Author Topic: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla  (Read 8465 times)

ooeei

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Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« on: August 18, 2017, 11:42:29 AM »
Well my 10 year old small-SUV I was gifted in college is requiring more maintenance by the day, so I'm going to go test drive a few cars this weekend. The nearby CarMax has a 2013 Chevy Volt with 62k miles for $14k, and a 2013 Corolla L with 31k miles for $12k (or LE for $13k). They've got tons of Corollas to choose from, that was just one of the first few I saw.

I'll probably test them both out, but does anyone here have an opinion who's driven one or both? I currently have a 13 mile round trip commute so the all electric is appealing, but since my commute is so short it won't save me all that much $ either. My girlfriend's car would probably be used for longer road trips, although I do want the capability in case we both go somewhere at the same time. I also live in Texas so charging stations probably aren't as pervasive as in some parts of the country.

farmecologist

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #1 on: August 18, 2017, 11:51:17 AM »

The corolla sounds like a good fit. 

However, have you considered a used Prius?   I was pretty skeptical but we got one for our daughter and it has been by far the most bulletproof vehicle we have ever owned.  It also requires the least amount of maintenance of any vehicle we have owned ( a fully 'beltless' engine, etc... )

I seems like the 3rd generation Prius should be coming down in price on the used market due to the fact the 4th generation is out.


krisvolley27

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #2 on: August 18, 2017, 11:55:55 AM »
I haven't driven either of these much but in general Toyota seems more reliable.  The battery in the volt will need to be replaced at around 100K miles so you should look into that expense. 

ooeei

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #3 on: August 18, 2017, 11:58:36 AM »

The corolla sounds like a good fit. 

However, have you considered a used Prius?   I was pretty skeptical but we got one for our daughter and it has been by far the most bulletproof vehicle we have ever owned.  It also requires the least amount of maintenance of any vehicle we have owned ( a fully 'beltless' engine, etc... )

I seems like the 3rd generation Prius should be coming down in price on the used market due to the fact the 4th generation is out.

Girlfriend nixed the Prius, I did mention it to her. I also work in oil/gas, so if I do get a hybrid or electric I'd prefer it at least resemble a "normal" car.

I was leaning toward the Corolla at first, but the Volts have come down so much in price it seems like a good bargain. I think it's largely due to the fact that new ones are cheaper and better, but that doesn't mean the old ones suck. It's certainly not a car I'd pay $35k for, but at $15k it seems pretty attractive.

I haven't driven either of these much but in general Toyota seems more reliable.  The battery in the volt will need to be replaced at around 100K miles so you should look into that expense. 

For what it's worth the Volt batteries seem to be very conservatively designed, and based on current owners feedback there's little/no battery degradation. The Toyota would likely still be lower maintenance though since more of it can be DIY'd or taken to an independent shop rather than a dealer.

ChpBstrd

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #4 on: August 18, 2017, 01:14:16 PM »
Plug them both into the edmunds.com TCO calculator to compare expenses. I bet the Corolla wins.

Those prices are both about $2k too high. You should be shopping private owners instead of dealers (but the dealers are handy for test drives).

frugaliknowit

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #5 on: August 19, 2017, 12:20:21 PM »
A word of caution about carmax (as a buyer):  Once you've decided what make/model/year you want, check private parties.  Carmax "spitshines" the daylights out of their cars and charges TOP DOLLAR.

sequoia

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2017, 01:05:34 PM »
imo in general, carmax is more expensive than local dealer, who is more expensive than buying a car from private owner. This was what I found last year when we were in the market for a car.

RecoveringCarClown

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #7 on: August 19, 2017, 03:20:35 PM »
What is your daily commute like?  Would it be an electric most of the time while using gas only on long trips?  Personally I like the electric without the range anxiety and they look quite nice.  I know two people that own them and they both like them. Too bad my decade+ old car is just fine. Coincidently, one of them traded in a Corolla that was repeatedly warping the front rotors, which apparently is a common problem.  IIRC parts weren't overly expensive but he was tired of getting it fixed and his wife was afraid to even drive it.  Anecdotal for sure, do your own research.

