http://green.autoblog.com/2011/11/06...-not-greenies/

I would agree with this.

 

I love the car and I'm a techie. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd buy one. For my commute it makes a lot of sense and I get the added benefit of range.

 

Agreed, I love the car not because of it's green image but because it is futuristic and just happens to get good gas mileage. I like being able to plug it in and drive even if I am out of gas.

 

I would consider leasing one next time I'm due for a car. I think they are very cool, but like other cool technology, the tech will age quickly. Maybe not as fast with a car as say a phone, but I expect huge improvements in the Volt and cars like it over the next decade. For that reason, I'd rather lease.

 

Honestly, that is why I"m interested in them as well. The green factor is a pleasant bonus.

 

The main factor I would have in considering a Volt (or any alternative fuel car) would be if it gave me everything else I could get in a 'regular car' (or more) and do it for a cheaper overall cost over the time I use it vs the 'regular' equivilant.

 

I think the Volt is very cool because of its tech, but the only reason I'd even consider such a vehicle is because of the burning almost no gasoline factor. That part is awesome. No way I'd buy it (or any other vehicle) just because it is a cool gadget, however (e.g. Car and Driver referring to the Volt as an automotive iPad).

As things are right now, I'd take a Cruze Eco over the Volt in a heartbeat, if paying with real dollars. If the price premium were much much less, I could see paying up to have the high tech Volt. But not yet. Same way there is no way in hell I'm paying $1000-2500 for a nav option in a car. I'll use my $100 Garmin...

 

Yeah no way I would be an early adopter of the Volt, I've had enough issues with my Cobalt which has been in production for years, decades if you include the cavalier which is all they basically were just refreshed and renamed. If the Volt was around $25k or so a lot more people would maybe risk trying one but over $40k is asking a lot for a first year chevy with more technology in it than all the combined chevys of the past 100 years. I see the Prius plug in taking over the game when it comes out.

 

I thought Cobalt was on an all-new, global platform (delta), not common with the old J-body Cavalier / Sunfire.

As for the Prius plug-in, I'm sure it will do fairly well. However, and I may be remembering this wrong, I think it is creeping up in price to be quite a bit closer to the Volt and / or it is not subject to tax credits as generous as those the Volt can get, so the price ends up being closer out the door.

 

Yup, Cobalt was an all new car. I think the only thing that was carry over was the 2.2L which was new in the early 2000's.

 

All I now is when I look at a 4 door Cavalier from a few years back I see the same car as my cobalt just slightly tweaked, the underpinnings might be different but they looked almost identical.

 

The styling may be similar, but it was indeed an all-new platform.

 

Of garbage apparently in my case.

 

Funny... when the Cobalt first came out, I thought it was amazingly better looking than the Cavalier. Flash-forward and the Cruze is night-and-day better looking than the Cobalt.

 

I would think techies and tree huggers have more in common than techies and more power junkie buyers of Camaro, Vette, Silverado.