Test Drove a Volt Today - BMW M5 Owner

[bonaire]

I wanted to comment on the loosey-goosey note. I was riding behind a Volt here in SE PA the other day and it appeared to have a sort of 65mph "waggle" to it. The wheels were tracking like the driver was either shifting back/forth an inch or two on the steering wheel or tie-rods were "loose". Maybe a steering damper or some toe-adjustement is needed.

I'm really trying to line-up a purchase in the next month or so. I'm so distracted lately with work that it's been a long drawn out process for me. I have to get to the point of doing the deal or just doing a "reset" and put it off a year or two while I try to sell my mom's house (she passed in February) and keep doing the big drive from Philly to Niagara Falls every few weeks which isn't condusive for Volt ownership just yet. Wait too long, though, and I'll have to see what is happening with the C-Max Energi or perhaps the next fantasy car from Fisker, the Atlantic.

[Jeff.Rivers]

Braking
OK, this one was weird for me. The low speed brakign felt a bit unpredictable right as I was coming to a stop. Most of us probably let off the brake pedal a tad right as we get close to stopping so we don't jerk to a stop. In the Volt it seemed like the car was trying to mimic the at idle pull of a regular car with an automatic transmission.

I've noticed that too, along with another odd thing. Since there's no torque convertor + engine to hold the car when stopped on a slight uphill incline, there is some other method at work that duplicates how an automatic transmission car behaves on a hill.

A couple times I've noticed that when I brake to a stop on a slight incline and I feather the brake at the very end to make for a gentle stop, then the car will roll backwards slightly - causing me to add more brake.

The car will then 'catch' itself, and then hold itself without requiring any brake application. In that moment when I take my foot off the brake but before I've applied throttle the car holds, without rolling back.

Can any Volt experts please describe what the car's drive systems are doing as the car is braked to a stop on an incline? Can the interplay among the brakes, regenerative braking, and the hill-holding ability make for an odd feel at the brake pedal as the car is stopping?

P.s. to Cab, nice review, thanks.

[saghost]

I've noticed that too, along with another odd thing. Since there's no torque convertor + engine to hold the car when stopped on a slight uphill incline, there is some other method at work that duplicates how an automatic transmission car behaves on a hill.

A couple times I've noticed that when I brake to a stop on a slight incline and I feather the brake at the very end to make for a gentle stop, then the car will roll backwards slightly - causing me to add more brake.

The car will then 'catch' itself, and then hold itself without requiring any brake application. In that moment when I take my foot off the brake but before I've applied throttle the car holds, without rolling back.

Can any Volt experts please describe what the car's drive systems are doing as the car is braked to a stop on an incline? Can the interplay among the brakes, regenerative braking, and the hill-holding ability make for an odd feel at the brake pedal as the car is stopping?

P.s. to Cab, nice review, thanks.

There are two things going on here.

First, the Volt does creep - when you let off of the brake pedal, it puts a small amount of power to the main drive motor to move the car forward (I think it'll stabilize at 3 mph or so on flat ground.)

Second, the Volt does have a hill-holder mode - if the brakes are pressed firmly, and you're facing up hill, it will hold on to brake pressure for a few seconds after the brake pedal is released to keep the car from rolling back before you reach the accelerator.

My guess is that you're feathering the brakes enough you aren't initially triggering the hill-holder. The only part that feels odd to me is the transition out of regenerative braking at 5-6 mph, and that's something you get used to fairly quickly.

[volt11]

I wanted to comment on the loosey-goosey note. I was riding behind a Volt here in SE PA the other day and it appeared to have a sort of 65mph "waggle" to it. The wheels were tracking like the driver was either shifting back/forth an inch or two on the steering wheel or tie-rods were "loose". Maybe a steering damper or some toe-adjustement is needed.

Yeah, I don't know if there was something wrong with cab's Volt test driver or not, but when he described the steering as "loosey-goosey", the train ran right off the tracks for me. Nothing could be further from the truth. I actually do take the Volt on "fun" roads just for the joy of driving it. As long as you're not in "red mist" mode and driving on public roads like a total ass, the Volt does everything you'd want with poise, precision and brio, and is in fact much better than most cars for sale today IMO, including many faster cars. Like if there was a car club meeting up for some spirited back road driving, I wouldn't hesitate for a moment to join them in the Volt.

