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Chevy Volt compared to Ford Fusion Energi?

12K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  SoDGVolt 
#1 ·
Hi. I am brand-new to this forum and not sure where I am supposed to be posting. Anyhow, I currently drive a Toyota Prius but want to go to the next level with a hybrid plug-in. Has anyone here compared the Chevy Volt to the Ford Fusion Energi? I would love to know what you thought. Truthfully, I like the looks of the Ford and I also like their 2-year leases but the models and options are very limited. Also, I want to know if Chevy Volt owners have to buy an expensive charger. I am retired so would usually have the time to charge for many hours. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
 
#2 ·
Welcome. This is a perfectly reasonable place to be asking about how the Volt compares to its competition. Of course, you realize most of us are a little biased. We try to be fair, but the Volt is so awesome, it's hard. ;) :p

On a more serious note, there are two things that really separate the Volt and the C-Max: Electric power and electric range.

What does your typical driving look like? If it's less than 20 miles or so a day (to be more accurate, between charging opportunities,) the C-Max's smaller battery might be enough for you. If it's more than about 50 miles, you'll be using some gas every day with either car (more with the C-Max, certainly.)

Although not crippled like the PiP, the C-Max is still rather limited in EV mode - less than 2/3rds of the Volt's electric power; less than half of what the C-Max puts out when the engine is on. It also can't exceed 85 mph without turning on the engine (high enough it might not matter.)

Volt drivers certainly don't have to buy another charger (which mostly isn't that expensive anyway.) The car will happily charge the battery off of a standard 110V line in about 10 hours with the included cord. Works fine overnight if you only need to charge once per day. (Or at work, if you can set that up, though that's likely irrelevant since you're retired.)
 
#3 ·
Asking about Ford Fusion Hybrid versus Chevy Volt

Hi, Walter. Thank you for the warm welcome. But I was actually asking how the Chevy Volt compares to the Ford Fusion Energi (Hybrid Plug-In), not the C-Max. I know, there are so many models and more coming out every day. I've noticed that even the car salesmen can't keep them straight and I am struggling myself. In fact, I worry that whatever I buy or lease will be obsolete in 6 months (or less).

What I've been driving for 5+ years is a regular Toyota Prius (Gen2, not a plug-in). I've just decided I want a slightly larger car, plus a hybrid plug-in, so that is why I've been looking at the Chevy Volt and the Ford Fusion (hybrid plug-in) Energi. Actually my first choice would have been the Honda Accord Hybrid Plug-In but it's only available in California and New York. I could buy one in California (I'm in Arizona), but then I couldn't find a properly-trained Honda mechanic here to service it and honor the warranty. Honda tells me it will be years before the Accord hybrid plug-in comes to Arizona.

If money and time were no object, I'd get a Tesla-S, but again I'd have to go to California, put down a $5k deposit , and wait 9-11 months. Plus no dealer here yet. I really, really want a straight-EV car. I just wish Detroit or someone would make an affordable ready-market car of a standard-size that would go a minimum of 100 miles on a battery charge alone. I've researched the Nissan Leaf and there are just too many problems with it.

I don't even go out every day (I'm retired) and then I rarely drive more than 60-75 miles (round-trip) each time I go out, but I'd hate to be constantly looking at the battery level, especially if I had another errand or something I wanted to do before going home.

I was going to test-drive the one Ford Fusion Energi I'd found at 3 Ford dealers, but the salesman just called and it was sold last night! He had no idea when they'll get another one in.

So it looks like I'll be checking out the Chevy Volt right away! Thanks again. Sorry this is so long.

Bobbie
 
#5 · (Edited)
Hi, Walter. Thank you for the warm welcome. But I was actually asking how the Chevy Volt compares to the Ford Fusion Energi (Hybrid Plug-In), not the C-Max.
The Volt is an electric car, the Ford is not. It's a gas-powered hybrid. Running a car on electricity is less expensive per mile than running an internal combustion engine. I get 45-50 miles from my Volt's battery for 9 months of the year, 30-40 miles the other 3 (winter). It costs me $1.30 to drive those miles.

Then there is the fun factor. The Volt is a blast to drive. Make sure the Volt you test drive is fully charged. Make sure they show you how to put it in Sport mode. Gun it from a stoplight to put the other cars in the dust.

Also, check out downshifting to Low when approaching a light or traffic jam to experience the regenerative braking. The Volt's brake pads should last a lifetime because regen braking works so well you often don't need the friction brakes.

Then experience the bliss of the Volt's quiet, smooth ride. No vibrating engine or transmission, just smooth travel.

When the test ride is done, listen the the solid thunk as you close your door. Solid.
 
#4 ·
Um, I don't think he was asking anything about the C-max.

