XtremeRevolution[Illinois State Law states that DRLs are required any time it isn't sunny, which includes overcast/cloudy, rainy, or snowy days.]
DRL's are not required, headlights are.
EPA mpg for Cruze Eco is 28 city 33 combined 42 highway for the manual and lower for the automatic. Amazing that you exceed EPA mpg by such a large margin, and in the Chicago area to boot. Almost unbelievable.
Existence of Cruze Eco with similar mpg to Cruze diesel and lower price makes it difficult to justify buying the diesel Cruze. Margin of difference in mpg with Jetta lineup between gas and diesel make the choice much easier.
Thanks for the correction on the headlights.
I don't know of a single member on CruzeTalk with an Eco Manual that does not significantly exceed the EPA ratings, calculated at the pump. You may have read that our driver information center is a bit optimistic in the fuel economy averages, so I feel the need to mention that the numbers I mentioned earlier were calculated at the pump. On my longest highway trip, I calculated an ~85% split for highway driving and achieved just over 49mpg calculated at the pump, driving 62-65mph with occasional A/C use. the other 15% was used driving around town in Detroit.
Here's where I believe the Diesel will shine, and this is just my suspicion so don't take it as fact. The Cruze Eco Automatic is rated for 39mpg highway, which is a mere 1mpg more than the Cruze 1lt/2lt/LTZ. There is no increase in city fuel economy according to EPA. Keep in mind, we're talking about a weight decrease, LRR tires on lightened, forged alloy wheels, and a significant aero package. Is that really worth just 1mpg? Real-world testing shows that it's worth far more. Eco Automatic drivers consistently average 41-44mpg in all-highway trips at sane speeds.
Given that the Cruze Diesel has an improved version of the same aero package that is available on the Eco, I would expect it to exceed the TBD EPA estimates by a significant margin. The reason why this is a big deal is because it's an automatic. Let me explain.
It's a domestic
automatic, that easily has the capacity to achieve over 42mpg on the
highway, at the price point of a Prius, while offering a much better driving experience, a much better appearance (let's be honest, the Prius looks like a wedge of cheese), and MUCH more power. For those who will be interested in primarily highway driving, the Cruze Diesel will chip away some hybrid sales. That's a big deal. To me, the biggest deal is that if this is even remotely successful and comes even close to GM's expectations (around 10% of Cruze sales), it will make it clear to all auto manufacturers that passenger Diesels have a market in the US and you will find a significant market saturation with diesels similar to what we have seen in recent years with small displacement turbocharged engines.
No, it isn't built by Government Motors
There's no denying that that GM made
some poor decisions in the past and produced some sub-par vehicles, but its latest offerings are anything but sub-par. GM has sent me a few vehicles for review for a week at a time, including a Cruze LTZ, a Malibu LTZ, and a Suburban they just dropped off this morning, and I can honestly say that, compared to vehicles produced before GM's "bailout," I am very impressed. Keep in mind, it takes 2-3 years for a vehicle to be produced, from inception to the showroom floor.
This is all beside the obvious political discussion, where it can be argued that the "bailout" was necessary to prevent very serious foreseen and unforeseen consequences. But, I digress.