Thoughts on the Volt.

[Marc Lee]

I continue to be impressed by the pick up and handling of the Volt. You can read it on here a thousand times but when you finally get behind the wheel and experience it yourself it is very pleasing.

The styling is way cool. I am more of a whatever gets me from A to B kind of guy, but I got admit it is nice to drive something that is so easy on the eyes.

I don't know how I missed it after everything I read on here, but I was surprised the first time I saw the Volt charging and noticed the tiny dome light on top of the dash glowing green. Nice touch, you have nice visual confirmation that the vehicle is charging and you can see it from just about any angle to the car.

Coming to a smooth stop eludes me some times. Don't know if this is just the usual getting used to a different vehicle or if there is something inherently touchy about the Volt brakes. I am sure there is a complicated interplay between the regen braking and the electric brakes.

Sport mode has noticeably more punch, but you can just about watch the batt gauge go down as you use it.... pick your moments on that one.

On either side of the center stack instrument panel, on the back edge there is a sharp and in places jagged edge where one piece of plastic overlaps the other. Its positioned such that its not likely to snag something, but it is a possibility. I only found it because I was purposely and closely examining the fit and finish of the dash board pieces.

Where the rear spoiler meets the small vertical piece of glass is a recess that is very difficult to get into to clean.

On the spokes of the wheels, again another recess. More accessible than the one under the spoiler, but seems it should be possible to design the wheel to avoid these small hard to clean recesses.

Yes, I am nit picking. Pretty telling I think.

I would like more electric range. I can be happy with what it has for now, but I would jump ship for more electric range if the price was right and all other things were equal.

I still almost cannot believe an American company built this car. I tell myself "hey they helped build the EV that drove on the Moon, so why shouldn't they be able to build one for planet Earth."

[volt11]

I still almost cannot believe an American company built this car. I tell myself "hey they helped build the EV that drove on the Moon, so why shouldn't they be able to build one for planet Earth."

In a way, I'm sorry you feel that way. In fact the domestic auto industry has been doing a good job with their products for most of the last decade. Unfortunately we have a couple of generations of followers of conventional wisdom, with their copy of Consumer Reports in hand like a bible, who believe that American car companies never get anything right. It's my opinion that imports were never as superior as this type of person gives them credit for, and likewise American cars were never as bad overall. Truly objective and scientific sources like J.D. Powers have been showing for years that certain domestic brands like Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, and now Ford have emerged as top quality manufacturers. IMO, Consumer Reports is still skewed by their unscientific survey practices, their own biases, and in how they play to their readership choir to keep the pro-Asian religion going, so to speak. It does sell magazines, and non-profit or not the management at CR rakes in the dough.

GM is not a perfect company, which is made worse for the fact IMO that so many of its workings are often on transparent display from the American media. Think about it, do you really have any idea of how Toyota functions internally? Do you know to what degree they are bolstered by the Japanese government? Obviously, judging from recent headlines and recalls, it's not all as perfect as Americans have almost desperately believed.

And so as it seems to have done for Marc, I hope that the Volt continues to help break the spell of the import-Kool-Aid and get people to consider the marketplace more objectively. GM is a highly resourceful, talent-filled global corporation, making more and more head-of-their-class products in many countries, and is the largest and most respected non-Chinese car brand in China. Ford is much the same with a significant share of the european market, and even Chrysler appears to be charging back strongly since partnering with Fiat (after Mercedes-Benz nearly wrecked them.) It's time people here in the U.S. gave their own country a break!

[maynard]

We have a 2008 Chrysler Town and Country. This mini van is awesome. It always gets 24 mpg on the highway and 20 in town. I can convert it from carrying several 4x8 sheets of plywood to an honest 6 passenger vehicle in 3 minutes. We have 50,000 miles on this van and have had no problems with the exception that the factory brake linings wore out in 35,000 miles. CR says these are awfull cars. They are dead wrong. I did get a good laugh when my neighbor, who swears against american cars, bought his wife a Volkswagon Routan mini van. He didn't realise that this vehicle is built on the same line and, in fact, is the same as my Chrysler van. The Routan doesn't have the middle hide away seats though. Some folks just have bad vibes about American cars for no reason. The best example, for the last 30 years is the Washington DC area. You just can't find an American car in our leaders home town.

[Raymondjram]

Some folks just have bad vibes about American cars for no reason. The best example, for the last 30 years is the Washington DC area. You just can't find an American car in our leaders home town.

I think you are writing about the Congresspersons. The President always rides in a Cadillac or a Lincoln for as long as I can remember (beginning with Eisenhower).

Raymond

[ocryan]

Coming to a smooth stop eludes me some times. Don't know if this is just the usual getting used to a different vehicle or if there is something inherently touchy about the Volt brakes. I am sure there is a complicated interplay between the regen braking and the electric brakes.

