New Guy Here

[Voltmein]

Hello All!

Just joined the forum. I'm currently waiting to lease a new Volt once the lease on my current Malibu is up in December.

I've been researching a lot of different things about the Volt the last few months and one of the things I'm curious about is it's ability to pass a slower car on a two lane road. Is there anyone out there that has experienced this and was there a method you used to do so? I've read that changing the drive mode to the sport setting improves the Volt's acceleration capabilities, is that like downshifting to increase rpms so that you have enough acceleration to get around a slower driver?

The other thing I wondered about is the use of premium gas. I understand the only reason premium is necessary is because of the higher octane and thus the gas doesn't spoil as fast as regular unleaded. If that's true, then I would think using an additive like Stabil to unleaded gas would work too?

I'm looking forward to learning more about the Volt from all of you on the forum.

Thanks!

Voltmein

[ViperRT10Matt]

I've read that changing the drive mode to the sport setting improves the Volt's acceleration capabilities, is that like downshifting to increase rpms so that you have enough acceleration to get around a slower driver?

No. All "sport" does is make it so that the accelerator pedal is more sensitive; it does nothing to increase net system output. Floored pedal in regular mode is exact same as floored pedal in sport mode.

The other thing I wondered about is the use of premium gas. I understand the only reason premium is necessary is because of the higher octane and thus the gas doesn't spoil as fast as regular unleaded. If that's true, then I would think using an additive like Stabil to unleaded gas would work too?

Premium gasoline contains more energy than regular unleaded, and as a result gets you greater mileage from the generator. While it can burn fine on regular, you will likely see a minor drop in generator miles per gallon.

[Voltmein]

Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it very much.

[scottf200]

Hello All!

Just joined the forum. I'm currently waiting to lease a new Volt once the lease on my current Malibu is up in December.

I've been researching a lot of different things about the Volt the last few months and one of the things I'm curious about is it's ability to pass a slower car on a two lane road. Is there anyone out there that has experienced this and was there a method you used to do so? I've read that changing the drive mode to the sport setting improves the Volt's acceleration capabilities, is that like downshifting to increase rpms so that you have enough acceleration to get around a slower driver?

The other thing I wondered about is the use of premium gas. I understand the only reason premium is necessary is because of the higher octane and thus the gas doesn't spoil as fast as regular unleaded. If that's true, then I would think using an additive like Stabil to unleaded gas would work too?

I'm looking forward to learning more about the Volt from all of you on the forum.
Thanks! Voltmein

You will have zero issues/problems passing people. I don't hotrod a lot in my Volt ('11) on the highway but last weekend I was passed by a friend driving their truck. I waited for them to pass (multi-lane road) and then I passed them after putting it on the floor. I "flew" by them. They were impressed! SPORTs mode works the same as NORMAL mode when you put it to the floor. It just remaps the pedal to make it more "responsive" / linear. On the floor, it is the same.

The Volt ICE was tuned to work with premium to get better mileage as well. See:
why-the-volt-requires-premium-gasoline/
http://gm-volt.com/2010/07/30/why-th...mium-gasoline/

[fulks1947]

You will have no problem passing cars on the road. My prior car was a Pontiac G6. It was fast and I would say the Volt is just as fast. I have never put the car in sport mode just to pass someone. I do love the sport mode but, if you use it all the time, it sort of defeats the purpose of trying to get the best mileage possible. We typically get 40 miles per charge with fairly conservative driving. I also have a Chevrolet Silverado and the Volt will leave it sitting still. I have bought dozens of new cars in my 64 years and the Volt is the most enjoyable car to drive of all of them. I use premium gas in my car just because it is recommended. We drove our first 5,000 miles with only 15 gallons of gasoline. We then took a 3,000 mile trip where we were using 100% gas. Mileage was 38.5 MPG.

[Voltmein]

Thanks Scott! I can't wait to get my Volt, December seems like an eternity right now.

[Voltmein]

That's some very encouraging news, both on the acceleration concern as well as the mileage results you're achieving. Thanks for the input.

[DonC]

Welcome to the forum.

You'll be happy with your Volt when you get it. The Volt will be the most responsive car you've ever driven. No downshifting means no pauses when passing.

[Fulgerite]

Unlike most gas powered cars there is no delay when you press the accelerator. There is no downshift. No engine delay. The Volt is extremely responsive. The low end torque off the line is very impressive. Probably better than most sports cars from 0-30. The acceleration is acceptable from 30-100 but not outstanding. It's about the same as most 4 cylinder sedans. It's definitely faster than a Prius and much more fun to drive as well. It is silent, smooth and handles very well. Take one for a test drive.

Also... In some cases it's advantageous to trade in your leased car early. In my case it was actually cheaper to turn it in early because I did not have to replace the tires before turning it in. The buyout on my lease was also slightly lower than bluebook so the car actually had some positive equity. If I had waited I would have needed to pay for new tires and the car would not have had any + equity in it. Also... My lease payments on my Volt were LESS than my previous car so why not start paying less sooner? Just a thought.

[Voltmein]

Thanks for the response Don.