I'm not equating its handling to an M5, but I'll bet you (having driven other BMWs in the past) there are things about an M5 which would make me think the choice between that and the Volt for that "car club" drive is not so obvious. I also still have a C5 Corvette and a 160hp BMW motorcycle, had an NSX some years ago, have car and motorcycle track experience etc., so I'm not just some doof speaking from inexperience, like "wow the Volt is so much better than my old Avalon." And that's why I had to be very honest after reading cab's review and say that about half of that sounds like he must be describing a completely different car than the Volt that sits in my driveway. That or there's some very different perceptual gauge at work (which is my best guess), in which case my advice stands to shop elsewhere.

[cab]

Wow - ton of responses in this thread - glad to see you guys are passionate! I appreciate the comments and general avoidance of the fan boy syndrome (present on every car site to one degree or another). I have to admit a small "Volt" CUV would probably be really compelling. The higher center of gravity tends to take sportiness out of the equation to a great degree and then everything else about the Volt really comes into its own (IMO).

With regard to the "loosey goosey" steering, a better description might be "ultra low effort" steering. For me, coming from hydraulically boosted BMWs (and yes, I know, even they are electric now...sadly) which were always higher effort than most to begin with, the Volt feels particularly light. It is, however, also lighter effort than my wife's 2012 Volvo SUV. Lighter effort steering combined with relatively low feedback often results in a car that I find myself making more corrections too simply because light pressure often moves the wheel. That might sound stupid to some of you, but that's my impression. Having said that, if I drove one for a week or two I might simply adjust to it.

The brake thing...well...it was still weird and unnatural for me.

As an aside, the M5 is hardly perfect either with its 17 mpg, $100+ oil changes (oil and filter - parts/fluid only), $1000+ for a set of tires, never-ending stream of maintenance/repair items, moderately heavy clutch, and cold start behavior.

[mdellis]

I like the balance that that the Volt seems to have, good performance, low noise, excellent technology, low cost to operate (so far). The weight distribution seems to let the car track well, although the suspension is not too firm, and the steering is light. I don't get a lot of road feel from the steering either. The braking is something you do get used to, especially if you are in Low which allows better battery regeneration flow. One thing that cannot be bested (right now) is the savings on fuel and oil changes, plus tires and brakes. I have over 20,000 miles on my 2011 Volt and I am still amazed that there is never any brake dust on the wheels! My 20,000 + mile lifetime MPG is 106, and my gas bill is about $50.00 per month (home electric is $30 per month). Comparing the M5 or any M class BMW to a Volt is apples and oranges, however, drive a Volt in Sport mode and launch it from a dead start and it behaves like an all wheel drive car, accept for the non-sticky tires. If you really want sport/luxury, you may want to look at the Fiskers/Karma or the Tesla Roadster ($100,000.00+). But the bang for the buck is certainly with the Volt IMHO! You will save a lot of $ on insurance as well...... Good luck in your search!

[Koz]

Good balanced, honest review. I felt the same things with the Volt's braking but have gotten used to it. Took me a little longer than others perhaps but is second nature now. I also feel the steering is "light" as you describe it, but is precise and kind of goes with the near silent and smooth acceleration.

If you find that you are seriously considering getting the Volt, be sure to drive it in charge sustaining (CS) mode. If you regularly travel greater than the electric range in city driving you might have an issue with the engine revving and noise. This is a rare occurrence for, and most, so it is small encumbrance to pay for the serene Volt driving experience I get most of the time. I was aware of the Volt's benefit going in but the serenity of the driving experience had to be felt (over time) to be understood. This should be qualified by non-highway driving as highway driving isn't much different from other cars. I do like the cruise control with Sport and L selected as a plus for the highway.

[JamesMcQuaid]

Yeah, but don't you have to drive the M5 for like 150 million miles for it to be a good value as compared to a Chevy Cruze? (private joke)

[voltedge]

I think that the OP may be a candidate for the Caddy ELR when it hits the show rooms. Surely, the ELR will have all of the luxury items that the potential high end buyers are accustomed to having. We have to remember something about our beloved Volts people, it is still a CHEVROLET regardless of what we want it to be. The brand has gotten more and more luxurious over the years, but not even close to the true luxury manufacturers specs.

[stuart22]

The fact that people are using cars like the M5 as a yardstick to measure the Volt against speaks volumes. Nice, honest comparison.

I agree with the styling comment - neither the Volt nor the Cadillac ELR are what I would term 'beautiful', just interesting in a positive way. Certain angles look nice, some angles look a bit off balance.