I think in this case it's going to boil down to personal preferences. I think they both have pluses and minuses that overall balance them out. How much is using the car without the ICE running when going more than 20 miles versus having a 5th seat important to you? What difference is it to you between a conventional 4 door sedan and a hatchback? Is assembled in Michigan vs Mexico important to you?

Are you a Ford guy or a Chevy guy? I buy Chevy cars and Ford trucks so...

Take them both out for a good test drive and see if one suits you better.

I think the Energi Titanium is a neat car but a black only interior was a showstopper for me. Personal preference.

I don't think one is better than the other. But Chevrolet now has 3 years of experience with their drivetrain in the wild and Ford does not. Is that important to you? How important are the specific bells and whistles of each to you?

The guy that started this forum sold his Volt and bought a C-Max because it had a 5th seat (among other things). Me, I prefer 2-door coupes and eagerly wait the ELR to test out and maybe be tempted to trade my Volt in on.

Decisions, decisions.
 
#6 ·
Hi Bobbie, welcome to the forum from a fellow Arizonan!

Ok, let's see where to start. First everything Walter said applies equally to a Fusion or C-Max Energi, as I'm sure he'll tell you. Second, although I love my Volt I think you may have already answered your question when you said you want a larger car than your Prius. The Volt isn't, in fact you actually get a bit more trunk space in the Prius plus seating for 5. Based on that requirement, it sounds like the Energi could be a better option for you.

If you want to know which car will consume less gas, then it will depend on your typical daily commute. You say you rarely drive over 60-75 miles a day, but I'm guessing that your typical commute is less than that. If that is your commute, you will use less gas in the Volt, but not enough that I would base your buying decision on it.

Here are a few things to keep in mind. First obviously the Volt will get about double the electric range. And the Volt battery has liquid cooling for the hot AZ sun. The Energi's get about half the electric range and use air-cooling which is less effective. Both the Fusion and Volt start at about $40k MSRP, but the Volt's larger battery will qualify it for up to a $7500 tax credit whereas the Energi's get something around $3500 with a battery about half the size of the Volt. Of course the Fusion is a larger car with seating for 5, but Ford sticks the battery in the trunk so you will be compromised in that area.

I do like the look of the Fusion better than the Volt and it does offer a lot of luxuries not available in the Volt (i.e. moon roof, HID lights, LED lamps, nicer interior IMO). I think you could be happy with either option.

One last thought, if you really want a pure EV, you should consider a Ford Focus Electric. If I were in the market for a pure EV under $50k this would probably be my top pick. It will give you the larger size you seek and about a 100mi range. More importantly, unlike the Leaf, it has a liquid cooled battery like the Volt. And it comes with a 6.6kW charger which means the battery can charge twice as fast as the Volt. I met a guy at the Phoenix Plugin Day with one, it was very nice. My only quibble is the trunk space was heavily compromised to make room for the big 24kWh battery.

Good luck with your decision, if I think of anything else I'll let you know.
 
#13 · (Edited)
One last thought, if you really want a pure EV, you should consider a Ford Focus Electric. If I were in the market for a pure EV under $50k this would probably be my top pick. It will give you the larger size you seek and about a 100mi range. More importantly, unlike the Leaf, it has a liquid cooled battery like the Volt. And it comes with a 6.6kW charger which means the battery can charge twice as fast as the Volt. I met a guy at the Phoenix Plugin Day with one, it was very nice. My only quibble is the trunk space was heavily compromised to make room for the big 24kWh battery.
I'm also in AZ, and when Nissan bought back my LEAF, I considered both the FFE and the Volt and bought the Volt. There were 2 things that were a deal breaker for me about the FFE: 1. The very small trunk space, and 2. Lack of a quick charging port.

Yes, the FFE has 5 seats and may have a little more room than the Prius, but not by much. If a larger car is a key criteria, the FFE doesn't meet it very well. Neither will the Volt. I would recommend looking at the Toyota RAV4e for a much more improvement in space. Yeah, they only sell it in CA, but you can always buy it there and have it shipped to AZ. They're offering a lot of great incentives on it right now from what I hear. If you always wanted a Tesla but can't afford one, the RAV4e is going to be the closest thing you can get, since its drive train and battery and all electric stuff is actually made by Tesla. Toyota has Tesla build it as a compliance car for them to be sold in CA. Toyota is losing money on every RAV4e because it costs more to have Tesla help build it than it is priced, even at MSRP, let alone with the heavy discounts they're promoting. There is a poster on this forum (jspearsman) who bought the RAV4e and had it shipped back to AZ. You can find his posts about it here or at the MyNissanLEAF forum if you do a search.

I think the RAV4e would be much better suited for your space criteria. Yes, it costs more, but with the $7500 tax credit (if you qualify for all of it) and the current heavy discounts, the price gap can narrow up a bit.

