Possibly moving to 1 car, Chevy Volt????? Talk to me about it!

[TheAnonOne]

So, my wife got a new job that is actually a mile or two FARTHER away, but is now technically downtown Minneapolis.

The cool part about that though, is that the bus system is now accessible for her. It actually picks her up RIGHT AT OUR DRIVEWAY AND DROPS HER OFF! HOLY **** that's pretty cool I think.

If she likes the job, and has a reasonable expectation of staying there (DT Minni has many employment opportunities anyway) we will likely need to dump her car, OR let it rot in my driveway.
---------------------------------------------
That being said, we have a 'few' cars, but the two I am talking about replacing are...
09Fusion 145,000 miles - "My" car
08Sebring 125,000 miles - "Her" car

I have been looking at maybe consolidating BOTH of them into a singular car for me.

------------------------------------------------

The Volt itself is a super cool car, some reviewers think it might be the best car ever. Why? I don't have those details but ultimately, it's an electric car for 35 miles and then a gas engine kicks on and charges the battery.

Those 35 miles will more-or-less cover my commutes, any shopping trips, and friend visits. Visiting family is farther than that, so on those rare occasions I will burn gasoline.

Are there any known issues with the 2011/2012 Volts? They are selling for, what I consider, EXTREMELY cheap. 11k to 13k and are said to have depreciated faster than most cars because the newer ones are EVEN better so it is suffering from a sort of "Iphone" depreciation where no one wants yester-years model.


So what is it? Is the Volt the best car ever? Known issues? Dumb idea?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS SECTION BELLLLOOOWWWW!

[Cadman]

I've been eyeing them myself. Customer satisfaction is extremely high and you don't have the range anxiety of an all-electric. The only thing holding me back is ground clearance during some of our midwest snow days (I'm rural). If you don't think that'll be an issue, go for it. Perhaps you can get your wife's new employer to spring for EV charging, too ; )

[TheAnonOne]

I've been eyeing them myself. Customer satisfaction is extremely high and you don't have the range anxiety of an all-electric. The only thing holding me back is ground clearance during some of our midwest snow days (I'm rural). If you don't think that'll be an issue, go for it. Perhaps you can get your wife's new employer to spring for EV charging, too ; )

My wife won't be driving! (Taking the bus 100% of the time now)

[Papa bear]

My brother loves his.  I think he has a 2012. Averages 150mpg now and it would be much higher except for some 120+ mile trips he does fairly regularly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GenXbiker]

Minneapolis, huh?  I've heard that all-electric range drops off significantly in very cold temperatures.

[TheAnonOne]

My brother loves his.  I think he has a 2012. Averages 150mpg now and it would be much higher except for some 120+ mile trips he does fairly regularly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BUT is it the BEST car? Why doesn't everyone own one of these things. It basically eliminates the need to burn ANY gasoline. Forget the whole "35-50" miles sounds small argument, because for a road trip it probably is. Though almost ALL of a car's miles are "commuter" miles.

So it's 0 gas nearly all the time and SOME gas when I want to go far. I see, 0 downsides.
(Unless there are some battery issues, or... any issues really)

[TheAnonOne]

Minneapolis, huh?  I've heard that all-electric range drops off significantly in very cold temperatures.

The VOLT has an on-board battery heater to solve this. It is also only REALLY cold here for 2-3 months.

[Fudge102]

2013 here.  I love it.  44 mpg if I do run on the highway.  90 ish mpge battery (aka electric cost built in).  Back when I was in Cali and had about a 10 minute drive to work, I loved never filling up at the pump.  Long distance relationship to LA led me to driving a lot but still.  Not filling up is nice.  Having a charger at work is definitely a bonus perk!

The all electric range is affected by the heat and cold.  A nice 65-70 degree temperature is perfect.  More or less and the heating affects things.  It's not that big a deal though.  It's not that big a difference.  Maybe 35 instead of 40 miles.  Still gas free however it works.  Get the heated seats if you can.  That will allow you to not run the engine in cold weather and stay nice and toasty.

