# 2014 Diesel Car of the Year/Diesel Car Mfr of the Year



## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Thanks to those here who voted for the 2014 Diesel Car of the Year as well as the Diesel Car Manufacturer of the Year.

Here are the results:

*Chevrolet Cruze Diesel Named 2014 Diesel Car of the Year*


> The Chevrolet Cruze Diesel is the 2014 Diesel Car of the Year, according to the readers of The Diesel Driver magazine. The Cruze is the only diesel-powered sedan offered by a U.S. automaker.....
> <SNIP>


*Chevrolet Chosen as 2014 Diesel Car Manufacturer of the Year
*


> Chevrolet is the 2014 Diesel Car Manufacturer of the Year, according to the readers of The Diesel Driver magazine. This is the first time that a U.S. automaker has captured the title.
> 
> Detroit-based Chevrolet, a unit of General Motors, received 45% of the 11,161 votes cast by readers of The Diesel Driver....
> <SNIP>


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

Good for them. I wonder how well they are selling as the premium for the diesel is well over 15% when compared to a gasser in the same trim.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Chevrolet isn't giving me very specific figures in terms of breaking down info but based on parsing what they did supply, my educated guess is that the overall take rate is 2.5%. Again - this is a guesstimate based on some fairly vague numbers Chevy has given me.


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## UncleJ (May 7, 2006)

Where is the Sportwagon? Now that would be a seller! I suspect the new Colorado using that diesel may well be the Truck of the year candidate too.


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## listerone (Jul 21, 2009)

I took a test drive in the Cruze diesel before buying my "d".It was a surpringly (to me,at least) nice car.I noticed that both the engine and the transmission were made in Germany,which might have colored my thinking.If my budget was tighter than it was I would have seriously considered it along with one or two VW TDIs.


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## listerone (Jul 21, 2009)

JSpira said:


> Chevrolet isn't giving me very specific figures in terms of breaking down info but based on parsing what they did supply, my educated guess is that the overall take rate is 2.5%. Again - this is a guesstimate based on some fairly vague numbers Chevy has given me.


If the US government can give $7,500 tax credits for buying those silly Teslas,they can give heafty credits for diesels like the Cruse,the 328d or maybe even the E250...all of which boast 45mpg highway or better.


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## quasimodem (Nov 9, 2011)

listerone said:


> I took a test drive in the Cruze diesel before buying my "d".It was a surpringly (to me,at least) nice car.I noticed that both the engine and the transmission were made in Germany,which might have colored my thinking.If my budget was tighter than it was I would have seriously considered it along with one or two VW TDIs.


I suppose for the price of a BMW, you could afford a chevy Cruze and one or two VW TDIs.:rofl:


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## mattebury (Feb 2, 2014)

listerone said:


> I took a test drive in the Cruze diesel before buying my "d".It was a surpringly (to me,at least) nice car.I noticed that both the engine and the transmission were made in Germany,which might have colored my thinking.If my budget was tighter than it was I would have seriously considered it along with one or two VW TDIs.


I too drove the Cruze Diesel before getting my 328d (as well as the Passat TDI). I was not all that impressed with the car. I really wanted to like the car but it was a bit cramped and noisy for my tastes and I didn't like the dash layout.


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## glangford (Dec 11, 2013)

I didn't drive a Cruze TDI before buying my 328d. (I did have a cruze gas turbo as a rental one time. Very competent.) The local dealer didn't have one and the closest dealer that did was 100 miles away. I did drive a couple of different VW TDIs; the Golf, Jetta, and Sportwagen. I was disappointed in the Cruze city rating of 27 and didn't pursue it any further. The VW I liked, particularly the sportwagen, but it had an automatic transmission failiure in the test drive. Then I drove the 328d and was hooked. I think the 8 speed, better HP (180 vs 140), and better MPG won me over.


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## UncleJ (May 7, 2006)

Talked with a Cruise diesel driver at the pump recently and he told me that he gets over 35 in town and nearly 50 on the freeway. Discounting for a moment the tendency to "lie" about mpg figures, EPA's diesel ratings are suspect to say the least. VW TDI's are widely reported to better their EPA ratings by substantial amounts, and I am sure the others show a similar trend.:angel: He also really liked the car and was surprised how well sorted out it was. I am assuming he hadn't had a problem with the ignition switch........:tsk:


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## quasimodem (Nov 9, 2011)

UncleJ said:


> Talked with a Cruise diesel driver at the pump recently and he told me that he gets over 35 in town and nearly 50 on the freeway. Discounting for a moment the tendency to "lie" about mpg figures, EPA's diesel ratings are suspect to say the least. VW TDI's are widely reported to better their EPA ratings by substantial amounts, and I am sure the others show a similar trend.:angel: He also really liked the car and was surprised how well sorted out it was. I am assuming he hadn't had a problem with the ignition switch........:tsk:


Well, at first I was thinking that compression ignition engines wouldnt need electricity, so moving the position of the ignition switch to "accessory" shouldnt matter, but we certainly have nonmechanical fuel pumps which would be deprived of power in this mode, so I guess a defective ignition switch would still have the same result as on a gasser. Sometimes, progress is just not that.  I remember reading something about how the m57 shuts down and that it has some kind of diesel overrun protection.


