Tuesday, April 23, 2013

2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel Rated At 46 MPG

By Bertha Wells


If it is time to buy a new vehicle, consumers might want to consider the 2014 Chevy Cruze, rated at 46 mpg. Currently, this is the highest mileage offered for vehicles other than hybrids. Buyers might want to note that while still very acceptable, the city and mixed driving ratings are substantially lower. Most drivers will be pleased with the ability of this vehicle to stretch every mile possible from a gallon of fuel.

Competitors for 2014 include the Volkswagon Jetta TDI, ranked at 42 mpg highway, 30 mpg for city and 34 mpg in the highway/city combination. Both the Cruze and Jetta TDI models receiving these high marks use diesel as a fuel, which is more expensive in most locations. Mazda will also join the manufacturers offering diesel vehicles this summer with the Mazda 6, but as of yet has not supplied details of this vehicle.

When initially unveiled during the Chicago auto show of February 2013, Chevy estimated the vehicle mileage at 42 for highway driving. However, according to the manufacturer, they were offering conservative figures at that time. Further tweaks by engineers at Chevy have improved vehicle mileage. These changes have improved the government rankings.

The only transmission available in the Chevy is a six speed automatic that is partially responsible for the higher mileage of the vehicle. The Jetta is available with either automatic or manual transmission. It is also less expensive by $1000 to $2000 depending on the transmission selected.

According to Chevy the extra cost brings the consumer more standard features than are included with the VW. The Cruze has leather seats, bigger wheels and a longer powertrain warranty. However, VW has been producing diesel vehicles longer than Chevrolet, with experience dating back to the Rabbit. Chevrolet does point out that the Cruze is sold around the world and that over 33,000 diesel models have been sold since 2010.

The Chevy engine has slightly higher horsepower and offers more torque. While the Jetta offers a 140 hp engine, the Cruze has 148 hp. The Cruze offers 258 pound feet of torque as compared with the Jetta's 230.

From a historical perspective, this is not the highest government mpg rating ever issued Chevy for non-hybrid vehicles. In fact. That title belongs to the gasoline powered 1988 Sprint that still used a carburetor and achieved 53 miles per gallon. Sprints were actually manufactured by Suzuki and had a three cylinder 1.0 cubic foot motor. When the Sprint was converted to fuel injection, the cylinder heads had to be redesigned and the result was actually a loss in mpg for the vehicle. The Sprint was only sold under the Chevy name for a few years, before becoming the Geo.

Today, one of the biggest questions on the minds of auto buyers is the mileage rating of a vehicle. Cars that get poor mileage can easily take more from the transportation budget in fuel than in vehicle payment. With the Chevy Cruze's 46 mpg rating on the highway, the vehicle offers hope to consumers.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment