PIP vs Volt

Wow! You've got to be kidding!

I have a two-year old daughter and there is no way we could go on a trip with that small amount of trunk space.

 

It is a Honda Civic for those who do not read the thread.

 

I've tried to describe the difference before and failed miserably, but I'll give it another go...

My last car was a Gen I prius. I liked it a lot. In 2003 it was one of the first prii in Delaware (went out of state to find it). It got great mileage and felt peppy enough for me never having really been much of a car guy.

The ride was ok, the low rolling resistance tires were harder than I was used to, and the car was lighter than my previous vehicles and felt more susceptible to wind buffeting from cross winds on the bridge or passing trucks. Acceleration from a stop was fine with the electric assist, but cruising at highway speeds I could really feel the system straining as I approached 80 mph. The tires literally blew apart on 3 different occasions when I exceeded 80mph (don't ask why I needed to learn this lesson 3 times).

The volt is heavier, significantly so, but to me it makes the car feel more substantial, the term sure-footed comes to mind. I have not had any issues with wind buffeting. The acceleration from a stop is a little better than the prius but more noticeable is that smooth silent powerful operation continuing throughout the operating band. Other than tire noise the car sounds exactly the same at 85 mph as it does at 55 mph. I pass other cars on back roads more confidently than I could with the prius. The Volt seems to glide along the road, where the ride in my prius seemed less smooth to me, perhaps stiffer is the right term.

The driving experience is one I have great difficulty conveying in words. My best recommendation is to try it out on a test drive and experience it for yourself. If you do go for a test drive be sure to try sports mode (press the "driving mode" button twice, it is directly above the blue power button).

 

My personal gripe is that the range and endurance of the Prius outlasts my own......

 

I owned a Zebra PK EV for two years and the Prius was my standard of a more substantial and solid ride. I also own a Volvo Cross Country which is quite solid and comfortable but does not cause me to dislike the Prius. Ride and handling are very subjective and our needs and desires for it vary a lot. I am also looking forward to my PiP. The Volt would not work for me as there is not the space I need inside. The PiP is just right.

I see no point in running down a Volt to one who who feels it is superior. Neither do I feel less because someone else prefers a Volt over my Prius. To have the choice is good.

 

Ride quality in 2011 Prius, 15" wheels is secure and comfortable, I really like it coming from a stiffer Accord Coupe. Canyon carver? Well, no. 3rd gen ride a good step up from 2nd gen base model. Steering wheel feedback? Who cares, I turn it and it turns.

To Allande, PiP is more practical and affordable which I think appeals to green car buyers. 'Fun to drive' not so important for most in daily driving. Comfort, usefulness, reliability very important.

 

It was more specifically for the CNG powered Civic, not the hybrid and not the regular gasoline powered versions.

 

Wonder if '12 Civic GX (?) trunk like that. Holy .. that's small!

 

It's about the same size. I popped the trunk of the '12 Civic GX at the SF auto show.

 

Something funny from Better Place's Shai Agassi.

http://www.plugincars.com/better-pl...-cars-must-beat-3-minute-gas-fill-107961.html

 

Well, I made my choice quite a while back. I bought a Leaf. The decision was easy to make for me. At the time there was no PiP and since I'm in Texas that won't even be available to me until 2013. So the only two choices were the Volt and Leaf. I liked the styling on the Leaf better and the price was much lower. Had no need of the extended range mode since we also have my wife's 2010 Prius and my daily commute is 10 miles round-trip.

However - had the PiP been available I might have considered it over the Leaf since it would also meet my daily driving needs.

On a different note, I see a lot of people here arguing over battery improvements etc. There are a lot of factors to consider on this front:

• Will availability of more charging stations and quick-chargers negate the need for larger batteries?
• Will manufacturers eventually offer vehicles with multiple sizes of batteries for different costs, like Tesla is doing on the Model S?
• Will manufacturers find more market by lowering the cost of the car, and keeping the range the same?
• Or will they find more market by keeping the cost the same and increasing the range?
• Will greater consumer understanding and acceptance for EVs reduce the demand for longer ranges? (most consumers currently think they need 3 times the range that they really need)

Personally, it was all irrelevant to me because I wanted to drive on electric NOW and was tired of waiting. So when my leaf came in on March of this year, I made the switch and there's been no looking back. In the last 8 months we've only made one trip that the Leaf couldn't do and that was from Ft.Worth to Houston. So we took the Prius for that trip.

 

Good questions. Here is my take
- Ideally we need a 3 hour driving range battery & 15 minute recharge.
- We will start seeing multiple battery options, as the density increases. Currently, for eg., Leaf is just large enough to hold a 100 mile range battery. They can't put more even if it was cheap.
- As the density increases, OEMs will offer multiple range options, but use the lower cost to offer cheaper EVs. They need to, since the tax credits will finally run out.

Same here - only only trips that Leaf couldn't cover have been flying trips ...