[TheAnonOne]

2013 here.  I love it.  44 mpg if I do run on the highway.  90 ish mpge battery (aka electric cost built in).  Back when I was in Cali and had about a 10 minute drive to work, I loved never filling up at the pump.  Long distance relationship to LA led me to driving a lot but still.  Not filling up is nice.  Having a charger at work is definitely a bonus perk!

The all electric range is affected by the heat and cold.  A nice 65-70 degree temperature is perfect.  More or less and the heating affects things.  It's not that big a deal though.  It's not that big a difference.  Maybe 35 instead of 40 miles.  Still gas free however it works.  Get the heated seats if you can.  That will allow you to not run the engine in cold weather and stay nice and toasty.

Sounds awesome!


What I am really looking for is a "hey this other car is way better" call. As in, am I missing something. Is there another car that is better? The VOLT as far as commuter cars go, seems like a lone wolf, leading the pack!

[nouveauRiche]

We looked at Volts a couple of years ago.  The deal breaker for us was that the back seat had very little leg room.  I felt like it was too small for me (a medium-height woman).

DH is tall & it looks like the kids will be too.  I think it would be pretty uncomfortable back there.  (We keep cars a long time.)

[nancy33]

It looks like a good choice for safety too. I've been eyeing a 2012
Least fatal crashes in its category
Vehicle   Overall death rate (with confidence limits)   Multi-vehicle crash death rate   Single-vehicle crash death rate   Rollover death
rate   Model year span   Exposure
Chevrolet Volt   7 (0-39)   7   0   0   2011-14   143,042
Nissan Leaf   8 (0-44)   0   8   8   2011-14   126,702
Nissan Juke 2WD   15 (0-31)   8   8   8   2011-14   195,060
Hyundai Elantra GT   28 (6-82)   9   19   0   2013-14   107,488
Toyota Prius   31 (21-42)   23   8   0   2011-14   1,290,605
Dodge Dart   36 (14-59)   14   25   11   2013-14   283,729
Nissan Juke 4WD   37 (14-61)   19   19   7   2011-14   203,122
Honda Civic   39 (28-49)   27   11   2   2012-14   1,875,054
Chevrolet Cruze   42 (32-52)   29   13   4   2011-14   2,220,302
Toyota Corolla   43 (16-70)   26   17   2   2014   316,941
Hyundai Elantra   44 (32-56)   31   13   5   2011-14   1,509,235
Toyota Prius c   44 (18-71)   32   12   3   2012-14   250,577
Chevrolet Sonic   48 (20-76)   34   15   12   2012-14   314,416
Subaru Impreza 4WD   54 (0-109)   13   48   0   2012-14   117,068
Mitsubishi Lancer 2WD   63 (9-116)   53   6   6   2011-14   125,834
Volkswagen Golf   63 (2-125)   63   0   0   2011-14   120,918
Ford Focus   68 (48-88)   50   15   5   2012-14   1,000,942
Nissan Sentra   72 (41-102)   45   25   9   2013-14   494,802
ALL 2014 VEHICLES   30 (29-32)   18   12   5   2011-14   92,639,411

[TheAnonOne]

I am wondering about the financial side of things.

Sell a 6k car to buy a 10-12k car that probably covers realistically 80% of my gasoline use....

hmm

The back of the napkin math says that the gasoline savings alone will cover the 4-6 thousand dollars in 4-5 years. My fusion uses about a tank a week at $30. If I save $25 a week, it's 160 weeks or about 3 years for 4k.

It seems like a good deal, even by MMM standards.

[zephyr911]

I own a 2012 and have put a lot of miles on it. Great car, often goes weeks or months without a fill-up, and has had very few maintenance issues.

My $.02... if the numbers work out, that's great. There are even more reasons than that, especially if you're into all that hippy shit about humanity being interconnected and our choices affecting each other. I was a fairly early adopter at a much higher price and have never regretted it, and neither have the friends I conned into following in my footsteps. It's a better driving experience, it pays for itself eventually, and it's part of a no-shit strategic shift in the economy that's good for us all.

[ketchup]

This thread has me thinking about one...

I do plan on getting a second car sometime soon (presently a one-car couple).

