"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
09/07/2015 at 16:34 • Filed to: None
5
23|
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
09/07/2015 at 16:34 • Filed to: None | 5
| 23 |
I gave up on Zipcar after they gave me a filthy Honda Civic, so now I use !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . I had to visit family in Maryland this weekend, and I’ve always wanted to try a Volt. The technology fascinates me. So here’s my review.
After a subway ride and two trains, I met the owner at River Edge in New Jersey. He was great, and the car was clean and full of gas. The only issue was that he forgot to put the charging cord in the car, so I’d be on gas most of the weekend. No matter.
The driving experience is not that different from any other car. Just push the blue button, and the car comes to life. I figured out before I left Jersey that I could plug in my iPhone, enter my destination in Google Maps, and get turn-by-turn instructions through the Volt’s sound system. Easy. The dash is a bit cluttered, and the gauge cluster is too, but it’s not undecipherable.
Manual seats (which I like) easily adjusted to the perfect driving position for me. For the first 40 miles or so the car was in electric mode. So quiet. When the gas engine kicked in to charge the battery, it was very smooth - the only reason I knew was because I shut the radio off and listened for it.
In no particular order:
Brakes: 4 wheel discs (more efficient regenerative braking on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ) - I had to stand on the brakes once when 2 cop cars (with two victims) on the median caused everyone to slow down just over the crest of a hill. They were adequate, the pedal a bit spongy, but they hauled the car down from 65-70 without incident. Sometimes they felt a bit grabby, but that may just be the regen feature. I’d put bigger brakes on it if I could.
Build Quality: I’ve rented a Prius and a Camry Hybrid (last generation), and the Volt was every bit as well assembled as the Toyotas. The car had about 75K on it, but I didn’t hear a squeak or rattle during the 3 days I had it.
Controls: the controls are not easy to decipher. You change the screens on the center stack by using a wheel on the dash on the left side of the steering wheel. You’re never quite sure when you’ve engaged one of the functions controlled by touch. The electric parking brake is controlled by a switch on the right side of the stack - odd - but it works well. The cruise control is on the left spoke of the steering wheel and is difficult to engage. However, when I got it engaged it worked with relentless efficiency.
Engine: electric motor (149HP, 273 torques); gas motor (1.4 liters) that charges the electric motor. The owner says he gets over 90MPG if he charges the car when necessary. The electric motor steps off smartly, if not quickly, and 60MPH is reached in 8.9 seconds, and the quarter mile takes 16.7 seconds. On the road, the power comes on fairly quickly, but it takes the car a second to gather itself to pass, say, a semi.
Exterior: I like the way it looks, especially the short high rear section. The panel gaps were fine, and the overall finish on the exterior was excellent. I like the wheels, and I don’t think there’s a bad angle on the car. But that’s me.
Handling: I wasn’t out to autocross the thing, and the car belongs to someone else, so I wasn’t going to thrash it. That said, I did pitch it into a couple of off ramps, and it understeers mildly and predictably. I don’t know if it has low-rolling-resistance tires, and that may something to do with the way it handles. Overall, I’d say it is controllable and able to manuever reasonably well.
Interior: The overall fit and finish are very nice indeed, but this car suffers from the same problem as the Prius and last-gen Camry - cheap-looking plastics. The center stack is white, for some reason, and the knobs and touch points for the controls are not logical or particularly easy to figure out. The doors are finished with a cheap-looking grey-silver plastic. A cloth panel matching the seat would be better. In a car that’s knocking on 40 grand, the interior should be nicer.
As I said before, it was easy to adjust the manual seats into the perfect driving position. For some reason, Chevrolet chose two separate seats in the rear with a dual cupholder in between. I like this setup, but someone with 3 small children would not.
That said, the back seats are tight, but adequate. I’m six feet tall, and I fit quite nicely. I wouldn’t want to spend 4 hours there, but short hops should be OK. I forgot to take a photo with the hatchback open, but there’s decent space there, and the Volt’s seats fold down, but not flat.
Noise, Vibration, and Harshness: on my drive to Maryland there were more than my share of potholes, construction washboard, and rough roads. The car’s suspension absorbed the lesser stuff, but it banged over the bad stuff. I think the Camry might have had a better ride, but it also has, I believe, a longer wheelbase. Also, I would like a little more sound deadening material, particularly in the doors. It’s not a noisy car, but by no means is it quiet.
Steering: electric power steering, rack and pinion, variable assist. While it’s not going to communicate like a Cayman, the power steering has a bit more feel than either of the Toyotas I drove. Even when I hit a big hole in the road, the wheel neither jerked or shuddered. At highway speeds it feels a bit overassisted, but like anything else with this car, it’s not excessive.
Value: when this car was new, the price was nearly 40 grand. The new one is going to start in the mid-30s, and that makes the car more competitive. A used one with average mileage in good condition can be had for about !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and I’d do that before I’d buy a new Prius or Camry Hybrid. The car has just about every option you’d expect except navigation, and that’s not a problem given the ability to get turn-by-turn with a smart phone.
