Chevy dealers hated the Volt because there is not much to maintain. Change the wipers, rotate tires, and if need be an oil change. Great review, and the reason you gave is the reason why I bought it.
The Volt just can't compete with Toyota's Hybrid lineup. They couldn't sell enough Volts hence why they killed it. The Prius, camry hybrid, corolla hybrid, and rav4 hybrid are just better.
@@Hboogie182 The Volt cost $40k to make, it's nice. The Toyota's make a profit, and THAT, is why the plug was pulled. ( Volt cost as much to make as it was sold for). Dealers don't want to sell it, because it never needs repairs, which, if you don't know, is where dealers make their profit margin.... add that up and think about it.
@@clayjhall Hi there well it was still giving use 39 miles on a charge . But someone ran a red light and the insurance did a total lose on it Fortnightly no one was hurt ..
@@arnulfoesparza601 those idiots! Smh glad you're safe and healthy. I wanted to know did your electric battery go out? I have a 2014 with 85k miles on it. They say that around 100k you may need a new battery costing 4k? Have you experienced this?
If this car had a Toyota badge on it instead of a Chevy bowtie, it would have been a smash hit. Many Americans nowadays won't even consider an American car. Sad because GM really did a great job with this car. They have world class engineers but their bureaucracy and marketing corps hamstrings the whole company.
I think it depends on the person and what they consider expensive. My 2014 always 14k at 48k miles plus tax came out to 17k I put 10k down on it. My payment is 120 a month lol
especially in today's market. If Chevy packaged this Voltec Plug in powertrain in an SUV, It would've sold so well. Seems like Chevy only knows how to sell trucks and corvettes sometimes. . .
I seen several reviews of the Chevy Volt and this review is by far the best one I have seen. Thank you for your honest review and well put together analysis of the car and it’s surrounding competition.
I own a 2018 Chevy Volt. Best car I have ever owned. We have 40K miles and have averaged about 160 mpg. In good weather, we normally get about 60 miles pure electric range. We have changed the synthetic oil once a year and replaced the tires....that is ALL. The car is fast, comfortable, and incredibly inexpensive to maintain. I was told that GM never tried to aggressively market the Volt as they lost money on each Volt they sold.
I heard that too, it's too bad also since I love my 2017, I've gotten into the habit of using Stabil since I may use the ICE a handful of times a year at the most and isn't even broken in yet by conventional ICE vehicle standards and I have a little over 100k km on the electric drivetrain.
I absolutely LOVE my 2015 Volt. Its my daily driver and I haven't had to pump gas into it for almost 6 months, I've had the car burn gas because its a risk of going stale like 4 separate times since I bought it. On cold days I run it on "hold" mode just to get a boost in cabin heat because I'm confident it will eventually start burning it when I really have no use for it. I could have managed with a really low end EV but the comfort of knowing I could drive to Grandma Mables house on the weekends without having to borrow somebody elses car is great. I only keep about 2 gallons of gas in my car btw, just for peace of mind and enough to get to a station when I actually start burning gas for real. I can't imagine any other car where I roll with the same 2 gallons of gas for half a year or more!
toyoscio and when might that be? There are vo,Ta that have 460,000 miles on them and he’s, tires, etc., wheel bearings but there has ever been a reported battery failure (the volt battery is both air and liquid cooked) and the engines hardly ever run. We have, so far, had three Chevy volts. A 2012 with 105,000 miles on it when we bought it in 2014 for $10k. Traded it in with 129,000 miles on it and got $6k on a trade on. We traded it in on a brand new 2017 Vo,t Premier, list $42,080 and the dealer gave us $6,000 off MSRP, the IRS gave us $7500 tax credit, the state of PA gave us $2,000 and GM financial gave us 60 months at 0% interest. In May, we bought a used 2017 Volt premier for our winter house in Florida , with 75,000 miles on it. Perfect condition and paid $13,900 for it, on a $40,000 car. My wife loves our Volts, which have every conceivable safety option. The gas engines never wear out. No water pump or other issues since they hardly run. Our three year old volt still charges to 54 miles and since there is a paddle brake using the motors to recharge, brakes wearing out are almost non existent. The only problem is GM was nuts to stop making them because they never teed . Survey after survey shows 97% of all Volt owners rated them as superb.
@@DrTom1946 I've been researching the shit out of these cars and am really close to getting a 2015 Premier w/35k on it at a local dealer for $13.9k. Look at gm-volt.com, you can find some expensive issues, from cells going bad in the battery, to the BECM needing replaced (requires dropping and pulling the battery pack apart). BECM issues seemed to happen at very low miles, between 20-40k on 2nd gen Volts. The bad part is a lot of times things go wrong as you're just cruising down the highway with no kind of warning at all. I do all my own work, repairs I generally don't worry too much about, but one thing I do worry about is the price of a replacement battery pack (GM PC 22944871 over $6k new) and also availability with GM dumping the voltec drivetrain. The hybrid electic components have an 8yr/100k warranty on them, but what happens 10 years beyond that? 15 years? 20 years? I can have the LB7 Duramax rebuilt in my '01 Silverado today no problem, will I be able to get a new battery pack for the 2015 Volt in 2035? Or will it be a paperweight? Hell, even the regular 12v battery shows "discontinued" looking it up on gmpartsdirect.com for a 2015, that doesn't really give me confidence that I'm going to be able to keep this car on the road long term. I'm ok with a car needing repairs, I'm ok with expensive repairs that pop up very infrequently (battery pack), what I'm not ok with is simply being SOL because the parts to fix it no longer exist. Even knowing all this I'm still tempted to buy it just because it's a cool car, I like how it looks, and I can save a bit on fuel to boot. Guess I'd just have to hope for some way to modify it to make stuff from the Bolt work in it somehow, since those are still in production. For now, at least.
I own a 2013 and live in Ohio so we have cold winters. I usually fill up before December and again in say march or April. If I have a surplus I run the car in hold mode and use it up if I'm worried about the freshness of the fuel.
@@GrandPrix46 after market batteries will be around for after that 8 year warranty (8/100k warranty covers battery, does transfer with used sale of car).
I have a Model 3 and a 2017 Volt and without any question, the Volt is far far more reliable than my Model 3. Volt is extremely quick, and battery longevity is absolutely extraordinary. Prius Prime is cheaper yes, but it's outdated air cooled and will not last long term. Volt is also on a long trip cheaper than my Model 3. People forget, Volt gas tank is only 30L, yet gives you over 500kms on that gas generator and another 100 kms on EV. That is cheaper to go on longer trips than my Model 3 which can vary from $22 to $34 to fully charge to 90%. Volt will get you there faster too. Volt is the best transition car money can buy. Don't waste your money on a Prius Prime, Volt in every way is the better value and much more enjoyable to drive.
@@toyoscio Volt Powertrain (batteries, electric motors, gas engine) are under the Voltec warranty, 8 years/100,000 miles. In California that is bumped up to 150,000 miles. Failures on the Volt are rare.
@@kingprone7846 12V battery dying did exactly that, which is kind of silly for such a new car. It's all under warranty, which is great and service is excellent, but being stranded because of a flaky unmonitored 12V is frustrating with any car. It is a common problem on all Model 3's. Software updates that are often fun, have resulted in functions being disabled for weeks until the next update. I enjoy the car a lot and I don't regret buying my Model 3, but the quality control needs improving. The Volt has needed nothing for years except for an oil change ever 2 years.
I own a 2017 Chevy volt LT with leather interior/trim, so my steering wheel is leather, and a Bose sound system and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! Like there’s absolutely nothing I dislike about it. Functionality, technical, ride and acceleration are, for all intent and purposes, pretty spot on. It’s fun and sporty and sophisticated and thus far after 61,500 miles I’ve only had to take it in once to replace to power transfer selector module and the warranty covered all the work no questions asked so thanks for the Chevrolet!!! As for speed...yo I out run most vehicles in town. 0-60 may be 7.5 BUT 0-45 is better than even a hemi Dodge Challenger! Boy the look on the guys face was priceless!
Rode in my friends second gen and he floored it - I was TOTALLY surprised at how much pull it had. We have a Pacifica Hybrid which drives nicer than the regular (with that horrible zf9 speed) - but it does start the gas motor if you accelerate at or beyond 75% throttle and for about moment while the transmission takes in the gas power (or switches to it) the acceleration bogs before picking up again. I don't like those dynamics and the way you describe the Volt (always electric) is exactly the dynamic I would want. Thanks!
We have owned three. 1 2012. 2 2017 Premiers that we still have. Traded in the 2012 on a new 2017. Love them all. Only one problem 12 volt (not main battery) went dead on one 2017 and had to replace it. Most under rated car in existence.
They don’t make money with that, for example, why would Tesla want a Chevy volt to be able to use their supercharger? They don’t they want you to buy a Tesla so they make it that way
Great review! I agree with you on the points you make. My husband and I bought a Chevy Volt at the end of 2019. Since I still need to commute for my job, I drive this great little vehicle everyday of the work week without having to gas up every 7 - 10 days. The only time I have used gasoline fuel has been during the winter months, or on longer than 50 mile trips. Which is rare. Because of the very cold winter weather where I live, I remote start the Volt before heading out to work and back home again. In the cold weather, the gasoline feature starts out until the system is warm and then changes over to electric. I use more electric power during the winter months but, gas mileage is still awesome and so little is actually used. This makes gassing up less frequent, as well. I really like that I can simply plug it in when I get home and it’s ready the next morning. I love this vehicle and will drive it for as long as I own it!
I'll never forget the time I had my company car (Malibu) in for repair and the dealer provided a brand-new, $40,000 Volt for me to use for the week. I was very surprised. The guy said they just got this vehicle in days ago. I'd never seen one before and knew nothing about it. Once I drove it away and started checking out all the features I really found it to be cool. To me, it felt like I was operating a super-modified golf cart! You press on the gas pedal and it just goes. I didn't feel any real shifting or RPM indication that I remember. The torque was amazing! I remember pulling off the line next to other vehicles from a red light and it would beat anything on wheels for the first 100 yards. lol What I liked more than anything was the digital dash and all the bells and whistles. I've always been an interior freak and love all the lights and buttons. After all, this is what I look at when I drive. You can find them now on the used market (a few years old) for very reasonable price tags. I wouldn't mind owning one, to be honest. I've actually considered it.
Love my 2017 Premier, which I bought last June coming off a lease. With a 35 mile RT commute, I go months between fill ups. But when I need to go to my mother’s, 250 miles away, it’s no problem at all. I just do 200 of the highway miles on gas, and get around 45 mpg while doing it. Just a great car!
