What?! The Cruze better not be $26K!! That's almost double the base MSRP of that car!

If you read my post on the Cruze and the Mazda6, the press release says that it starts at "$24,945 (before a $1,550 destination charge) and will come standard with an Aero Performance Package, leather seating and the brand's MyLink infotainment system. " So at least it's got some features in there already, it's like a LTZ model.

I don't know if I would want a first generation GM diesel motor. I do know that Mazda has been testing their diesel motor for years, and I am quite looking forward to seeing it in the marketplace with a little working history behind it.

In terms of maturity.. actually the Mazda engine is the newer one and Mazda has way less engineering resources than GM (since Skyactiv is no longer a Ford coproduced product). The engine that will be in Cruze is made in Germany and used by Opel/Astra

And no doubt tuned down then add on all the smog control devices to have a sub-performing motor that only ticks along well in Europe. Yup, should be interesting.

The base pricing on a Mazda 6 Diesel here is the same as an Accord Euro Sports Luxury (TSX with Tech) here. I highly doubt the 6 with the diesel would be affordable.. :(

You're probably better off financing a MK6 Golf TDI. They should be getting rid of them for close to 0%, and they don't depreciate AT ALL. Most of the 2nd hand ones are really high in milleage without any price advantages. Also to note, the Golf is on a newer chasis than the A3 TDI, though the 'same' engine on the A3 has a unique counter balance to help reduce drivetrain vibrations (I still thought the golf was quieter)

VW TDI

i had a insight for 100k.. pretty reliable. i had a diesel truck as well. not every gas station has diesel.. i brought my truck to salt spring island, and only one gas station had diseal. kinda not hinder-some when you are actually looking for gas

They don't need smog control here because they put it in a "lighter" vehicle by classification. The US particulate law right now is less stringent than the current Euro Bin rules.. though the Euro one Bin6 will be harder. Their US engine is not sub performing, Euro diesel is just cleaner (theirs come from the Middle East, while ours usually come from tar sands).

the cruze diesel engine is designed in italy and built in germany (or backwards from that) and installed in lordstown USA.

If they are sold at 26k after destination they will sell well, the competition is much more expensive.

With my experiences with the cruze (car been in the shop for 7 weeks out of the last 8) i can't recommend it, but all of my troubles are directly related to the 1.4t (I got a new engine at 34k kms which had cam issues out of the box and they still havn't fixed my coolant smell in the cabin after 2 months, but those are both 1.4t specific problems)

but the 2.0td should be a much better engine.
Most people with the 1.4t love it, I can get 4.5L per 100kms anywhere between hastings and hope on highway 1. but as fuel effiecient as it is, it has almost as many problems as a VW would.

.... really? So then why do taxis use crown vics? please enlighten me.

Are you looking for new car op? If not I would recommend 99.5-03 vw alh tdi. It's the small block Chevy of tdis with roots back to the 70's and lots of parts availability. One issue on a newer common rail tdi could wipe your mileage savings out pretty quick. Tdiclub.com is the site if you want to research yourself. Do some number crunching. My diesel saves me $2000 a year in fuel over my civic.
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I disagree with a few of your points, as your info seems to come from sources that haven't actually owned a hybrid. The cost is a bit higher upfront, but higher maintenance cost? No way. I'm just about to being year 9 on my Prius, and I've only had to do the scheduled maintenance: fluids, oil changes, filters, etc... Also, compared to traditional vehicles, there's less wear on various parts, like brakes and the engine. I'm at 230k, and I'm still on my original drums. Front brakes were changed at 150k. Brake dust is non-existent. Batteries hold up well. First gen Priuses are 10+ years old, now, and there haven't been many battery pack replacements. Mine is still going strong. I wouldn't say a Prius is good for the environment, but it's not as bad as other vehicles out there.

Because they're already using them, and/or they think that maintaining a gas-chugging vehicle is cheaper than purchasing a hybrid. I haven't seen any new Crown Vics. A cab driver would be absolutely foolish to not drive a Prius. They're the ones that can quickly realize the savings.

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Seriously? I guess gas really is a lot cheaper out in abbotsford if they are still driving crown vics there..

Agreed.

OP mentioned keeping it for 4+ years, so I'd recommend a mk4 TDI also. They still command a premium for being diesel but if they're in good shape and 5spd, should last you a long time and be relatively cheap to maintain.

there are other cities in the world besides vancouver.

last time i was in vegas there was probably 10 taxi crown vics for every prius i saw.

but yes back on topic, diesel.

They stopped producing them in 2011. The CNG Crown Victorias got around 30MPG~ I asked a couple of taxi drivers what they got, and I was surprised.

Reasons they used them include:
Huge Trunk(21 cu.ft)
Huge Interior Volume
Parts are cheap(A 1998 fender fits a 2011)
Great visibility
Ultra reliable and durable
Numerous safety awards
HUGE FLEET DISCOUNTS(10K+ OFF MSRP)

I am guessing the reason you don't see them is they have been phased out and the remaining fleet is super high mileage and on its way out.

My dad used to buy brand new Town Cars(same platform) every two years, and had over 6 of them. None had any issues, and they were driven to almost 100,000 kilometers before it was traded in. When he went to the S-Class, it wasn't as reliable but had far more features.

Update on the Cruze TD: 46mpg

2014 Chevrolet Cruze Diesel gets 46 mpg