Chevy Volt
- Thread starter -JD-
- Start date
calikev
New member
Hey Thai...thanks for your sensible response. Even if you drive a ton of miles you can lower your costs in almost all cases by leading then buying the car. Do a full comparison of day 1 of driveoff to last payment and it will likely shock most people. You're still buying the car just in 2 steps with much more cash in your pocket monthly
Dawg4Runner
New member
-JD-, I glossed over some of the posts on this thread but didn't read everyone in detail. Sounds to me like you've done your homework and are well versed in the Volt. Here's my take on it comparing it to a 2006 Prius which we owned for 6 years prior to trading it in for the Volt. I also have a 2007 Civic Hybrid which is my daily driver. I'll leave it out of it since I wouldn't recommend it.
Performance
The Volt's acceleration off the line feels quicker. The torque of the electric motor seems instant. The vehicle's lower center of gravity, wide low profile tires and suspension makes it handle so much better then the Prius. Braking also feels more effective in the Volt. Overall, the Volt is more fun to drive.
The Prius wins in the headlight department. The HID's the came with the Prius were much better then the Halogen lights that come standard with the Volt. I would have gladly paid a couple hundred more for OEM HID's on the Volt
Comfort
I'd say the Prius and Volt are almost even in ride comfort with a slight edge to the Volt. This is subjective as people's opinion will vary here. The seats in the Volt are more "sports car" like. It has higher bolsters and tends to "wrap" around you more. I'd describe it as, you sit "in" the seat in a Volt and you sit "on" the seat in a Prius. In the Prius you sit high, where the Volt, you sit lower.
The stereo system in the Volt sounds much better then the Prius and is compatible with the iPod. My 2006 Prius was not iPod ready. The current Prius may be, I don't know.
The HVAC is good in both cars but I'll give a slight edge to the Prius A/C being a little colder. The heated seats in the Volt work really well and heat up fast.
While running on all battery, the Volt is extremely quiet. All you hear is some slight tire and wind noise. When the ICE kicks on to charge the battery it'll increase the noise level just a little.
Ergonomics
The Prius will get the win here. More head room, more usable cargo room and better overall visibility. Tall passengers need to be aware of the low roof line while getting in the back seat with the Volt. Once inside its fine, they just need to stoop a little lower because of the low C pillar. My wife misses all the storage compartments that the Prius had. She misses the sunglass holder in the ceiling.
The control console on the Volt is a little daunting at first and looks like it should be on the space shuttle. Being old school and used to knobs and buttons, I still get confused with the touch panel. Since my wife uses the car daily, she can change settings without even thinking about it. She even has her smart phone set up so she can control things from her phone. Like turning that car on and heating it up. She can also tell the battery charge condition on her phone.
The Volt's open space in between the two back seats is a little strange and the vinyl pouch they attach with velcro seems like an afterthought.
If you're not used to the way the Volt wipers move, it'll take a little getting used to. Rather then the two arms moving the same direction, they move opposite, wiping inward and outward. Since my Honda Civic Hybrid and Dodge Viper have this style of wiper, I'm already used to it. I actually prefer this style for heavy rain.
Fit and finish/Styling
Paint on both are very nice. No annoying squeaks, creaks or rattles in either car. The Prius wins in the fitment of exterior body panels. Chevy could have paid a little more attention to detail in that department.
The Volt wins in styling IMO. I know its subjective so people can decide that one on their own. The Prius shape reminds me of a Pontiac Aztec.
Economy
The Prius averaged around 48 MPG over the 6 years we had it. The Volt is currently averaging around 95 MPG with a daily commute of 58 miles round trip and other incidental driving. The average all battery range is 40 and we've seen it go as high as 43 miles.
We haven't been using it for commuting the last 4 weeks. Just driving around town within the 40 mile range. So the cost for gas in the last 4 weeks has been 0.00
You get 3 years of on star with the purchase and on star will remind you when scheduled maintenance is due. All maintenance is covered by Chevy for the first 3/30,000.
Conclusion
Between the Prius and the Volt, I'll take the Volt any day. It performs better, has more features then I'll ever use, it looks better and depending on your situation, you may not be visiting the gas station for a long time. In short, its much more fun to drive and look at.
Performance
The Volt's acceleration off the line feels quicker. The torque of the electric motor seems instant. The vehicle's lower center of gravity, wide low profile tires and suspension makes it handle so much better then the Prius. Braking also feels more effective in the Volt. Overall, the Volt is more fun to drive.
The Prius wins in the headlight department. The HID's the came with the Prius were much better then the Halogen lights that come standard with the Volt. I would have gladly paid a couple hundred more for OEM HID's on the Volt
Comfort
I'd say the Prius and Volt are almost even in ride comfort with a slight edge to the Volt. This is subjective as people's opinion will vary here. The seats in the Volt are more "sports car" like. It has higher bolsters and tends to "wrap" around you more. I'd describe it as, you sit "in" the seat in a Volt and you sit "on" the seat in a Prius. In the Prius you sit high, where the Volt, you sit lower.