From some brief research into maintenance and cost of electricity, it looks like for my particular use case (about half commuter miles, half highway miles), a Volt would average about 6.5 cents/mile in gas, electricity, and maintenance (not including repairs).  This is substantially less than my past and present vehicles.  With those numbers, and budgeting a bit for insurance, plates, and repairs, it looks like I could match the total per-mile cost of my old 1999 Metro (which was hilariously low) if I could get depreciation down to 5.5cents/mile (or match the not-as-low per-mile cost of my old 1992 Roadmaster at 10cents/mile).  Wow.

With those numbers, it would pencil out (somewhere between the per-mile cost of both previous el cheapo cars) as long as I could find one with at least 100k of life left in it for between $5.5k and $10k.  And as long as insurance cost is reasonable.

Hmm.... and I thought I'd never be the guy considering more than a $2k car.

[TheAnonOne]

This thread has me thinking about one...

I do plan on getting a second car sometime soon (presently a one-car couple).

From some brief research into maintenance and cost of electricity, it looks like for my particular use case (about half commuter miles, half highway miles), a Volt would average about 6.5 cents/mile in gas, electricity, and maintenance (not including repairs).  This is substantially less than my past and present vehicles.  With those numbers, and budgeting a bit for insurance, plates, and repairs, it looks like I could match the total per-mile cost of my old 1999 Metro (which was hilariously low) if I could get depreciation down to 5.5cents/mile (or match the not-as-low per-mile cost of my old 1992 Roadmaster at 10cents/mile).  Wow.

With those numbers, it would pencil out (somewhere between the per-mile cost of both previous el cheapo cars) as long as I could find one with at least 100k of life left in it for between $5.5k and $10k.  And as long as insurance cost is reasonable.

Hmm.... and I thought I'd never be the guy considering more than a $2k car.

There is a 2014 with 23,000 miles here with some hail damage.

$9,500


For me, it would be replacing 2 gas cars, and more importantly replacing my 6CLY 20MPG FORD FUSION

The savings could immense.

[ketchup]

This thread has me thinking about one...

I do plan on getting a second car sometime soon (presently a one-car couple).

From some brief research into maintenance and cost of electricity, it looks like for my particular use case (about half commuter miles, half highway miles), a Volt would average about 6.5 cents/mile in gas, electricity, and maintenance (not including repairs).  This is substantially less than my past and present vehicles.  With those numbers, and budgeting a bit for insurance, plates, and repairs, it looks like I could match the total per-mile cost of my old 1999 Metro (which was hilariously low) if I could get depreciation down to 5.5cents/mile (or match the not-as-low per-mile cost of my old 1992 Roadmaster at 10cents/mile).  Wow.

With those numbers, it would pencil out (somewhere between the per-mile cost of both previous el cheapo cars) as long as I could find one with at least 100k of life left in it for between $5.5k and $10k.  And as long as insurance cost is reasonable.

Hmm.... and I thought I'd never be the guy considering more than a $2k car.

There is a 2014 with 23,000 miles here with some hail damage.

$9,500


For me, it would be replacing 2 gas cars, and more importantly replacing my 6CLY 20MPG FORD FUSION

The savings could immense.

Gah.  We just had a pretty intense hailstorm last weekend...maybe I'll do a little hunting and keep my eyes open.

For me it would be supplementing our 25-30MPG Volvo station wagon.

[TheAnonOne]

This thread has me thinking about one...

I do plan on getting a second car sometime soon (presently a one-car couple).

From some brief research into maintenance and cost of electricity, it looks like for my particular use case (about half commuter miles, half highway miles), a Volt would average about 6.5 cents/mile in gas, electricity, and maintenance (not including repairs).  This is substantially less than my past and present vehicles.  With those numbers, and budgeting a bit for insurance, plates, and repairs, it looks like I could match the total per-mile cost of my old 1999 Metro (which was hilariously low) if I could get depreciation down to 5.5cents/mile (or match the not-as-low per-mile cost of my old 1992 Roadmaster at 10cents/mile).  Wow.