My advice for buying any car, and I have purchased plenty (see username) is to find a forum for that particular model and familiarize yourself with all the problems.  This really helps to know what to look for when looking at a potential purchase and give you an idea of maintenance costs.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #8 on: August 20, 2017, 01:17:34 AM »
I think you should be able to do a lower price than that on the Volt. Driving with electricity is a great experience - also consider one of the Ford Energi vehicles if normal-looking is a priority.

Another Reader

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #9 on: August 20, 2017, 05:37:26 AM »
$13k for a 2013 Corolla LE with 31k miles?  Highway robbery!  I paid $15k new for mine (about $16.5k with tax and license) and KBB says private party resale at 39k miles should be around $10k or about $7.5k as a trade in if it's in "good" condition.  Craigslist says asking prices here are a little higher.  I suspect you could pick one up in very good condition for significantly less than $10k if you shop around.  New ones are heavily discounted in the Bay Area.  Would be around $16.5k based on local advertised prices before tax and license for a 2017.  Some negotiation would get that price down, I'm sure.

mcneally

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2017, 11:40:53 AM »
2nd'ing Another Reader, a 5 year old (2018-2013) compact economy sedan for $13k is a shitty deal. My Hyundai Elantra was $15,300 new several years ago and going buy TrueCar that's still about what they are now. Pretty much the only maintenance I've had to do in 7 years and 100k miles is tires and oil changes.

HildaCorners

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #11 on: August 20, 2017, 11:57:44 AM »
How many miles will you be putting on your car each year? How much will each of those miles be costing you?

What are the expected maintenance needs for each car? The Volt *will* need new batteries; do you know how much that will cost?

Why are you letting a girlfriend's tastes dictate what car you get? [A spouse should get a voice, a fiancee maybe, but a girlfriend?]

Can you lower your car use (bike to work or errands sometimes?) What about buying something a few years older and investing the money?

Just a few friendly face punches.

oldtoyota

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #12 on: August 20, 2017, 12:16:48 PM »
You might be able to guess my answer. ;-)

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #13 on: August 20, 2017, 12:57:26 PM »
At some point the Volt's battery will degrade, but from what I've seen very few Volt owners are reporting much degradation as if yet. When the battery gets too weak it basically turns into a regular hybrid, but again, that doesn't seem to be happening quickly toVolts in the wild.

TheAnonOne

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2017, 09:33:03 PM »
If you commute under 40 miles a day, you basically will never burn another drop of gas again. Chevy claims that no batteries in ANY volts have degraded yet (all volts are still under the 8 year zone)

I am looking at a volt myself, eliminating $20-30 in gasoline a week will pay for both the car and the maintenance pretty fast.

Bicycle_B

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #15 on: August 20, 2017, 10:20:15 PM »
You might be able to guess my answer. ;-)

Hahaha!

sequoia

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #16 on: August 20, 2017, 11:54:31 PM »
If you commute under 40 miles a day, you basically will never burn another drop of gas again. Chevy claims that no batteries in ANY volts have degraded yet (all volts are still under the 8 year zone)

I am looking at a volt myself, eliminating $20-30 in gasoline a week will pay for both the car and the maintenance pretty fast.

I dunno who has the lower expense between volt vs corolla, but any car is going to need maintenance at some point. Nothing runs forever without any maintenance cost. What is important is the overall cost (maintenance + gas + insurance + etc) per miles.

But maybe I am missing something here. Gas here is $2.11/gallon (I understand in some places it maybe higher) and often it is less than $2. OP commutes 13 miles round trip daily = 65 miles per wk. To simplify, lets say a OP's car do 25 miles/gallon, so that is roughly 3 gallons/wk = ~$6.

Plug them both into the edmunds.com TCO calculator to compare expenses. I bet the Corolla wins.