I noticed the same thing at first. It's like at the last moment the regen kicks off and all of the sudden the car isn't stopping at the same rate that it was before and you overshoot where you thought you were going to stop. Maybe you overcompensate and stomp the brake because of the un-natural feel.

For me, I got use to it and naturally adjusted and it is now a non-issue. I think most Volt new comers would notice this same issue.

[Marc Lee]

In a way, I'm sorry you feel that way. In fact the domestic auto industry has been doing a good job with their products for most of the last decade. Unfortunately we have a couple of generations of followers of conventional wisdom, with their copy of Consumer Reports in hand like a bible, who believe that American car companies never get anything right. It's my opinion that imports were never as superior as this type of person gives them credit for, and likewise American cars were never as bad overall. Truly objective and scientific sources like J.D. Powers have been showing for years that certain domestic brands like Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln, and now Ford have emerged as top quality manufacturers. IMO, Consumer Reports is still skewed by their unscientific survey practices, their own biases, and in how they play to their readership choir to keep the pro-Asian religion going, so to speak. It does sell magazines, and non-profit or not the management at CR rakes in the dough.

GM is not a perfect company, which is made worse for the fact IMO that so many of its workings are often on transparent display from the American media. Think about it, do you really have any idea of how Toyota functions internally? Do you know to what degree they are bolstered by the Japanese government? Obviously, judging from recent headlines and recalls, it's not all as perfect as Americans have almost desperately believed.

And so as it seems to have done for Marc, I hope that the Volt continues to help break the spell of the import-Kool-Aid and get people to consider the marketplace more objectively. GM is a highly resourceful, talent-filled global corporation, making more and more head-of-their-class products in many countries, and is the largest and most respected non-Chinese car brand in China. Ford is much the same with a significant share of the european market, and even Chrysler appears to be charging back strongly since partnering with Fiat (after Mercedes-Benz nearly wrecked them.) It's time people here in the U.S. gave their own country a break!

I should have worded that more carefully. I agree over the last decade or so American cars have gotten much better and are on par and in some instances better than any other offering. And I also agree that the quality difference has been over played on many occaisions. And GM itself has been on quite a run with its bevy of award winning vehicles lately. But the auto industry in America has been so closely aligned with the oil industry in America for so long, that I was surprised that it would be an American manufacturer who brought us the first viable EV.

Hitherto, the American effort at hybrids and fuel efficiency has been somewhat lackluster. Given the historical levels of interbreeding between Oil Industry board members and Auto Industry board members, this is perhaps not surprising. So I was not surprised that they could build an exceedingly competent product, but rather that they would have the will to build a vehicle that if successful will change the oil/energy use paradigm.

[volt11]

Hitherto, the American effort at hybrids and fuel efficiency has been somewhat lackluster. Given the historical levels of interbreeding between Oil Industry board members and Auto Industry board members, this is perhaps not surprising. So I was not surprised that they could build an exceedingly competent product, but rather that they would have the will to build a vehicle that if successful will change the oil/energy use paradigm.

Not to mention the irony that its champion, Bob Lutz, was also famously quoted as saying that he believed "global warming" was "a crock of sh!t!" While I don't agree with that, I certainly respect Mr. Lutz and the car he was instrumental in bringing to market.

[bjhorton2005]

My family and myself have had problems with every domestic car we have ever purchased. We have had very few and usually extremely cheap problems with imports.

HOWEVER, (and I hope I am right) this Volt is a home-run. I have had several issues with the computer and random code-throwing. I don't live near a dealership that can service the car, so I disconnect the 12v battery and all is well. I wish I could take it in to help further the cause, but my dealership basically turned me away saying they couldn't work on it yet. (Bought the car from out of state.) I LOVE the car.

My big complaints are appearance based. Between the door windows, on the door the black is a vinyl decal. The glossy black plastic under the windows, and on the roof, and the glossy black metal piece on the back hatch are all EXTREMELY susceptible to swirl marks. I am going to ask my dealer for some sort of compensation. I specifically asked them to leave the shipping plastics on the car, and to not touch, clean, or prep the car in any way. Naturally they did and now the new car is covered in swirl marks. I chose the Viridian Joule Tri-coat because I believed that it would not show these, but forgot that half the car is black regardless. I'm hoping with them being such small swirl marks that maybe some wax or sealant will fill them in.

AMAZING car. It just sucks the breath out of me every time I get in it. I live in IL where the SPX is located, and I got my charger in 1 day. I ran to Menards and got the wire and 20amp breaker and threw that baby together. OMG it charges so fast and nice now that the cooling fans for the radiator came on to a nice low hum. I just love this technological Marvel. I have always wanted a car that was appliance like in that sense, but also an amazing car on the other hand. The only bad part is that they are rolling them out very soon. And people are going to get them cheaper too. I doubt that if they get a new $7500 cash for clunkers style rebate passed through right away that we will get a letter offering us the same deal instead of a tax consideration. I could use that money so bad! haha.