The stereo system in the Volt sounds much better then the Prius and is compatible with the iPod. My 2006 Prius was not iPod ready. The current Prius may be, I don't know.
The HVAC is good in both cars but I'll give a slight edge to the Prius A/C being a little colder. The heated seats in the Volt work really well and heat up fast.
While running on all battery, the Volt is extremely quiet. All you hear is some slight tire and wind noise. When the ICE kicks on to charge the battery it'll increase the noise level just a little.
Ergonomics
The Prius will get the win here. More head room, more usable cargo room and better overall visibility. Tall passengers need to be aware of the low roof line while getting in the back seat with the Volt. Once inside its fine, they just need to stoop a little lower because of the low C pillar. My wife misses all the storage compartments that the Prius had. She misses the sunglass holder in the ceiling.
The control console on the Volt is a little daunting at first and looks like it should be on the space shuttle. Being old school and used to knobs and buttons, I still get confused with the touch panel. Since my wife uses the car daily, she can change settings without even thinking about it. She even has her smart phone set up so she can control things from her phone. Like turning that car on and heating it up. She can also tell the battery charge condition on her phone.
The Volt's open space in between the two back seats is a little strange and the vinyl pouch they attach with velcro seems like an afterthought.
If you're not used to the way the Volt wipers move, it'll take a little getting used to. Rather then the two arms moving the same direction, they move opposite, wiping inward and outward. Since my Honda Civic Hybrid and Dodge Viper have this style of wiper, I'm already used to it. I actually prefer this style for heavy rain.
Fit and finish/Styling
Paint on both are very nice. No annoying squeaks, creaks or rattles in either car. The Prius wins in the fitment of exterior body panels. Chevy could have paid a little more attention to detail in that department.
The Volt wins in styling IMO. I know its subjective so people can decide that one on their own. The Prius shape reminds me of a Pontiac Aztec.
Economy
The Prius averaged around 48 MPG over the 6 years we had it. The Volt is currently averaging around 95 MPG with a daily commute of 58 miles round trip and other incidental driving. The average all battery range is 40 and we've seen it go as high as 43 miles.
We haven't been using it for commuting the last 4 weeks. Just driving around town within the 40 mile range. So the cost for gas in the last 4 weeks has been 0.00
You get 3 years of on star with the purchase and on star will remind you when scheduled maintenance is due. All maintenance is covered by Chevy for the first 3/30,000.
Conclusion
Between the Prius and the Volt, I'll take the Volt any day. It performs better, has more features then I'll ever use, it looks better and depending on your situation, you may not be visiting the gas station for a long time. In short, its much more fun to drive and look at.
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Thai
Elite Member
I think that Chevy Volt is a nice car for sure. Actually, i like GM products of late. My brother's Cruze is an excellent car.
However, you need to make sure that you will keep the Volt for a very very very long time. It will have no resale value at all. I think that it will definitely be a great car for short commutes, but you need to keep it a long time to get the benefits (financial) and not consider trading it in for at least another 10 years.
However, you need to make sure that you will keep the Volt for a very very very long time. It will have no resale value at all. I think that it will definitely be a great car for short commutes, but you need to keep it a long time to get the benefits (financial) and not consider trading it in for at least another 10 years.
hulk311
New member
I looked into the Volt and at $40k it is way overpriced. Even with the $7.5 k rebate (assuming you get one I think the government is only giving them to the first 25,000 customers after that they wont offer it anymore). Not to mention you have to spend $2k on a special poweroutlet. I don't understand why people buy these electrical cars, now is not the time, wait 10 years or more till the technology gets cheaper. Remember when plasma TVs first came out? They were like $10,000 now you can get one for like $300.
I looked into getting the Ford Focus Electric but its a rip off right now. However I am open to the idea of buying one in 10 or 15 years when you get get a Ford Focus that gets 400+ miles on a BATTERY charge and costs $15k! :biggrin2:
Dawg4Runner
New member
I agree that the Volt isn't for everyone. Looking at it from a purely financial point of view, I wouldn't say that it's for us either. But how many of us look at our vehicle purchases from a purely financial view? I certainly don't. If I did, we'd have 2 Yaris's and not 4 cars and a motorcycle (would be 2 motorcycles but I just sold the R1). The Volt wasn't my first choice for a replacement for the aging Prius but it's what the wife wanted. We narrowed the choices down to an Audi S5 Coupe and a Volt. She chose the Volt. It also qualifies for the HOV lane sticker which allows her to drive solo in the HOV lanes. She's happy with it which means I'm happy with it.
Just to clarify...
The rebate in my state is $1,500 and that comes from the state(varies state to state). It took about 30 days to receive after submitting my paperwork. The $7,500 is not a rebate, its a federal tax credit. Unless the feds retroactively change the tax code for tax year 2012, I don't see that going away for those who bought this year.
You don't have to spend $2k for a special outlet. It comes with the charging unit that lets you plug into any standard 120 volt outlet. It takes about 9 hours for a full charge. You can buy an aftermarket 240 volt charging station for $490 and that will plug into a standard 240 volt outlet. I've been using the OEM charger that came with the car and at this time have no need for the 240v charger.