Agree with @ChpBstrd, edmunds.com is a great place to look for info, and I would be surprised if Corolla do not win.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2017, 12:08:51 AM by sequoia »

ooeei

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #17 on: August 21, 2017, 06:40:43 AM »
$13k for a 2013 Corolla LE with 31k miles?  Highway robbery!  I paid $15k new for mine (about $16.5k with tax and license) and KBB says private party resale at 39k miles should be around $10k or about $7.5k as a trade in if it's in "good" condition.  Craigslist says asking prices here are a little higher.  I suspect you could pick one up in very good condition for significantly less than $10k if you shop around.  New ones are heavily discounted in the Bay Area.  Would be around $16.5k based on local advertised prices before tax and license for a 2017.  Some negotiation would get that price down, I'm sure.

I will be looking at private sellers, I just figured CarMax was a good place to find what the appropriate comparison would be between the two.  I don't doubt they're cheap in California, but here in Houston there aren't all that many around. I found a 2015 Volt for $12000 private sale and Corollas are all over the place, but I'll be doing a test drive at CarMax hopefully this Saturday between the Corolla and Volt just to compare.

edit: Just realized you were talking about Corollas not Volts. My bad!

Plug them both into the edmunds.com TCO calculator to compare expenses. I bet the Corolla wins.

Those prices are both about $2k too high. You should be shopping private owners instead of dealers (but the dealers are handy for test drives).

The Corolla wins, but not by much. $25,833 vs $26,205 over 5 years. Granted that's assuming 15k miles per year and a big price difference. Not sure how their data takes the Volt into account, since how you drive it can have a big impact on fuel costs. Some people use them with all electricity all the time, others were fleet vehicles that never got charged and were basically a hybrid. Basically the $400 difference seems within the margin of error of the calculation.

How many miles will you be putting on your car each year? How much will each of those miles be costing you?

What are the expected maintenance needs for each car? The Volt *will* need new batteries; do you know how much that will cost?

Why are you letting a girlfriend's tastes dictate what car you get? [A spouse should get a voice, a fiancee maybe, but a girlfriend?]

Can you lower your car use (bike to work or errands sometimes?) What about buying something a few years older and investing the money?

Just a few friendly face punches.

Don't know on batteries since people haven't really had to replace them, so it's not a common repair you can find the cost on. From my research there are multiple components in the battery, so depending what goes wrong there are specific things to be replaced.

The girlfriend comment was a bit tongue in cheek. If I really wanted a Prius, I'd get a Prius. She'd hate it (but it wouldn't be a huge deal), and I'd probably get ridiculed at work pretty often, so that's not the hill I want to die on when other options are just as good. We've been dating 3 years and living together 2, so it's not someone I just met two weeks ago telling me how to live. I do appreciate the concern though.

Something older is also possible, 3-4 years old just seems like the sweet spot for used cars. Old enough that depreciation is slowing down, young enough that owners haven't messed them up with poor maintenance yet. I'll probably try out an older Corolla at CarMax to compare.

I'm a wuss and live in Houston, so I'm not biking these days.  I did it in Austin, but Houston is a whole other beast. Yes I know about the article on the lawyer who lives downtown and bikes 40 miles or something like that, but it's not worth it to me to save <15 miles of car travel. I actually live less than 4 miles from work, but go home for lunch to hang out with the girlfriend and dog.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2017, 06:46:55 AM by ooeei »

esq

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #18 on: August 22, 2017, 11:27:57 AM »
I'm in Houston and just this morning took delivery on a 2013 Hyundai Sonata with 25k miles for $12k. (Still smells new!) The Hyundais are supposed to be as reliable as Toyotas and Hondas these days.

I bought it from Carvana, and I have to say the whole thing was seamless and very pleasant. No dealerships with their pressure and "fees" and other bullshit. Everything was online, they delivered directly to my house, and I have a week to change my mind. At this point in my life, the little bit of extra money I'd save over doing a private deal was well worth the peace of mind.

I think the equivalent to a Toyota Corolla would be an Hyundai Elantra. Something to consider.

