I was thinking of waiting for the Cruze diesel to come out back in March when I was looking for something new, but I got a heck of a deal on a 2013 Cruze Eco with 6 speed manual. The diesel version was going to be about $5K more. Plus I wanted a manual.
The image is from a trip back home from Gaylord, MI the other day. 51.5 MPG average over 158 miles. It's EPA rated at 42 mpg highway.
Sorry for deviating from the diesel topic, but the Cruze gas engines are definitely capable of 50 MPG if you drive conservatively.
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Picture didn't work for me but you make a great point. With cheaper engine, cheaper fuel, quieter engine, manual trans availability, and nearly the same mpg I think it wise to consider the gas along with the diesel.
In researching the various consumer outlets for the diesel cruze none of them mention a high noise level. They all gripe about no manual trans option and no wagon option.