With those numbers, it would pencil out (somewhere between the per-mile cost of both previous el cheapo cars) as long as I could find one with at least 100k of life left in it for between $5.5k and $10k.  And as long as insurance cost is reasonable.

Hmm.... and I thought I'd never be the guy considering more than a $2k car.

There is a 2014 with 23,000 miles here with some hail damage.

$9,500


For me, it would be replacing 2 gas cars, and more importantly replacing my 6CLY 20MPG FORD FUSION

The savings could immense.

Gah.  We just had a pretty intense hailstorm last weekend...maybe I'll do a little hunting and keep my eyes open.

For me it would be supplementing our 25-30MPG Volvo station wagon.

I am trying to decide if I am looking at a logically good step, or if I have car fever myself.

[Zoot]

Volt owner here.  We use roughly half a gallon of gas a month! 

Ground clearance is probably the only "nit" I have to pick with the design--not sure how it would behave in snow (as I'm in Atlanta and we rarely have that stuff around!).  But as nits go it's a pretty tiny one.

We also have a standard gas engine car.  I can see us going to a one-car family when my office days are done in a few years; we'd likely rent a car if we needed to take a road trip, which might happen a couple of time a year. 

I say go for it!

[CaliChemist]

2013 Chevy Volt owner here.  I went through the same analysis as you and reached the same conclusion.  How are more people not driving this car?  In my opinion there isn't another car that comes even close to offering the savings when you consider the low resale value, efficiency and dependability.  The sweet spot seems to be the 2012-2013 model years.  After getting some charging stations at work and getting on my soapbox I got two coworkers to see the light and get a Volt as well. 

Just to give you the flip side here are the reasons some people told me they wouldn't consider it:
Ugly (Didn't matter to me I was only looking for functionality)
Backseat space (It's only a 4-seater and there isn't a lot of leg room if the person in front is tall)
Visibility (Without the rearview camera it can be really hard to see out of the back due to the thickness of the rear pillars)
 

[kpd905]

There is a 2014 with 23,000 miles here with some hail damage.

$9,500


For me, it would be replacing 2 gas cars, and more importantly replacing my 6CLY 20MPG FORD FUSION

The savings could immense.

I would grab that one.  The hail dents just add to the aerodynamics of the vehicle (/s).

[ketchup]

There is a 2014 with 23,000 miles here with some hail damage.

$9,500


For me, it would be replacing 2 gas cars, and more importantly replacing my 6CLY 20MPG FORD FUSION

The savings could immense.

I would grab that one.  The hail dents just add to the aerodynamics of the vehicle (/s).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ASgGwxJyc

[BrandNewPapa]

I have a 2014 I've owned for a little over a year. I've put about 23k miles on it. I got the oil changed when I first bought it, and haven't had to do it since. Just need to rotate the tires, follow the maintenance minder for everything else.

It's been my favorite car I've owned by far. I love the design and interior layout. I get 40-50 miles range in the spring/summer/fall. In the winter I get 32-38 miles range. I'm able to complete my 32 mile round trip commute with no gas. I fill about about every 1000-1200 miles. The tank is only 7 or 8 gallons, so even fill ups are cheap (but you do need to use premium fuel). I average 40 mpg when drive gas on long trips.

The drawbacks:
- It's small. But if you're the only primary user, its perfect. 95% of the time I'm the only one in the car, and the front sits me very comfortably.
- The HVAC system is a little weak. In electric, the heater is not very powerful. Like someone else mentioned, get the heated seats and you'll be a lot more comfortable in the winter. AC on very hot sunny days need to run full blast because there is a lot of glass on the car.

I would recommend looking at the 2014 and newer. Some of the 2011-2013 had issues with transmission and wheel bearings. They also tweaked the battery in 2014 to get 5-10 more miles out of it for most users. Check out the GM-volt.com forums for more details. Feel free to PM me with any questions.

[BrandNewPapa]

Also, it can be very fun to drive. Put it in sport mode and "L" and have a blast!

[zephyr911]

There is a 2014 with 23,000 miles here with some hail damage.

$9,500

For me, it would be replacing 2 gas cars, and more importantly replacing my 6CLY 20MPG FORD FUSION

The savings could immense.

