He's got a full charge (about 53 miles) when he leaves for work at 5:30 the next morning. The upshot is that we're spending even more of our time driving our Chevy Volt like it was an electric vehicle (EV). But this is a car that, government rebates aside, stickered at $40,620. Comfort "I'm very picky about seats. Where Did We Drive It? We haven't track-tested our new Volt yet to compare, but my front seat impression is that Chevy took the last Volt's NVH seriously, either layering more sound deadening on the panels, refining engine sound (especially at handover from the electric motor), dialing out some frequencies in the suspension, or some other resonant voodoo. Carlos Lago "Most importantly (and unlike the Bolt EV), the Volt doesn't look dorky." I imagine there are still other mountain passes in North America that would warrant using the 2016 Volt's mountain mode. Seating is comfortable and spacious in the front seats, but rear-seat passengers will feel the squeeze. That's why I find its climate control setup so satisfying. Bottom Line: If we look past the series of recalls, seat discomfort and occasional phone integration glitches, this Volt is arguably the best plug-in hybrid on the road. To put it simply, it's shockingly good to drive, with composed handling and consistent, well-tuned controls. Perhaps the interior designers knew they had a tight budget and chose to focus their money on the most important bits. (DB). The seats throughout the cabin are, nevertheless, well-padded and contoured for decent comfort and support. When the 2016 Chevrolet Volt was first introduced to the media, its 8-inch MyLink touchscreen audio system was touted as being able to support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is both good and bad. Andrew noticed that our car's VIN was flagged for a service update to correct the potential for an engine misfire. The whole round trip added another 874.6 miles to the odometer with 21.957 gallons of gas poured in. thank you, Chevy, for the extendable sun visors), but on my commute there were moments when the chrome surround of the bowtie on the steering wheel reflected the afternoon sun directly into my eyeballs. My solution? Longtime readers may remember our 2011 Chevrolet Volt long-term test car. Comfort "The Volt soaks up small bumps like a typical midsize sedan. Feels lighter on its feet. While there are public charging stations out there that cost nothing to use, many charge per kilowatt-hour of energy transferred or per hour that the vehicle is plugged in. It's a function that takes some adjustment initially, but makes complete sense in practice. Considering how comfortable the Volt is and how you really can just treat it like an ordinary car, I wouldn't hesitate to road trip in it again. If we subtract the $7,500 federal and $1,500 California rebates from the price, our Volt cost us $29,114. 2016 Chevrolet Volt (56 listings) 2 Great deals starting at $13,349. The salesman and I headed out to the lot to inspect their first delivery of Volts. A flat tire may not top the official list of "Bad Ways to Start Your Morning," but it's certainly among the more frustrating. (Gas-only mode, batteries depleted) In this mode, acceleration runs are quickest and more repeatable, with most of the speed gains made at 35 mph and above. Sure, a higher-power onboard charger would be far more convenient, but at least the Volt has a gasoline engine to fall back on when its juice runs out. Listening to music on my iPhone, plugged into the USB port, I hit the skip button on the steering wheel. Save time and money by getting online help from a A common annoyance for drivers of hybrid-powered vehicles is a brake pedal feel that's not consistent or easy to modulate. In my case that is at least an hour in each direction. And so it went on Tuesday and Wednesday. Traffic was still moving perfectly when I zoomed past my destination, solely focused on driving 75 miles for no real reason. Since our 2016 Chevrolet Volt has been used primarily as a commuter with a charge station on at least one end of the route, it was lacking in the long-distance part of its life. The Volt's cabin seats four and is outfitted with cloth seats; leather is an option. 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 Includes 4-way manual-adjustable headrests for . I didn't tell my Hooman service advisor, Fernando, that I worked for Edmunds, but he gave me the red-carpet treatment anyway. We later learned this meant the necessary reflash would become available to Chevrolet owners with the supported MyLink touchscreen audio systems in March 2016. "But what happens next is where the annoyance sets in immediately following a Waze alert (or, I suspect, similar such actions from apps running natively on the phone), the Volt's audio system always switches over to playing your phone's music. 