Hope that helps
-JD-
New member
What are you basing that on? As far as I have found there is no evidence to suggest horrible resale value. This is the same thing everyone said about the Prius at first. People love to "naysay" when it comes to new technology, just look at how many people denigrate the volt without even knowing how it works, or some basic details like charging, etc.
Right, well if your not willing to spend more than the bare minimum on a new vehicle then obviously it's not for you. Financially comparing 3 series BMW or Audi or similar to a cheaper more economical car won't make sense either. Does that mean you're stupid to buy one?
Both vehicles offer something better than the basic Toyota Yaris driving experience. Bmw's offer driving dynamics and perceived quality, the volt offers an advanced electric power train and low operating costs. To me, after driving the volt, I've got to say that it "feels" a lot more advanced and worthy of its $40k+ price tag than a traditional "same basic design we've been using for decades" with some soft touch surfaces and a little more power that you get from most entry level luxuries near that price range.
Thai
Elite Member
I stand corrected...the Volt has excellent resale value! Link: Chevrolet Volt earns resale value award | MNN - Mother Nature Network
Thai
Elite Member
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-JD-
New member
Worth noting though that they used 42% of their mileage on electricity (which is relatively low compared to average use). 15,063 miles with 58% on gas is about 8736 miles on gas. Divided by the average 35 mpg is 249.6 gallons of gas. Which means over their 15,063 miles they averaged 60.35 MPG.
Thai
Elite Member
Pretty good. My 2010 Prius has about 50k miles on it...and over its lifetime, it has averaged about 50 mpg. My wife doesn't have a clue about driving a hybrid but she drives probably 50/50 (city/hwy).
Dawg4Runner
New member
In the last month, my Volt got 300+ miles per 0.0 gallon of gas. 
...but then the 4runner got a whopping 13.5 mpg.
...but then the 4runner got a whopping 13.5 mpg.
BrianSD_42
New member
Has anyone posted "convincing" data that the Volt's Li-ion batteries will last anywhere near as long as the 150k+ miles that a Prius has been proven to last?
They employ completely different battery technologies and unlike the NiMH batteries on the Prius which have been proven to last, Li-ion batteries are well known to deplete relatively quickly and a % with each charge.
Simply: if Chevy has really invented a Li-ion battery that can last years why isn't anyone else using that technology in laptops or cell phones. I suspect that the Volt's batteries will have major issues and about half the lifespan of a Prius.
Go easy on me since I'm new to Hybrids and don't know jack about batteries besides what I have read.
They employ completely different battery technologies and unlike the NiMH batteries on the Prius which have been proven to last, Li-ion batteries are well known to deplete relatively quickly and a % with each charge.
Simply: if Chevy has really invented a Li-ion battery that can last years why isn't anyone else using that technology in laptops or cell phones. I suspect that the Volt's batteries will have major issues and about half the lifespan of a Prius.
Go easy on me since I'm new to Hybrids and don't know jack about batteries besides what I have read.
-JD-
New member
brianemc2_42, I've only been researching this subject for the past week or so, but I do know that other manufacturers like hyundai, toyota, nissan, etc are all beginning to implement li-ion in their hybrid cars. GM's own test vehicles have now surpassed 300,000 miles and their 'accelerated testing' has shown the batteries to hold up well over thousands and thousands of charge cycles.
Also the Volts battery management system never allows the batteries to discharge fully or charge fully. They keep the batteries in their mid range where they like to be.
Obviously, there are certain factors that will depend more on time than on charge cycles and that question is still somewhat up in the air. Looking at the first customers vehicles as well as GM's test vehicles gives encouraging results as they haven't been losing a significant amount of their capacity after the first few years. GM warranties the batteries for 70% of their capacity after 8 years or 100,000 miles and in California I believe the warranty is 8 years/150,000 miles.
From the reading I've done it sounds like Li-Ion technology is going to be 'THE' battery tech for the foreseeable future. Envia has already invented li-ion batteries that effectively doubles the capacity of the current technology being used. Meaning 70-100 miles per charge on a current Volt. This tech is in the testing stages and should be marketable in a few years.
Also the Volts battery management system never allows the batteries to discharge fully or charge fully. They keep the batteries in their mid range where they like to be.
Obviously, there are certain factors that will depend more on time than on charge cycles and that question is still somewhat up in the air. Looking at the first customers vehicles as well as GM's test vehicles gives encouraging results as they haven't been losing a significant amount of their capacity after the first few years. GM warranties the batteries for 70% of their capacity after 8 years or 100,000 miles and in California I believe the warranty is 8 years/150,000 miles.
From the reading I've done it sounds like Li-Ion technology is going to be 'THE' battery tech for the foreseeable future. Envia has already invented li-ion batteries that effectively doubles the capacity of the current technology being used. Meaning 70-100 miles per charge on a current Volt. This tech is in the testing stages and should be marketable in a few years.
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