Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
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From: Miami, FL, US
Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
Last Friday I had the opportunity to drive the new Chevy VOLT production models. And I am proud to announce that... it's feels like any other mid level sedan... which is BORING.... well.. compared to my daily driver that is. 
The Good:
It's a good looker! In person it looks sharp and even though I was kind put off by the back in photos... in person.. it all works together.
It drives like a regular car... Which is good, there is nothing you don't expect. And it's easy to get into it and go. If you ever driven a Prius it has always made me try like 2 times before I get it right and can actually go.
Interior its unique I like the seats and the layout of it. The door panels are funky!
It actually moves... Compared to a Prius that is but I feel like you can enter the highway without an issue. It won't set any 1/4 mile records but not shabby.
Handling is respectable It isn't no sport car but the ride felt confident.
The Bad:
The interior is unique yeah this goes both ways... I really dislike the material they used for the whole center console and buttons. It's kind of weird. I guess it takes some getting used to it.
The size.. interior I guess compared to a Prius its a bit bigger but it does feel small. I do come from a family that has always owned big cars so that doesn't help.
The Ugly:
The price
Overall I think it's a good car, if it will take over the Hybrid/Electric Car market is still up in the air. The drive was just like it would be on any other sedan. I did manage the step on it and it felt good. So, I hope it does good and I will make sure my mother goes check it out. She needs a new car anyway.
I took some shots.... I will upload later.
The Good:
It's a good looker! In person it looks sharp and even though I was kind put off by the back in photos... in person.. it all works together.
It drives like a regular car... Which is good, there is nothing you don't expect. And it's easy to get into it and go. If you ever driven a Prius it has always made me try like 2 times before I get it right and can actually go.
Interior its unique I like the seats and the layout of it. The door panels are funky!
It actually moves... Compared to a Prius that is but I feel like you can enter the highway without an issue. It won't set any 1/4 mile records but not shabby.
Handling is respectable It isn't no sport car but the ride felt confident.
The Bad:
The interior is unique yeah this goes both ways... I really dislike the material they used for the whole center console and buttons. It's kind of weird. I guess it takes some getting used to it.
The size.. interior I guess compared to a Prius its a bit bigger but it does feel small. I do come from a family that has always owned big cars so that doesn't help.
The Ugly:
The price
Overall I think it's a good car, if it will take over the Hybrid/Electric Car market is still up in the air. The drive was just like it would be on any other sedan. I did manage the step on it and it felt good. So, I hope it does good and I will make sure my mother goes check it out. She needs a new car anyway.
I took some shots.... I will upload later.
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From: Sterling Heights, MI
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
Explain about the Prius if you could....
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From: Albany, NY
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From: Charleston, SC
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
So you cannot tell the difference between motors really?
I drove my Father in Law's camry hybrid, hated it, you try to drive it normal and its jerking you around switching back and forth between modes.
I am sure its fine when you get used to it, but hopping in and going down the road... not so much.
I drove my Father in Law's camry hybrid, hated it, you try to drive it normal and its jerking you around switching back and forth between modes.
I am sure its fine when you get used to it, but hopping in and going down the road... not so much.
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 10,285
From: Albany, NY
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
So you cannot tell the difference between motors really?
I drove my Father in Law's camry hybrid, hated it, you try to drive it normal and its jerking you around switching back and forth between modes.
I am sure its fine when you get used to it, but hopping in and going down the road... not so much.
I drove my Father in Law's camry hybrid, hated it, you try to drive it normal and its jerking you around switching back and forth between modes.
I am sure its fine when you get used to it, but hopping in and going down the road... not so much.
Thread Starter
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From: Miami, FL, US
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
You have to have the right set of steps to make it go? I always forget one or something... I am sure you can get used to it but... since I use them ONCE in a while... i always forget how to do it exactly. (they use them as fleet cars for short trips)
No idea... i have not seen the inside of the Cruze
It probably never turned the gas engine on my short test drive. So, it was really smooth cause it was all electric. They had been giving test drives all day long and it still was on electric power alone.
No idea... i have not seen the inside of the Cruze
So you cannot tell the difference between motors really?