The only thing is that if you want to lease and not buy, it'd be a problem for the RAV4e because Toyota keeps the $7500 tax credit on leases and doesn't pass along that saving to you. So the only more sensible option here is if you buy it so you can get the whole $7500 tax credit for yourself.
 
#8 ·
hi Bobbie;
I am a retired farmer, we have owned our Volt for just over a year and 23,000 miles and we love it. Only thing that might be better is the Tesla X with 4WD and 270 mile range, but then it might not be as good for travel as the volt. Know we have the time we try to take at least 3 trips a year, 800 to 3500 miles long. We don't have enough electric range, our normal round trip to town is 90 miles. I used to be a Ford man but ford had nothing to compare to this car when we bought it. I can't say what's out there now but I think you want the most battery you can afford and all electric drive.
As far as the charger, I bought the SPX $500 and installed it myself, spent $60 or so for cord and dryer / welder plug, built a moveable stand. It is nice to have the car ready in just 4 hours but not necessary. When we travel we take the 120 charger incase we get the chance to steal some charge overnight. You might be interested to know Consumer Report owners survey shows the Volt number one over all cars two years in a row. That is the only recommendation that counts, all others are subject.
 
#9 ·
Hi Bobbie,
Welcome to the forum. You have quite a decision ahead of you. One of your comments was that you wanted to get out of your prius and into a larger car. If this is your most important criteria then the Ford is your best pick. My biggest gripe with my volt is that it is small and only a 4 seater. But as with every car there are trade offs. From my viewpoint, I think the new Fusion energi is a beautiful car with more room (which I would love). But I'm more concerned with making my daily commutes using as little gas as possible. You also mentioned that you'd really prefer a BEV like the leaf but you're afraid of it's limitations. If this is your main interest then you will end up choosing a Volt. You'll discover, like the rest of us on this site, that the Volt can function more like a BEV for greater distances but with the gas generator overcoming the shortcomings of a limited range vehicle. As far as charging, If I were retired like you, I'm quite sure I could use the supplied 120V charger supplied with the Chevy or the Ford for all my charging without any need for a 240V unit. Unfortunately for me my iob has an 11 mile commute each way, and some days I work a split shift which means I must make the trip 4 times a day. At other times I have a quick turnaround from 1 day to the next so I popped for the 240V charger. One other thing to consider is how patient you are? Volts are relatively easy to find but I'm not sure there are many Ford Fusion Energi's available. I haven't seen any yet in my area, but In the last month I've seen two C-max energi's on the road so perhaps the Fusions are on the way. Good luck on your decision. I hope that the info that you gather from us will help you to choose the car that best suits your needs.
 
#18 ·
That is true, and the wait time is about 3 months now with the higher production rate. No need to go to CA. I just got home from San Francisco and we saw far more teslas than volts. Did see a couple CMax Energi, CMax hybrid taxis and one leaf. The most American made EV I have to think is the tesla.
 
#11 ·
Lets throw a bone.. How about waiting for few months and check out Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV? Might be the biggest of the bunch with no compromise on the trunk space compared to ICE model. I'm considering this as my Jeep/Touran replacement.
 
#12 ·
First: If it's within your means, get a Tesla. They have the range and roominess that you're looking for.

Second, if Tesla is not your thing, then there are two giant reasons to pick Volt over the Ford:

1. The Volt's EV range of 38 miles on a full charge (ususally farther) is reason 1 to choose Volt over the Ford which only goes half as far before burning gas. It may not sound as important in print- but it should be a top priority in your decision.

2. Arizona's brutal summer heat has ruined many air-cooled LEAF. The Volt has an elaborate liquid cooled life support system to protect the battery from extreme temperatures.

The Volt is not perfect for all applications, but the drivetrain is the best on the market at the moment.
 
#14 ·
There is one issue that some here could suffer as I do: availability.

No local GM dealer will sell the Volt. So it is out of my options. The only next available offer is the Ford Fusion Hybrid which I have seen plenty and rode in two of them. One had the Parking Assist System, which the Volt doesn't have. It is an option that I may need for my wife, and it does work well. There is no other electric vehicle for sale (not even the Ford Focus Electric), and the only other hybrid for sale is the Toyota Prius, which I will not buy (I only buy American brands).

So if you can buy a Chevy Volt, do so! It is the best, it has the most technology for its price, and it is American. If you cannot (as I cannot), then get the Ford Fusion Energi as the best plug-in hybrid with five comfortable seats. Tesla is excellent but expensive.
 
#15 ·
As an add-on, you might check out the reviews on Ford's electronics (MyTouch). Consumer Reports and a number of other reviewers completely trashed it has having a seriously flawed user interface. That was one of my deciding factors when I bought my Volt this past January. I have already put 5,500 miles on the car and it has been flawless. In fact I traded in my 2009 BMW 750 for this car and I haven't missed the bimmer for a minute.
 