TheAnonOne

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #19 on: August 22, 2017, 11:44:03 AM »

The Corolla wins, but not by much. $25,833 vs $26,205 over 5 years. Granted that's assuming 15k miles per year and a big price difference. Not sure how their data takes the Volt into account, since how you drive it can have a big impact on fuel costs. Some people use them with all electricity all the time, others were fleet vehicles that never got charged and were basically a hybrid. Basically the $400 difference seems within the margin of error of the calculation.


Basically no online TCO calcs have a good true calculation for the Volt. Most just use the regular MPG rating of 35 to 40 mpg.

This is unfair, because in the OPs situation he will never have to buy gasoline again and MPG will be a pointless number.

ooeei

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #20 on: August 22, 2017, 12:50:57 PM »

The Corolla wins, but not by much. $25,833 vs $26,205 over 5 years. Granted that's assuming 15k miles per year and a big price difference. Not sure how their data takes the Volt into account, since how you drive it can have a big impact on fuel costs. Some people use them with all electricity all the time, others were fleet vehicles that never got charged and were basically a hybrid. Basically the $400 difference seems within the margin of error of the calculation.


Basically no online TCO calcs have a good true calculation for the Volt. Most just use the regular MPG rating of 35 to 40 mpg.

This is unfair, because in the OPs situation he will never have to buy gasoline again and MPG will be a pointless number.

I think they used more than just the MPG, it shows the Volt using just over half of the gas quantity of the Corolla, which is a much bigger difference than their MPG ratings indicate. Granted it is highly variable.  They also assume 15,000 miles per year which is likely more than I'd use, so the difference will get smaller. In any case, I'm going to test drive both today after work, and see what's what. Right now I'm slightly leaning toward the Volt, but I've never been in one so who knows.

I'm in Houston and just this morning took delivery on a 2013 Hyundai Sonata with 25k miles for $12k. (Still smells new!) The Hyundais are supposed to be as reliable as Toyotas and Hondas these days.

I bought it from Carvana, and I have to say the whole thing was seamless and very pleasant. No dealerships with their pressure and "fees" and other bullshit. Everything was online, they delivered directly to my house, and I have a week to change my mind. At this point in my life, the little bit of extra money I'd save over doing a private deal was well worth the peace of mind.

I think the equivalent to a Toyota Corolla would be an Hyundai Elantra. Something to consider.

Yeah I considered the Hyundai as well, along with the comparable Kia and Honda. Toyota's reputation and ubiquity has me leaning their direction, I've found local Toyotas on craigslist for a bit less than what you paid, although on Carvana they are a bit more.  As of now it looks like with a local buy the Volt will be ~$1000 more than a Corolla or something in similar condition. That amount would be made up in fuel costs relatively quickly, I'm continuing to dive deep into the internet to see if the fuel costs will also eat up the higher maintenance costs of the Volt. So far it seems to be pretty close, and really depends on a few bigger ticket items. There's an often cited article out there about someone with a 300,000 mile volt with minimal maintenance, and a few others with well over 100,000. Granted, they were mostly using the combustion engine to get that mile count, but it does speak to the reliability of the platform.

sequoia

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #21 on: August 22, 2017, 08:04:34 PM »
Look at other cars too. Hyundai, Honda make some great reliable cars. Plenty of nice small cars. Test drive as many as you can before making decision.

Personally, this is what I would do, just to throw another idea. OP commute is 13 miles/day = 65 miles/wk => 65miles x 50wk = 3250 miles per year. So lets say you travel around a bit, and call it 6000 miles per year. In 10 years = 60K miles.  So lets say OP is going to keep the car for 10 years.

OP is looking at "The nearby CarMax has a 2013 Chevy Volt with 62k miles for $14k, and a 2013 Corolla L with 31k miles for $12k (or LE for $13k)."

