2014 Chevrolet Volt - Not the best choice for the suburbs.
I purchased the Chevrolet Volt because I was intrigued by the idea of an electric car. I thought it would be more "green," futuristic, and less expensive to fuel. The overall design of the car, including the lines of the body, the incorporation of the V logo throughout, and the slick-looking color touchscreen seemed futuristic at first, but in practice, they are somewhat impractical. There's a strange open compartment under the dashboard that could have been a storage area, but the front and sides are open. The back seat could have three seats, but there's an inexplicable plastic console separating the seats. The touchscreen is kind of clunky to navigate, and unless you pay for all the internet apps and the optional GPS, you'll end up navigating back and forth between the climate menu ... (more)
I purchased the Chevrolet Volt because I was intrigued by the idea of an electric car. I thought it would be more "green," futuristic, and less expensive to fuel. The overall design of the car, including the lines of the body, the incorporation of the V logo throughout, and the slick-looking color touchscreen seemed futuristic at first, but in practice, they are somewhat impractical. There's a strange open compartment under the dashboard that could have been a storage area, but the front and sides are open. The back seat could have three seats, but there's an inexplicable plastic console separating the seats. The touchscreen is kind of clunky to navigate, and unless you pay for all the internet apps and the optional GPS, you'll end up navigating back and forth between the climate menu and the audio controls menu--which takes multiple taps, not something you want to do while driving. The electric drive is great if you have a place to charge the car...but the charging cable does not work with my house's older wiring, and there are no charging stations within walking distance of my home or office. I end up relying on the gas generator to propel the car, so it's functioning as a gas vehicle. I paid a bit more than I had budgeted for the car thinking I would save on fuel, but that ended up not being the case. Performance is unremarkable except when in sport mode, which is zippy, responsive, and fun, but you sacrifice gas mileage to use it. It's just not as practical as I had hoped it would be.
I once moved two large, fully assembled IKEA bookcases in the back of this car (with the back door open). It was highly entertaining to make eye contact with people as they watched me load the car and drive away. It is rather roomy!
I once moved two large, fully assembled IKEA bookcases in the back of this car (with the back door open). It was highly entertaining to make eye contact with people as they watched me load the car and drive away. It is rather roomy!
It's a roomy car with some decent features. It can comfortably fit four adults with plenty of cargo space. There are several USB ports and an audio port for use with a phone or MP3 player. It supports several add-on subscription services, such as OnStar, XM Radio, and Pandora if you want to pay for them. Sport mode makes it fun to drive, and it provides a couple different visual indicators to help you maximize your mileage in regular driving mode. If you have a place to charge it, you can save a lot of money; if not, the gas generator means you won't be stranded when you run out of electri... (more)
It's a roomy car with some decent features. It can comfortably fit four adults with plenty of cargo space. There are several USB ports and an audio port for use with a phone or MP3 player. It supports several add-on subscription services, such as OnStar, XM Radio, and Pandora if you want to pay for them. Sport mode makes it fun to drive, and it provides a couple different visual indicators to help you maximize your mileage in regular driving mode. If you have a place to charge it, you can save a lot of money; if not, the gas generator means you won't be stranded when you run out of electricity.
It seems glitchy. The Bluetooth doesn't always connect to my phone. The air conditioner broke right after I drove it off the lot, and it took techs over a year to figure out why it sporadically would stop blowing air (apparently a not-uncommon problem). Some of the design choices leave wasted space under the dash and in the back seat. If you live in a rural or suburban area, you won't get to take advantage of the battery as much as you might in a city. And one bizarre feature that I recently discovered after a storm left my interior soaked baffles me: if the car is locked and you hold down... (more)
It seems glitchy. The Bluetooth doesn't always connect to my phone. The air conditioner broke right after I drove it off the lot, and it took techs over a year to figure out why it sporadically would stop blowing air (apparently a not-uncommon problem). Some of the design choices leave wasted space under the dash and in the back seat. If you live in a rural or suburban area, you won't get to take advantage of the battery as much as you might in a city. And one bizarre feature that I recently discovered after a storm left my interior soaked baffles me: if the car is locked and you hold down the unlock button on the key fob, all the windows roll down. This seems like more of a bug than a feature--why would anyone need that? And it's easy to accidentally press the button if you have the key fob in a purse or pocket.
2014 Chevrolet Volt - Not only economical, but very quick.
This car is an electric car, and I drive 42 miles one way to work so it helps in gas mileage. It has a one speed transmission, so it goes when you push the gas pedal. It has a hatchback and the seats go down so you can put very large objects in the back. It has a pushbutton start and a pushbutton door unlock; as long as the key fob is close enough to the car, you don't have to move your keys. The gas tank has to be unlocked from the inside of the car and so as long as it is locked there is no way of someone opening your gas tank. This car gets better gas mileage in the city than on highway. Learn something new about it all the time.
This car is an electric car, and I drive 42 miles one way to work so it helps in gas mileage. It has a one speed transmission, so it goes when you push the gas pedal. It has a hatchback and the seats go down so you can put very large objects in the back. It has a pushbutton start and a pushbutton door unlock; as long as the key fob is close enough to the car, you don't have to move your keys. The gas tank has to be unlocked from the inside of the car and so as long as it is locked there is no way of someone opening your gas tank. This car gets better gas mileage in the city than on highway. Learn something new about it all the time.
I live in the St. Louis area northwest of there and one time we went to a store about a half hour away and decided to get a shower door, I didn't think we could fit it in the back, but we did.
I live in the St. Louis area northwest of there and one time we went to a store about a half hour away and decided to get a shower door, I didn't think we could fit it in the back, but we did.
Key fob only has to be with you, you don't have to get it out to use the car, open or start. It has a 1 speed transmission to get up and go. You can switch over to different modes, to turn off electric to hold mode on the highway and turn on normal mode to drive city, and there is a mountain mode and sport mode also.
Key fob only has to be with you, you don't have to get it out to use the car, open or start. It has a 1 speed transmission to get up and go. You can switch over to different modes, to turn off electric to hold mode on the highway and turn on normal mode to drive city, and there is a mountain mode and sport mode also.
It has to be plugged in and always forgetting to close the charge door. It does have a blind spot. The back up camera always beeps too much/ soon. In the winter it uses more electric for the heat, so you don't get as many miles in the winter. I wish the battery got more miles, but they are working on that for the newer ones. Not enough charging stations in the area, would like to use electric more but it runs out because I drive too far.
It has to be plugged in and always forgetting to close the charge door. It does have a blind spot. The back up camera always beeps too much/ soon. In the winter it uses more electric for the heat, so you don't get as many miles in the winter. I wish the battery got more miles, but they are working on that for the newer ones. Not enough charging stations in the area, would like to use electric more but it runs out because I drive too far.
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