Chevrolet Volt (2011)

Chevrolet Volt (2011)

Test Drive Notes Library
  • Pros

  • We've gotten a taste of the future. Very impressive engineering.
  • A real car. Just happens to run beautifully on electricity a lot of the time.
  • Treat it like a cell phone. Plug it in when when you go to bed, and start the next day all charged up.
  • Large electric capacity. 35 miles per charge all-electric under good conditions. We drove it for a week, charging it up every night, without ever using any gasoline.
  • Back up gasoline engine always ready to kick in when battery runs down, which eliminates range anxiety.
  • Seamless transition between electricity and gasoline.
  • Great, quiet, whoosh of acceleration under battery power.
  • Plenty of power for acceleration.
  • Comfortable, soft-ish ride.
  • Solid, stable handling.
  • Quiet in electric mode.
  • Hatchback practicality.
  • Blows away plug-in Prius in battery capacity.
  • $7500 Federal tax credit.
  • Cons

  • Electric range effected by weather, use of climate control, and driving style.
  • Can be a lot less than 35 miles under certain conditions, especially cold weather.
  • Reliability unknown, compared to well-tested Prius.
  • Small gasoline engine can be a little loud and buzzy when it kicks in.
  • Some body lean -- ride is tuned more for city driving/comfort than handling.
  • White center console's attempted "futuristic" look a bit tacky.
  • Desperately needs a rear window wiper.
  • Visibility limited due to thick A pillars and C pillars.
  • Optional backup camera should be considered a necessity.
  • Back up camera is necessary, and should be standard instead of a $600 option.
  • Should have keyless entry for $41K.
  • Noisy suspension, especially in the rear.
  • Too quiet, making it dangerous for pedestrians.
  • Gasoline vehicles just seem so "dirty" after driving the Volt!
Test Drive Notes Library

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