to the extent that I got 715 miles on that one tank of gas. Foothills highway runs north out of Boulder to Lyons, CO, and then northwest to Estes Park in a twisty steep canyon. I guess my point is that if you know how to drive mountains, many cars, even "underpowered" cars, will do well.

 

[obermd]

My Pontiac Transport was like your HHC - 3.1L engine and no torque. It struggled up I-70 west of Denver but it would haul @ss on flat ground, keeping up with traffic in Georgia (95 in the right lane, 100 in the left) without breaking a sweat. My Montana was much happier in hills but realistically topped out around 95 MPH. It was geared for towing. Haven't met a hill yet that my ECO MT couldn't handle.