Overall: I like driving this car. The engineering interests me, and it was perfectly adequate in doing what I asked it to do. If I commuted, I’d buy one before I bought a used Prius or Camry Hybrid - the car is better looking and more efficient (if used correctly) than either Toyota. The !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ? I can’t really say not having driven it, but at this point it looks like a better value than the latest gen Camry. And I like a car that interests me. Sure, if I were the only driver in the family (I’m not) I’d get a 6M Boxster S and live happily ever after. But if I needed a conventional car, I think the Volt is a better choice than most. And we built it, right here in US America. GM did something right.
Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 16:39 |
|
Well done.
I really liked how these first gens looked. But man that price tag... can’t you get a new Prius C for like $19k?
ly2v8-Brian
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 16:41 |
|
The rear seats are like that because of the battery going in between them.
Funktheduck
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 16:58 |
|
I think having a gas engine to charge batteries is a better idea than dual drive
jkm7680
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 17:02 |
|
That’s a nice concept RelayRides.
Buying a shitty ex rental car and using it as an investment would be pretty cool.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> ly2v8-Brian
09/07/2015 at 17:03 |
|
Exactly - I’d forgotten about that fact. Well, you can always say you have a divided rear seat, just like Maybach!
|
Steve in Manhattan
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
09/07/2015 at 17:06 |
|
Thank you.
I don’t hate on the Prius like some - I think it’s a perfectly legit vehicle if it does what you want. But for me, the Volt is more ... carlike? And while a Prius C is not that expensive, I’d rather have a 1 or 2 year old Volt.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> Funktheduck
09/07/2015 at 17:07 |
|
I agree. And the new Volt has roughly 55 electric miles in it, so that helps. I’d really like to drive one.
|
Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 17:13 |
|
I can see that. I guess it’s just a question of whether it wants to compete with the prius, insight, or cmax, or if it’s trying to distinguish itself as something superior.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> jkm7680
09/07/2015 at 17:14 |
|
I like interesting vehicles, and Relay has everything from Golfs to Rangies to Mercedes S class and even more fancy. There’s a Honda S2000 6M that I’ll have to try at some point. If you look through the selections, there are lots of interesting things. The Volt, at 79 bucks a day, is a bit more than a supermini from Hertz, but I wanted to try it. And, when you tack on all the charges, the Volt might be less expensive, and more if I’d been able to do more straight electric driving.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
09/07/2015 at 17:20 |
|
I think it is superior, but also it’s different. I can’t quite put it into words. I’ll be interested to see if the interior of the redesign has higher quality materials.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 17:24 |
|
Oh, and I stopped at a Ford dealer for directions before I figured out the iPhone thing.
JR1
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 20:05 |
|
Great review. I was surprised to find out you can buy one for 15k used. I thought they would be higher
|
Steve in Manhattan
> JR1
09/07/2015 at 20:36 |
|
A buddy of mine said new Volts go for about 33 grand down in MD - for something that’s a step above a hybrid, that’s about what people will pay. Like I said - sometimes people will pay for technology, but only if it’s coupled with decent fit and finish. On the other hand, I’ve seen some complaining about the fit and finish of the Model S.
|
JR1
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 20:42 |
|
Well the Model S is a lot more expensive. I think if I had a short commute to work a Volt would be the perfect car. You might go a month without having to use a drop of gas.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> JR1
09/07/2015 at 20:44 |
|
That is, in fact, how it works. If you drive 15 miles to work and 15 home, it works.
shop-teacher
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 22:58 |
|
People love to shit on the Volt, but I’ve yet to meet someone who owns one that doesn’t love it. I could go for weeks or maybe months without getting gas with my 4 mile commute. Of course buying gas is still less expensive than a car payment, so I guess I’d better gas up the Sierra.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> shop-teacher
09/07/2015 at 23:25 |
|
You have a Volt?
The owner who rented me this car was likewise very enthusiastic about it. He promised me I’d love it. And I did. I’ll rent it again.
|
shop-teacher
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 23:35 |
|
No, but I’ve seriously considered getting one, so I always quiz their owners when I meet one. The economics just don’t work for me, I don’t drive enough to be worth paying for another car.
BAJABUSTA
> Steve in Manhattan
09/07/2015 at 23:48 |
|
this is the last pic i took, i am now over 224 mpg, in my volt! Two years and 67 gallons used!
|
Steve in Manhattan
> shop-teacher
09/08/2015 at 02:24 |
|
Maybe you can get a deal. I like the Volt. I have said as much, so maybe you can add one to the fleet.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> BAJABUSTA
09/08/2015 at 10:49 |
|
That is fantastic. And it was enjoyable to drive.
Bob
> Steve in Manhattan
09/08/2015 at 16:46 |
|
We’ve had out Volt for about 9 months and have racked up more than 6,000 miles all on three tanks of fuel. It’s a great commuter, but the opponaught/jalopnik in me thinks it’s a little boring.
|
Steve in Manhattan
> Bob
09/08/2015 at 20:01 |
|
If an otherwise boring car has amazing engineering, I can deal.