I have the same car and love it too! It's almost like a game to drive as much as you can on electricity and never get gas. I had a used 2013 Volt before getting my 2017 and I went an entire year (23,000 miles) before needing to go to the gas station. Like his video mentions, I only wish GM could have put the Voltec system in a smaller SUV or CUV so we could purchase another vehicle similar to the Volt. I guess when the time comes, a lot of us will be searching for a low mileage 2019 Volt in the future:)
2017 Volt LT and I agree 100% with everything you said. If anyone asks me for a great review of the car I'm pointing them here. One thing is even if you get the LT instead of the Premier, if you're in a cold climate area, at least get the comfort package. If no one is in the back, heating the seats and steering wheel makes it comfortable enough that you don't have to heat the entire cabin as much and that uses less battery then heating the cabin. Also, they really didn't perfect the car until 2019, just as they killed it off. So if you can afford it, get the 2019 Premier used when they start coming off lease in a year or two. Main advantages are twice as fast level 2 charging and power drivers seat. Always having to adjust the seat before I can even get in the car after my wife has driven it is really a pain.
There were no bad things. I got 44-46 miles on the first generation Volt and 64-66 (record of 71) miles on my 2017 to 2021 66k mile Volt, right up until the day my son totaled it. Also, my 2017 Volt was averaging 42-46 combined mpg on gasoline only. There STILL is no plug-in range that beats that. It even died a great death. My son walked away from that accident with a stiff wrist. Still my best car ever, although I’m warming to my 2022 Bolt EV lease.
Nice review. I have 2 volts. 2012 and 2019. Reliability wise the 2012 has been fantastic.No issues at all. The GM required updates to the hybrid control module has been done to extend the battery life. 200,000 miles and coming up on 13 years old it still goes strong, but the engine does come on more often in cool weather and almost as soon as it is turned on in below freezing. No issues except for tires. 2019 has had the HV battery disconnect relay fail under warranty and the cabin heater shut off valve for the heater failed. Other than that it has been great. Love the car. Was pissed off at GM when they killed it. Still hoping that the voltec drave train will return in an SUV because that would be a huge seller.
i actually don't think GM wanted it to be 'too' successful. They used it to keep overall efficiency in line. That said, i had a runin with a deer in my 2013 and i just purchased a 2017. I REALLY don't know what i'm going to do if these are out of service. i LOVE mine. 100% all the way. just a perfect car for its use.
I've been driving my Gen 2 Volt for four years now, and I still really like it. Heated seats are great to conserve energy in cold weather, and the heated steering wheel option is covered in leather.
The thing that gets me is alot of plug-in hybrids were cancelled because the gas prices were low during that time period, so customers gravitated towards big trucks. Now that the gas prices are insanely high alot of the PHEVs have been cancelled, it may be years before they adjust to market conditions again.
Thanks for the excellent review, I really like the Chevy Volt, I have a 2017 model and it is great to drive, very quite and a smooth ride. As I have a 220V charging station at home I can charge up in about 4 -5 hours, and usually have only to purchase gas every six months. It does not have high maintenance costs, because most of the time the gas motor is not even running. Only think I miss is not having a CD player, but it is a great car overall. Thanks
Just bought a 2016 used premier volt. It was the only one like it for sale in the area and I'm so glad I was able to snatch it up for half the (new) msrp. I've only used it in gas mode once since getting it 3 weeks ago. I was weighing a lot of the same comments you made against it, small trunk and cargo area (I also find that it sits very low to the ground), but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives especially since it's such a unique car. I know many folks with it's electric counterpart, the Bolt, and while it's a car I think a lot of folks in the EV community are sleeping on, the lack of coordination between charging companies makes it hell to find reliable charging if you're roadtripping (unless you go through 3rd party apps like a better route planner or chargeway). We've gone on about 4 or 5 road trips in the Bolt and the charging was the thing that turned me away from going full electric. Sorry for the essay-like comment, but I like the points you made.
I’m getting one as all my kids are getting old enough to drive and I don’t need a van anymore. Looking forward to not spending so much money at the gas pump.
I have a first generation (2012 model) Volt, bought in 2011. It is now about 12 years old, and I still love it. Almost no problems. Always does what I want it to do. I cannot imagine why Chevy cancelled it. Town car electric (my usual routine), but gas if you want to go further (my unusual thing). I gas up about three times per year. I average 225+ mpg.
@@anthonyrenteria8673 It depends on your driving conditions, but for my typical use (mix of in-town driving and highways, and mild hills) I get 50 miles of electric and about 340 miles from the gas tank.
This is an excellent review, I always liked the Chevy Volt but I loved the 2nd Gen. When I found out a friend of mine designed it, I REALLY got interested in it.
One thing to note about the Hold mode… you are running on the gas engine until you need to accelerate around a slow car at highway speed. The battery/main motor kicks in to give you that torque kick you need to pass slow drivers. Once you let off the accelerator it reverts back to the gas engine output. As a followup, it will recharge the lost electricity for doing this by temporarily kicking into mountain mode which is usually two or three minutes at the most. I’ve been amazed at the performance the Volts in how the computers onboard maintained a perfect balance between the gas engine and the battery system. I have a 2013 (new) and a 2018 (new to me) and I can say that other than overall mileage the two cars have the same performance… except one issue. The 2013 here in the mid-Atlantic where we deal with iced over roads, the 2013 does a much better “crawl” over iced roads. The 2018, not so much not but only by a small margin. I prefer to drive the 2013 when roads are iffy s I have outperformed Jeep 4WD on inclined iced over roads on multiple occasions. The 2013 is the only Volt that I can drive literally at 1MPH if needed with full traction. All I need now it enlarge my garage for three vehicles instead of two so I can have both Volts and another car in the insulated/heated garage.
Chevrolet did do an excellent job explaining how it works, this I will contest to while spending 3 days at the Los Angeles Auto Show when first Introduced. The thing that most people didn't understand is the 2 words "Teathered" and "Generator" ! Not understanding this was an issue, (1)this car NOT being Teathered to a power plug and (2) Having to explain the difference between an Engine and a Generator. You made valid points but still you're delivery on these 2 points where made vague at Best. Maybe you can elaborate More about Generator VS Engine. I had asked many attending people at that Auto show and everyone of them where confused about that difference between an engine and Generator.There are many other things Good to say about this vehicle, will save for another time. Thanks for your video and support for a real fine car.
I’m planning to go from a 2014 Cadillac ATS to the 2017 Volt in January, so I appreciate your video! I’m looking forward to the increased efficiency while keeping the familiar interior and saving 💰 overall.
I own a 2017 and I love it. ONE THING to consider is climate. The gas engine will come on when it's cold. There is no wiper on the back window and water,snow etc so on it because of the angle of the glass, the defroster for the rear times out and turns off to save battery. It becomes a problem when it's really cold. And last but not least...the car will get nice and warm in the winter or cool in the summer but you have to really crank the a/c and that uses a lot more battery. That aside it is a fantastic, silent car that I love to drive. And if I had it to do all over, knowing what I know now..I'd get the exact same car again. It's funny, my other car is a cx5 as well. Also. There is a Regen brake on the back of the steering wheel that I use for 90% of my braking. (I think he forgot to mention that). I've heard that it was very expensive to build and the dealerships didn't know how to sell them . If the margin is better on cars other cars ..the sales people will sell the one they make more money on.. There isn't much to service. Which benefits you, but not the dealership. I would recommend looking at a used one. The price drops substantially. If you think you'd like it..chances are you will.
My biggest complaint about the climate control on the Volt is FOG!! A huge area of opportunity for future EV's is figuring out the interior fogging issue. Never had a car that the windshield fogs so badly on, and is nearly impossible to keep clear, when it's cold and humid. :-) (I'm in Michigan.)
Brilliant review. Already have a Bolt (owned now) and just bought a used Volt (2017-same year as we bought the Bolt). They are very similar in many ways. We have a charging station at our home. Love the fact that we will be driving 100% electric except for road trips.
Thanks for this video. I am surprised Chevorlet stopped making this car, it really seemed to be competition for the plug-ins that are in the market today, especially from Hyundai and Toyota. Yes, Chevrolet should have converted this to an SUV and worked a little on the interior room. Cheaper than a Tesla though and more in line with my daily driving, without giving me range anxiety,
Great review! I have enjoyed many of your moto reviews as well. I just bought a 2018 volt. Everything that you say is spot on. I would only add that Chevy no longer qualified for the federal tax credit with the Volt. I don’t know why they didn’t incorporate the Voltec drivetrain into a small SUV like Toyota did with the RAV 4 Prime.
I've be taught to buy Japanese cars - all my parents and older siblings have it. I just saw this car and fell in love and went for it. Almost 2 years in and LOVE it.
I have a 2012. Acceleration is actually better in my old Leaf, but I still like the volt. GM had to make the Volt to get bailed out in 2008. They never wanted it.
Great video and thank you for being so informative and getting right to the important stuff. Personally I think Chevy had a winner here and I was a bit surprised that it didn't do all that well. Even with the range of Tesla these days, range anxiety is still a thing and this completely takes that out of the equation.
Great breakdown. I love my 2017 Volt, bought it new with all the full tax credits and sales tax exemptions, have almost 40k on it, and no problems. I think it is faster than advertised, with full charge in summer in sport mode we have clocked at flat 6.0 to 60, it does start tailing off on torque after about 40mph though. We run it almost full EV around town, maybe one full tank a year, and with clean hydro power at a cheap $.07 a KWH here where we live it is cheap to charge from home and she is always topped off when leaving the garage. Not as fun to drive long distance in hybrid mode, gets about 42 MPG on long-distance trips. Bummer Chevy sent this car the way of the EV1.....at least we get to keep them though!
Good review of the volt. I own a 1st gen and love it. I am 67 age wise and it's the best car i've ever owned. In the nearly 5 years that i have owned it, I have put in around 150 gallons of gas. Before I retired, I drove to work and back everyday on the charge. the only time I bought gas was in the winter when temps dropped below 35 and on a trip or two. I do think Chevy is making a mistake if they drop this technology.
In under 32 deg F I get ~45mpg on the engine. I got the 2019 this January, went through the polar vortex in Wisconsin and lowest electric range was 36 miles. Now that it’s been in the 40’s the range has hit 50. These are HIGHWAY ranges that I am actually driving, not estimations. I drive with cruise set at 65mph and it’s GPS accurate. In city, I have no doubt I could get in the 60’s as highway uses the most electricity. The car is ultra quiet, ultra comfortable seats, great suspension and handling. I had vowed never to own a GM after I had a 1985 Chevy S-10 in the early 90’s. So 30 years later I’ve got another Chevy and it exceeds my expectations. The gas engine is very quiet and sips gas. Put the back seats down and the storage is plentiful and because it’s a hatchback it is very easy to get big items in. Hatchbacks are the most practical car in my opinion. Love this car.