I drove my Father in Law's camry hybrid, hated it, you try to drive it normal and its jerking you around switching back and forth between modes.
I am sure its fine when you get used to it, but hopping in and going down the road... not so much.
I drove my Father in Law's camry hybrid, hated it, you try to drive it normal and its jerking you around switching back and forth between modes.
I am sure its fine when you get used to it, but hopping in and going down the road... not so much.
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From: Okemos, MI
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
That's not actually true, contrary to what we were told originally. At highway speeds, GM found that it's more efficient to have the engine drive the wheels directly, so when you get going fast enough it engages a clutch pack that connects the engine directly to the gearbox.
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From: Sterling Heights, MI
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From: Cornelius, NC
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
Though the Prius, Just like the Volt, has different economy settings, maybe that's what he's talking about?
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From: Japan
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
That's not actually true, contrary to what we were told originally. At highway speeds, GM found that it's more efficient to have the engine drive the wheels directly, so when you get going fast enough it engages a clutch pack that connects the engine directly to the gearbox.
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From: TX Med Ctr
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
To be precise, the generator-motor combination gets coupled to the gearset so that it provides some power to the wheels, although it can't drive the vehicle without the electric motor.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/11/g...er-the-wheels/
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/10/11/g...er-the-wheels/
Originally Posted by Autoblog
Until today, talking about whether the internal combustion engine (ICE) in the 2011 Chevrolet Volt should have a direct mechanical connection to the wheels was an interesting thought experiment. Sure, there were hints and patents that suggested that the ICE could drive the wheels, but General Motors kept saying its "extended range electric vehicle (ER-EV)" was just that: an electric car with a gasoline-powered generator on board. Guess what?
GM has now confirmed, late in the game, that the Volt can, in some situations, use the ICE to power the wheels. This came to light after Motor Trend was allowed to test the car for three long drives and discovered:
However of particular interest, when going above 70 mph in charge sustaining mode, and the generator gets coupled to the drivetrain, the gas engine participates in the motive force. GM says the engine never drives the wheels all by itself, but will participate in this particular situation in the name of efficiency, which is improved by 10 to 15 percent.
This is exactly the opposite of what GM has been saying for years – most recently in June, when GM spokesman Rob Peterson told AutoblogGreen that there was no mechanism in the Volt to drive the wheels even if the engineers wanted too. Or, at least, that's what we heard. Peterson told AutoblogGreen today that the "news":
"is consistent with everything we've said to date. The new "news" is that we can tell the complete story as our key patent has been allowed by the US patent office. The Volt is an electric vehicle with extended range as the Volt has full battery electric performance at all speeds when there is charge in the battery."
GM has now confirmed, late in the game, that the Volt can, in some situations, use the ICE to power the wheels. This came to light after Motor Trend was allowed to test the car for three long drives and discovered:
However of particular interest, when going above 70 mph in charge sustaining mode, and the generator gets coupled to the drivetrain, the gas engine participates in the motive force. GM says the engine never drives the wheels all by itself, but will participate in this particular situation in the name of efficiency, which is improved by 10 to 15 percent.
This is exactly the opposite of what GM has been saying for years – most recently in June, when GM spokesman Rob Peterson told AutoblogGreen that there was no mechanism in the Volt to drive the wheels even if the engineers wanted too. Or, at least, that's what we heard. Peterson told AutoblogGreen today that the "news":
"is consistent with everything we've said to date. The new "news" is that we can tell the complete story as our key patent has been allowed by the US patent office. The Volt is an electric vehicle with extended range as the Volt has full battery electric performance at all speeds when there is charge in the battery."
Last edited by HAZ-Matt; Nov 2, 2010 at 01:29 PM.
Thread Starter
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Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
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Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
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From: Albany, NY
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
That's not actually true, contrary to what we were told originally. At highway speeds, GM found that it's more efficient to have the engine drive the wheels directly, so when you get going fast enough it engages a clutch pack that connects the engine directly to the gearbox.
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From: Miami, FL, US
Re: Drove the VOLT... feels like any other car...
