2016 Prius or 2016 Volt...Which should I buy?

I would wait until I test drive both the Gen4 Prius and Gen2 Volt before deciding.

Gen4 has independent rear suspension and the body is more regid than the Golf!

 

too many personal decisions involved for you to wade through. research the plusses and minuses of each and make up your own mind. all the best!

 

Here is an article on the subject:

Chevy Volt vs. Toyota Prius: Which is the best car for you?

 

If you drive less than 100 miles a day, the volt will use less gas.

the consumer reports owner satisfaction for Volt 1.0 was very high, much higher than the prius.

Gen III prius has a horrifically cheap interior and a loud, crashing ride. The rattles on relatively new specimens would drive me nuts faster than the sub-tupperware plastics (I end up in one at least once a week from taking Uber). I would not expect the Gen IV to be any better.

The prius peaked in Gen II, now it is just a penalty box.

 

how are those rental Volts doing in the real world? I had no rattling issues for 10 years with a 2004 Prius. After 140,000 miles on our 2005 Prius, also, no rattles. Our used 2012 PiP is rattle free after 34,000 miles (1,000 driven by us). Just another data point. And the utility of Prius is outstanding if you are looking for that along with the proven hybrid system.

 

I haven't noticed "loud crashing ride".

 

Very hard to resist the "Mine is better than yours" attitude after buying a more expensive car, adolescent behavior if you ask me!

 

We have a 2011 Prius and 2013 Volt.

The Volt's quieter, smoother, more fun. If I need to ferry people around I'll take the Prius--otherwise the Volt is my preference.
Any chance you can charge at work? That would seal the decision, in my book.

We haven't seen any engine longevity issues at gm-volt.com so far, but it's a younger platform.

 

When I was shopping for a prion a few years ago to get rid of my troublesome e320 diesel, I first looked at new Gen 3's. They were such garbage I ended up buying a low-mileage 2009 gen 2. I'm really baffled why anyone buys the gen3. The difference in interior quality was enough for me.

 

Both cars are new and there is always a risk in a new car of bugs. Almost every first year of a major change car I've had was not one I wanted to keep for one reason or another.

Now granted the new emphasis on quality may make these two cars better than my experiences. But I'd be slow in buying to allow the service techs to get familiar, the part dept to get stocked, and the bugs to get ironed out. I'd also not buy on rumors or reviews but instead wait till I could sample the cars multiple times to get a true feel for each.

 

Emissions differ too. OP in KY so 2016 Volt would emit 230 grams per miles (from both electricity and gas tailpipe combined).

2016 Prius at 55 MPG would emit 200 g/mi. At 60 MPG, it would be about 180 g/mi.

 

Neither.
Wait for the Tesla 3.
Get a used compact if the Prius doesn't make it.

 

The problem is, I'd need about a 700 mile minimum range with the existing supercharger network.

 

Depends upon your driving needs. I personally will not buy another GM car after the POS catera I bought in 2000. No more GM for me, even with father-in-law employee discounts. Volt is small. Prius is large. Test drive both. How much do you value not having to bring your car in for service? And what are the current odds on the reliability of the two companies.

 

I would love to have a Volt just so I could drive a lot more EV miles. But I have particular issues that will keep me with the Prius line.

1) Cost to own. For me, who can not take advantage of the tax brakes, the Prius is simply cheaper even including any potential savings due to EV miles.

2) Cargo space. We often fill the cargo space of our Prius and wish we had more. On one 1,100 mile trip we had to take our gas guzzler 4Runner because we couldn't fit everything in the Prius trunk. Some insist the Volt has 18 cu ft of space while the Prius has 22. But after searching far and wide I only find the figure 10.6 cu ft for the Volt.

3) No spare tire. I simply will not buy any car without a spare, and I certainly won't fill precious cargo space with a tire.

I may check out a Volt for myself just to make some personal cargo space measurements out of curiosity. But items #1 and #3 will kill the deal anyway.

Many say the Volt is a better driver and I'm willing to believe that is true. But I have no issues with the Prius drive-ability so that isn't a factor for me. To me our Gen II corners as well as we need it to, accelerates well enough, and rides smoothly and quietly.

Actually issue #1 above is enough for me. I find it very challenging to find any other car, that has the set of characteristics I desire, that beats the Prius; low purchase price, high mpg, extraordinary reliability, good cargo space, and a spare tire.

 

Well with the new models its hard to say. Typically Prius is a super-roomy, super-practical family car. We currently have 3 child car seats in our 2006 for serious grand kids duty. The Gen1 Volt was more of a luxury commuting car for getting to work in comfort and class, but weaker as a practical family car. I've always been a wagon fan, so Prius v is starting to call me.

I must say the Gen4 is starting to look cool to me.

 

In a Prius you will be stopping at gas stations to refuel and you will be getting oil changes every 10,000 miles.

In my 2011 Volt I have changed my oil once every 2 years in accordance with the built-in oil change computer recommendation. That meant I got my 2nd oil change at 4 years and 96,000 miles on the odometer.

Basically, even for high mileage drivers like myself, the Volt's maintenance schedule is similar to an all electric car. I'm up to 117,000 miles now and when I'm ready for my 3rd oil change it will be time to get the water-based coolant flushed and refilled for the first time at 150,000 miles.

Maybe I'll replace the platinum-tipped spark plugs then too even though the engine will only have about 55,000 miles on it -- so maybe not.

 

Compare Side-by-Side

 

I was a loyal Pontiac fan. The only GM car I would buy now would have to say Pontiac somewhere on it, and that excludes all of the new ones. Their recent history is troubling, and having seen the prototypes of the new Volt before they were introduced just made my interest in them evaporate. Not fond of a car that has to rescue itself with a tiny gasoline engine when you drive it too far.

Go with the Prius.

Bill the Engineer