I would grab that one.  The hail dents just add to the aerodynamics of the vehicle (/s).

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ASgGwxJyc

<3 Speed Holes! <3

[TheAnonOne]

Also, it can be very fun to drive. Put it in sport mode and "L" and have a blast!

Heh, I have a car I use for road-trips and autocross for that! (Probably 1% of my yearly fuel use)

----

I am going to go check out this "dealer" that has a few hail'ed on models and see what they actually look like.

Any factory warranty considerations if the car was "Totaled" by insurance and auctioned off?

From the looks of it they have the following (Not that I have to buy any of these particular ones, nor from this particular dealer)

2014- 23,000 miles - HAIL $9500
2015- 30k-ish miles - HAIL $10500
2017 - 30k-ish miles- Unknown - $16,000


Seems like any of these would be "Good" buys. Though the 2017 is the BIG "?" I wonder if it would be outside of the MMM'ers good graces to go for the newer car.

Here in MN I am also wondering if heated seats are the "necessary" option. I don't think any of the mentioned cars have them....

[ketchup]

I would definitely say that $6,500 more for three years newer and marginally *more* miles on it is a bad buy, at least by comparison.

[HipGnosis]

2012 Volt owner in greater Atlanta here. 
We've used roughly 3 gallons of gas since we bought it in December 2016. 

How do you (Volt owners et al) deal with gas going 'bad' in a few months??
This article http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/does-gas-go-bad/ (updated Jan '17) recommends not keeping gas for more than a couple months
There are gas 'stabilizers' available, but they have to be added while the gas is still 'good'.

[zephyr911]

Heh, I have a car I use for road-trips and autocross for that! (Probably 1% of my yearly fuel use)

----

I am going to go check out this "dealer" that has a few hail'ed on models and see what they actually look like.

Any factory warranty considerations if the car was "Totaled" by insurance and auctioned off?

From the looks of it they have the following (Not that I have to buy any of these particular ones, nor from this particular dealer)

2014- 23,000 miles - HAIL $9500
2015- 30k-ish miles - HAIL $10500
2017 - 30k-ish miles- Unknown - $16,000


Seems like any of these would be "Good" buys. Though the 2017 is the BIG "?" I wonder if it would be outside of the MMM'ers good graces to go for the newer car.

Here in MN I am also wondering if heated seats are the "necessary" option. I don't think any of the mentioned cars have them....

Having driven electric for 4 years and spent more time than I care to admit geeking out with fellow EV owners over necessities, luxuries, comfort, and functionality, I'll point this out: heated seats and even heated steering wheels are not just luxuries in an electric car. Heat is the hands-down #1 range killer in an EV, and if delivering smaller amounts directly to your body reduces the need to heat the entire cabin to a toasty temperature, that can dramatically reduce the impact and give you a lot more electric range before you have to get into the gas tank.

I would definitely say that $6,500 more for three years newer and marginally *more* miles on it is a bad buy, at least by comparison.

HOWEVER: the '17 is a Gen2, a fundamentally different vehicle with significantly better specs, which should directly translate to at least some additional cost savings. Estimated range improves from ~38 to 53, IIRC, and GM rates these very conservatively. My friend with a '17 routinely gets 65-70 miles out of a full charge without even really hypermiling.

Plus, the Gen2 can use regular gas (Gen1 is premium-only) and gets slightly better MPG in range-extended mode.

The difference and the expected benefits would be highly dependent on your driving cycle and habits, but it does merit inclusion.

[zephyr911]

2012 Volt owner in greater Atlanta here. 
We've used roughly 3 gallons of gas since we bought it in December 2016. 

How do you (Volt owners et al) deal with gas going 'bad' in a few months??
This article http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/does-gas-go-bad/ (updated Jan '17) recommends not keeping gas for more than a couple months
There are gas 'stabilizers' available, but they have to be added while the gas is still 'good'.

The Volt will automatically burn off a little every so often if you don't use gas on your normal duty cycle. There's a fuel maintenance mode as well as an engine maintenance mode, but I've never gone long enough for either one to activate, so I can't recall which happens first.

