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New Chevrolet Volt test drive coming up…

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Just got it. For a whole week.
Haven’t driven it yet.

So go ahead if you guys have any questions.
I was a big fan of the previous one, so I cannot wait to drive the new one.

Conversation 12 comments

  1. The styling is a big step backward. Hope it turns out to be a much better car than the first generation.

  2. I completely disagree with anonymous 5:54 PM, although the new design is more generic it looks WAY better than the last one, I think this one will sell better.

  3. Vince, I would love to know whether you can compare its ride and driving dynamics with the new Prius.

  4. Is this thing still using halogen headlights? There should be LEDs all around, especially since the ELR is dead.

    How is the visibility while inside?

    I'm curious how the Ioniq plug-in will compare to this.

    – Fusioptimasx

  5. @ anonymous 6:10 AM: The styling of the first-gen Volt was very distinctive (which mirrored the groundbreaking drivetrain technology it introduced to the world).

    This new version is bland, generic … and completely forgettable. Looks like a bad mix of other cars.

    Sad.

  6. I've owned dozens of cars, and have never seriously considered buying a GM product. But I love the style and technology of this Volt. So I went into a Chevy/Cadillac dealership in Long Island NY to test drive one. What an awful experience. The entire sales team was hanging out on the floor eating lunch, looking like salespeople from some bad 80s comedy. They didn't have any volts to drive or even to sit in. Nor did they know when to expect one. I decided that I wasn't about to bother with such a clueless bunch, and went across the street and bought a BMW i3.

    So my question has to do more with the dealership experience than the car. What has been your experience so far? I know the car is awesome and GM is arguably making a lot of class-leading stuff, but they need to get a handle on some of their dealers. The direct-to-consumer business model that Tesla is fighting for can't come soon enough!

  7. As I am getting these cars directly from GM through their press fleet, I have zero experience with dealers.
    So I cannot comment on that.
    Visibility is fine. Although the rear hatch is pretty high. And so is the rear winnow (No more little extra window like on the Prius). So it's actually hard to see how close people get behind you.
    Otherwise its just fine.

  8. Hi Vince,

    I know one of GM's goals with the new Volt was to improve its plugin range, so it would be useful to see what your numbers look like with this new car compared to the old one.

    Also, what is the rear seat space like? I'm 6'0" and could not sit in the back of the previous version without my head rubbing against the roof.

    Finally, what's it like driving around the hills of LA? I live in San Francisco and rub the bumper of my VW Jetta into a lot of hilly streets in the city – I know the previous Volt would have been even worse.

    You're the best!

  9. re: anonymous February 24, 2016 at 1:30 PM

    A year ago, I bought the previous gen Volt – and was dreading going to the GM dealership. My experience had been that Kia/Mazda/Honda dealers offered vastly superior experiences, while the traditional domestics were poor. The GM experience was, by far, the best I've had in buying a car. The rep was knowledgeable, polite, and seemed to work hard for our business. I was honestly shocked. Mazda was shockingly poor; asked for a quote on a Mazda 3 – with the options I wanted – every time I asked it was 'coming soon' – and never materialized. AND, when I said I wanted upgraded wheels and tinting – he said it was illegal for dealers to offer such things (complete BS).

    Bottom line, I think there are good dealers and bad dealers in the world.

  10. Anonymous 12:03, the new Toyota Mirai's and Prius' designs are very distinctive, being distinctive doesn't mean it looks good.

  11. Vince, how does that silver grille look in person? Because in the pics, it looks super cheap and tacky to me.

  12. @Anonymous 10:24 – Agreed that 'distinctive' doesn't necessarily mean it looks good. But at least it looks different.

    The new Volt exchanges being unique – for being generic.

    I guess the goal is to become a mainstream vehicle for Mr. and Mrs. America.

    It's really unfortunate.

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