Not sure where he is, but in my area, I see plenty luxury car under 10K. We looked at a few last year when we shopped for cars, and there are several Lexus RX 330 or 350 for under 10K. Yes, it comes with a lot more miles, but some are in awesome shape due to old retired folks who drives it back and forth to their summer homes, and it comes with full record service from Lexus dealer. You can get 10 years 60K easily out of these cars. You can get more miles out of it, but I think you get my point here.

Like I said this is personal opinion, and I probably going to get face punched here for liking luxury cars instead of riding a bike everywhere and be hardcore MMM. I would rather drive some of these Japanese luxury cars or SUV than Corolla or Civic. Nothing wrong with them of course. We find out last year that some of these SUV and bigger car are cheaper to insure because it protects the passenger better than small sedan (that is what our insurance agent told us).

All I am saying is look at different scenario, and pick the best for you. Do not limit yourself to one or two cars.

ooeei

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #22 on: August 22, 2017, 09:03:02 PM »
Well I went to Carmax to test drive today, and of course the Volt wasn't charged so was using the engine rather than the battery. I specifically asked about that when I called, but nobody there seems to understand how the Volt works so oh well. Both cars were fine, with the Volt being a bit smaller. I like the idea of the Volt for the all electric travel, but the Corolla will be easier as far as maintenance goes.

Assuming I drive the 6000 miles above, that's around 6000/25*2.50= $600/year saved in gas, or $600 more a year I can spend on maintenance. Granted, electricity isn't free so that's probably higher than reality, although gas prices could rise as well.

I found a 2013 Volt with 50k miles in a nearby city for just under $12k, and a similar Corolla is probably $11k. I'm only hesitating on the Volt because it's still a fairly young model. I'm sure it'd last another 5 years easy, but I'm not so sure I could trust it for 10. Electric cars are changing so fast I just don't see there being a big parts market for it if something breaks in 7 years.

I'm going to think on it for a bit, and probably take my Jeep in to get an estimate for fixing it. I feel like if I can wait 2-3 more years there will be a lot more/better electric options. Anyway, opinions from people who've owned a Volt would still be appreciated (Corollas are a known factor).

Not sure where he is, but in my area, I see plenty luxury car under 10K. We looked at a few last year when we shopped for cars, and there are several Lexus RX 330 or 350 for under 10K. Yes, it comes with a lot more miles, but some are in awesome shape due to old retired folks who drives it back and forth to their summer homes, and it comes with full record service from Lexus dealer. You can get 10 years 60K easily out of these cars. You can get more miles out of it, but I think you get my point here.

Like I said this is personal opinion, and I probably going to get face punched here for liking luxury cars instead of riding a bike everywhere and be hardcore MMM. I would rather drive some of these Japanese luxury cars or SUV than Corolla or Civic. Nothing wrong with them of course. We find out last year that some of these SUV and bigger car are cheaper to insure because it protects the passenger better than small sedan (that is what our insurance agent told us).

All I am saying is look at different scenario, and pick the best for you. Do not limit yourself to one or two cars.

I do appreciate the info, but I currently drive a Jeep Patriot (similar size to what you listed) and it's just useless extra space for me. Parts are more expensive than a smaller car, it uses more gas, and I get no real benefit out of it. If the luxury was free I'd take it, but any sort of price premium makes it not really worth it to me. Modern cars are pretty damn luxurious as is (both cars listed had bluetooth integration and all sorts of instrument panel doodads).

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #23 on: August 22, 2017, 09:24:58 PM »
My wife has a plug-in hybrid car and I highly recommend it for a number of reasons. First of all, you are almost never going to have to repair it because you'll usually be running on the electric motor and those things just don't break. There are far fewer moving parts in the electric motor than the ICE, so if you don't run the gas engine much, then the car will just keep going and going pretty much forever. Also, there is almost no maintenance needed for the car. We change the oil on it once a year and not even because the oil gets used up. It just gets so old while sitting in the car not being used that we need to replace it after a year. Meanwhile, no belts need to be changed. No fluids need to be topped off. We do have to rotate the tires regularly, but that's about it.