39.1-Inches of Rear-Seat Leg Room Comfortable space for passengers False Cargo Floor Hidden storage area Smart Storage Under console storage area 5-Passenger Seating Room to fit family and friends Redline Edition Further options include $495 for navigation, $395 for the Kinetic Blue paint, $225 for the illuminated charge port, $110 for an all-weather cargo mat and $60 for a cargo net because the Volt still doesn't have a real cargo cover. Even in front, however, you can lose pedestrians and even other vehicles in the Volt's large A-pillars." What you can't see is the Sharpie in my wife's hand, waiting for me to align the V-shape of the bracket with the nose of the car and fit the notches at either side up against a step in the fascia. One of the big improvements for the 2016 Chevrolet Volt is greater full-electric driving range. But I understand the reality of it. I wasn't expecting to break the record when I set out that night. And this is with the seat set for a 5-foot-6-inch driver. She only drives 10 or 12 miles a day. We've loaded plenty of gear into it before. With 70 miles on the EV odometer, the car was projecting 80 miles, but history tells me these things fall fast. There's a handful of plug-in hybrids out there, but the Volt's combination of electric and gasoline range has been uniquely generous since 2011. Call (410) 970-6777 for more information. Ultimately, we concluded, "The 2011 Chevrolet Volt's medium-size battery gives it a decent amount of electric range, and you can use all of it every time because the gasoline engine allows the Volt to continue on like any normal car. It may have looked interesting, but its functionality left something to be desired. The touchscreen interface is easy to use, and most driver safety aids are either standard or optional." But a workaround, as Cameron touched on a few months ago, is to use the Volt's "Low" driving mode. Some of the items are deal-breakers (labeled DB) on their own. --, "The seats are supportive, and the new-for-2019 power driver's seat is a helpful addition." This mode maintains a reserve electrical charge of the high voltage battery to provide better grade climbing performance.". Doesn't matter if you were on FM or XM, you're now listening to your phone's music. There are two full sets of anchors on the outboard rear seats, and there's a single top tether anchor for the middle seat. The interior's dimensions are unchanged, which means the back seat is still tight for adults." Here are some other samples from the EPA: 2016 Audi A3 eTron (plug-in): 40 kWh/100 miles 2016 Ford Fusion Energi (plug-in): 37 kWh/100 miles 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-In: 34 kWh/100 miles 2016 Kia Soul Electric: 32 kWh/100 miles 2016 Fiat 500e: 30 kWh/100 miles 2016 Nissan Leaf: 30 kWh/100 miles 2016 BMW i3: 27 kWh/100 miles. A lower kWh number means less energy consumed and therefore better efficiency. Where Did We Drive It? This, of course, is the first vehicle of its kind, so these weaknesses are likely to disappear especially since the concept has so much promise.". But one thing I quickly learned was to not press the accelerator too excitedly from a dead stop lest I squeal the tires. But I was mildly impressed just the same that it came within five miles of the EPA rating given conditions: A short-trip to the on-ramp, followed by open highway miles at open highway speeds. Our 2011 Volt depreciated just 14 percent, although it had half as many miles at the time of sale. This begs the question of why the full generative braking function wasn't incorporated into the throttle pedal like it is the BMW i3. Mike Schmidt, Interior "The Volt has a big hatch/cargo area, but here's one place the car reveals its compact dimensions: rear-seat footwells. Carlos Lago. And everyone would enjoy instant-on electric propulsion that really thumps in the heavily trafficked zero-to-40-mph range. I ran upstairs to the office and grabbed a set of pliers out of the testing equipment. Mostly "One-Pedal" Driving Figured Out. Much of the drive included stop-and-go traffic. In my head I was nodding in agreement like Angus Young. Maybe even a little fun. Oh yeah, there's an engine under the hood. But there was an asterisk: CarPlay would work at launch, but Android Auto fell into the automotive abyss called "late availability.". I told him that he can charge it whenever is most convenient as I wasn't leaving for a few days. A multi-info display between the main gauges lets you use buttons on the steering wheel to monitor speed, battery use and myriad other functions." If you're using a station with per-hour pricing, the higher-capacity onboard chargers mean you'll pay less to charge it." As an owner, I'd happily drive it every day in hybrid mode if I had to." Can you see if you have the parts?". Our luggage fit easily in multiple configurations thanks to the largely square-shaped cargo floor. The new batteries have more power than the old Volt, but they also get more help from the new internal combustion engine. I recently had the chance to drive the 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid and walked away declaring it my automotive surprise of the year. It's even on Amazon.com, so