It swings way too far upward, to the point where I actually reached my body's stretch limit trying to get the handle. For now, my money's sitting around, waiting for someone to cram the Volt's powertrain into an i3. It's also topped by a portion of the center console with cupholders and seat heater controls, making it impossible to lay any kind of long objects on the floor. The previous generation Volt had an EPA-estimated range of 38 miles; the new model can go 53 miles typically before switching on its gas engine/generator (and we've already exceeded that easily a few times). The new batteries have more power than the old Volt, but they also get more help from the new internal combustion engine. Alas the tire couldn't have been flatter unless it was two-dimensional. This wasn't much of a concern as the Volt doesn't need much power to "idle" but it meant that I'd have to accelerate hard enough to not get beeped at or crashed into. Under the Chevrolet Complete Care free maintenance plan, our 7,500- and 15,000-mile visits were free. 2) Smartphone integration. --, "While the hybrid hatchback has some flaws such as a mediocre interior with a cramped back seat it continues to be an exceptional hybrid and an excellent car." If there was a Malibu Plug-In Hybrid, it would be a slam dunk. As with CarPlay, pressing and holding the voice control button bypasses the GM voicemail and jumps to Android voice commands, which understand natural language amazingly well." All of the above charging times assume a connection to a Level 2 charger. What constitutes carry-on luggage varies depending upon who you ask. I still buy compact discs. January was a quiet month for our 2016 Chevrolet Volt. Third, the run between my garage outlet and the house's electrical panel has an effect on charge time and losses. No noticeable difference in the way the car drove. (It's way better than the grabby brakes in our long-term Tacoma, just for comparison's sake.). Our initial driving impressions were positive, now it's time to see if that holds up over time. This gave me enough grip and leverage to turn the hook back into place. I'm lazy, you see. The Volt is a nice place to hear yourself think. Notably, we passed the 20,000-mile mark, although a bit behind schedule. For one thing, since 48 miles represents about 80 percent of my one-way commute, I could spend most of my time driving to the office on electrons in the HOV lane. We've loaded plenty of gear into it before. I can see some buyers driving it around without plugging it in. No lights or messages on the dash. Much of the drive included stop-and-go traffic. Three hundred miles in, I was ready for a break and fuel. It stayed around Los Angeles, mostly running on electricity only, until I took it over the Thanksgiving break. Carlos Lago, Miscellaneous "The only downside is the smell. Chevy's been heading down this path for awhile (Spark, Equinox, Camaro), Scion and Honda, too. The 2016 Chevrolet Volt comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen interface. Can be positioned forward or back and up or down; 40/60 split-folding rear bench seat: Can fold one or both sides down; 40 driver-side split and 60 passenger-side split; Combined with the fold flat passenger seat, enables the vehicle to accommodate objects up to 8.5 feet long diagonally; Adds cargo and passenger carrying versatility to your vehicle Those nifty things are volume control buttons. Seriously. Sales (877) 565-8162; Service & Parts (877) 493-2852; Sales (877) 565-8162; Service & Parts (877) 493-2852; Hours & Map; Source: Green Car Reports - KBB Size, Seating, and Cargo Now, it's always easier to get better when you have some obvious flaws to begin with. The 2017 Chevrolet Volt has 10.6 ft3 of trunk space. Big M Chevrolet. So for the sake of standardization we used the same blue carry-on bag size (21 x15x10 inches) and red checked bag size (30x20x13 inches). Adults up to 6 feet tall should be OK. Other buttons, like the ones on the steering wheel, allow you to scroll through different metrics screens to learn more about your Volts performance and efficiency. 1. Where Did We Drive It? What this means, though, is that I only beat the new rating by 32 percent. Other enhancements include improved active-safety features and more interior options." Now the engine sounds more in line with what the car is trying to do." A lower kWh number means less energy consumed and therefore better efficiency. I managed to not get killed, either by crash or road rage, and back up to speed without draining too much. It was enough to get home on electric power alone (8 miles). Though the compressor was in the right spot, the goo was absent. Highway passing maneuvers require extra calculation before execution. 8: There's no way to turn off the air-conditioning. His slog between home and Edmunds HQ is a round trip of 120 miles to my 80. The Volt hatchback opens wide to fit all of your stuff. Why We Bought It/Why We Got It? Even though the Volt seats five, its middle seat should only be used in a pinch, as the cars center console extends all the way back to the seat cushion, so anyone riding in the middle rear seat must straddle the console. Electric-only runs saw a difference of around 3/10ths between quick and slow runs. The Chevy Volt seats five and comes standard with cloth upholstery. My early arrival allows for an early escape that usually gets me out ahead of the worst of the afternoon commuting wave theoretically, at least. --, "The Volt's center stack gets an upgrade to Chevrolet's Infotainment 3 system, which is a fancy way of saying it's the same reskinned software that first appeared in Cadillac's latest CUE. New Vehicles --, "Front-seat room is fine, but the rear seat is still on the tight side for taller passengers, while the new fifth seating position is for short trips only." The liftback design of the Volt also benefits practicality by means of presenting a massive trunk opening for easy loading. It's very fuel-efficient and more fun to drive than most hybrids, thanks to its brisk acceleration and poised handling. One limitation within the space is the Volt's sloping rear hatch. And I say "surprisingly" because they don't feel all that great when you first sit down in them. I could live with it, but I'd rather not. Whether it's executing the perfect holeshot across an intersection in virtual silence, having an effortless conversation with your passenger, or listening to music untainted by the melodies of internal combustion, our 2016 Chevrolet Volt lends itself well. Recall 16055 reflashed the drive-motor power inverter module; 39570 recalibrated the front view camera to keep it from freezing; and 16055 reflashed the hybrid computer (HPCM2) to remedy a reduced propulsion power error. OK, so that falls short of the Volt's EPA rating of 53 electric miles, and it's well eclipsed by Dan's 70-mile outing and the 62-mile performance we managed in an initial road test. A Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid, which has Volt powertrain guts but without the giant battery, gets 49 mpg city (46 mpg combined). Or if they wear terrible cologne. One is the traditional friction brakes (i.e., the disc brakes at each wheel). Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor, Interior "One of the supposed advantages of the new-generation Volt is its three-person backseat, as opposed to the original Volt's two-person seat. That's more cargo capacity than the Kia EV6 and Jaguar I-Pace, but smaller than the Tesla Model Y by 6-cubic feet. We simply don't need the speed (or the expense) of a 240V Level 2 home setup to top off the Fiat every night. Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor, Interior "Jump into the Volt on a hot day and you'll have to hit the Max A/C button to cool the cabin. The interior's dimensions are unchanged, which means the back seat is still tight for adults." We got our long-term 2016 Chevrolet Volt in a paint color that Chevy calls Kinetic Blue Metallic. in the Volt's interior? --, "Front seat comfort is fine, but the lack of a power-adjustable driver seat and a cramped backseat that lacks both headroom and legroom is a drawback, especially for a car in this price range. Chevy has a recent habit of assigning unconventional functions to steering wheel paddles. It's still a nice feature to have, however, so I'm glad it carried over to the Bolt EV." And unfortunately, there is still no power driver seat available, which strikes me as odd given how much other equipment is available. So let's factor in the rebates. When Mike Magrath made his highly impressive 74.8-mile all-electric drive, he averaged about 19.0 kWh/100 miles. This was based on recollections of our previous long-term 2011 Volt. It only slows to creep speed (like you get with a regular car with an automatic transmission). If you make the mistake of using the paddle to slow from a high speed, the driver following better have quick reflexes. Mike Magrath, features editor. Sorry for party foul, everyone." Most of the time I just leave it on "auto" so all I need to do is adjust the temperature. But given the not-insubstantial sticker price, I'm dissatisfied with the Volt's interior. That's one of the first things I notice about it during my first minutes behind the wheel. Our 2016 Chevrolet Volt is a technological wonder that rivals any car in the world when it comes to the complexity of its drivetrain. Handling: Entering the skid pad, the Volt turns in quickly but immediately understeers a moderate amount. What's more, fold-down second- and third-row seats can dramatically expand your available Chevy Suburban cargo space in a pinch. A certain appeal to the Tesla Model S and X is the "cool" factor. Yes, it's a plug-in hybrid with more than 50 miles of all-electric range, but you can also just drive it like a regular car and not give a second thought to the electrical wizardry happening underneath. Cloth upholstery and manually adjustable front seats are standard. Most of the time in a Volt, you're just powering around on pure electric power. I still like driving ours when I get the chance, as this is the perfect powertrain for my lifestyle. Interior dimensions with the second-row seatbacks in place measured approximately 29 inches deep by 38 inches wide at the wheelwells. With the BMW i3 range-extender model, for example, performance and refinement suffer mightily once the gas engine kicks in. What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get? What was the damage after all this? And I mean that literally because the full-width Google Maps and the audio and phone display graphics looked great. I have and I am right now. Alas, that's how my Wednesday started with our 2016 Chevrolet Volt. I'm the ideal EV candidate except that I like road trips and I'm not always so good at paying attention to charge level. Josh Sadlier, senior manager, content strategy, "A flat tire may not top the official list of 'Bad Ways to Start Your Morning,' but it's certainly among the more frustrating. It still has enough unique touches to make it different, yet it doesn't feel like it's trying too hard. My first stop for learning more was fueleconomy.gov. Sal Meda, imagery production specialist. Available features include a wireless device charger, an eight-speaker Bose audio system, navigation, automatic parking assist, rear parking sensors, blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision warning, forward automatic braking, lane keep assist, and adaptive cruise control with a following distance indicator. "The Volt is decently comfortable (in the back seats). Sure, there's not a lot of headroom for you to lean down into and the seat bottom is angled slightly back, which may mis-angle some car seats but that's easy to work around. Constantly switching back to XM after every Waze alert grew particularly aggravating on my long trip. When we had our former 2011 Volt long-termer, we averaged 37.3 electric miles during a year of driving (EPA rating: 35 miles). No big deal since Waze alerts come over the car's speakers if the phone is plugged in. The Volt has Apple CarPlay, which is fine, but CarPlay doesn't put Waze on the Volt's screen. I had a string of bad luck and was ready to trade out of the fleet and into my own new daily driver. I would look forward to visiting them again." However, back seats are cramped, especially when compared to the Bolt. The new Volt has a shifter that would look at home in any conventional sedan, other than the cool blue trim piece at the top of the shift lever, of course. --, "The rest of the cockpit has its share of plain black plastic but is laid out with pleasing hints at pseudo-grandeur." Large . Having said that, I found I drove our Volt with the rear seats down, turning it into a mini-truck. This thing is so long and heavy that, once opened, it's pretty darn hard to close it. I would have to work a normal schedule. If your neighbor sees your Volt and just thinks you bought the new Civic hatchback, where's the fun? I have a spring-loaded center punch, and with it I placed a divot in the center of each of her Sharpie marks so the drill bit wouldn't "walk.". 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