Love your honest reviews of the things you own and have owned :). Keep up the good work! Ps.....I had no idea there was a gasoline engine in those things....
SK. this car does Not have an engine, it has a gasoline generator that produces electric to drive the electric motors. Gasoline is only for the Generator when needed, when the batteries go below 7% the generator kicks on, and makes electric to power the car. Hope this clears up your understanding a bit.
FIY, the heated seats and steering wheel are a more efficient way to stay comfortable in colder weather, and that option comes with a leather covered steering wheel, which is still looking great after five years.
When I bought my 2017 Volt four years ago, I could just get to my mom’s house on the electric charge, a distance of about 100 k. I can still do that. I notice no deterioration at all in the battery.
@@reginarose2428 I'm a fairly recent Volt owner. The battery charge cycle is engineered to never fully charge or fully discharge (charges to 80%, discharges to 20%). The remaining battery capacity is not provided to you or shown. This has lead to tremendous battery life and there are very few stories of Volts losing significant charge capacity. Part of this is reflected in the fact that the warranty on the Voltec system in the car (which includes the battery) is 8 years or 100,000 miles. I think the longest battery usage on record is somewhere around 400,000 miles without serious degradation.
Paul Chapman Thanks for the scoop! I was wondering if the battery would typically go bad right after the 100,000 mile/8 year warranty like it would if it were manufactured abroad. Thanks a million for answering my question. Armed with that knowledge, I think I’m about to pull the trigger on getting one of these. It will be my first electric ⚡️ vehicle 🚗. Most excited!
I just bought a used 2017 since it was cheaper than the Prius Prime, and so far, I've driven it a little under 70 miles, and the engine hasn't come on once (which worries me a bit because I don't know if the engine even works at this point. I have a short drive to a casino by my house where I go to top it off a free charge, but the range so far seems to be nearing 70+ miles on EV and unknown on MPG, estimating 250+ MPG equivalent. It's fascinating! The A/C on my car takes almost 10 minutes to finally kick in. It's show.
Over the past 7+ years, I've been mostly happy with my Volt. The biggest downside is the blind spots, but I rely on the blind spot alerts (yellow lights) and I haven't crashed yet... LOL! I only have to fill the gas tank about 6x per YEAR!
good video! thanks. / you're right about lack of marketing, I just found out that it's a Hybrid... I thought it was electric only. Some people call it the "Bolt" when really it's Volt. oh well, I didn't know it has been discontinued either. Prius is a huge success and getting better.
I own one of the first dozen 2016 sold in California and at the time I thought it was at the top of GM engineering. 5 years later I can see they abandoned it all and I own one of a kind great car.
I discovered the Volt by test driving a used one with 92K miles on it with no intention of buying it. After a very short drive I was won over and started looking for lower mileage one. Found a great deal on a 2015 model and have been driving it for 2 1/2 years now. It is my favorite car. I like it much more than my Prius. I will buy a 2018 or 2019 eventually.
2014 VOLT [volt = joule/coulomb] owner. Best automobile investment I made in my 40+ years of driving over 700,000 miles. Previous cars were Toyotas. Driving in generator mode I get 39 +/- 1 MPG. Charge free at work every weekday. You can maximize mileage if you want. But it's fun to accelerate. By the way it takes corners well to.
Great video and review. 2nd time I've watched this, what I don't recall from ~2 years ago is your analysis on the standardization of charging, which is critical. Thanks!
Great point regarding the leasing. Hybrid is by far the most green (mining minerals for battery/manufacturing with coal fired electric), and most bang for your buck/ ROI. Hybrid destroys Tesla, hands down for the average American commute.
I owned 2 2012 volts, my only complaint would be cold weather range and mpg reduction. I went to a Prius prime with a heat pump and while the electric range was 10 miles lower the MPG on gas was 60 or better compared to 40 on the volt and the winter didn’t reduce that economy or range like the Volts.
Added issue 1) infotainment is quarry- I have to play music to my phone, start the car, wait for the Bluetooth to connect before I plug the phone exclusively in that order. Otherwise, the audio may be mute and I can’t control the audio. 2) Car discontinued has another reason. I heard of and agreed that dealers undermine the sales of the car because their business model is to make money for the maintenance. Since the car may have an oil change every 45k miles, the dealer saw this car as disagreeable to their way of making money.
possibility, but Dealers are franchises and have to follow what corporate dictates. My local GM dealer started selling / servicing EVs, because they were mandated by GM. They're very short sighted though. Those who adapt will get ahead.
Loved this video! Thanks for sharing. He makes an incredibly valid point that no one ever seems to talk about. And that’s the charging cable/port issue. We have a Tesla and love that their charging stations are everywhere, reliable, and pretty quick. I also owned a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and, although I had a good ElectrifyAmerica station by me, I hear horror stories about other stations around the country and certainly not as many as Tesla’s supercharging network. I think other manufacturers will get heavy into the EV market, but the infrastructure absolutely needs to change. And change fast. Specifically, for non-Teslas.
I have a premier and i just picked up an LT same color. I thought they all had heated steering wheel and seats, but i see yours doesn't. I'm glad my LT does. I don't mind the steering wheel feel. feels like rubber. The seats i threw on fake leather covers and i like it. Makes them softer to the touch.
You can find Gen 1 Volts for under $10k and Gen 2 for $15-20k now. I used to have a Gen 1 and I loved it so much, and I've decided my next car will be a Gen 2 because of all the improvements. I've also been really interested in the new Ford Escape Plug-In which has similar specs to the Gen 1 volt in an SUV body.
Chevy advertised the Volt far more than other companies advertised their EVs. Look at some other EV companies. They're not advertising at all. The dealership issue supposedly happened.... but again, look at other EV companies, they don't exactly need to explain BEV powertrains. The issue was that it was complicated to explain the details, and GM made a joke of that during their ad campaign. Explaining it was also highly dependent on individual driving habits, and hard to get people to understand the benefits for the higher price. To drive, it's a bit more complex to drive than an ICE or BEV IF you're trying to maximize your miles driven. For people who don't care to min/max, then it was as simple as leaving it in the normal mode, plugging it in every night, then going to the gas station with the fuel gets low. That's how it should have been advertised. "Start every day with 53 miles of electric range, gas station trips drop from a few times a month, to a few times a year, fuel costs drop by up to 2/3rds". As a Volt owner, I can tell you 100% that the real issue with the Volt was that it was priced far too high for a relatively unattractive vehicle that's far too small and cheap feeling inside and outside to justify the cost. As to price... state governments played a really bad part here with how they ran their GHG/ZEV credit programs. Due to the lower electric range, the Volt only generated 1.3 ZEV credits, even though most Volt owners lowered their emissions by anywhere from 70% to 95%. The production of the smaller battery pack generated less emissions/pollution than the large batteries that the long range BEVs used. Volt wasn't rewarded at all for minimizing the amount of emissions they frontloaded. The model S/X and now the 3/Y generated ~4 credits each as a result of their longer range, but anyone with a brain knows that longer range doesn't translate directly to lower emissions. The longer the range, the more diminishing returns... but GHG credit program administrators didn't care. I have no doubt Tesla setting up shop in California had a lot to do with this unfair treatment... Since the government made these credits tradable, Tesla was able to sell each credit for $1000-$3000 apiece, generating huge 100% profits from the sale of those credits, whereas other OEMs whose entire infrastructure is built on ICE vehicles needed to use their own credits. Since the Volt produced so few credits, there's a good chance it didn't produce enough to mitigate GM's ICE offerings, so they were forced to buy credits from companies like Tesla. That gave Tesla the huge advantage of being able to price their cars 'more' competitively as a result of such huge government incentives and almost mandated credit sales. As a result of this uneven treatment of the Volt, the price advantage was skewed towards long range BEVs. Also complicating matters is that GM had high MSRP on their Volt, which the car didn't justify... but as anyone who looked into it found, you could get deep discounts on these vehicles. GM overpriced the MSRP knowing that the federal and state EV tax credits would bring the purchase price down by $7500+ for most buyers. Tesla did the same, but they could fall back on their car's performance metrics to justify the higher price, and it was far more advertised that Tesla purchases would qualify for the full federal credit. On top of this, GM had a complex system of factory and dealer incentives that went further to lower the price to match supply and demand. It was all very complex and took a lot of research to figure out what was what. Moronic government policy had a lot to do with the downfall of the Volt.
Just paid $14.5 for a pristine 2018 Volt w/ 60K miles and a lot of extras normally in the premium model (leather, etc.) Love it so far. Looked at a new Bolt and this was hands down a better value.
Got a 05 2 door civic and 2 kids. That backseat is pretty room for a baby seat. Is there a regular plug? Like outlet? First thing I though was that's great for camping. Build in generator in a closure and muffler with battery pack or your generator don't stay on all night. Even power goes out at the house plug in to the car , have power for few main things I the house. I am in love . Great video , God bless
Nice video! I bought a 2013 used Volt and liked it so much that I have a 2017 used Volt now. Like your video says, buying them used is a great way to save money. Both of my Volts were the Premium packages and I purchased them for a fraction of what they were new. I plan to drive my 2017 as long as possible but if needed, I would buy another so hopefully I can find a nice used 2019 Volt in the future.
Been wanting to buy one 2018 , for my daily commute about 80mi. Everyone says that chevy breaks down alot, but most reviews for volt are pretty darn good.
It's an excellent deal as a used car, you can get a 2-3 year old 20,000 mile example for 20K or less. I recently acquired an off-lease 2018 Volt from a GM dealer. It is in excellent shape, looks and drives like new and cost only $19,000. I've gone from liking it to really loving it in a few short months. The long-term durability of these is really quite good according to various sources, even though Consumer Reports ranked the reliability merely average when new in 2016. I have yet to find a Volt owner, Gen 1 or Gen 2, who doesn't love his or hers. I plan to keep mine for a long time because nobody makes anything that combines the advantages of electric with the freedom of gas.
We have a 2018 premier. The only thing we have changed is oil air filter, and tires. We're still on factory bake pads and rotors. We have been on vacations with it, use very little gas. Tires may have lasted longer, but it is driven hard😂. Burn outs are fun. Take out a mustang and eyes are on you.
The Volt was indeed the right way to do a hybrid car....a series hybrid. I would like to see a 100mile battery only range model..50-60kwhr. battery pack.