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## UncleJ (May 7, 2006)

Fuel, Ignition, and Air -- you have to have all three to make it work. Back in the day when I worked in construction there were some GM 2 cycle diesels around that had a big black button that shut off the air supply -- otherwise the things could overrun until they blew up (or something). The button/linkage was mechanical of course!:angel:


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## quasimodem (Nov 9, 2011)

UncleJ said:


> Fuel, Ignition, and Air -- you have to have all three to make it work. Back in the day when I worked in construction there were some GM 2 cycle diesels around that had a big black button that shut off the air supply -- otherwise the things could overrun until they blew up (or something). The button/linkage was mechanical of course!:angel:


That doesnt sound good for the engine. So basically the emergency shut off, by closing off the air, would flood the engine with diesel? Sort of hydrolocking the engine? Wouldnt it be better to shut off the fuel and just let the engine spin down on air?


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## UncleJ (May 7, 2006)

The black button was for emergency use. (kind of like Hillary's "Reset" button!:rofl As a two cycle (with a big roots blower!) I do not believe these had a crankcase -- but did have a huge oil bath air cleaner. The problem with overrun would happen when they started to suck the oil from the air cleaner after the fuel was shut off and they would just go -- hence the need for the black button. Never saw that myself but the operators made sure that all of us "swampers and hoppers" knew about what to do.:yikes:


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## F32Fleet (Jul 14, 2010)

quasimodem said:


> That doesnt sound good for the engine. So basically the emergency shut off, by closing off the air, would flood the engine with diesel? Sort of hydrolocking the engine? Wouldnt it be better to shut off the fuel and just let the engine spin down on air?


The injectors stop working. A diesel could runaway due to an oil leak or even with sufficient fuel vapor present in the open air.


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## floydarogers (Oct 11, 2010)

quasimodem said:


> ...I remember reading something about how the m57 shuts down and that it has some kind of diesel overrun protection.


The throttle plate (open when ignition is on) closes to shut-down a run-away, when you hit the Start button to turn off the engine.


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## windammer (Oct 30, 2010)

I have the cruze diesel Awesome car Been as high as 57 MPG @ 110 km/hr Not the same excitement as my 335d but then it is $30,000 cheaper. 280 ft/lbs of torque means it moves right along. Quite nicely equipped too


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## listerone (Jul 21, 2009)

mattebury said:


> I too drove the Cruze Diesel before getting my 328d (as well as the Passat TDI). I was not all that impressed with the car. I really wanted to like the car but it was a bit cramped and noisy for my tastes and I didn't like the dash layout.


Of course the "d" is superior in basically every way to the Cruze.But I do think it was pretty impressive given that it's about $15K less than my "d".Impressive...dollar for dollar.


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## listerone (Jul 21, 2009)

quasimodem said:


> I suppose for the price of a BMW, you could afford a chevy Cruze and one or two VW TDIs.:rofl:


IIRC the sticker on the Cruze I drive was in the mid-high 20's...my "d" is in the very low 40's.


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## quasimodem (Nov 9, 2011)

*Lookout X5*

Looks like Boeing wants to go commercial with this Jeep Diesel powered bad boy:

http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20140422-phantom-badger-reports-for-duty


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## sirbikes (Aug 17, 2012)

Plus tuners are starting to play with the Cruze diesel, getting more power out of it making it a real sleeper.


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## UncleJ (May 7, 2006)

When the diesel shows up in the mid-size Colorado p/u it will be hard to keep them in stock! Every couple of decades the Bow Tie boys get something really right -- this might be the year for that.:thumbup:


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## Ruggernaut (Apr 25, 2014)

I was a Chevy guy, back in the day. SS350 1967 Camaro when they were new. 
I couldn't help but think of the Coswothless Vega. An engine that should be worshiped. A car body that was a piece of shxx the day it came off the line. 
Years of bad body work. Shoddy plastic cars that had a reputation for poor quality that was richly deserved. Have they turned thing around, but there are too many great car for me to be one of their first customers, award or not. 


Sent from BimmerApp mobile app


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## diesel fan123 (Nov 25, 2011)

*cruze*

I'll probably be trading in the "d" on a Diesel Cruze soon.

The pacing factor is that BMW can't get the "d" SES to stay off for very long, after 3 years of every 3-6 weeks SES, I need reliable transportation.

I'll miss the performance, but after 50+ years of driving, can not recall a more unreliable car, fairly certain my 1949 Pontiac Chief
never illuminated a SES for a code......
Frank


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## DieselRacer (Apr 22, 2014)

sirbikes said:


> Plus tuners are starting to play with the Cruze diesel, getting more power out of it making it a real sleeper.


I will never be fast...


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## montr (Oct 7, 2006)

diesel fan123 said:


> I'll probably be trading in the "d" on a Diesel Cruze soon.
> 
> The pacing factor is that BMW can't get the "d" SES to stay off for very long, after 3 years of every 3-6 weeks SES, I need reliable transportation.
> 
> ...


Agree. I like the 335d but I am tired at getting to the dealer every month or two for SES light. This is unacceptable. I hope the 328d is more reliable.


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## quasimodem (Nov 9, 2011)

diesel fan123 said:


> I'll probably be trading in the "d" on a Diesel Cruze soon.
> 
> The pacing factor is that BMW can't get the "d" SES to stay off for very long, after 3 years of every 3-6 weeks SES, I need reliable transportation.
> 
> ...


But did the Chief come with the option of placing a black dot sticker on the instrument cluster?


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## UncleJ (May 7, 2006)

I'll bet the window regulators on the Chief still worked though.......:rofl:


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## need4speed (May 26, 2006)

listerone said:


> If the US government can give $7,500 tax credits for buying those silly Teslas,they can give heafty credits for diesels like the Cruse,the 328d or maybe even the E250...all of which boast 45mpg highway or better.


Yes, but according to the Federal government, any fossil fuel is evil, while only electric cars are good. of course no one ever talks about how much fossil fuel must be burned to make the electricity. Oh yeah, and if it doesn't look like a golf cart it can't be good either. N4S


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