[TheAnonOne]

Heh, I have a car I use for road-trips and autocross for that! (Probably 1% of my yearly fuel use)

----

I am going to go check out this "dealer" that has a few hail'ed on models and see what they actually look like.

Any factory warranty considerations if the car was "Totaled" by insurance and auctioned off?

From the looks of it they have the following (Not that I have to buy any of these particular ones, nor from this particular dealer)

2014- 23,000 miles - HAIL $9500
2015- 30k-ish miles - HAIL $10500
2017 - 30k-ish miles- Unknown - $16,000


Seems like any of these would be "Good" buys. Though the 2017 is the BIG "?" I wonder if it would be outside of the MMM'ers good graces to go for the newer car.

Here in MN I am also wondering if heated seats are the "necessary" option. I don't think any of the mentioned cars have them....

Having driven electric for 4 years and spent more time than I care to admit geeking out with fellow EV owners over necessities, luxuries, comfort, and functionality, I'll point this out: heated seats and even heated steering wheels are not just luxuries in an electric car. Heat is the hands-down #1 range killer in an EV, and if delivering smaller amounts directly to your body reduces the need to heat the entire cabin to a toasty temperature, that can dramatically reduce the impact and give you a lot more electric range before you have to get into the gas tank.

I would definitely say that $6,500 more for three years newer and marginally *more* miles on it is a bad buy, at least by comparison.

HOWEVER: the '17 is a Gen2, a fundamentally different vehicle with significantly better specs, which should directly translate to at least some additional cost savings. Estimated range improves from ~38 to 53, IIRC, and GM rates these very conservatively. My friend with a '17 routinely gets 65-70 miles out of a full charge without even really hypermiling.

Plus, the Gen2 can use regular gas (Gen1 is premium-only) and gets slightly better MPG in range-extended mode.

The difference and the expected benefits would be highly dependent on your driving cycle and habits, but it does merit inclusion.

So, my current commute, RT- is 44 miles.

The 2017 would mean NO GAS even in the winter- while the 2014 would mean 5-10 miles worth of gas (still a massive improvement in not only total use, but per-mile use going from 20MPG to 35MPG)

Is it worth 6k though... hmm

[TheAnonOne]

I am going to go check them out and see how extensive the hail damage is. (They are all salvage titles I think, this dealer specializes in that)

Also, check on the status of any heated seats.


The ALTERNATIVE cars are maybe $12,000, with a clean title and 60,000-> 70,000 miles (2013)

I will report back- Today

[zephyr911]

So, my current commute, RT- is 44 miles.

The 2017 would mean NO GAS even in the winter- while the 2014 would mean 5-10 miles worth of gas (still a massive improvement in not only total use, but per-mile use going from 20MPG to 35MPG)

Is it worth 6k though... hmm

Unless that's all at 80mph, even the 2014 can probably pull that commute off with no gas used, except in the winter when the Volt kinda wants to burn some just to keep the battery warm. Ever since I got used to my 2012, with a slightly smaller battery, I usually count on 45-50mi unless it's really hot or cold. At lower speeds in ideal conditions, I've squeezed out 60 or so.

[TheAnonOne]

I stopped by the dealer-

2014 for 9500- no heated seats, cloth seats
2015 for 10999- all leather, heated seats
2017 for 16500- all leather, heated seats

I am taking the 2014 off the list, I want heated seats, it makes sense in an EV and has pretty big financial consequences (reduced range)

The 2015 is "sold" but if the buyer backs out, they will call me
The 2017 is just probably too much money but it is ONLY 14k miles (I said 30 above, their site is wrong)


What I learned about myself is that I am 'shallower' than I thought, I don't know if I could live with hail damage to that extent. Think golf-ball level on the roof and hood. They had a body shop there, said any of them are around $3,000 to fully fix.

I think if you "fix" the dents the value proposition goes away for the most part.

In reality the 2015 would be 14k and the 2017 would be 19k all said and done.

Hmm...

[zephyr911]

Did you verify if the warranties still hold after the car has been "totalled" for body work?