We own a Tesla and a Nissan Leaf but we just bought a used Chevy Volt. It is nice to have a standby gas engine if we ever need it. It actually drives better than a Nissan Leaf for sure. Not quite as good as a Tesla but for the price we paid compared to what we paid for the Tesla, I think we are getting a lot of bang for our buck. This guy made a really nice comprehensive review video.
BINGO GM dealers did not want to sell the Volt, and after 200,000 units the rebate was no longer available , so the cost went up. I have a 13 Volt w 118,000 miles on it. ZERO problems and never do any brake jods any more. The Used Volts are a real bargain.
They should bring back the voltec system to the Equinox, Terrain and even Acadia. With a bigger battery that would probably give 100 miles and a modest gas engine, it would sell well. 100 miles is more than enough and the odd long trip with gas.
I currently have a Ford Fusion Energi, and I wish I had a Chevy Volt. My plan is to wait until 2022 and get a used 2019 fully loaded Volt from a lease.
@@Dewey_Boondye420 Here are my reasons: 1. The Volt has more truck space, and the seats can lay down flat. The Ford Fusion Energi has very little trunk space because of the battery. 2. The Fusion's electric range is too short for my commute. I can only go about 15-16 miles on a charge. 3. The Volt has a better combined mpg that fusion, so even off of a charge you're getting better mileage with the Volt. I will say the fusion has a better interior in terms of quality and size, but that isn't too important to me.
@@Dewey_Boondye420 I just remembered some other things while I was driving around! So my fusion has ventilated front seats (cooled seats, great if you live somewhere hot), a sunroof, dual climate control, rear a/c vents, memory seats (remembers different settings for different drivers), and power-adjustable driver and passenger seats. The top version of the 2019 Volt has none of those things except power-adjustable DRIVER seats. If you care about those features, the Volt won't have them, but the Ford Fusion will (some of these are optional so you have to find them if you're buying used). Still, I personally would give up these features for the range the volt provides. If you have any other questions about the Fusion, let me know!
@@seporokey that's a HUGE disappointment think about getting a volt is a step down to your fusion, common sense now, you lose allot of features... Don't do it , I got a Ford fusion Titanium Hybrid 2019 loaded I love it glad I didn't get a volt z it's so low on equipment for the price
Yes as far as a PHEV goes, this car had the best of both worlds with just enough all electric range for most people as a daily driver. It is expensive without all the incentives though depending on where you live. The reason I didn't get one though was it was too small for my needs. I could buy a used one and use it as a daily driver when I don't need a larger car but I will never buy a used hybrid/electric car because of the battery wear and possible replacement issue.
@@DougKalmer Yeah but most of these warranties aren't transferable or they get watered down for a second owner. Hyundai had limited lifetime against defects and also a decent mileage on the battery. I ended up getting a fully loaded Sonata hybrid and it had an enormous interior which I loved. The phev version of it was a joke though. If here was a PHEV on the market now with at least 50 mpg that I like I would scoop one up. There are some that are close but no dice.
For electric car , to upgrade the range of the battery, you can do it really easily by swaping with lightweight wheel set, may cost a bit but it could up it by 20 miles for sure its insane
14:24 I saw a guy drive his home made remote controlled electric lawn mower up ramps into the back of his Volt. It was at the Earth Day Fair in Rochester, Michigan and I was so damn impressed by everything I saw there. I was hooked to getting a volt ever since. (i'm so sick of mowing the lawn.)
The volt being discontinued was just a side effect of other circumstances. The volt sold fairly well but all of the other vehicles at the Detroit plant it was produced at failed. The plant was closed and the volt was deemed to far into it's lifecycle to have production relocated.
I really like my 2012 Volt. I bought the car with 76K miles (2 owners) May 2017. It now has 106K miles now (4 years later). It drives and feels like it only has 10K miles on it. Very tight and yes it has some get up an go for a small car. I had to put tires on it and a battery temp. sensor. I have to say this is the BEST commuter car out there no questions asked. Some A-Hole in Prius stopped me at a traffic light wanted to know my mileage. After a few smart A@@ comments to me I said "guess what this car was made in the USA jerkoff" I will drive it until it only get holds a charge of 10 or 15 miles on the battery.
The reason why the prius survived and the volt didn't is the price. Toyota keeps the price down with a much smaller battery and engine combo and built the car around it. GM just shoved a bunch of tech into an existing chassis.
Thanks for the video, I had a 1st gen volt, and loved it, few years later and need a second car for a bit and doing some research on 2nd gen volts. Might I suggest you do a little more research on pure electric cars, your comments (an hour to charge on road trips) was just lol. I also have a Tesla also and would drive that cross country in a heart beat before I drove my 1st gen volt, or even the 2nd gen volt I'm most likely going to buy. I have taken many long distance trips in my Tesla and it's awesome, thanks again for the info on the volt.
Loved your video. Just thinking about getting one preowned down here in Mexico and your comments helped me a lot. Loved the view of your place also, good for having a couple of tequilas 👌
I love my 2018..I only run the gas engine when I'm on the highway, that way it stays warm and it's not running below operating temperatures around town. I switch to electric in town and make sure I always go home with a dead battery. It's great! 110 mile commute and I'm averaging over 84mpg. TIP: Warm the gas engine up to heat the interior. Works much better
Great review, although you didn't talk about the regen paddle shifter. PS: I'm so sorry you have to suffer through that view. It's soooo terrible lolol.
@@dogfacedponysoldier87 I don’t remember exactly how it works, it’s been a while since I researched it. Basically when you push the regen paddle shifter it kind of feels like you’re pushing the brake pedal. Both the pedal and the paddle regenerates the battery but not enough to keep it charged up. It may actually help add a few miles to your range but that’s it. I don’t use it much..
It's the paddle behind the left side of the steering wheel. When you pull it the car boosts up the regen so much that it feels like you're braking. The brake lights come on also. It's fun to try and hit it right at the time that will bring you to a stop right where you want to stop. It's almost a game you can get good at with practice. Speaking of regen, the review also missed a great feature of the Volt which is 1 pedal driving. If you put the shift lever in L, that doesn't really shift to a low gear like it would in a normal car. Instead, it boosts the regen amount when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal. The regen is less than using the paddle but it's a lot more than when you're not in L. That let's you slow down more than normal just by lifting your foot off the accelerator pedal so you can drive the car without having to touch the brake pedal as much. You have to get good at that also or else passengers will complain about constant jerky accel and decel. But if you're alone it's great.
@@StevenShelikoff Agreed, in L the one pedal driving is amazing. I wondered if taking my foot off the accelerator would put on the brake light and it sure does. It doesn’t come on immediately at release (you wouldn’t want that to happen), it comes on at the appropriate time.
@@ramblin_man23 I test drove a Bolt with one, and it was instantly addicting. It's so intuitive, you miss it after just 10 minutes of driving. Going back to a car without it sucks. you'll wonder why every car doesn't have one.
I agree Chevy should kept this amazing car and built on this concept and made better advancements on the range I would love to buy one as well brand new would be awesome but a nice used one will work too great video
Thanks! After years of teasing a customer, "I see you drove your coal burner today.", I might look at buying one. GM had to make some hard decisions. Pontiac and Oldsmobile haven't made sense in years. However, Saturn with its Vue outsold all of the other SUVs in that size put together 5:1. The problem was across the line they were not doing well. I'm guessing that the Volt was one of those things where it was and on-again-off-again with a bright future but one they didn't have the money to float until it got there. It took a bankruptcy to break the union to be untied to make the decisions required to save the company. The handling of the bankruptcy was government-backed theft of stockholder's money, but effective.
I love my 2017 premium Volt.. but I had a "reduced propulsion" message on the dash and engine light turned on. Took it to a dealer..the part wasn't available till 5 days ago! It was an EGR valve. So I waited over 5 months for the part. So I used it only on Electric for that time and worried gas would go bad. But everything is fine now.. and love it. But hope the EGR valve is not a repeating problem.
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Chevy dealers hated the Volt because there is not much to maintain. Change the wipers, rotate tires, and if need be an oil change.
Great review, and the reason you gave is the reason why I bought it.
The Volt just can't compete with Toyota's Hybrid lineup. They couldn't sell enough Volts hence why they killed it. The Prius, camry hybrid, corolla hybrid, and rav4 hybrid are just better.
It does have an ordinary gas engine which can also give you trouble and now that giant recall for batteries.
@@Hboogie182 The Volt cost $40k to make, it's nice. The Toyota's make a profit, and THAT, is why the plug was pulled. ( Volt cost as much to make as it was sold for). Dealers don't want to sell it, because it never needs repairs, which, if you don't know, is where dealers make their profit margin.... add that up and think about it.
@@Hboogie182 why
@@lukespack Where is this battery recall? I only see a backseat seatbelt recall for 2018-2019
I've owned my 2012 Volt since 2015 . And I love it , it's at 241000 miles now with dam near zero maintenance ..😃 and no signs of slowing down yay 😁
Cool
that’s awesome!!
How much battery only range do you have left?
@@clayjhall Hi there well it was still giving use 39 miles on a charge . But someone ran a red light and the insurance did a total lose on it Fortnightly no one was hurt ..
@@arnulfoesparza601 those idiots! Smh glad you're safe and healthy. I wanted to know did your electric battery go out? I have a 2014 with 85k miles on it. They say that around 100k you may need a new battery costing 4k? Have you experienced this?
If this car had a Toyota badge on it instead of a Chevy bowtie, it would have been a smash hit. Many Americans nowadays won't even consider an American car. Sad because GM really did a great job with this car. They have world class engineers but their bureaucracy and marketing corps hamstrings the whole company.
Agree
Spot on perspective!
I know right, this is literally a prius but better looking.
@@reduxith I think the exact opposite, I'd never ever own a car with a sombreo emblem on it.
GM killed Saab so they can suck it
So sad that Chevy killed this. EVs are great, but still really damn expensive, the volt is kind of the perfect in-between.
yep
@randy s but its just so UGLY
@randy s Prius Prime is only rated at 25 miles EV range. The Volt is more then double that.
I think it depends on the person and what they consider expensive. My 2014 always 14k at 48k miles plus tax came out to 17k I put 10k down on it. My payment is 120 a month lol
especially in today's market. If Chevy packaged this Voltec Plug in powertrain in an SUV, It would've sold so well. Seems like Chevy only knows how to sell trucks and corvettes sometimes. . .
I seen several reviews of the Chevy Volt and this review is by far the best one I have seen. Thank you for your honest review and well put together analysis of the car and it’s surrounding competition.
Glad it was helpful!
