Review: 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel

Powertrain Basics (continued)

City fuel economy is up 1 mpg over a 1.4L LTZ automatic (now 27) but freeway fuel economy rises from 38 mpg to 46 with this optional engine, a 21% increase. For comparison, a VW Jetta TDI, the Cruze Diesel’s only class competitor is rated at 30/42. Chevrolet is heavily touting that freeway figure in their ads but the combined average is roughly the same at 33 for the Chevy and 34 for the VW. The VW is rated at 140 hp and 236 lb-feet. This is lower than the Cruze but the Jetta does weigh a couple of hundreds of pounds less.

Online message boards are filled with fans claiming that diesel powered cars can outperform their EPA figures. We had an opportunity to put a lot of miles on this car. During a straight freeway trip of about 120 miles we averaged 50.2 mpg… with a 70 mph speed limit, warm rainy weather, and the air conditioning on the whole time. Throughout our trip of over 500 miles of mixed driving including mountain passes and city streets our average topped 37 mpg… this was during a triple-digit heat wave that had us blasting the A/C almost the entire way. So, yes, we were able to exceed the EPA estimates without any hypermiling shenanigans and let’s just say that we particularly enjoyed the engine’s torque curve on those mountain roads.

The Driving Experience

The Chevrolet Cruze package that surrounds this engine remains one of the nicest compact cars out there. The diesel variant adds some additional sound-deadening from the Buick version of this platform and it really works well. We’ve driven a number of luxury brands recently that pale in comparison to this car’s quiet freeway demeanor and excellent ride. Likewise, leather interior is standard on the Cruze Diesel and the front seats provided an excellent and pain-free perch with which to eat up the miles. This is particularly important given the car’s potential cruising range of 717 miles between fill-ups. The rest of the interior was nicely finished, with good back seat room, a spacious trunk and pleasant materials.

Handling on those mountain roads was also good enough to be fun. At the end of the day, the Cruze Diesel does pack a few extra pounds over an LTZ… 320 to be precise. At 3,475 pounds the Cruze is no lightweight and much of that mass is over the front wheels so understeer is pronounced, but not so badly that a driver wouldn’t still smile on curvy roads. We think the Cruze could stand to lose a few pounds but the weight is seemingly put to good use in sound insulation, lush interior accommodations, and a solid and well-built feel from the whole package.

Passengers can take advantage of that quiet ride by enjoying the MyLink-equipped stereo system. Unfortunately, drivers may not enjoy the finicky touch-screen controls but at least syncing a phone was easy enough. We didn’t enjoy having to push on-screen buttons numerous times to get them to respond (radio presets were a particular annoyance) but the Bluetooth integration and built-in apps like Pandora worked well enough.

For years, American manufacturers have resisted offering their diesels variants in America claiming a limited market. Perhaps in an effort to prove this point, the Cruze Diesel is priced as their top-of-the-line model, above the LTZ. As such, it comes standard with leather, the fancier stereo, alloy wheels, and other niceties on top of the standard Cruze fare. This makes the Cruze Diesel a whopping $6,530 more expensive than the lowest priced Cruze automatic and $1,180 pricier than an LTZ Automatic (with essentially the same interior furnishings) with a 1.4L Turbo. It also makes the Cruze almost $400 more expensive than a VW Jetta TDI with Premium package, albeit that car lacks the leather interior of this model.

There is no lower-equipped diesel trim offered, no manual transmission, and no cloth interior for eco-minded vegans. In other words, only the committed diesel lovers will likely make the jump to this model. The price premium will require some substantial highway miles before the fuel savings alone justify the purchase premium.

It’s a good thing, then, that the car drives so nicely. Acceleration is smooth and the torque curve may suit the needs of most drivers better than the small displacement turbo gasoline variant. We’re glad Chevrolet has given more Americans the opportunity to experience one of their best engines from Europe. Compared to a hybrid-electric car, a diesel like this provides a more satisfying driving experience for enthusiasts while nearly matching fuel efficiency on the open road.

What Others are Saying

Autoweek: If you want one of the most efficient small cars on the market, then yes, you want one. It drives well on the highway and in the city, and those mileage numbers are both impressive and, it appears, repeatable.

Popular Mechanics: we were impressed by the Cruze diesel’s smooth highway ride and responsive steering. We’re really at a point where we don’t need to mention that diesels are no longer loud, smelly, and spew black smoke. The Cruze, in fact, is the exact opposite.

2014 Chevrolet Cruze Turbo Diesel