Why should I pick the Gen 4 over a Chevy Volt?

Reliability!

P01M ?

 

I think you should look at all the options and colors. You need to look at what you want and then you should go out and give each a test drive. I chose the Prius for these reasons in no particular order:

1- I live out in the middle of nowhere where electric power for the first X miles isn't an advantage.
2- I've driven GM vehicles all my life and I wanted something more reliable.
3- The Prius isn't an expensive car comparatively. I got all the options and I came in much less than any other car with an electrical power plant. I did want some form of electric powered car.
4- I wanted something that I really liked.
5- I need some room to haul stuff.
6- I wanted something that would retain its value.
7- I wanted a car with a low cost of maintenance.
8- I wanted a nice stereo
9- It had to get better than 35 MPG. A somewhat arbitrary figure but I wanted to do better than the car I owned previously.

I ultimately made a spreadsheet of needs and wants, prioritized them, and laid those across three vehicles I was interested in. I always do an expense sheet to see what I'm going to pay for maintenance, insurance, gasoline... etc. And then I decided what my wants were worth to me. For example, I gave the stereo a $1200 price tag.

 

From strictly a cost per mile perspective (not including purchase price), it boils down to how you intend to use it.

I considered a Volt, but chose the Prius Eco instead. Why? My commute is 95% highway, 70+ mph, 225-230 miles round trip daily, with no place to plug in at work. So I'd make it less than 1/4 of my daily drive on electricity, then the gas engine would kick in. The Volt gets in the low 40s on the highway, and I'm averaging about 51 mpg.

Add in the purchase price difference, and over time, the Chevy would cost me more. And that doesn't even include the cost of electricity.

At the same time though, if electricity costs changed significantly, or fuel costs changed significantly, or my daily commute changed significantly, the numbers might work out differently.

Start with numbers, then buy what you want.

 

'Government Motors' nuff said.

stt

 

Compare and test drive to see which one would suit your need and likes! each has it strong points!

It General Motors! and they fully paid back ! if the U.S government didn't help them hundreds of thousands of people and family's would have suffered, lost imcomes, theirs savings, homes, thousands of suppliers would had suffered the same faith too! the U.S. would to this day would have been still deeper in recessions ! and the Global effect on the whole world! on the it her hand, this fall out has made chevy a much better car company ! they have won many awards, exciting new product lines! they are the forerunners in electric cars! gen 1-2 volt now the Bolt at 238+ miles on a charge, corvette Z06 Stingray supercar vast line of trucks for commercial and light use .

 

I didn't consider the Volt for very long. I didn't even test drive one. When I was shopping, the Prius was far and away my first choice. My number one consideration was gas mileage. My second consideration was reliability. After that, it was size. My family is often five of us together. Three kids (pre-teens and teens) and two adults. I needed to be able to have all of us in the car for day trips.

For me, I didn't see the point in the electric first then gas concept of the Volt. I liked the hybrid model better. I very strongly considered the hybrid Camry but liked the Prius better for looks and mileage.

I'm happy with my choice. I got the Four Touring and never regretted it so far. It's expensive up front but my impression is that cost of ownership is low over time. I get over 50mpg on average. That's a huge savings over the Pilot I used to drive! I spend about $50 in gas each month. I used to spend that per week! So the extra I'm paying in car payment is offset by the amount I'm saving in gas by far. Also, zero maintenance costs. Instead I could afford tinted windows and a new horn! (Priuschat users helped me change out the horn with their posts!)

I feel like I made a great choice. I love my car and enjoy driving it every day.


iPhone ?

 

first of all, these are two completely different cars, and the choice should be easy.
but there are three important things imo:
1) interior room, front, rear and hatch.
2) typical driving patterns, are 50 miles of ev something you want and can well take advantage of, or would 54 mpg be better for you.
3) after a good long test drive of each, which did you like better?

 

Beg to differ on the fully paid back part, although they were not necessarily expected to (by the government).
From Reuters (April 2014) U.S. government says it lost $11.2 billion on GM bailout| Reuters:

The U.S. government lost $11.2 billion on its bailout of General Motors Co (GM.N), more than the $10.3 billion the Treasury Department estimated when it sold its remaining GM shares in December, according to a government report released on Wednesday.

The $11.2 billion loss includes a write-off in March of the government's remaining $826 million investment in "old" GM, the quarterly report by a Treasury watchdog said.​

Also: Obama says automakers have paid back all the loans it got from his admin 'and more' | PolitiFact

Most economists would agree the managed/restructured bankruptcy forced onto GM helped right this sinking ship, made them a better company, and potentially helped save the US auto industry.

Tell us about your driving patterns, how many miles to work, ability to charge there or not, how many long trips, etc.

 

Ditto above

Chevy volt (gen 1) is the most reliable vehicle GM has ever made, surpassing Toyota.
Gen 1 volt is good for 500k, only typical repair is gms fwd bearings at 300k
Gen 1 has comfortable front seating , more comfortable than the 2008 Prius I tried.

A volt I am told gets you into the carpooling lane in some areas.

Now to the numbers
What do you pay for electricity?
Do you get free charging at work?
How far do you commute?

Even if the numbers are a wash you may still prefer one car over the other.