I own a 2018 Chevy Volt. Best car I have ever owned. We have 40K miles and have averaged about 160 mpg. In good weather, we normally get about 60 miles pure electric range. We have changed the synthetic oil once a year and replaced the tires....that is ALL. The car is fast, comfortable, and incredibly inexpensive to maintain. I was told that GM never tried to aggressively market the Volt as they lost money on each Volt they sold.
Thanks for sharing
I heard that too, it's too bad also since I love my 2017, I've gotten into the habit of using Stabil since I may use the ICE a handful of times a year at the most and isn't even broken in yet by conventional ICE vehicle standards and I have a little over 100k km on the electric drivetrain.
Thanks for sharing. Do you think a 2018 LT with 20k miles is worth 19k with a pre-owned certified warranty?
It was a beta test platform to get data for what they want to do next. Kinda obvious if you've ever created anything.
Any check engine lights?
I absolutely LOVE my 2015 Volt. Its my daily driver and I haven't had to pump gas into it for almost 6 months, I've had the car burn gas because its a risk of going stale like 4 separate times since I bought it. On cold days I run it on "hold" mode just to get a boost in cabin heat because I'm confident it will eventually start burning it when I really have no use for it. I could have managed with a really low end EV but the comfort of knowing I could drive to Grandma Mables house on the weekends without having to borrow somebody elses car is great. I only keep about 2 gallons of gas in my car btw, just for peace of mind and enough to get to a station when I actually start burning gas for real. I can't imagine any other car where I roll with the same 2 gallons of gas for half a year or more!
Wait until it needs an expensive repair
toyoscio
and when might that be?
There are vo,Ta that have 460,000 miles on them and he’s, tires, etc., wheel bearings but there has ever been a reported battery failure (the volt battery is both air and liquid cooked) and the engines hardly ever run. We have, so far, had three Chevy volts.
A 2012 with 105,000 miles on it when we bought it in 2014 for $10k. Traded it in with 129,000 miles on it and got $6k on a trade on. We traded it in on a brand new 2017 Vo,t Premier, list $42,080 and the dealer gave us $6,000 off MSRP, the IRS gave us $7500 tax credit, the state of PA gave us $2,000 and GM financial gave us 60 months at 0% interest. In May, we bought a used 2017 Volt premier for our winter house in Florida , with 75,000 miles on it. Perfect condition and paid $13,900 for it, on a $40,000 car.
My wife loves our Volts, which have every conceivable safety option. The gas engines never wear out. No water pump or other issues since they hardly run. Our three year old volt still charges to 54 miles and since there is a paddle brake using the motors to recharge, brakes wearing out are almost non existent. The only problem is GM was nuts to stop making them because they never teed . Survey after survey shows 97% of all Volt owners rated them as superb.
@@DrTom1946 I've been researching the shit out of these cars and am really close to getting a 2015 Premier w/35k on it at a local dealer for $13.9k. Look at gm-volt.com, you can find some expensive issues, from cells going bad in the battery, to the BECM needing replaced (requires dropping and pulling the battery pack apart). BECM issues seemed to happen at very low miles, between 20-40k on 2nd gen Volts. The bad part is a lot of times things go wrong as you're just cruising down the highway with no kind of warning at all. I do all my own work, repairs I generally don't worry too much about, but one thing I do worry about is the price of a replacement battery pack (GM PC 22944871 over $6k new) and also availability with GM dumping the voltec drivetrain. The hybrid electic components have an 8yr/100k warranty on them, but what happens 10 years beyond that? 15 years? 20 years?
I can have the LB7 Duramax rebuilt in my '01 Silverado today no problem, will I be able to get a new battery pack for the 2015 Volt in 2035? Or will it be a paperweight? Hell, even the regular 12v battery shows "discontinued" looking it up on gmpartsdirect.com for a 2015, that doesn't really give me confidence that I'm going to be able to keep this car on the road long term. I'm ok with a car needing repairs, I'm ok with expensive repairs that pop up very infrequently (battery pack), what I'm not ok with is simply being SOL because the parts to fix it no longer exist. Even knowing all this I'm still tempted to buy it just because it's a cool car, I like how it looks, and I can save a bit on fuel to boot. Guess I'd just have to hope for some way to modify it to make stuff from the Bolt work in it somehow, since those are still in production. For now, at least.
I own a 2013 and live in Ohio so we have cold winters. I usually fill up before December and again in say march or April. If I have a surplus I run the car in hold mode and use it up if I'm worried about the freshness of the fuel.
@@GrandPrix46 after market batteries will be around for after that 8 year warranty (8/100k warranty covers battery, does transfer with used sale of car).
I have a Model 3 and a 2017 Volt and without any question, the Volt is far far more reliable than my Model 3. Volt is extremely quick, and battery longevity is absolutely extraordinary. Prius Prime is cheaper yes, but it's outdated air cooled and will not last long term. Volt is also on a long trip cheaper than my Model 3. People forget, Volt gas tank is only 30L, yet gives you over 500kms on that gas generator and another 100 kms on EV. That is cheaper to go on longer trips than my Model 3 which can vary from $22 to $34 to fully charge to 90%. Volt will get you there faster too. Volt is the best transition car money can buy. Don't waste your money on a Prius Prime, Volt in every way is the better value and much more enjoyable to drive.
Wait until it needs repair on a critical part.
@@toyoscio Volt Powertrain (batteries, electric motors, gas engine) are under the Voltec warranty, 8 years/100,000 miles. In California that is bumped up to 150,000 miles. Failures on the Volt are rare.
in what way is your model 3 not reliable? when has your motor ever died on you or youve been unable to drive?
@@kingprone7846 12V battery dying did exactly that, which is kind of silly for such a new car. It's all under warranty, which is great and service is excellent, but being stranded because of a flaky unmonitored 12V is frustrating with any car. It is a common problem on all Model 3's. Software updates that are often fun, have resulted in functions being disabled for weeks until the next update. I enjoy the car a lot and I don't regret buying my Model 3, but the quality control needs improving. The Volt has needed nothing for years except for an oil change ever 2 years.
Jenny, ty for the info. Very useful ! ARE YOU LISTENING TESLA ? YOU NEED TO GET YOUR FUEL TO YOUR CUSTOMERS TANKS FOR CHEAPER THAN IT IS COSTING !!!!!
I own a 2017 Chevy volt LT with leather interior/trim, so my steering wheel is leather, and a Bose sound system and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! Like there’s absolutely nothing I dislike about it. Functionality, technical, ride and acceleration are, for all intent and purposes, pretty spot on. It’s fun and sporty and sophisticated and thus far after 61,500 miles I’ve only had to take it in once to replace to power transfer selector module and the warranty covered all the work no questions asked so thanks for the Chevrolet!!! As for speed...yo I out run most vehicles in town. 0-60 may be 7.5 BUT 0-45 is better than even a hemi Dodge Challenger! Boy the look on the guys face was priceless!
Rode in my friends second gen and he floored it - I was TOTALLY surprised at how much pull it had. We have a Pacifica Hybrid which drives nicer than the regular (with that horrible zf9 speed) - but it does start the gas motor if you accelerate at or beyond 75% throttle and for about moment while the transmission takes in the gas power (or switches to it) the acceleration bogs before picking up again. I don't like those dynamics and the way you describe the Volt (always electric) is exactly the dynamic I would want. Thanks!
We have owned three. 1 2012. 2 2017 Premiers that we still have. Traded in the 2012 on a new 2017. Love them all. Only one problem 12 volt (not main battery) went dead on one 2017 and had to replace it.
Most under rated car in existence.
Agree 1000% on the standardization of the plug.
They don’t make money with that, for example, why would Tesla want a Chevy volt to be able to use their supercharger? They don’t they want you to buy a Tesla so they make it that way
Great review! I agree with you on the points you make. My husband and I bought a Chevy Volt at the end of 2019. Since I still need to commute for my job, I drive this great little vehicle everyday of the work week without having to gas up every 7 - 10 days. The only time I have used gasoline fuel has been during the winter months, or on longer than 50 mile trips. Which is rare. Because of the very cold winter weather where I live, I remote start the Volt before heading out to work and back home again. In the cold weather, the gasoline feature starts out until the system is warm and then changes over to electric. I use more electric power during the winter months but, gas mileage is still awesome and so little is actually used. This makes gassing up less frequent, as well. I really like that I can simply plug it in when I get home and it’s ready the next morning. I love this vehicle and will drive it for as long as I own it!
awesome
I'll never forget the time I had my company car (Malibu) in for repair and the dealer provided a brand-new, $40,000 Volt for me to use for the week. I was very surprised. The guy said they just got this vehicle in days ago. I'd never seen one before and knew nothing about it. Once I drove it away and started checking out all the features I really found it to be cool. To me, it felt like I was operating a super-modified golf cart! You press on the gas pedal and it just goes. I didn't feel any real shifting or RPM indication that I remember. The torque was amazing! I remember pulling off the line next to other vehicles from a red light and it would beat anything on wheels for the first 100 yards. lol What I liked more than anything was the digital dash and all the bells and whistles. I've always been an interior freak and love all the lights and buttons. After all, this is what I look at when I drive. You can find them now on the used market (a few years old) for very reasonable price tags. I wouldn't mind owning one, to be honest. I've actually considered it.
You should do it! Absolutely love my 2019 Volt. :) My lifetime fuel economy is 168 MPG, and 78 MPGe.
Love my 2017 Premier, which I bought last June coming off a lease. With a 35 mile RT commute, I go months between fill ups. But when I need to go to my mother’s, 250 miles away, it’s no problem at all. I just do 200 of the highway miles on gas, and get around 45 mpg while doing it. Just a great car!
I have the same car and love it too! It's almost like a game to drive as much as you can on electricity and never get gas. I had a used 2013 Volt before getting my 2017 and I went an entire year (23,000 miles) before needing to go to the gas station. Like his video mentions, I only wish GM could have put the Voltec system in a smaller SUV or CUV so we could purchase another vehicle similar to the Volt. I guess when the time comes, a lot of us will be searching for a low mileage 2019 Volt in the future:)
Hi ! Thanks for posting! Planning on finding a used one .Be safe☺
I just purchased a 2019 used Volt and love it. I don’t care for GM but this one has been great.
2017 Volt LT and I agree 100% with everything you said. If anyone asks me for a great review of the car I'm pointing them here.
One thing is even if you get the LT instead of the Premier, if you're in a cold climate area, at least get the comfort package. If no one is in the back, heating the seats and steering wheel makes it comfortable enough that you don't have to heat the entire cabin as much and that uses less battery then heating the cabin.
