Car and Driver Volt/Prime

I very much doubt this is the case. One of GM's main goals with the Volt (and now the Bolt) was to change the image of the company from stodgy and outdated, to cutting edge. This kind of change no doubt takes time, but as for me I was quite excited to see the Volt come out when it was first announced and I still wish Chevy well. At the very least they seem to have forced Toyota to become more competitive in the plug-in hybrid category.

 

LOL!
Many thanks!!

Great article!!!!
".......Just don't drive a Volt after signing the paperwork."

I saw some genuine compliments in there for the Prime.
Their previous Prius reviews used to emphasize its soul-crushing performance numbers AND spartan interior AND dorky looks.
They actually had some pretty good things to say at least about the interior AND THE SEATS, and the exterior visibility.
In the stand-alone article for the Prime, they actually didn't rag on the Prime's handling as much as they have in the past for the Prius.

The numbers are the numbers.
Their observed MPGe is going to be different than the EPA because the folks at dot.gov probably won't let the kids @ C&D use their facilities.

If you live close enough to work then the operating costs are going to be influenced far more by electricity prices than gas prices and the V2 will have a decided edge.
As the article states....if you drive for Uber, then the Prime is a no-brainer.


............let the egg throwing continue.

 

A magazine editor has a different perspective than you or I.

Reliability is not an issue for him, he rarely gets a car for a week.
Cost of service is not an issue for him, he rarely gets a car for a week.
Fuel is paid for by his employer.
Handling is more an issue for him, he can measure it easily
Performance is more an issue for him, he can measure it easily.

 

The Volt gen 2 is certainly a nice car. Though....

Until it has something like the Gen4 highway efficiency,
I have no interest.

 

• 4-door sedan, must seat 4 or more passengers excluding the driver

Uber Car Requirements • I Drive With Uber

 

I can only read a partial article.

 

Oooooooo. Bummer.
So that means that you can use a V2 even though it has a smaller interior?

Curious.....

 

The only true mpg is that achieved when the car is not plugged in. I can get infinity mpg if the gas engine never starts. Saying my car gets xxx mpg when you are using electric power from the mains is meaningless and disingenuous at best. Electric power ain't free either. Sorry for the rant...

 

He sure is!

 

Below is from a gen i volt.

Look at the numbers, the gas mpg and electric KW/hr per mile are easily read.
(49mpg + on gas and 6.9 miles per kwhr if my eyes read right. Trip was a combination of freeway and slowcountry roads)
Add to this myvolt mpg display is pessimistic compared to hand figured (aka I use less gas than it says I do)

If my gen i can do the below on my twice weekly long trip and my electricity is free 5 days a week there is savings to be had on a gen ii volt versus a prii prime if you have longer drives in fair weather.

Where it gets confusing is where you have mostly shorter drives combined with 100 mile ish trips and throw in below zero weather which makes both cars drink gas like a Dodge Ram crewcab.

 

I don't like the brake. It is so, how do I say it, unreliable. It doesn't feel like the brake in prius product line. Too hard. I've got to step down real hard to apply a firm brake.

The trunk is a joke. Our stroller barely makes it beneath the glass whereas I have 1-2 inches to spare in my prime. The middle seat is a joke because if I put the car seat in the middle seat, no real adult homo sapiens could sit in either seat at the back. Volt gen 2 is a car trying to fit so many stuff into its tiny body. At the end of the day, it only does one thing well: 53 miles EV range.

 

Does the Volt still use premium gas?

 

I doubt it's faster when the EV battery is depleted. The gas engine in the Volt is rather ... uninspiring. Toyota put its effort in making the most efficient gasoline engine out there.

 

No.

Yes, 0-60 is slightly faster with the ICE: 7.6 sec. in EV and 7.4 sec in HV according to the article.

 

No it does not,

even the gen i doesn't really "need" it
Premium fuel was chosen to keep fuel "fresh " longer and to improve fuel economy.
The gen i car runs fine on fresh 87, but you need to burn through it often.

 

I own a 2017 Volt, and had a 2013 Volt, as well as my 2012 Prius. Hands down, the Volt is the more comfortable car to drive long distance. The Volts are much quicker and sportier than the Prius as well, especially the gen2 Volt. Prius is definitely the more economical car to own, from purchase through operating costs, but for me, the comfort and handling of the Volt makes it a winner for long distances. All three of my cars have been completely reliable. I did have to take my 2013 Volt to the repair shop once due to a coyote going through the front grille.

 

No problem.
I like rants, but I can actually charge at work....for free....legally, cause I asked instead of being like one of those jerks with an extension cord and crooked morals, and that's pretty close to REALLY free, right?
Yeah.
I know.....not right.
PHEVs are complicated.
Why else would you buy a $33,200 car to do the same job as a car that you can get for $12,780, only to have dot.gov give you a $7500 kick back????
People justify doing what they want or they justify what they already DID by bending data.

Prime > Volt because it gets better gas mileage.
Volt > Prime because it has 5 seatbelts and close to a 50-mile EV range.

Prime > Volt because it's bigger, and everybody KNOWS Toyota is better because they're statistically more dependable.
Volt > Prime because it lacks the self esteem problems associated with that rad styling, and it's peppier.

or?
Both of them scratch an itch that different people have, and the real acid test will be which one is still around in 20 years...........like the Prius will be.

The only way you know who "won" is to count the votes and.................oh wait.
Bad metaphor this year, huh?

 

I don't think premium gasoline degrades any less than regular. Please provide a source.

 

Perhaps unfair, a Volt-1 parked next to my BMW i3-REx was distinctly shorter. Neither me nor my wife have any interest in 'climbing up' out of a car. Maybe the Volt-2 is better but that was not mentioned.

The Prius Prime test drive using engine only was quantitatively better than our Gen-3 Prius: quieter, precise, and comfortable.

So I will visit the local Chevy dealer and give them an opportunity. That way I can post about the Volt-2 with some basis of estimate more than side-by-side in a parking lot.

Bob Wilson