Gen 2 Chevrolet Volt PHEV (2016+) MSRP $33,995

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Firetruck41 said:
<snip>
In fact, if the Volt had 5 seats I might have bought one instead. I am glad I bought the Leaf, but a Volt or Energi may still be in my future as our "other" daily driver.
If you're considering one of the Energis, then the Sonata's another 5-seat PHEV: http://insideevs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Hyundai-Sonata-PHEV-NAIAS-2015-rear-interior.jpg

More trunk space than the Fusion Energi, I think: http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2015/06/08/133326-2016-hyundai-sonata-hybrid-new-style-improved-powertrain-dynamics-just.5-lg.jpg

and 27 vice 19 miles AER.
 
GRA said:
scottf200 said:
<snip>
Gen 1 & 2 are unique in all PHEVs and hence EREV since it uses the battery to drive the car until it drains. Even on hard throttle or up to 101 MPH speed limit. (exception is cold winter days to warm the battery and cabin more efficiently for a few minutes).
Not unique anymore, unless the i3REx comes on under max accel while there's still sufficient charge.
The motor cycle engine is sized to limp home ... different usage ... avoid be stranded!!!

Compare that to my Volt drive through the hills in NC and TN in the past couple weeks going with flow of traffic up hill at 65-70 MPH!
 
scottf200 said:
GRA said:
scottf200 said:
<snip>
Gen 1 & 2 are unique in all PHEVs and hence EREV since it uses the battery to drive the car until it drains. Even on hard throttle or up to 101 MPH speed limit. (exception is cold winter days to warm the battery and cabin more efficiently for a few minutes).
Not unique anymore, unless the i3REx comes on under max accel while there's still sufficient charge.
The motor cycle engine is sized to limp home ... different usage ... avoid be stranded!!!

Compare that to my Volt drive through the hills in NC and TN in the past couple weeks going with flow of traffic up hill at 65-70 MPH!
If the REx has hold mode enabled, it provides the same basic utility as the Volt (if much shorter total range), and as has been reported here and elsewhere, it can maintain 70 mph or so on the REx as long as you're on flat ground:
BMW i3 REx Top Speed With Depleted Battery – Video
http://insideevs.com/bmw-i3-rex-top-speed-depleted-battery-video/

As long as you've used hold mode before a big climb you can (probably) make it up any grade in the U.S. without fully draining the battery. Not that I think the i3 REx is as good value for money as the Volt; IMO it's still vastly overpriced for what you get, and AFAIC there's no contest as to which one I'd choose, as the Volt provides more general utility. Boosting the % of usable capacity the i3 can retain in Hold mode from 75% to 100% like the Volt, and increasing the size of the gas tank so you can drive at least two hours at freeway speeds on the REx would make the capabilities more even, but not enough to overcome an $11k price differential.

One thing that's interesting is that the i3's Hold mode only retains 75% of the battery's usable capacity, which means that i3's AER at the start of a climb after using Hold mode is almost exactly the same as the Volt 2.0's: 54 versus 53 miles. Which one can go further on the climb would depend on the speed of the climb, as I imagine the Volt has better CdA that at higher speeds would overcome the i3 REx's ca. 650 lb. weight advantage. We won't know until some Volt 2.0 owners start doing test runs, but for now I'd assume that the Volt would be the vehicle of choice on I-80 up to Donner summit or I-70 over Vail Pass, and the i3 REx would be superior driving up to the summit of Mt. Evans or over Tioga Pass.
 
Going in to test drive one of these tomorrow morning.

On the fence mainly because I think GM wants a lot of money over the 2015 volt (which they are giving away at a REALLY, REALLY nice price, like $230/month lease out the door with no money on the table--or less). Thing is the 2015's 4 seats are a complete deal killer for me, even if the 2016's fifth seat is only usable by a toddler.

As I mentioned in the past, I dropped my Leaf almost two years ago because its winter range was just atrocious, but I always liked the EV drivetrain. I'm currently driving a new Altima, but I get bored easily and it is so darn banal.

Unfortunately for compelling myself on these, gas is SO CHEAP right now that running an electric vehicle is barely any cheaper at all actually.
 
EatsShootsandLeafs said:
running an electric vehicle is barely any cheaper at all actually.