Also, they really didn't perfect the car until 2019, just as they killed it off. So if you can afford it, get the 2019 Premier used when they start coming off lease in a year or two. Main advantages are twice as fast level 2 charging and power drivers seat. Always having to adjust the seat before I can even get in the car after my wife has driven it is really a pain.
great points
There were no bad things. I got 44-46 miles on the first generation Volt and 64-66 (record of 71) miles on my 2017 to 2021 66k mile Volt, right up until the day my son totaled it. Also, my 2017 Volt was averaging 42-46 combined mpg on gasoline only. There STILL is no plug-in range that beats that. It even died a great death. My son walked away from that accident with a stiff wrist. Still my best car ever, although I’m warming to my 2022 Bolt EV lease.
Nice review. I have 2 volts. 2012 and 2019. Reliability wise the 2012 has been fantastic.No issues at all. The GM required updates to the hybrid control module has been done to extend the battery life. 200,000 miles and coming up on 13 years old it still goes strong, but the engine does come on more often in cool weather and almost as soon as it is turned on in below freezing. No issues except for tires. 2019 has had the HV battery disconnect relay fail under warranty and the cabin heater shut off valve for the heater failed. Other than that it has been great. Love the car. Was pissed off at GM when they killed it. Still hoping that the voltec drave train will return in an SUV because that would be a huge seller.
I bought two 2013 Volt in 2015 and love them since.
i actually don't think GM wanted it to be 'too' successful. They used it to keep overall efficiency in line. That said, i had a runin with a deer in my 2013 and i just purchased a 2017. I REALLY don't know what i'm going to do if these are out of service. i LOVE mine. 100% all the way. just a perfect car for its use.
I've been driving my Gen 2 Volt for four years now, and I still really like it. Heated seats are great to conserve energy in cold weather, and the heated steering wheel option is covered in leather.
Thanks. Ordinarily I would never consider a GM product but, on the used market, thanks to your review, the Volt could make sense for me.
It makes a lot of sense. However Bolt prices have really come down too...
@@BigRockMoto Greg also provided a good review and comparisons for those interested: czcams.com/video/_FlR8mLx0FA/video.html
#MeToo
The thing that gets me is alot of plug-in hybrids were cancelled because the gas prices were low during that time period, so customers gravitated towards big trucks. Now that the gas prices are insanely high alot of the PHEVs have been cancelled, it may be years before they adjust to market conditions again.
Thanks for the excellent review, I really like the Chevy Volt, I have a 2017 model and it is great to drive, very quite and a smooth ride. As I have a 220V charging station at home I can charge up in about 4 -5 hours, and usually have only to purchase gas every six months. It does not have high maintenance costs, because most of the time the gas motor is not even running. Only think I miss is not having a CD player, but it is a great car overall. Thanks
thanks for sharing
Just bought a 2016 used premier volt. It was the only one like it for sale in the area and I'm so glad I was able to snatch it up for half the (new) msrp. I've only used it in gas mode once since getting it 3 weeks ago. I was weighing a lot of the same comments you made against it, small trunk and cargo area (I also find that it sits very low to the ground), but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives especially since it's such a unique car. I know many folks with it's electric counterpart, the Bolt, and while it's a car I think a lot of folks in the EV community are sleeping on, the lack of coordination between charging companies makes it hell to find reliable charging if you're roadtripping (unless you go through 3rd party apps like a better route planner or chargeway). We've gone on about 4 or 5 road trips in the Bolt and the charging was the thing that turned me away from going full electric.
Sorry for the essay-like comment, but I like the points you made.
Thanks
I’m getting one as all my kids are getting old enough to drive and I don’t need a van anymore. Looking forward to not spending so much money at the gas pump.
I have a first generation (2012 model) Volt, bought in 2011. It is now about 12 years old, and I still love it. Almost no problems. Always does what I want it to do. I cannot imagine why Chevy cancelled it. Town car electric (my usual routine), but gas if you want to go further (my unusual thing). I gas up about three times per year. I average 225+ mpg.
I love my 2017 Volt and agree with everything you said.
with a full charge and a full gas tank, about how many miles would you say it lasts?
@@anthonyrenteria8673 It depends on your driving conditions, but for my typical use (mix of in-town driving and highways, and mild hills) I get 50 miles of electric and about 340 miles from the gas tank.
@@peterouyang6286 most days i’d only be driving 10-15 miles so that’s perfect
@@anthonyrenteria8673 425 all the time - 375 on gas and 50 on Battery. Tesla can't do that.
This is an excellent review, I always liked the Chevy Volt but I loved the 2nd Gen. When I found out a friend of mine designed it, I REALLY got interested in it.
One thing to note about the Hold mode… you are running on the gas engine until you need to accelerate around a slow car at highway speed. The battery/main motor kicks in to give you that torque kick you need to pass slow drivers. Once you let off the accelerator it reverts back to the gas engine output. As a followup, it will recharge the lost electricity for doing this by temporarily kicking into mountain mode which is usually two or three minutes at the most. I’ve been amazed at the performance the Volts in how the computers onboard maintained a perfect balance between the gas engine and the battery system. I have a 2013 (new) and a 2018 (new to me) and I can say that other than overall mileage the two cars have the same performance… except one issue. The 2013 here in the mid-Atlantic where we deal with iced over roads, the 2013 does a much better “crawl” over iced roads. The 2018, not so much not but only by a small margin. I prefer to drive the 2013 when roads are iffy s I have outperformed Jeep 4WD on inclined iced over roads on multiple occasions. The 2013 is the only Volt that I can drive literally at 1MPH if needed with full traction. All I need now it enlarge my garage for three vehicles instead of two so I can have both Volts and another car in the insulated/heated garage.
Chevrolet did do an excellent job explaining how it works, this I will contest to while spending 3 days at the Los Angeles Auto Show when first Introduced. The thing that most people didn't understand is the 2 words "Teathered" and "Generator" ! Not understanding this was an issue, (1)this car NOT being Teathered to a power plug and (2) Having to explain the difference between an Engine and a Generator. You made valid points but still you're delivery on these 2 points where made vague at Best. Maybe you can elaborate More about Generator VS Engine. I had asked many attending people at that Auto show and everyone of them where confused about that difference between an engine and Generator.There are many other things Good to say about this vehicle, will save for another time. Thanks for your video and support for a real fine car.
I'm actually thinking of buying one, my 1999 vw beetle has met it's match
Neither is my 2005 Kia optima se 😂
I’m planning to go from a 2014 Cadillac ATS to the 2017 Volt in January, so I appreciate your video! I’m looking forward to the increased efficiency while keeping the familiar interior and saving 💰 overall.
Hey did you buy it finally? How do you like it? Thx
Volt owner here, and I fully agree with your review. Good honest job!
I own a 2017 and I love it. ONE THING to consider is climate. The gas engine will come on when it's cold. There is no wiper on the back window and water,snow etc so on it because of the angle of the glass, the defroster for the rear times out and turns off to save battery. It becomes a problem when it's really cold. And last but not least...the car will get nice and warm in the winter or cool in the summer but you have to really crank the a/c and that uses a lot more battery.
That aside it is a fantastic, silent car that I love to drive. And if I had it to do all over, knowing what I know now..I'd get the exact same car again. It's funny, my other car is a cx5 as well.
Also. There is a Regen brake on the back of the steering wheel that I use for 90% of my braking. (I think he forgot to mention that).
I've heard that it was very expensive to build and the dealerships didn't know how to sell them . If the margin is better on cars other cars ..the sales people will sell the one they make more money on..
There isn't much to service. Which benefits you, but not the dealership.
I would recommend looking at a used one. The price drops substantially. If you think you'd like it..chances are you will.
..until you need repair on a critical part
My biggest complaint about the climate control on the Volt is FOG!! A huge area of opportunity for future EV's is figuring out the interior fogging issue. Never had a car that the windshield fogs so badly on, and is nearly impossible to keep clear, when it's cold and humid. :-) (I'm in Michigan.)
I took a 130 mile trip to the mountains yesterday in a friends Volt. I was very impressed. Now I want one too.
Brilliant review. Already have a Bolt (owned now) and just bought a used Volt (2017-same year as we bought the Bolt). They are very similar in many ways. We have a charging station at our home. Love the fact that we will be driving 100% electric except for road trips.
Thanks for this video. I am surprised Chevorlet stopped making this car, it really seemed to be competition for the plug-ins that are in the market today, especially from Hyundai and Toyota. Yes, Chevrolet should have converted this to an SUV and worked a little on the interior room. Cheaper than a Tesla though and more in line with my daily driving, without giving me range anxiety,
Just bought a used 2018 volt with 31k miles in it. 3 days with it and I absolutely love it!
great
I should have sold my old Prius and picked one of these up in 2019/2020. The COVID tax/inflation on these has been wild at dealers
Great review! I have enjoyed many of your moto reviews as well. I just bought a 2018 volt. Everything that you say is spot on. I would only add that Chevy no longer qualified for the federal tax credit with the Volt. I don’t know why they didn’t incorporate the Voltec drivetrain into a small SUV like Toyota did with the RAV 4 Prime.
Cool, thanks!
Considering getting a used gen 2 Volt once it's time to move on from my 2012 Prius. Thanks for the review!
I've be taught to buy Japanese cars - all my parents and older siblings have it. I just saw this car and fell in love and went for it. Almost 2 years in and LOVE it.
great
Love my 2018 Volt. Fantastic car. Little maintenance, very peppy.
I have a 2012. Acceleration is actually better in my old Leaf, but I still like the volt. GM had to make the Volt to get bailed out in 2008. They never wanted it.
Yeah thats probably why they made it until 2019 right🤦♂️
Great video and thank you for being so informative and getting right to the important stuff. Personally I think Chevy had a winner here and I was a bit surprised that it didn't do all that well. Even with the range of Tesla these days, range anxiety is still a thing and this completely takes that out of the equation.
agree
Great breakdown. I love my 2017 Volt, bought it new with all the full tax credits and sales tax exemptions, have almost 40k on it, and no problems. I think it is faster than advertised, with full charge in summer in sport mode we have clocked at flat 6.0 to 60, it does start tailing off on torque after about 40mph though. We run it almost full EV around town, maybe one full tank a year, and with clean hydro power at a cheap $.07 a KWH here where we live it is cheap to charge from home and she is always topped off when leaving the garage. Not as fun to drive long distance in hybrid mode, gets about 42 MPG on long-distance trips. Bummer Chevy sent this car the way of the EV1.....at least we get to keep them though!