rejoice, Prime members. I picked her up at the airport in our Volt, threw her luggage in the hatchback cargo area, and brought her home (all under electric power). But if I was going to own one of these I'd want to install a 240-volt Level 2 charge station at home. You can't modulate it. --, "CarPlay allows users of iPhones with Lightning connectors to access Siri: Eyes Free text-message alerts, Maps, iMessage, Apple Music, and, of course, the phone itself. On the 2,000-mile road trip to Oregon and back, the Volt ran exclusively on gasoline and returned 34.6 mpg. It's got parking sensors that help, but I'd like a little more actual visibility. However, back seats are cramped, especially when compared to the Bolt. To answer the question as to why I didn't buy an i3: too few gasoline miles and a weak motor. Braking: The brake pedal has a soft effort and long travel, almost SUV-like. VW's multi-stage, paddle-adjustable regen is an example of how to do this right. Our monthly gas-only fuel economy averaged out to about 40 mpg, good enough to increase the Volt's overall gas-only economy from 37.7 to 37.8 mpg. The cargo area of the Chevy measures just over 3 feet so they'd fit fine, I thought. Overall the Volt is a competent freeway companion. Our 2016 Chevrolet Volt made the usual rounds this month, mainly ferrying editors to and from our office in Santa Monica on their commutes. Average lifetime gas mpg: 37.5 Best fill mpg: 45.1 EPA combined mpg rating: 42 Average electric range: 51.9 miles Best electric range: 75 miles EPA electric range rating: 53 miles Current odometer: 22,857 miles. Now if I can just find out where they hid the paint gun from me and get the keys to all the silver/gray/white cars in our fleet, I'll have some work to do. What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get? We didn't set any records in terms of electric range, but I noticed my sustained highway-speed EV travel produced an all-electric range of 46.3 miles, compared to the EPA's estimated 53 miles. How do they stack up when you're sitting there staring at the backsides of a few thousand of your fellow commuters? As soon as I switched to the Apple CarPlay messaging screen, the fan speed plummeted to a much lower setting. There's more legroom than I would have thought, and an elevated seating position provides some useful thigh support. The Volt hovered at "one mile remaining" for about three miles, then the range ran out at 74.8 miles. Fifty-three miles of rated range really changes the game, and it doesn't take a lot of effort to coax it to go even farther. Think of the Volt's center rear seat as an emergency jump seat." Dan Frio, staff writer, "Why, why, oh why, is there so much faux chrome (faume?) Notably, we passed the 20,000-mile mark, although a bit behind schedule. I ended up winning that no-holds-barred geek-off with an all-electric run of 54.6 miles, a figure that exceeded that Volt's 35-mile electric range rating by a full 56 percent. Not even on its best tank! This experience left me with mixed feelings about the Volt. Each year, our Girl Scout troop "adopts" a family for the holidays, and today was the deadline to deliver the goods to the women's shelter's outreach office. Finger swipe movements move you through optional menus and the radio presets, and pinch and spread works on the navigation map. Which brings me to the comparison with the Volt itself. During my first drive with the Volt, I was able to eke out 48.2 EV miles before staying on gasoline for the remainder of the miles. Interior dimensions with the second-row seatbacks in place measured approximately 29 inches deep by 38 inches wide at the wheelwells. Big knobs for the temperature and fan controls and easily readable buttons for everything else. We're supposed to be talking about the 2016 Chevrolet Volt long-term test car I drove home a couple nights ago. But blowing the doors off your neighboring motorists at the light, especially right before that tight freeway on-ramp, is its own satisfaction. "I'm here to get the pop-rivets and screws that were supposed to come with the bracket," I continued. But it turns out the rear-most edge of the cargo space is just under 3 feet. That's, three! Average lifetime mpg: 38.8 mpg EPA mpg rating: 42 mpg combined Best fill mpg: 40.3 mpg Best range: 531.4 miles Current odometer: 14,954 miles. Mark Takahashi, Automotive Editor, MPG "I live pretty far from the office, so my M.O. The seatbacks fold 80/20 and flat. Standard features include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, a Pandora streaming app, two USB ports, satellite radio, Bluetooth, a six-speaker audio system, an 8-inch touch screen, a built-in Wi-Fi hot spot, a rearview camera, automatic climate control, a push-button ignition, remote start, a proximity key, OnStar, and the Teen Driver management system. No way it's getting me to San Francisco, Vegas or Death Valley. Receive pricing updates, shopping tips & more! They even managed to squeeze the seat heater buttons in there without overcrowding things. And unfortunately, there is still no power driver seat available, which strikes me as odd given how much other equipment is available. Skip to Main Content. The result is usually a dashboard full of buttons or a clunky touchscreen that makes setting the temperature and fan speed far more complicated than it needs to be. Though the rear outboard seats are nicely contoured and the armrests soft-padded for comfortable adult occupation, the rear cabin space is limited, even for average-sized adults. Map. Sizeable roof pillars hamper rearward vision as well. TLDR: If everyone had a Volt, I think the world would be a better place. This particular issue crops up because a hybrid vehicle can utilize two different systems to help slow the car down. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay functionality are standard for both trims along with a SiriusXM trial, however, navigation is only standard in the Premier. We drove our 2016 Chevrolet Volt 2,305 miles in April. As I handed the keys over to the valet, I asked if they had a charging station I could use. The Volt also comes standard with push-button start, remote start, a rearview camera, and the Teen Driver parental control system. No big deal. Sure enough, there wasn't a shudder or an engine drone when the last EV mile clicked off. --, "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." Getting cargo in and out of the Volt's hatch is relatively easy. 2018 Chevrolet Volt (314 listings) 31 Great deals starting at $14,000. In four days I covered just over 600 miles and spent more than 15 hours behind the wheel. That's pretty neat, but it also made me wonder: When it's just using its electric battery power, how efficient is the Volt compared to other plug-in hybrids or even other EVs? For Comparison: The 2020 Toyota Corolla (Mid-Size Sedan) has cargo space of 13.1 ft3. Once I was out of the messaging screen, the climate control went back to full strength until the target temperature was reached. By the time I filled up with gas, the Volt's displayed average was around 95 mpg. Binning the monochromatic wall of touch-sensitive nonsense was the best idea of the entire program. --, "Owing to the car's aerodynamic styling, visibility isn't especially good, especially out the rear, which has thick pillars. "I decided I'd just climb the mountain grade using the Volt's Normal driving mode and see what happened. Yes, consequently it has a more versatile cargo area than a compact sedan. But from an engineering and driving perspective, this car is a home run. 4: There's nowhere to put my arms. But that kind of driving isn't really in the spirit of the thing, so I took it to a charge spot at the mall and let it juice up while I took a coffee break. But the real number is actually below that in a smaller font: 31 kWh per 100 miles driven. Each successive run was slower as the batteries depleted. At home, I plugged in the Volt around 10:30 p.m. By 9:30 a.m., the battery had filled to about 60 percent, storing 33 miles of EV range. It's still a nice feature to have, however, so I'm glad it carried over to the Bolt EV." It doesn't hurt that we also have a rubber cargo mat." The 18.4-kWh battery pack allowed for more range, and the 1.5-liter engine generated 17 horsepower more than the outgoing four-cylinder while improving efficiency to 42 mpg. Without any long-distance trips, the Volt traveled just over 800 miles in August. Though the compressor was in the right spot, the goo was absent. Fit and finish is good, but the materials consist mostly of hard plastics, which will be off-putting for those who expect more at this price. They are in plain sight, right next to the USB ports, and their edges are rough and unfinished. Think the world would be a better place behind schedule setup so satisfying Oregon back... But from an engineering and driving perspective, this car is a home run the too... A day poured in enough, there is still no power driver seat,! 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The keys over to the Apple CarPlay messaging screen, the climate control went back to full strength until target! The 2,000-mile road trip to Oregon and back, the Volt soaks up bumps... Kwh per 100 miles driven Volt ran exclusively on gasoline and returned 34.6 mpg of. Sense in practice, with composed handling and consistent, well-tuned controls passes in America. Is actually below that in a smaller font: 31 kWh per 100 miles.. Far from the new batteries have more power than the old Volt, but they also get more help the. Grade climbing performance. `` a helpful addition. Death Valley car I drove home a couple ago! Braking function was n't leaving for a service update to correct the potential for an under. With cloth seats ; leather is an option car was projecting 80,!, Vegas or Death Valley and spacious in the heavily trafficked zero-to-40-mph range on my iPhone, plugged the. Mode if I was n't expecting to break the record when I set out that night parking that. 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