That is true. However, it's still nice to have a dual powertrane. If you don't care at all about environmental stuff, at least you have the peace of mind of knowing that you can plug in at any point if gas starts to get too pricey. Plus, running electric keeps maintenance costs very low. I'd probably plug in just to avoid the oil changes, even if it saved me no money at all.
 
pkulak said:
EatsShootsandLeafs said:
running an electric vehicle is barely any cheaper at all actually.

That is true. However, it's still nice to have a dual powertrane. If you don't care at all about environmental stuff, at least you have the peace of mind of knowing that you can plug in at any point if gas starts to get too pricey. Plus, running electric keeps maintenance costs very low. I'd probably plug in just to avoid the oil changes, even if it saved me no money at all.
Well I still assume we're in a bit of a price trough so it is a good time to buy an efficient vehicle because demand is low, but I cannot pay what I was briefly quoted today.

So back to earlier. Locally--in NY state--I can go to a dealership right now and get a new 2015 Volt with 10k/year for $230/month with $0 out of pocket of any sort. However, the quote on a 2016 volt with 12k/year was $396, but that was not a base volt (base I think shave maybe $50 off that), plus GM charges a lot on extra miles ($.25 on overage). One other thing is I Just got the "chevrolet private offer" coupon, so that is supposed to buy me $1000 after all other negotiations, which is good for around $25-30/month on a Leaf.

I am running 15k/year right now with all the driving I do. I can't pretend getting rid of my altima will save me any money at all, even if price goes up to $3.50, and I don't care much about environmental, but I'm starting to hate driving such a common car :)

Too bad the volt looks like the cruze now, but chevy seems to have built a good vehicle. Its EV is almost as efficient as the leaf, it's slightly quicker, slightly smaller, but completely invalidates range anxiety. Driving 15k/year as I do, in winter climate, makes the Leaf simply untenable. I know range is up 25% since I owned a 2012, but when I dumped it I said 50% extra is minimum before I go back to EV-only.

My guess is I won't get a Volt right now just because I think I'm too upside down on the lease and probably have to finish my Altima lease up or close because I refuse to be hosed on it.
 
OH wow I Just learned that none of the Volt models have power seats. GM pretends this is to save weight. I'd rather lose the immeasurable loss in efficiency. Not having power seats on a $30k+ car in 2015 is a shame. Turns out the Leaf still doesn't have them, either? Baffling decisions on bother companies' parts IMO.

2016 volt also has no cd player! Heck, even I still listen to discs from time to time. That is just very weird. Definitely going to check out a hybrid avalon today as well when at the dealership (it sells toyota also).

I'd think about holding out for the new Prius, but they are too darn slow. I had a 2010 for over 40k miles and I won't return to a vehicle that slow off the line. My Leaf was a killer in traffic with its aggressive 0-30. I still miss that.

EDIT: Took a 2016 out for a drive. Drives similarly to the leaf I'd say though with less let off at higher speeds in terms of acceleration, due to the better horsepower.

Trunk is pretty decent. Rear seats are not great, I'd say an adult should be 5,10" or less to fit in the back without hitting heads, but okay for kids.
 
power seats? ya, they are ok for company cars when several people drive them but my LEAF? one that only 2 people have driven besides me in 23 months? why do I need power seats again?? They are nice but and I would love them for my LEAF and I am willing to pay an extra...uh... hmmm.. ok, never mind. I guess I wouldn't be willing to pay extra for that.
 
Yeah, the Volt doesn't have power seats, auto cruise, lane keep, etc. Android auto is a huge win, but apart from that there's no cool tech available except in the powertrane. It's a real shame.

My next car needs to at least have auto cruise.
 
pkulak said:
Yeah, the Volt doesn't have power seats, auto cruise, lane keep, etc. Android auto is a huge win, but apart from that there's no cool tech available except in the powertrane. It's a real shame.

My next car needs to at least have auto cruise.
Via GCR:
2016 Chevrolet Volt: Owner's First Impressions Of Car, Range, Dealers, And More
http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100959_2016-chevrolet-volt-owners-first-impressions-of-car-range-dealers-and-more

He's happy with the advanced features (side and rear blindspot warning) it does have. I agree that ACC is becoming almost a 'must have' feature, and auto-braking too. Lane-keeping, I'm not so sure yet, given the problems that have been reported in some versions.
 