Good review of the volt. I own a 1st gen and love it. I am 67 age wise and it's the best car i've ever owned. In the nearly 5 years that i have owned it, I have put in around 150 gallons of gas. Before I retired, I drove to work and back everyday on the charge. the only time I bought gas was in the winter when temps dropped below 35 and on a trip or two. I do think Chevy is making a mistake if they drop this technology.
How's it doing all these years later? Battery still ok? What year is it? What repairs have been done? What's the mileage? How often driven? Thanks!
In under 32 deg F I get ~45mpg on the engine. I got the 2019 this January, went through the polar vortex in Wisconsin and lowest electric range was 36 miles. Now that it’s been in the 40’s the range has hit 50. These are HIGHWAY ranges that I am actually driving, not estimations. I drive with cruise set at 65mph and it’s GPS accurate. In city, I have no doubt I could get in the 60’s as highway uses the most electricity. The car is ultra quiet, ultra comfortable seats, great suspension and handling. I had vowed never to own a GM after I had a 1985 Chevy S-10 in the early 90’s. So 30 years later I’ve got another Chevy and it exceeds my expectations. The gas engine is very quiet and sips gas. Put the back seats down and the storage is plentiful and because it’s a hatchback it is very easy to get big items in. Hatchbacks are the most practical car in my opinion. Love this car.
Thanks I agree with all that except for the seats - I hated them
@@BigRockMoto the seats were the biggest interior complaint with the Bolt too. Now, that’s been resolved for 22 and on….
Love your honest reviews of the things you own and have owned :). Keep up the good work!
Ps.....I had no idea there was a gasoline engine in those things....
SK. this car does Not have an engine, it has a gasoline generator that produces electric to drive the electric motors. Gasoline is only for the Generator when needed, when the batteries go below 7% the generator kicks on, and makes electric to power the car. Hope this clears up your understanding a bit.
Tony Louis the generator *is* an engine.
It's such a shame. I only realized after seeing the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime ...that the Chevy Volt was ahead of its time. It just makes sense.....
Just going through with a purchase of a 2019 with about 18k miles on it. that's why I'm watching Volt videos .
you'll love it
FIY, the heated seats and steering wheel are a more efficient way to stay comfortable in colder weather, and that option comes with a leather covered steering wheel, which is still looking great after five years.
When I bought my 2017 Volt four years ago, I could just get to my mom’s house on the electric charge, a distance of about 100 k. I can still do that. I notice no deterioration at all in the battery.
Awesome
How long until you have to replace the battery pack and how much does that cost when you do have to replace it? I am considering buying one used...
@@reginarose2428 Sorry, I can’t help you with that, having had no experience with it.
@@reginarose2428 I'm a fairly recent Volt owner. The battery charge cycle is engineered to never fully charge or fully discharge (charges to 80%, discharges to 20%). The remaining battery capacity is not provided to you or shown. This has lead to tremendous battery life and there are very few stories of Volts losing significant charge capacity. Part of this is reflected in the fact that the warranty on the Voltec system in the car (which includes the battery) is 8 years or 100,000 miles. I think the longest battery usage on record is somewhere around 400,000 miles without serious degradation.
Paul Chapman Thanks for the scoop! I was wondering if the battery would typically go bad right after the 100,000 mile/8 year warranty like it would if it were manufactured abroad. Thanks a million for answering my question. Armed with that knowledge, I think I’m about to pull the trigger on getting one of these. It will be my first electric ⚡️ vehicle 🚗. Most excited!
I just bought a used 2017 since it was cheaper than the Prius Prime, and so far, I've driven it a little under 70 miles, and the engine hasn't come on once (which worries me a bit because I don't know if the engine even works at this point. I have a short drive to a casino by my house where I go to top it off a free charge, but the range so far seems to be nearing 70+ miles on EV and unknown on MPG, estimating 250+ MPG equivalent. It's fascinating! The A/C on my car takes almost 10 minutes to finally kick in. It's show.
Over the past 7+ years, I've been mostly happy with my Volt. The biggest downside is the blind spots, but I rely on the blind spot alerts (yellow lights) and I haven't crashed yet... LOL! I only have to fill the gas tank about 6x per YEAR!
good video! thanks. / you're right about lack of marketing, I just found out that it's a Hybrid... I thought it was electric only. Some people call it the "Bolt" when really it's Volt. oh well, I didn't know it has been discontinued either. Prius is a huge success and getting better.
I have been driving my 2017 for 4 plus years it is amazing
I own one of the first dozen 2016 sold in California and at the time I thought it was at the top of GM engineering. 5 years later I can see they abandoned it all and I own one of a kind great car.
I discovered the Volt by test driving a used one with 92K miles on it with no intention of buying it. After a very short drive I was won over and started looking for lower mileage one. Found a great deal on a 2015 model and have been driving it for 2 1/2 years now. It is my favorite car. I like it much more than my Prius. I will buy a 2018 or 2019 eventually.
Had me geeking on your rant about the backseat and how it just kept escalating lol
2014 VOLT [volt = joule/coulomb] owner. Best automobile investment I made in my 40+ years of driving over 700,000 miles. Previous cars were Toyotas. Driving in generator mode I get 39 +/- 1 MPG. Charge free at work every weekday. You can maximize mileage if you want. But it's fun to accelerate. By the way it takes corners well to.
Great video and review. 2nd time I've watched this, what I don't recall from ~2 years ago is your analysis on the standardization of charging, which is critical. Thanks!
Great point regarding the leasing. Hybrid is by far the most green (mining minerals for battery/manufacturing with coal fired electric), and most bang for your buck/ ROI. Hybrid destroys Tesla, hands down for the average American commute.
The most green? Haha... The most green are reconditioned old cars
@@zzz-cb3xe Thinking of going e with my antique car... if it would be nice/reliable and parts not a problem... if it could be done for ~$8-10k.
I owned 2 2012 volts, my only complaint would be cold weather range and mpg reduction. I went to a Prius prime with a heat pump and while the electric range was 10 miles lower the MPG on gas was 60 or better compared to 40 on the volt and the winter didn’t reduce that economy or range like the Volts.
Added issue
1) infotainment is quarry- I have to play music to my phone, start the car, wait for the Bluetooth to connect before I plug the phone exclusively in that order. Otherwise, the audio may be mute and I can’t control the audio.
2) Car discontinued has another reason. I heard of and agreed that dealers undermine the sales of the car because their business model is to make money for the maintenance. Since the car may have an oil change every 45k miles, the dealer saw this car as disagreeable to their way of making money.
possibility, but Dealers are franchises and have to follow what corporate dictates. My local GM dealer started selling / servicing EVs, because they were mandated by GM. They're very short sighted though. Those who adapt will get ahead.
Loved this video! Thanks for sharing. He makes an incredibly valid point that no one ever seems to talk about. And that’s the charging cable/port issue. We have a Tesla and love that their charging stations are everywhere, reliable, and pretty quick. I also owned a Hyundai Ioniq 5 and, although I had a good ElectrifyAmerica station by me, I hear horror stories about other stations around the country and certainly not as many as Tesla’s supercharging network. I think other manufacturers will get heavy into the EV market, but the infrastructure absolutely needs to change. And change fast. Specifically, for non-Teslas.
I have a premier and i just picked up an LT same color. I thought they all had heated steering wheel and seats, but i see yours doesn't. I'm glad my LT does. I don't mind the steering wheel feel. feels like rubber. The seats i threw on fake leather covers and i like it. Makes them softer to the touch.
You can find Gen 1 Volts for under $10k and Gen 2 for $15-20k now. I used to have a Gen 1 and I loved it so much, and I've decided my next car will be a Gen 2 because of all the improvements.
I've also been really interested in the new Ford Escape Plug-In which has similar specs to the Gen 1 volt in an SUV body.
Chevy advertised the Volt far more than other companies advertised their EVs. Look at some other EV companies. They're not advertising at all. The dealership issue supposedly happened.... but again, look at other EV companies, they don't exactly need to explain BEV powertrains.
The issue was that it was complicated to explain the details, and GM made a joke of that during their ad campaign. Explaining it was also highly dependent on individual driving habits, and hard to get people to understand the benefits for the higher price. To drive, it's a bit more complex to drive than an ICE or BEV IF you're trying to maximize your miles driven. For people who don't care to min/max, then it was as simple as leaving it in the normal mode, plugging it in every night, then going to the gas station with the fuel gets low. That's how it should have been advertised. "Start every day with 53 miles of electric range, gas station trips drop from a few times a month, to a few times a year, fuel costs drop by up to 2/3rds".
As a Volt owner, I can tell you 100% that the real issue with the Volt was that it was priced far too high for a relatively unattractive vehicle that's far too small and cheap feeling inside and outside to justify the cost.
As to price... state governments played a really bad part here with how they ran their GHG/ZEV credit programs. Due to the lower electric range, the Volt only generated 1.3 ZEV credits, even though most Volt owners lowered their emissions by anywhere from 70% to 95%. The production of the smaller battery pack generated less emissions/pollution than the large batteries that the long range BEVs used. Volt wasn't rewarded at all for minimizing the amount of emissions they frontloaded. The model S/X and now the 3/Y generated ~4 credits each as a result of their longer range, but anyone with a brain knows that longer range doesn't translate directly to lower emissions. The longer the range, the more diminishing returns... but GHG credit program administrators didn't care. I have no doubt Tesla setting up shop in California had a lot to do with this unfair treatment...
Since the government made these credits tradable, Tesla was able to sell each credit for $1000-$3000 apiece, generating huge 100% profits from the sale of those credits, whereas other OEMs whose entire infrastructure is built on ICE vehicles needed to use their own credits. Since the Volt produced so few credits, there's a good chance it didn't produce enough to mitigate GM's ICE offerings, so they were forced to buy credits from companies like Tesla. That gave Tesla the huge advantage of being able to price their cars 'more' competitively as a result of such huge government incentives and almost mandated credit sales. As a result of this uneven treatment of the Volt, the price advantage was skewed towards long range BEVs.
Also complicating matters is that GM had high MSRP on their Volt, which the car didn't justify... but as anyone who looked into it found, you could get deep discounts on these vehicles. GM overpriced the MSRP knowing that the federal and state EV tax credits would bring the purchase price down by $7500+ for most buyers. Tesla did the same, but they could fall back on their car's performance metrics to justify the higher price, and it was far more advertised that Tesla purchases would qualify for the full federal credit. On top of this, GM had a complex system of factory and dealer incentives that went further to lower the price to match supply and demand. It was all very complex and took a lot of research to figure out what was what.
Moronic government policy had a lot to do with the downfall of the Volt.
Thank you so much for this information.
Government shouldn't be involved. It costs what it costs. It's worth it or it's not.
