Chevy Cruz Eco vs Jetta TDI
 

I've been looking at the Chevy Cruz Eco in part because it has become a top GM seller but also because the automatic, radiator inlet vanes give it excellent highway mileage. But as I looked at the numbers, I realized the Cruz is head-to-head competition for the Jetta TDI:

30/42 - 28/42 :: City/Hwy, Jetta TDI vs Cruz
34 - 33 :: Combined, Jetta TDI vs Cruz
94 - 94 :: Passenger ft{3}, Jetta TDI vs Cruz
16 - 16 :: Cargo ft{3}, Jetta TDI vs Cruz

manual transmissions

Now I have no idea about relative price but these two vehicles are about as identical as two can be. Given how many Jetta advocates have tried to compare themselves to the Prius, no doubt we'll see some Cruz advocates pickup the mantle now that VW has laid it down.

Bob Wilson

The correct answer is hyundai elantra.
29/40 city highway
33 combined
96 ft passenger volume
15 ft cargo
Cheaper than the other two. Keep in mind that diesel fuel also costs 10% more than 87 octane on average.

I checked one of my favorite sources and found Busting the 40-MPG Myth: Only Hybrids Really Reach 40. In particular, the article has a great table that lists cars achieving 40+ MPG. Sad to say, the article doesn't look at passenger and cargo volume, the payload capacity. Nor does it include the Ecomodder versions. <GRINS>

Bob Wilson

...FWIW, we have a 2011 Cruze LTZ 1.4LT A6, not an Eco with M6, but can answer a few questions. First, only the M6 models seem to be beating their EPA highway MPG estimates (and rather easily); most of the A6 models (Eco and non-Eco) seem to struggle just to barely achieve their EPA highway MPG estimates.

...also, there's a LOT of customer complaint about how the A6 (GM Hydra-Matic 6T40) transmission "shifts'--sometimes abruptly, other times sluggishly (I think the problem is how GM software backoffs turbo power during up- and down-shifts).

...best milage with A6 seems to be at 55-60 mph, anything faster and MPG drops off quickly (both Eco and non-Eco have exactly same A6 gear ratios).

Thanks!

I went back to Fuel Economy and found:

Eco - 1.4L non-Eco
26/37 - 24/36 :: City/Hwy MPG
30 - 28 :: Combined MPG

What are the differences between the "Eco" and non-Eco version? Granted, the test results don't seem that far off.

Do both cars have the radiator inlet vanes that close at high speed?

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

I beleive only the Eco model has the motorized grille block; also a .4" suspension drop, spare tire delete and some other trickery that I can't remember off the top of my head,

...only the Eco has the grill shutter assembly; it also has lightweight forged alloy rims and LRR Goodyear Fuel Max tires, which none of the other cars have, and a 'specially tuned' engine thanks to:

RPO-code Y8X -- FUEL ECONOMY--ENGINE IMPROVEMENT

...that nobody knows much about.

BTW, if you want to read Cruze owners' pro & con comments, you're invited to visit CruzeTalk.com website (I'm 70AARCUDA over there).

Must be some kind of Area 51 technology.:p I always get concerned when GM doesn't explain themselves about the how's and why's about their stuff.

Oh well, I hope when the add ons like Scangauge are installed the factory computer doesn't send an alien baby to stop the readings!

Thanks for the tip. I just checked and it seems a pleasant place. I used the search function for "TDI" and was happy to see it had not been harassed by diesel advocates like the Prius forums have suffered over the years. Hopefully, you' all will be spared the 'noise.'

If you should ever get pestered over there by TDI advocates, feel free to contact me as I have some experience. Understand, I'm not anti-diesel or for that matter, anti anything but those who substitute rhetoric for science.

Good luck!
Bob Wilson

+1 on the 2011 Elantra.

Check my fuel log to see what I have been getting on my 2011 Sonata and the Elantra is rated 5 mpg better on combined and highway.

Jetta TDI is a known 50+ mpg car.