TomT said:
The 2017, due out early next year, will have ACC, auto-brake, lane departure, and a number of other safety features,

pkulak said:
My next car needs to at least have auto cruise.
Tom, source? The only rumors I've seen that look to be fairly solid are for ACC. They certainly could include all the others in one go, or at least auto-braking since the ACC already has most of the sensors, but I haven't seen anything from the 'usual suspects' other than pure speculation as to anything beyond ACC.
 
The Malibu Hybrid gets way better fuel economy, (48 vs 41 MPG). I think the 2017 Volt will get this new technology (cooled EGR/external heat recovery) which will improve thermal efficiency and bring the gas consumption closer to the 50 MPG mark.
 
DaveinOlyWA said:
power seats? ya, they are ok for company cars when several people drive them but my LEAF? one that only 2 people have driven besides me in 23 months? why do I need power seats again?? They are nice but and I would love them for my LEAF and I am willing to pay an extra...uh... hmmm.. ok, never mind. I guess I wouldn't be willing to pay extra for that.
It's just that it must be one of the very few cars in this kind of price range without power seats. I see them almost as power mirrors; kind of essential. Not really, but not something you want to do without when spending over $30k on a vehicle.
there's no cool tech available except in the powertrane. It's a real shame.
It did kind of feel that way. It really felt like I was driving an econobox that happens to have a nice electric power train. Compared to other hybrids in the same price range (loaded camry hybrid or avalon hybrid), it's frankly just a really tough sell. Either of those get the same gas mileage, and with gas as cheap as it is now, it's barely worth the hassle of even plugging a car in (and we all have to be honest it IS a tiny hassle to do it every car trip, beginning and end, particularly when you have stuff to carry). For what it's worth I went back to Toyota and bought a new hybrid from them yesterday. I wanted to like the Volt, and it was okay, but that vs a full size sedan with more power and still excellent gas mileage, I just couldn't.
The Malibu Hybrid gets way better fuel economy, (48 vs 41 MPG). I think the 2017 Volt will get this new technology (cooled EGR/external heat recovery) which will improve thermal efficiency and bring the gas consumption closer to the 50 MPG mark.
Sorry, there is no way in the world this will happen. 2016 is a complete refresh of the Volt, Chevy is not going to change its power train yet again for 2017.
 
Hell, I'll take _any_ tech in the Leaf at this point. Right now it has the Around View Monitor, and that's it. No power seats, MEMORY seats (huge when you a family of 4 with one car), auto cruise, lane keep, parking sensors, park assist, carplay, Android auto, Google Maps, traffic data, LTE, HUD, and who knows what else I'm missing off the top of my head. Most manufacturers realize that the early adopter, EV types are the people who love tech and will move on to another brand if you don't give it to them. To this day you can add most of the Lexus tech to a Prius, for example. But, the Leaf SL has leather seats, a useless solar panel and auto headlights. Oh, be still my beating heart!
 
The Volt product manager (sorry, forgot his name) with whom I had an extended talk at Alt Car Expo... It could change between then and now, but he seemed pretty definite about it and also indicated that this is why they were doing a short 2016 run... They also want the 2017 Volt to qualify for the Plus safety rating and it requires most of these systems to do so...

GRA said:
Tom, source? The only rumors I've seen that look to be fairly solid are for ACC. They certainly could include all the others in one go, or at least auto-braking since the ACC already has most of the sensors, but I haven't seen anything from the 'usual suspects' other than pure speculation as to anything beyond ACC.
 
Picked up our (wife's) 2016 Volt in MD a couple days ago. Drove it 711 miles back to IL. I had originally planned to stay overnight halfway home. A couple of tourist attractions didn't work out and I was not tired or uncomfortable. Stopped a couple times for gas and felt great getting out of car (ie. back not sore or anything).

Interface is way different but great. Very noticeable power difference at lower speeds. Really liked all the safety features. Tested Lane Keep Assist (LKA) out. It will steer you back in a lane if it detects you going out and you are not putting much pressure on the steering wheel.

I cross the 'mountains' and it performed great. Drove 75 much of the way. Didn't need mountain mode which I heard is not necessary in 2016s with different drivetrain and gas engine.

My/out stats aren't great so far... LOL

Image: http://i.imgur.com/pW25ucG.png
pW25ucG.png
 
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