Just paid $14.5 for a pristine 2018 Volt w/ 60K miles and a lot of extras normally in the premium model (leather, etc.) Love it so far. Looked at a new Bolt and this was hands down a better value.
Got a 05 2 door civic and 2 kids. That backseat is pretty room for a baby seat.
Is there a regular plug? Like outlet? First thing I though was that's great for camping. Build in generator in a closure and muffler with battery pack or your generator don't stay on all night. Even power goes out at the house plug in to the car , have power for few main things I the house.
I am in love . Great video , God bless
Nice video! I bought a 2013 used Volt and liked it so much that I have a 2017 used Volt now. Like your video says, buying them used is a great way to save money. Both of my Volts were the Premium packages and I purchased them for a fraction of what they were new. I plan to drive my 2017 as long as possible but if needed, I would buy another so hopefully I can find a nice used 2019 Volt in the future.
Well put together and honest review. Bravo on the EV industry rant too!👏 I love the cabin with the view btw. Holy cow
Been wanting to buy one 2018 , for my daily commute about 80mi. Everyone says that chevy breaks down alot, but most reviews for volt are pretty darn good.
It's an excellent deal as a used car, you can get a 2-3 year old 20,000 mile example for 20K or less. I recently acquired an off-lease 2018 Volt from a GM dealer. It is in excellent shape, looks and drives like new and cost only $19,000. I've gone from liking it to really loving it in a few short months. The long-term durability of these is really quite good according to various sources, even though Consumer Reports ranked the reliability merely average when new in 2016. I have yet to find a Volt owner, Gen 1 or Gen 2, who doesn't love his or hers. I plan to keep mine for a long time because nobody makes anything that combines the advantages of electric with the freedom of gas.
We have a 2018 premier. The only thing we have changed is oil air filter, and tires. We're still on factory bake pads and rotors. We have been on vacations with it, use very little gas. Tires may have lasted longer, but it is driven hard😂. Burn outs are fun. Take out a mustang and eyes are on you.
The Volt was indeed the right way to do a hybrid car....a series hybrid. I would like to see a 100mile battery only range model..50-60kwhr. battery pack.
We own a Tesla and a Nissan Leaf but we just bought a used Chevy Volt. It is nice to have a standby gas engine if we ever need it. It actually drives better than a Nissan Leaf for sure. Not quite as good as a Tesla but for the price we paid compared to what we paid for the Tesla, I think we are getting a lot of bang for our buck. This guy made a really nice comprehensive review video.
BINGO GM dealers did not want to sell the Volt, and after 200,000 units the rebate was no longer available , so the cost went up. I have a 13 Volt w 118,000 miles on it. ZERO problems and never do any brake jods any more. The Used Volts are a real bargain.
Yep
the car is nice, but the view is 100 mio. doll. thanks ! keep it up !
... what?
They should bring back the voltec system to the Equinox, Terrain and even Acadia. With a bigger battery that would probably give 100 miles and a modest gas engine, it would sell well. 100 miles is more than enough and the odd long trip with gas.
I currently have a Ford Fusion Energi, and I wish I had a Chevy Volt. My plan is to wait until 2022 and get a used 2019 fully loaded Volt from a lease.
why is this? im trying to decide between these 2 & the kia niro. why would you reccomend the volt over these other two? thanks for the help in advance
@@Dewey_Boondye420 Here are my reasons: 1. The Volt has more truck space, and the seats can lay down flat. The Ford Fusion Energi has very little trunk space because of the battery. 2. The Fusion's electric range is too short for my commute. I can only go about 15-16 miles on a charge. 3. The Volt has a better combined mpg that fusion, so even off of a charge you're getting better mileage with the Volt. I will say the fusion has a better interior in terms of quality and size, but that isn't too important to me.
@@seporokey thank you for the reply! this actually helps me alot.
thanks again!
@@Dewey_Boondye420 I just remembered some other things while I was driving around! So my fusion has ventilated front seats (cooled seats, great if you live somewhere hot), a sunroof, dual climate control, rear a/c vents, memory seats (remembers different settings for different drivers), and power-adjustable driver and passenger seats. The top version of the 2019 Volt has none of those things except power-adjustable DRIVER seats. If you care about those features, the Volt won't have them, but the Ford Fusion will (some of these are optional so you have to find them if you're buying used). Still, I personally would give up these features for the range the volt provides. If you have any other questions about the Fusion, let me know!
@@seporokey that's a HUGE disappointment think about getting a volt is a step down to your fusion, common sense now, you lose allot of features... Don't do it , I got a Ford fusion Titanium Hybrid 2019 loaded I love it glad I didn't get a volt z it's so low on equipment for the price
Yes as far as a PHEV goes, this car had the best of both worlds with just enough all electric range for most people as a daily driver. It is expensive without all the incentives though depending on where you live. The reason I didn't get one though was it was too small for my needs. I could buy a used one and use it as a daily driver when I don't need a larger car but I will never buy a used hybrid/electric car because of the battery wear and possible replacement issue.
100,000 mile warranty on the battery on the Volt
@@DougKalmer Yeah but most of these warranties aren't transferable or they get watered down for a second owner. Hyundai had limited lifetime against defects and also a decent mileage on the battery. I ended up getting a fully loaded Sonata hybrid and it had an enormous interior which I loved. The phev version of it was a joke though. If here was a PHEV on the market now with at least 50 mpg that I like I would scoop one up. There are some that are close but no dice.
For electric car , to upgrade the range of the battery, you can do it really easily by swaping with lightweight wheel set, may cost a bit but it could up it by 20 miles for sure its insane
What specific wheel set do you recommend?
14:24 I saw a guy drive his home made remote controlled electric lawn mower up ramps into the back of his Volt. It was at the Earth Day Fair in Rochester, Michigan and I was so damn impressed by everything I saw there. I was hooked to getting a volt ever since. (i'm so sick of mowing the lawn.)
Sad that chevy has discontinued it
These go for so much these days... I really want one but I don't want to spend 30k on a 5 year old model.
The volt being discontinued was just a side effect of other circumstances. The volt sold fairly well but all of the other vehicles at the Detroit plant it was produced at failed. The plant was closed and the volt was deemed to far into it's lifecycle to have production relocated.
I really like my 2012 Volt. I bought the car with 76K miles (2 owners) May 2017. It now has 106K miles now (4 years later). It drives and feels like it only has 10K miles on it. Very tight and yes it has some get up an go for a small car. I had to put tires on it and a battery temp. sensor. I have to say this is the BEST commuter car out there no questions asked. Some A-Hole in Prius stopped me at a traffic light wanted to know my mileage. After a few smart A@@ comments to me I said "guess what this car was made in the USA jerkoff" I will drive it until it only get holds a charge of 10 or 15 miles on the battery.
The reason why the prius survived and the volt didn't is the price. Toyota keeps the price down with a much smaller battery and engine combo and built the car around it. GM just shoved a bunch of tech into an existing chassis.
Thanks for the video, I had a 1st gen volt, and loved it, few years later and need a second car for a bit and doing some research on 2nd gen volts. Might I suggest you do a little more research on pure electric cars, your comments (an hour to charge on road trips) was just lol. I also have a Tesla also and would drive that cross country in a heart beat before I drove my 1st gen volt, or even the 2nd gen volt I'm most likely going to buy. I have taken many long distance trips in my Tesla and it's awesome, thanks again for the info on the volt.
Loved your video. Just thinking about getting one preowned down here in Mexico and your comments helped me a lot. Loved the view of your place also, good for having a couple of tequilas 👌
Thanks. They have gotten cheap on the used market.
I love my 2018..I only run the gas engine when I'm on the highway, that way it stays warm and it's not running below operating temperatures around town. I switch to electric in town and make sure I always go home with a dead battery. It's great! 110 mile commute and I'm averaging over 84mpg.
TIP: Warm the gas engine up to heat the interior. Works much better
Great review, although you didn't talk about the regen paddle shifter.
PS: I'm so sorry you have to suffer through that view. It's soooo terrible lolol.
Paddle lever - please explain what it is. Does that mean you get powerful regen braking, and one pedal driving ?
@@dogfacedponysoldier87 I don’t remember exactly how it works, it’s been a while since I researched it. Basically when you push the regen paddle shifter it kind of feels like you’re pushing the brake pedal. Both the pedal and the paddle regenerates the battery but not enough to keep it charged up. It may actually help add a few miles to your range but that’s it. I don’t use it much..
It's the paddle behind the left side of the steering wheel. When you pull it the car boosts up the regen so much that it feels like you're braking. The brake lights come on also. It's fun to try and hit it right at the time that will bring you to a stop right where you want to stop. It's almost a game you can get good at with practice.
Speaking of regen, the review also missed a great feature of the Volt which is 1 pedal driving. If you put the shift lever in L, that doesn't really shift to a low gear like it would in a normal car. Instead, it boosts the regen amount when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal. The regen is less than using the paddle but it's a lot more than when you're not in L. That let's you slow down more than normal just by lifting your foot off the accelerator pedal so you can drive the car without having to touch the brake pedal as much. You have to get good at that also or else passengers will complain about constant jerky accel and decel. But if you're alone it's great.
@@StevenShelikoff Agreed, in L the one pedal driving is amazing. I wondered if taking my foot off the accelerator would put on the brake light and it sure does. It doesn’t come on immediately at release (you wouldn’t want that to happen), it comes on at the appropriate time.
@@ramblin_man23 I test drove a Bolt with one, and it was instantly addicting. It's so intuitive, you miss it after just 10 minutes of driving. Going back to a car without it sucks. you'll wonder why every car doesn't have one.
I agree Chevy should kept this amazing car and built on this concept and made better advancements on the range I would love to buy one as well brand new would be awesome but a nice used one will work too great video
Thanks! After years of teasing a customer, "I see you drove your coal burner today.", I might look at buying one.
GM had to make some hard decisions. Pontiac and Oldsmobile haven't made sense in years. However, Saturn with its Vue outsold all of the other SUVs in that size put together 5:1. The problem was across the line they were not doing well. I'm guessing that the Volt was one of those things where it was and on-again-off-again with a bright future but one they didn't have the money to float until it got there. It took a bankruptcy to break the union to be untied to make the decisions required to save the company. The handling of the bankruptcy was government-backed theft of stockholder's money, but effective.
I love my 2017 premium Volt.. but I had a "reduced propulsion" message on the dash and engine light turned on. Took it to a dealer..the part wasn't available till 5 days ago! It was an EGR valve. So I waited over 5 months for the part. So I used it only on Electric for that time and worried gas would go bad. But everything is fine now.. and love it. But hope the EGR valve is not a repeating problem.
Great review but better backyard