Efficient, reliable, Utilitarian, 5seat, driving appliance, with limp mode traction control, rough riding cargo vehicle dynamics, get a Prius.
(Sorry folks, I have driven both volt and Prius , Prius handles like my 3/4 ton 1982 diesel suburban, volt is more fun as well, no denying it even if fun isn't a big selling point for me, I can still appreciate the elite feel lol)

Reliable, Smooth, quiet, comfortable, small sedan, (yes I said sedan) with HOV access, effective traction control, fast launches, lower cost per mile on commutes under 50 miles per charge, minimal cargo if using 4 seat positions, lower gas mpg on long commutes, irritating cold weather behavior.
Also remember rider comfort is very different between each year of volt, most agree 2011 premiums where the best. I can only guess different prii are the same.

To me each car is a tool for a purpose, driver dynamics although irrelevant to me (hell my favorite car is a 1981 comutacar) are very very different between the cars, snow driving is very very different. Storage is very different.
Comfort is very different .
Interior is very different.
Noise is very different.
Cold weather behavior below 15 degrees very different.
Gas economy is different but in the real world, not in hot weather, volt and Prius are the same around 85 degrees but that number changes dramatically in the volt as the temperature falls.(but a volt should always be ev if possible anyway)
Contrary to others here, excluding meaningless things like infotainment, reliability is likely the same real world between the cars.
Mountain economy is very different.
(My gen I volt running purely gas beat my Prius running mate on fuel economy through the mountains, but not high speed flat ground)
Maintenance costs are lower for the volt, hell 20k plus for an oil change is average.
Test drive a variety of examples of each car and decide what factors are important to you.

Most cars and trucks I see have 1 guy with a mostly empty vehicle, if that's you, your decision between the two will be easier.

Good luck

Volt has a superpower the Prius does not, electric range this was done in 90 degree weather, climate control off, slow country roads.

 

I can't say "Why"....

It's up to the individual.

They are two different products.
When I bought my Prius, part of the reason was it's "basic" Hybrid reality, that is...I do not have easy personal access to any way to charge a vehicle on a nightly basis.
The reality that Hybrid Synergy Drive gives you Hybrid benefit without the need for chargers or cords...was actually a big and for me necessary plus.

But if I had access to a garage and the ability to personally charge?
I think I would of considered a Plug In Prius or a Chevy Volt much more seriously.

But as with ANY vehicle comparison, it really comes down to what you want.

I'm a fan, and big supporter of Prius but I wouldn't say that makes it a "Slam Dunk" choice over a Chevy Volt. It really depends on a lot of what can only be personal subjective choices.

I would only say, I was always impressed with The Prius's hybrid abilities and benefits PLUS the very real utilitarian and usable aspect of the vehicle.

 

It depends on many variables including some that are neither economic nor political.

If I had to drive one of them, it would be a no-brainer for me.
Not even close!!

I live in a house.
I'm three miles from work.
I VERY seldom have more than two pax in the car.
I can charge at work....for free....legally. (meaning I don't steal electricity)
I'm not the biggest fan of the new Prius styling...to say the very least, and they didn't ruin the new Volt in the makeover.
Local and federal tax kickbacks make the Volt at least as cheap to buy as a G4.
I live in hurricane country, and the V2 has a much bigger battery.
I haven't driven the G4 or the V2, but on paper the V2 is much more fun to drive - I'd have to verify that through lengthy test drives.
Same for comfort and amenities. I mean REALLY Toyota?!?! Four generations and still no extendable visors?!?!?!

It's your choice, since it's gonna be your car....and the algebra might be a little different for you than it is for me.

Good Luck!!

POST PICS!

 

I don't know all who lost money. But the stock holders did and the company moves on.

 

you got that right.

 

GM killed the electric car and sold the NiMH patents to Chevron.

 

To be honest this question gets on my nerves, which is puzzling because it's a good question. I think it's because Prius and volt owners both seem to feel the need to pull out the spreadsheets and business cases for their vehicles to defend their choices. I want a Prius or I want a volt seems to be unacceptable in and of itself.

I'm actually pretty impressed with a lot of the answers here. At the end of the day, just drive it and see what you like better. If it is a math choice based on driving range and that's what matters to you, the calculations are here for you in this thread. But if it isn't, and for me it really isn't, it would be about other things. I spend 1 1/2 hours every work day in my car. I want it to be one that I like. From what some say here I am starting to think I'm actually lucky to have such a short commute! If you spend a lot of time in your car, the best advice I can give you is stop coming up with your defense for it and just pick that one that you're still going to like driving when the new wears off. Good luck!

 

Volt vs. Prime
Well if you look at interior dimensions Prime is bigger inside by about 10-ft3.
Basically Prime probably has much more back seat space and a slight bit more cargo space.

If you are talking just solo driver commuting, I would not be surprised if Volt was more comfortable, as suggested by our Volt driver above. If you are talking taking 4 adults to work eg; here in Virginia were have car pooling system called slugging where the driver goes to stops to pick up passengers for HOV, well I think Prime is better there. Or if you had kids in junior high+ or something you'd want more rear seat comfort.

If it was California I'd get into incentives/HOV, but it's Alabama.

 

tough decision. i would do the serious test drives, and go with the one i enjoyed more. does price matter?