Ride quality versus the Chevy Volt

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woodyas

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Aug 19, 2012
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Here goes: doing a plethora of research on both the Leaf and the Volt. Note: have only read about both cars--have not driven either one yet.

My circumstance: will be used for around town. Round trip 5 days a week is less then 20 miles. And weekends I can use my other car for longer trips. So: range anxiety will not be an issue. I really like the concept/look of the Leaf from what I have seen.

But curious: how do the rides compare in both cars. And to the people that a Volt and Leaf in their household--which you give up first if forced.

Looks I can get a great deal on both. But my "gut" seems to be saying the Leaf.

Appreciate the feedback.
 
Please define ride quality, that is subjective. I think the LEAF feels scary in handling compared to my Tacoma truck. The stability control is way too sensitive, and it feels like a stiff marshmallow overall. I have not driven a Volt but if you drive the LEAF slowly it would seem just fine. If you drive an 80s Cadillac then the LEAF will seem like you just went up a few notches. What do you drive now?
 
You should also test an iMiev since your range needs are so slight, save a bunch of money and get an aircooled battery pack.
 
Best would be to test drive both, but they do feel quite different. Leaf feels lighter overall and easier to turn then Volt and it corners much better then Volt at high speed without having tires squeel (tried freeway 25 mph ramp at 60), but steering sucks on it.
 
Steering feel is a subjective thing. It's true that you don't get any tactile feedback from the road in the LEAF, but the light steering effort and ease of driving the car becomes addictive. From a few drives in the Volt, I find that the Volt feels more sporty overall, with wider tires and better grip, and a bit more acceleration power. You also sit lower in the Volt, with the LEAF feeling more open and airy, with much more front and rear passenger space.

I'd agree that thorough test drives of both cars will answer your questions for you, and our opinions will matter little after you've done that experiment.
 
I'd have to argue that one. From numerous times in a Volt, I'd definitely say that it corners and handles better than the Leaf, and that its ultimate cornering capability is greater than the Leaf's. It also has better road feedback.

IBELEAF said:
Leaf feels lighter overall and easier to turn then Volt and it corners much better then Volt at high speed without having tires squeel (tried freeway 25 mph ramp at 60), but steering sucks on it.
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Why not get the Volt? Now you have an EV for your 20 mile trip, and a gas burning for your weekend trip. The only real downfall is price, but the leases are strong (negating price).

Plus, a far more robust battery design, particularly if you're in a hot area. You can be a one car man.
 
TonyWilliams said:
Why not get the Volt? Now you have an EV for your 20 mile trip, and a gas burning for your weekend trip. The only real downfall is price, but the leases are strong (negating price).

Plus, a far more robust battery design, particularly if you're in a hot area. You can be a one car man.
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My thoughts exactly. Sell your other gas burner and put the proceeds towards the Volt or even better, solar panels.
 
I drove both back to back and have to say I prefer the LEAF. I'm 6'4" and fit in both (not sure how in a Volt), but the visibility was much better in the LEAF. Also the dash board and controls are massive in the Volt, which just seemed over kill on an already small car. Also the Volt seemed like an American car (duh!), lots of bulky plastic for no reason. I currently drive a gen2 Prius and the LEAF was a better ride with similar visibility.
 
I own both and definitely prefer driving the Volt. The Leaf interior feels more modern and I like the displays, etc. better. But, I really like the more connected to the road feeling of the Volt and the handling is much better. If I just needed one I would choose the Volt hands down, the ability to drive electric when I want and gas when I need (yeah, I know that is their slogan, but it fits!) makes it a great all around car.

The one thing to watch out for is that the Volt seats 4, the Leaf seats 5. That impacts some people's needs.
 
If you have a second car (wife, etc.), then you're a perfect fit for the Leaf.
You might want to fill out your location info as it can have an impact on choices.
 
i would go with a LEAF. even if you never "need" to burn gas in Volt, you will anyway. that is simply pathetic and the reason i still consider the Volt to be a great option for a lot of people but nothing better than a half-assed solution for me

it is all very personal. you dont mention anyone elses driving needs in the house so hard to say. one car house; Volt. more than one car; LEAF
 
I test drove a Volt and a Leaf but had already decided and ordered the Leaf when I tested the Volt. It felt like the Volt was a significantly smaller cabin. I don't know the actual measurements but it felt that way. When driving the Volt it felt like it hovered at 35 mph better than the Leaf and stayed on a more constant speed. Having said that I've been able to adjust my feel to the accelerator on the Leaf and it's not so hard to keep constant anymore. There is also more cargo room in the Leaf, and I checked the measurements on that one since I haul weekend camping gear.

I just wanted a 100% electric but was trying to get wife to get Volt instead of Prius.

With what you mentioned about driving distance if you get a Volt definitely don't fill up the gas tank unless you're going on a long trip so that you don't have to burn unneeded gasoline to keep it from going bad <insert story about my m60 series tank with algae in fuel>.
 