But best of all from our perspective is the fact that you can produce your own fuel for a plug-in hybrid. We installed solar panels on our house which we use to charge up the car every day. I love the fact that we're contributing to the demise of the oil industry. I hope our home cooking also leads to the demise of the restaurant industry as well. Plug-in hybrids go well with the Mustachian tenet of "Doing It Yourself."

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #24 on: August 23, 2017, 04:39:57 AM »
If you have another car available, consider a used BEV like a Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus Electric, Chevy Spark EV, or Fiat 500e (only sold on west coast new; make sure a local dealer can service the Fiat in the event of a recall -lots can).

That takes your future maintenance down by quite a bit. No oil changes, spark plugs, or transmission.

ChpBstrd

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #25 on: August 23, 2017, 08:10:30 PM »
If you commute under 40 miles a day, you basically will never burn another drop of gas again. Chevy claims that no batteries in ANY volts have degraded yet (all volts are still under the 8 year zone)

I am looking at a volt myself, eliminating $20-30 in gasoline a week will pay for both the car and the maintenance pretty fast.

Well, just to be a nit-picking PITA, I have to point out that the gasoline in the tank will oxidize and go bad within about a year or so of non-driving (depending on how much air it's exposed to). If you actually did not start the gas engine in a hybrid car for several months, it would be the same thing that happens to your lawnmower when you leave gas in it from the previous year. Except with the car it would cost hundreds at the mechanic shop to drain the tank and flush the fuel system, and thousands if you let varnish set in. In reality, periodic road trips negate this possibility for most people, so I'm just being a nit.

To adjust the Edmunds TCO estimate for ultra-low-mileage driving, just proportion down the fuel costs, and maybe cut the maintenance 25%. I say only 25% because tires and wiper blades will still rot, and random pieces of plastic will still break off, etc. You might get a discount on insurance if you find a company that tracks your mileage like Allstate, and of course your depreciation will be less so maybe 25% off each of those. Make these adjustments and the Edmunds TCO will be fairly comparable between the two cars.

esq

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #26 on: August 23, 2017, 09:03:03 PM »
There's a Volt subreddit if you haven't checked it out:

https://www.reddit.com/r/volt/

Optimiser

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #27 on: August 23, 2017, 09:43:24 PM »
If you commute under 40 miles a day, you basically will never burn another drop of gas again. Chevy claims that no batteries in ANY volts have degraded yet (all volts are still under the 8 year zone)

I am looking at a volt myself, eliminating $20-30 in gasoline a week will pay for both the car and the maintenance pretty fast.

Well, just to be a nit-picking PITA, I have to point out that the gasoline in the tank will oxidize and go bad within about a year or so of non-driving (depending on how much air it's exposed to). If you actually did not start the gas engine in a hybrid car for several months, it would be the same thing that happens to your lawnmower when you leave gas in it from the previous year. Except with the car it would cost hundreds at the mechanic shop to drain the tank and flush the fuel system, and thousands if you let varnish set in. In reality, periodic road trips negate this possibility for most people, so I'm just being a nit.

To adjust the Edmunds TCO estimate for ultra-low-mileage driving, just proportion down the fuel costs, and maybe cut the maintenance 25%. I say only 25% because tires and wiper blades will still rot, and random pieces of plastic will still break off, etc. You might get a discount on insurance if you find a company that tracks your mileage like Allstate, and of course your depreciation will be less so maybe 25% off each of those. Make these adjustments and the Edmunds TCO will be fairly comparable between the two cars.

I remember reading somewhere that the volt fires up the ICE occasionally to prevent the damage that occurs to engines from sitting too long such as dried out seals. I don't recall if it did this often enough to cycle through a complete tank of gas in a year.
« Last Edit: August 23, 2017, 09:45:02 PM by Optimiser »

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Chevy Volt vs Toyota Corolla
« Reply #28 on: August 24, 2017, 05:55:28 AM »
Yes, the Volt (and other PHEVs like my C-Max Energi) will make sure the gas doesn't go bad.

That said if you're using the engine that little, you might as well buy an all-electric car.