Yes chugging like a cold starting diesel was what my 2.4L was sounding like on Saturday night, (same evening my car got broken into!!).. I get the car started but she's hesitating and chugging, grey and sometimes black smoke is comming outta the ass end.. It smelled like terpintine or something close to it.. I rev her up a bit and eventually the engine settles down, phew .. Now we've had a sudden warm spell and high humidity but not having a locking gas cap has put more fear into me with maybe my cars being targeted by vandals as the smell comming from the tail pipe was far from normal..

I watched myth busters awhile back about sugar etc in the gas tank so that was my first thought as to what may have happened.. I'm thankful what ever happened burned off but beats the **** outta me wtf happened.. Advice!!! get a locking gas cap just to be safe

 

I'm having kinda the same problem it goes to the dealer in a few days,but a few mwmbers were saying it could be plugs,injectors tce...but in your case I had the chugging last month and I had to relace my MAF sensor