  2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI vs 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Diesel. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Dan Heyman and Jonathan Yarkony
It started something like this: “It’s 540 kilometres to Montreal, we got two full tanks of diesel, half a pack of gum, it’s too early in the morning and we’re wearing sunglasses. Wait, damn, I think I lost my sunglasses.”
The mission, though not exactly from God, was simple: find out if one could drive between Canada’s two largest cities – Toronto to Montreal and back – on a single tank of gas. In a single day. And not exactly driving like the John and Helen Taylor (the hypermiling Australian couple that set the record for longest distance on a single tank of fuel in a 2012 Volkswagen Passat TDI), though not as recklessly as Jake and Elwood, either.
Crazy? Perhaps. But Senior Editor Jonathan Yarkony and I were going for it regardless, confident that the vehicles we chose were up to the task, not to mention us as drivers; we’ve both driven to from Toronto to Montreal countless times, but neither of us had done the 1,000-plus kilometre round trip in a single day.
Our cars were not hybridized, electrified magic-carpets full of techno-wizardry; just a couple of compact sedans powered by good ol’ internal combustion, but with what would probably be considered a twist in most North American markets.
Our steeds – a Volkswagen Jetta and Chevrolet Cruze – may seem innocuous, save for the fact that they were both powered by diesel powerplants. Indeed, the VW Jetta TDI and Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Diesel may be part of a rare breed here in Canada, but if our experiences are any indication, that could – and should – change going forward.
  2013 Volkswagen Jetta TDI vs 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Diesel. Click image to enlarge |
The engine blueprints are almost identical: 2.0L inline-four-cylinders, a turbocharger each and direct fuel injection.
On paper, the Cruze pips the Jetta on the power front – 264 lb-ft of torque (280 with overboost) plays 236 in the Jetta and 11 more horsepower (151 to 140). But those numbers, while not huge upon first glance, actually make more of a difference than you might think.
Of course, in cars like these with a trip like this, fuel economy is paramount, so we felt confident that both the Jetta and Cruze’s claimed highway figures – 4.7 L/100 km for the Jetta, 4.2 for the Chevy – would make or break us as we made our way eastwards along Highway 401.
With tanks topped up, trip computers reset and coffee cups filled, we started out from a Shell station on the outskirts of Toronto. From there, we’d stop in Coburg, Ont. to refuel ourselves (that Yarkony guy requires a lot of refuelling) if not our cars, then continue straight on to our turnaround point in Montreal’s Dollard-des-Ormeaux neighbourhood (not exactly downtown Montreal, we know). The way back would consist of a more direct route, with a brief photo stop and driver change along the Thousand Islands Parkway that parallels the 401, starting just east of Gananoque, ON.
