You can tell that Chevy really wanted to make sure this diesel doesn't feel like one during normal use. Save for the faint burbling of the diesel engine -- really only audible when you roll down the windows or walk around the car with the motor running -- you'd really never know what was under the hood.
There's no torque steer to speak of, which is impressive given the 264 lb-ft of torque available at 2,600 rpm. That torque might not fling the car forward from every stoplight (the engine feels a lot like a regular turbo-gas engine, at least to me) but there's plenty of oomph to get the car going. Again, performance isn't exactly impressive except in the sense that it's pleasantly unremarkable. This is the state of the modern diesel powertrain, I guess.
Yet the Cruze Diesel is not quite as refined as comparable German offerings -- after all, they've had a bit more time to iron out all the bugs. To me the transmission is the weakest part of the Cruze package; 95 percent of the time it was just fine (that is to say unnoticeable). But downshifts were occasionally clunky enough to be downright startling. This problem only seemed to crop up when traveling at around 15 mph to 35 mph in traffic, when the car didn't seem to know which gear it wanted to be in. Unless this is a flaw on our tester, it's something that really needs polishing. Unfortunately, a manual option is not available.
There are a few reasons to give Cruze Diesel as much consideration as its better-established German counterparts. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI, for example, may start off a bit cheaper (a six-speed manual car can be had for under $24K), but you're back up to the Cruze's $26K base if you want features like navigation. Price and performance-wise, the 2014 Chevy Cruze Diesel is a contender -- albeit a contender for a small and slowly growing segment of the United States market.
Being a Volkswagen TDI owner, I've been eager to get some seat time in a Cruze Diesel beyond the parking-lot spin I took awhile back. At the end of the day, this car is a very compelling alternative to a Jetta TDI. The problem? Folks who're shopping for a Jetta TDI generally really want to drive a Volkswagen product. VW is the lifestyle choice, and the TDI cachet is simply the icing on the cake. Conversely, Chevrolet needs to make diesel economy and drivability the lifestyle choice, then sell the Cruze as an excellent small car in which to package it.
I won't belabor my thoughts on the Cruze itself -- I've been a fan since the beginning; styling inside and out is a bit conservative, but Cruze is a great package with excellent space, nice interior materials and solid driving dynamics. In the case of our 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel tester, the interior was upgraded even further with soft-touch leatherette on the dash surfaces, leather seating, blind-spot assist and Chevy's excellent MyLink infotainment system. In other words, yes, this is a $28,000 Cruze, but it's a loaded car.
So what's different between driving a gas and diesel Cruze? Surprisingly very little. The tach never really crests 3,500 rpm versus the high-winding nature of the gas car's 1.4 turbo, and there's noticeably more push at low rpm -- a nice feel on freeway onramps and during passing and merging. Whereas the gas car has to drop a couple gears and get the revs up, the Cruze Diesel has push pretty much everywhere, as it should be with a good diesel engine. Like other editors, I found the transmission programming good in 90 percent of situations, but it there were some weird shifts at lower speeds where it was easy to confuse the six-speed automatic. It wasn't to the point of being a problem, but nor was it flawless like a VW DSG, which is fantastically well matched to the company's TDI engines.
As Graham noted, Chevy appears to have gone to great lengths to ensure the diesel Cruze doesn't feel like a diesel -- it's smooth (transmission weirdnesses aside), remarkably quiet and free of basically any notable clatter. Thing is, they've also gone to great lengths to ensure there's very little exterior differentiation as well. Folks spending a little extra to drive a slightly offbeat, sensible alternative vehicle generally want everyone else to know about it. As it stands, the only callout indicating our Cruze was a diesel consisted of a tiny green “2.0TD” badge on the trunk.
Ask any Volkswagen diesel owner, and they'll tell you the TDI emblem is akin to a badge of honor. You spent a little extra to get something exclusive and efficient. With the Cruze, it's almost as if Chevrolet is still shy about offering a diesel passenger car again, and reluctant to shout about its unique small car.
Why? I mean, there's a really good diesel compact sedan that gets nearly 50 mpg highway available from a domestic manufacturer. That's something to shout about.
2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel
Base Price: $25,695
As-Tested Price: $28,105
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel I4; FWD, six-speed automatic
Output: 151 hp @ 4,000 rpm, 264 lb-ft @ 2,600 rpm
Curb Weight: 3,475 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA City/Highway/Combined): 27/46/33 mpg
AW Observed Fuel Economy: 33.9 mpg
Options: Rear bumper guard ($795)