Test Drive: 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel

By Kevin Harrison

Automotive journalists and automotive aficionados are a demanding bunch. We know what we like in a car:

We like wagons. Powerful wagons. But we also like them to be efficient too, so that means diesel is the way to go. We also like manual transmissions. And we like rear wheel drive. And we like cheap and sensible.

Take a moment right now and try to think of any car that actually fits all that criteria. Can’t think of anything? That’s because no such thing exists in the Canadian market. The only one that comes close is the Cadillac CTS-V wagon. But even then, it has no diesel and costs $70K.

It’s rather sad actually. The ones who know the most about cars, care the most about cars and spend the most time with cars are the ones that have no market catered to them. It’s a bit like being a seafood lover, but being forced to eat vegan food all the time.

Despite our cries for the market to change, generally the automotive industry knows what most people want and it’s not what we want. Naturally, they cater to the market that will offer the most business.

But every now and then, a manufacturer will listen to us. GM is the perfect example of an automaker that’s willing to throw us automotive nuts a bone. That’s why the built the Cadillac CTS-V wagon in the first place. They knew they would only sell 17 of them, but they also knew we’d be gushing on and on about it for at least a year. And we did. And we gave them great press because of it.

So here they are again, throwing us another bone in the form of the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. They know we like diesels, but more importantly, they are well aware that one particular brand has held the monopoly of diesel sales for a long time now: Volkswagen. And now that Volkswagen have been slashing their prices left and right in order to become more competitive and ultimately, take over the world, they think they have a credible contender to face off squarely with the Jetta TDI.

Is it as good as a TDI Volkswagen though?

The Cruze has been around for a while now so it was no surprise that I drove around virtually unnoticed during my week with the Cruze Diesel. When it first debuted, however, I thought the design was quite handsome. It’s unique shape and stance and aggressive front end is sharp. But if you’re keen eyed, there are a few ways to tell the Cruze from a gas engine version. Firstly there’s the tiny badge on the rear hood. You’ll also find unique wheels and a lip spoiler and that’s about it.

Inside you’ll find a quite similar set up to the gas engine Cruze as well, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Even though there are a few hard plastics here and there, on the whole, the interior looks and feels high quality. The font and colour used for the gauge cluster and trip odometer is a bit tacky to my eyes, but the readouts are clear. Some of the buttons are uniquely placed, but didn’t seem out of place either. The rear seat is adequate in terms of leg room and headroom. The front seats were a bit odd to me. For some reason there the cushion in the top part of the back seat protrudes unusually. It does so to the point that you constantly notice it and while it isn’t exactly uncomfortable, it’s distracting. Other than that, the interior is a decent place to be as it matched style and quality along with a decent amount of trunk space as well.

The engine used is a 2.0 litre turbo diesel 4 cylinder. It makes 151 horsepower and a healthy 264 pound feet of torque. It also generates 90% fewer nitrogen oxides with the help of to particulate filters and exhaust gas recirculation. The only transmission available is a 6-speed automatic so the bone that GM is throwing us just a small chicken bone. And that’s unfortunate because the automatic isn’t exactly refined. It lacks smoothness and it definitely can’t keep up with the quick, crisp shifts of Volkswagen’s DSG transmission. That said, I am pleased to see GM fit it with a 6-speed rather than a 4 speed which they are still using today, if you can believe it.

The engine itself is good, however it can get noisy and it is laggy at lower speeds. Step on the gas and you’ll get a good delay at the lights until that torque bursts into action. Once it does, you will be propelled forward with gusto. My only complaint –and this is not limited to the Cruze, I’ve experienced this with all diesel engines, is that that burst of power is only in the low RPM range. The Cruze becomes a bit gutless at speed. Still, for every day driving it is a good unit. I mentioned that it’s noisy, but this is only true from the outside. Roll the windows down and you’ll hear the classic diesel clatter, however roll them back up and you honestly won’t be able to tell the difference between the diesel and the gas engine. In fact, most people I transported did not notice. After a while waiting to see if they would say anything, I concluded that they wouldn’t and when I told them they were astonished. That’s a big kudos to GM’s sound deadening abilities (some of which, I suspect, were borrowed from the even quieter Buick Verano).

The ride and handling abilities of the Cruze Diesel are also good. The Cruze feels stable in corners and there were a few times when I felt confident enough in the suspension to take a sharp corner without braking. The suspension can feel a bit on the firm side but overall it is compliant. The only downside is when pushing the Cruze Diesel hard, you’ll get lots of under steer. And I mean lots. This, again, is not something limited to the Cruze diesel – most diesels tend to under steer thanks to the heavy diesel engine in the front. And besides, even though car nuts like diesels, the fact of the matter is most people who buy diesels want them for the efficiency only which means they are not likely to flog it about so it’s a bit of a moot point.

Speaking of efficiency, the Cruze has a trip computer which measure just how well and how badly you do for gas consumption. The computer told me that my best run earned me a 3.9 L/100 kms rating. My worst rating earned me a shocking 11.1 L/100 kms. Overall, I was able to return a decent 6.8L/100 kms, which is about where it should be.

As mentioned, the Cruze diesel is joining an uncrowded market. At this price, Volkswagen is the only player so it seems fitting to compare them directly. Is the Cruze diesel as good as the Volkswagen Jetta TDI? No, not in my opinion. The Jetta TDI has a better transmission, a more refined engine and the suspension has a bit more tact. But the fact that the Cruze Diesel is so good on its first go is what’s really telling here. Volkswagen has had years of successes and failures with their TDI engines. Their experience is what makes them so good today. GM, on the other hand, should be commended for getting the Cruze Diesel so close to being as good straight off the bat. And that really shows how far GM has come over the years.

The big thing now is to get regular people to buy in. Sure, us auto nuts will always be on the yay side of any diesel but instead of throwing us the bone, I’m hoping GM position the Cruze diesel as the steak of the meal. If they do, it will be just as appealing for regular folk as well.

Price as Tested: $29,810

Pros: