Is a Volt a good car to buy to last 10 years?

[socalvoltbolt]

Considering cruze, malibu and heavily leaning towards volt. My concern is if it will be obsolete in 10 years. Any advice, thoughts, opinions? Thanks, socalvoltbolt

[saghost]

Considering cruze, malibu and heavily leaning towards volt. My concern is if it will be obsolete in 10 years. Any advice, thoughts, opinions? Thanks, socalvoltbolt

Any car you buy today will be considered obsolete in ten years - most likely the Cruze or Malibu even more than the Volt, if the trend towards electrification continues. The question is, will your habits change in ten years? If not, then the Volt will likely still be suitable for your needs then - even as we all pine for something new not offered yet.

It seems like all the marks are there for a very reliable car. The core operations are simpler than most, the advanced technology is all second generation or later (except the battery, which is very thoroughly coddled,) and the engine is an unaggressive design of well established technology with a timing chain (belts break, eventually) and low pressure injection (current high pressure fuel pumps are rather sensitive to gas quality or abuse, and most DI cars have a history of failures (still a small portion of the population in most cases I believe.)) Wear and tear on the usual parts is minimized (the transmission clutches are rev matched before engagement, the brakes almost unused because of regeneration,) and it has dedicated cooling systems for all the parts that handle much power. Anything where there was a question, I think GM took a conservative approach because they knew they needed this car to work - it may be somewhat overbuilt in places compared to most cars.

Until they've lived a decade, no one can say for sure, but I expect far more Volts to be on the road after ten years (and still relevant in that era) than anything else being built right now.

[Slapshot28]

My view is that any conventional car is at risk of being obsolete in 10 years. The revolution has begun, and you can just feel the acceleration.

[Voltastic]

Considering cruze, malibu and heavily leaning towards volt. My concern is if it will be obsolete in 10 years. Any advice, thoughts, opinions? Thanks, socalvoltbolt

The very existence of the Volt renders Cruze/Malibu et al obsolete

[solar_dave]

Well we have one coming up on 1.3 years and the only thing we have done to it is air the tires, plug it in. Hell we have never bought gas for it! It is about ready for a tire rotate, discount does those for free if you have the warranty on the tires.

[baragona]

The Volt would be a far better 10-year car.

First, the styling and comfort of the Volt is more like a luxury car. The Cruze and Malibu have more basic styling and comfort. You would spend the next 10 years in more comfort in a Volt over the Cruze or Malibu.

Second, The estimated total 5 year ownership cost of the Cruze and the Volt is nearly the same due to less gas usage and lower maintenance costs. As you go beyond 5 years, the total ownership cost of the Volt is actually lower than both the Cruze or Malibu. (Total ownership cost equals vehicle cost + gasoline cost + maintenance cost.)

The Volt's maintenance requirements will be lower due to no transmission, less engine usage, and less brake wear. Volts typically need oil changes only every 20,000 miles or every 2 years.

The battery, despite what many critics have said, "is" designed for the long haul. If you keep the Volt 10 years, you can expect the battery to last the whole 10 years.

Last, but not least... The Volt has far superior performance compared to Cruze or Malibu. It is faster, smoother and simply more fun to drive.

In my opinion if you want to keep the vehicle 10 years, there is no comparison. The Volt is a hands down winner....

[flmark]

I can only assume you would ask such a question (how leading edge technology could become obsolete, while common technology does not) is because you are worried about the battery. As has been documented in oh so many places, the battery is expected to have a second life as grid back up after it is done in your car. Call any solar installer (or look up our own DCFusor); the lithium battery technology has many folks drooling and waiting to replace their OBSOLETE lead acid technology.

[Steverino]

Obsolete compared to what? A 2023 Volt model? Sure, I'd be very disappointed if it were not. If you are concerned about driving a car that will be obsolete you should not consider a Cruze or Malibu as the Volt has already rendered them obsolete. Get the Volt and drive it 10 years knowing you are at the forefront of car tech.

[Noel Park]

I'm planning on keeping mine for 10 years, so check with me in 2021, LOL. All of my other Chevys have lasted a lot longer than that, and I'm totally confident that the volt will too.

Will car technology advance beyond the current Volt in 10 years? I will be extremely disappointed if it doesn't. At least I will have the satisfaction of having put my money where my mouth is and trying to help to lead the charge.

"Lead, follow, or get out of the way!"

[DonC]

As baragona says, the Volt is the perfect car for a ten year horizon. Just on the numbers, the Volt should cost you $.30 less a mile. Over 100,000 that's $30K. Pretty close to the cost of any of these cars. Basically the cost of buying and operating the Volt will be what it costs to operate these other vehicles. No brainer.

Plus there is the ride. I'm sure the Malibu and Cruze are nice cars but they simply won't give you the driving experience the Volt will. I haven't driven either of these cars, but our previous ICE cars were an Acura RL and a BMW 535xi, and on balance (note the caveat), the Volt is as least as good. So unless the Cruze and Malibu are better than I imagine, I think you'll be happier with the Volt's ride and performance.

If you want peace of mind because of the new technology just buy an extended warranty. You'll be good to go.

/puts down pom-poms