[TheAnonOne]

Did you verify if the warranties still hold after the car has been "totalled" for body work?

Ah shoot! Nope.

I am 99% sure they would hold though.

I am not sure if I want to go that route or just find one on craigslist. There is a 2013 for 13k but 69k miles. If the price drops to around 10k I'd take that one.

[nawhite]

I'm looking at plug-in hybrids for our next car and I really want to like the Volt because you can get them used but WTF is up with the back seat and trunk? It's a hatchback, I want the seats to lay flat like a freaking hatchback so that I can actually put things in the trunk. My Pontiac Vibe can fit a washer AND a dryer inside and close the door if I put the seat down. Sure I get it that I need to give up some of that for battery space but my friend has a volt and it feels like you can't put anything larger than a couple suitcases in there. I want to be able to put kayaks and lumber and dogs and be able to sleep back there on an air mattress like all other hatchbacks ever.

If we were buying today, we'd be getting a Prius Prime instead as the space just seems SOO much more useable and the specs aren't that much lower.

[bigdoug03]

I just want to "plug" the volt here. It's the best car I have ever owned, love the quiet, smooth acceleration from the electric powertrain. One thing that is underappreciated in this car is the lack of shifting. The transmission only has one "gear" so you accelerate up to speed with no interruptions or jerks at all.

 I'm saving about $1200 a year in gas, thanks to a long commute and charging stations at work. It would be a great car even without the gas savings though.

If you get one, be prepared to explain how it works about a thousand times. At least once a week somebody approaches me in a parking lot and we have the same conversation:

Stranger: How many miles do you get out of that battery?
Me: Well it goes 40 miles on the battery but....
Stranger: 40 miles! How can anybody drive a car that only goes 40 miles?!
Me: It's actually a plug in hybrid, so once the battery is depleted the gas engine starts up and it drives like any other hybrid.
Stranger: That's great! Why don't more cars do that / Why haven't I heard about this car before?
..

[inline five]

Buy a hood in the same color off eBay. Much cheaper than fixing the damage.

[BrandNewPapa]

I'm looking at plug-in hybrids for our next car and I really want to like the Volt because you can get them used but WTF is up with the back seat and trunk? It's a hatchback, I want the seats to lay flat like a freaking hatchback so that I can actually put things in the trunk. My Pontiac Vibe can fit a washer AND a dryer inside and close the door if I put the seat down. Sure I get it that I need to give up some of that for battery space but my friend has a volt and it feels like you can't put anything larger than a couple suitcases in there. I want to be able to put kayaks and lumber and dogs and be able to sleep back there on an air mattress like all other hatchbacks ever.

Have you actually looked at a Volt? The seats do lay flat. The trunk space is huge for a car in its class. Its a sub compact, so you won't be able to fit a washer and dryer, but you could fit one at a time. I've transported a 10 foot piece of 6 inch gutter, a table saw, a large snow blower, etc in mine with no problems. It has more usable space than my old Accord.

[anonymouscow]

2012 Volt owner in greater Atlanta here. 
We've used roughly 3 gallons of gas since we bought it in December 2016. 

How do you (Volt owners et al) deal with gas going 'bad' in a few months??
This article http://www.autoblog.com/2008/03/31/does-gas-go-bad/ (updated Jan '17) recommends not keeping gas for more than a couple months
There are gas 'stabilizers' available, but they have to be added while the gas is still 'good'.

I am thinking of getting a Volt as my next car.

From my understanding the tank is sealed and pressurized which keeps the gas stable for longer.

The car tracks how old the gas is / the average age, after an average of a year it will start using the gas.

Someone else mentioned it on here, the earlier models require premium gas, probably not that big of an issue if you are using mostly electric.

[zephyr911]

Someone else mentioned it on here, the earlier models require premium gas, probably not that big of an issue if you are using mostly electric.

Yeah, it is hard to use enough gas with a Volt to care about the price. Within a few months I noticed that I would find it comical whenever someone commented on prices.
I would reflect on the fact that even at $10 a gallon I'd be spending far less than I did with my previous car, and only at $20 might I begin to develop a concern.