My circumstance: will be used for around town. Round trip 5 days a week is less then 20 miles. And weekends I can use my other car for longer trips. So: range anxiety will not be an issue. I really like the concept/look of the Leaf from what I have seen.[quote]

This scenario sounds very similar to mine. My commute is also less than 20 miles RT 5 days/week, mostly highway and I do longer trips on the weekends. There is no need for a second car (sold it!), as the LEAF meets all of my needs. Since I most likely will do more running on weekends (Saturdays, mostly highway), I have a timer set to charge to 100% by 6 a.m. Saturday morning. Even after my longest RT of about 40 miles (+ putting around a large shopping center trolling for parking spaces) I was satisfied I could go the distance and still make it home with ~20 miles to spare on the notorious Guess-O-Meter and 2 battery bars remaining (lowest I've ever depleted). Since that trip, I no longer have range anxiety.

If this sounds like your situation, the LEAF may be all you need. It's roomy, quiet, handles very smoothly and is incredibly zippy (gotta love the instant torque in D), cheap to drive and very clean for the environment (unlike anything that uses dirty, nasty ol' gas :mrgreen: ).

Should I want to travel an extended distance beyond my comfort zone (there is very limited charging infrastructure in Kansas City and no QC stations), I just hop into my traveling companion's ICE car upon arrival there and continue on, saving the LEAF for later. That's one trade-off under these circumstances, but it's not usually necessary under my normal driving conditions (it's the exception rather than the rule).

Good luck with your decision (GO LEAF! ;) )
Kathy
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Thanks to everyone for the replies.

And yes: it's somewhat subjective.

I am schedule to go test drive the Volt and Leaf on Thursday. That should tell me what I need to know. That said...sometimes the test drives are not fully indicative of how it will be day in and day out.

They both serve the purpose...yet I do hope the Leaf rides well. This is the car I want to Love--and the idea of no gas. EVER.

Love it.
 
TomT said:
I'd have to argue that one. From numerous times in a Volt, I'd definitely say that it corners and handles better than the Leaf, and that its ultimate cornering capability is greater than the Leaf's. It also has better road feedback.

IBELEAF said:
Leaf feels lighter overall and easier to turn then Volt and it corners much better then Volt at high speed without having tires squeel (tried freeway 25 mph ramp at 60), but steering sucks on it.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...

Perhaps we are talking about different things. If you corner just a little faster then normal in Volt the tires start to screech and you don't feel confident pushing any further then that. This has never happened in Leaf, it corners without any tire screeching. As I mentioned I pushed Leaf to almost 60 without having tires screech, forget about trying that with Volt. Although the steering on Leaf doesn't recover as good as on Volt after a sharp turn.
 
Perhaps the Volt you drove had low tires but my experiences with the Volt are just the opposite. I can push it harder and deeper than the Leaf.

IBELEAF said:
Perhaps we are talking about different things. If you corner just a little faster then normal in Volt the tires start to screech and you don't feel confident pushing any further then that. This has never happened in Leaf, it corners without any tire screeching. As I mentioned I pushed Leaf to almost 60 without having tires screech, forget about trying that with Volt. Although the steering on Leaf doesn't recover as good as on Volt after a sharp turn.
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IBELEAF said:
Perhaps we are talking about different things. If you corner just a little faster then normal in Volt the tires start to screech and you don't feel confident pushing any further then that. This has never happened in Leaf, it corners without any tire screeching. As I mentioned I pushed Leaf to almost 60 without having tires screech, forget about trying that with Volt. Although the steering on Leaf doesn't recover as good as on Volt after a sharp turn.
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Wow, I have the complete opposite experience as you. In fact, the LEAF was so bad that I had to change tires to Michelin MXM4s which made a huge difference in handling and cornering. The Volt is much better than the LEAF at least on stock tires.
 
TomT said:
Perhaps the Volt you drove had low tires but my experiences with the Volt are just the opposite. I can push it harder and deeper than the Leaf.

IBELEAF said:
Perhaps we are talking about different things. If you corner just a little faster then normal in Volt the tires start to screech and you don't feel confident pushing any further then that. This has never happened in Leaf, it corners without any tire screeching. As I mentioned I pushed Leaf to almost 60 without having tires screech, forget about trying that with Volt. Although the steering on Leaf doesn't recover as good as on Volt after a sharp turn.
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Click to expand...


he has OWNED both cars for more than a short period of time. either way, ride comfort is really too subjective. i like the ride of a Prius although most dont. many complain that they are stiff and sore on long trips and maybe its me but having done several long trips in several different kinds of cars; i must agree i am stiff and sore if driving longer distances in a Prius...just like any other car i have been in!
 
I've been driving my Volt for over a month now and tires are set to 35 psi and all stock. I don't know why we would have different handling experience when talking about the same car. Have you tried fast cornering or cornering at high speed like I did? Did your tires screech? Perhaps it could pushed further then Leaf, but I just don't like the tire screeching which Leaf did not have.
 

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