#16 ·
KNI & Volusiano good points! Either of the SUV options could be the way to go for Bobbie. With the Rav4's heavy discounts it sounds like a really good deal at the moment. Plus it's apparently a blast to drive thanks to Teslas powertrain and will deliver about 140miles of range. The only concern there might be the lack of a local dealer to service it, something Bobbie mentioned as a concern.

I think/hope the Outlander will come in at a good price point, but it won't come out until next Jan. For the first SUV PHEV it looks like a solid effort by Mitsubishi. But it definitely won't have the pep of the Rav4 with just an 11sec 0-60. Of course this may not be important to most. And it will have 4wd which the Rav4 does not.

The good news for everyone is that we are finally getting SELECTION! In another year or two there are going to be lots of plugin options to choose from, progress is a wonderful thing.
 
#17 ·
Also something to consider is that the Fusion is assembled in Mexico rather than the USA. The CMax, Focus Electric and Volt are assembled in Michigan. The RAV4 EV is assembled in Ontario (the Tesla drivetrain is shipped from CA). The Model S in California.

You're retired and own an efficient car and are ready to buy another so no hurry, go and take them all for a test drive. The RAV4 EV will need you to take a trip to CA but there are sweet purchase deals right now.
 
#19 · (Edited)
This actual test drive review(http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2417191,00.asp) issued on 3/29/13 of the Fusion Energi says quite a bit in a few words about a big difference between Volt and Fusion Energi:

"To test acceleration, I floored the car from a stop and ran it up to about 40 mph. It took the car a few beats to figure out what I wanted and kick the gas engine on with a tiny shudder. Once it did that, the car accelerated smoothly and quickly, but it didn't press me into the seat. It also hung on for a split second even after I took my foot off the gas, as if the gas pedal had to send a command somewhere first, and wasn't directly connected to the throttle; that was a little unnerving."

No Volt owner would say that of the Volt--especially when driven in Sport Mode and "L"!

Here's a second actual test drive review from a week earlier:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/22/ford-fusion-energi-test-drive/

1) "We were less enamored with the powertrain. In the all-electric EV Now mode, the accelerator only responds to the first one-third of pedal travel. Beyond the initial surge of torque, the car slowly builds up momentum regardless of any further throttle input. Mash the pedal in Auto EV mode and, after the electric motor pulls you off the line, there's a brief delay before the gasoline engine comes to life and the CVT raises the RPMs to maximize efficiency. The resulting soundtrack is loud and buzzy and betrays the vehicle's overall refinement. EV Later mode provides less electric assistance as it attempts to conserve battery power."

2) "While it's a larger car than the C-MAX Energi, it weighs about the same and features pretty much the same plug-in hybrid powertrain with 195 net horsepower and three EV driving modes. It combines a 2-liter DOHC 16V Duratec (Atkinson cycle) engine and CVT with an AC synchronous motor powered by a 7.6kWh Lithium Ion battery. *** Both autos share the same unfortunate battery protrusion in the trunk area, and while it's less of an issue in the Fusion sedan than the wagon-like C-MAX, it detracts from the overall package."

From discussion at http://insideevs.com/ford-fusion-energi-quietly-rated-at-21-miles-range-and-43-mpg/ :

"The real question – where did they shove the extra batteries in the Fusion Energi? The Ford site seems to indicate that there is no trunk room penalty?
Reply

Anton Wahlman
January 16, 2013 at 4:21 pm

They’re right behind the rear seat, on top of the rear “axle.”
Reply
jason
January 21, 2013 at 10:25 pm

What I found is there is trunk penalty. The trunk on the regular Fusion is 16 cu ft. The Fusion hybrid is 12 cu ft. The Fusion Energi is 8.2 cu ft. – barely enough for groceries and the stuff I normally carry.
That was the deal breaker. I so wanted to get this car. Expectations maybe a bit too high. I don’t think Ford should have that “cardboard box” video advertising how they designed the batteries to fit in the trunk. In a good design you should not even know batteries are there. Just my opinion.
Reply

Anton Wahlman
January 16, 2013 at 4:24 pm

I just finished driving the Ford C-Max Energi (same drivetrain as the Fusion version of the same) 1,247 miles. I yielded 32.6 MPG in charge-sustaining mode. As for all-electric range, it was too short time to measure, and also the gasoline engine kept coming on too often for the whole thing to count properly. I know it says 21 miles, but it’s probably hard to achieve, in particular if you even as much as turn on the fan (not even AC, just the fan)."



It will be interesting to see what the real world mpg and EV range figures prove to be for the Fusion Energi.
 
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