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Traded in the PIP for a new 2014 Volt...

Discussion in 'Gen 1 Prius Plug-in 2012-2015' started by ny_rob, Mar 22, 2014.

  1. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    amazed they're asking over 24k for the used PiP
    I just saw one listed around here for 22k with half those miles and its an advanced version !

    Good luck on the Volt - a buddy who also needed more range bought and is happy with it
     
  2. -1-

    -1- Don

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    :)Congratulations. With the Prius PIP, I could understand wanting more EV range. The current Volt is a quick, immediate fix. Good price with incentives and trade. I must ask, any previous thoughts of waiting for the second generation Volt? It will be interesting to see what it offers new. With the recent release of the $80,000 Cadillac ELR this past December, getting 37 miles on a charge, how do you keep those early adopter owners happy if the new generation Volt has more EV range? Enjoy your Volt.
     
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    gonna miss you man, all the best!(y)
     
  4. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    Thanks bud!
    I'll still be kicking it here for a while, it's a fun place to hang.
    And I have 2 years of Prius knowledge under my belt- someone's got to pound some sense into the newbies, right?
     
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  5. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    Thanks!
    I considered waiting for the Gen II Volt, but with no release date set, no real details on features, range, price, etc... it's anyone's guess what Gen II Volt will bring.. or even when. It's probably more than a year off still, and my trade-in value would have bottomed out my then with another 16K miles on the PIP. I've also kind of learned the hard way- that it's not always in your best interest to be the first kid on the block with a new-new model car with no repair history that's even brand new to the dealers. At least my 2014 Volt has been out 3 years and the Volt community pretty much knows it's idiosyncrasies and flaws and how to fix them.
    Also, at this point- the current Volt 40mile EV range is more than sufficient for my needs, my trip to work is 28mi with a Chargepoint station in our parking lot, then another 28 mi trip home where I charge. An extended range wouldn't really benefit me at this point.

    I agree- it will be interesting to see what GM comes up with for Gen II, think of what Toyota did with Gen III Prius compared to Gen II.
     
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  6. Hybrid Dave

    Hybrid Dave Member

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    The next decade is going to be really exciting overall for the state of hybrids, plug in hybrids and EVs. It is starting to look like alternative energy vehicles are finally becoming a more common reality. I've seen quite a few Teslas around town now, too. Combine that with the new parking systems and Google's driverless technology, it looks like the next time I trade my car in there will be some fun options to consider.
     
  7. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    New cars are expensive here- but so are used ones- so in the end it works out.

    I've seen California Volts selling for $4.5K under MSRP... ( 1 0 VOLTS - $4,500 RYDELL DISCOUNT - EXP 3/26!!) but the trade in value of the PIP is much lower in CA too.
     
  8. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    Agreed, even my wife (who's the most conservative person around and is not a tech person) has actually started a conversation regarding the Volt's 40 mi EV range and her work commute (which is 8mi round trip four days a week)...
    Should I start worrying now? :whistle:

    I also told my kids (age 16 and 18) that if they were ten years younger they cold possibly grow up in an era where their first cars are all electric and they would never own a ICE vehicle.
    Now that is exciting and something to look forward to!
     
  9. Hybrid Dave

    Hybrid Dave Member

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    I want my flying car that folds up into a briefcase Jetsons style. Weren't we all told that by 1999-2000 we'd have flying cars?
     
  10. El Dobro

    El Dobro A Member

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    [​IMG]
     
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  11. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    Rob...is that screenshot you took of MyVolt from an app or from a browser window?
     
  12. Jeff N

    Jeff N The answer is 0042

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    Don't worry -- the Volt keeps track of things and will automatically start the engine in "Maintenance Mode" if the engine doesn't otherwise start up within 6 weeks. I believe it will burn at least .03 gallons to bring the engine up to full operating temperature and then reverts back to EV driving. It's never happened to me. The PiP does something similar but based it on miles driven since last engine startup, I think.

    The Volt also keeps track of the average age of the gas in the tank. If it gets to be a year old it will switch to Fuel Maintenance Mode and force you to drive in charge sustaining (hybrid) mode for awhile to burn off the old gas and coerce you into adding some new gas.

    Congrats on the new car.
     
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  13. Jerry Liebler

    Jerry Liebler Member

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    Congrats on the new volt! Unfortunately my "range doubler" for the PIP is not ready, I'm starting to order the parts for the prototype and actual performance remains TBD. FWIW I'll be adding a 5 KW lifepo4 pack that'll be tucked into the voids under the charger and around the stock battery. Cost, using the stock charger, will be between $3000 and $4000. Anyone curious about other details of this project, my email is lieblerjatwindstream.net
     
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  14. fortytwok

    fortytwok Active Member

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    "Congrats on the new volt! Unfortunately my "range doubler" for the PIP is not ready, I'm starting to order the parts for the prototype and actual performance remains TBD. FWIW I'll be adding a 5 KW lifepo4 pack that'll be tucked into the voids under the charger and around the stock battery. Cost, using the stock charger, will be between $3000 and $4000. Anyone curious about other details of this project, my email is lieblerjatwindstream.net"

    wow, good luck ! just hoping nothing blows up

    but stupid question - I'm a huge PiP fan
    BUT
    if putting 3-4k into it to double the range to 26miles - wouldn't buying the Volt then make sense ?
     
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  15. Roadburner440

    Roadburner440 Member

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    Welcome to the Volt family.. It really is ashame Toyota did not do more with the PiP. As the one major downside with the Volt you will come to notice is its 38-42mpg it gets on extended road trips. Granted after 2 and half years and 19,843 miles I have 14,580 EV miles, and a lifetime average of 141mpg. Still I hope for Generation 2 of the Volt and PiP that both automakers do more as both cars have tons of potential. Hope your Volt serves you well though, and looks like it will with your commute.
     
  16. bilofsky

    bilofsky Privolting Member

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    OMG! Me too, two weeks ago, and I was wondering how to break it to the community I've enjoyed being a part of for two years.

    There were a number of factors, but the main one was that my range neurosis, first posted 5 months ago, had become disfunctional.
    Exactly. I have a deposit down on a BMW i3 REx, which my wife might wind up buying. But BMW's high-handed introductory configuration and the likelihood it'll be here too late for California's HOV stickers made it less attractive. So I nailed down the Volt (and hopefully the green sticker). We'll hang onto the PiP for a few months, so my wife can sell her 16 year old car and then hoping it will be worth more when the green stickers run out.

    I don't necessarily expect to own the Volt for too many years. But now I can relax, stop micromanaging 11 EV miles, and see what fantastic new EVs and plug-ins come on the market. Let the window-shopping begin!

    I did a comparison between the Volt and my PiP (view here). My take is that the PiP is a better vehicle, while the Volt is a better EV and a neater toy. And I'm afraid Toyota needs to sharpen up its plug-in offering real quick for the PiP to retain much appeal beyond the large community of devotees to the fantastic Prius car family.

    Hopefully I've piled up enough cred on this group not to be considered a troll, but whack away. :)
     
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  17. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    It was a cut-n-paste from Firefox.
    For some reason the OnStar app isn't approved for my Nexus 7 (1st or 2nd gen) tablets. I'll sideload it when I get the chance- so for now I get my car info via Firefox or IE.
     
  18. ny_rob

    ny_rob Senior Member

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    Congrats on your new ride too!

    I wasn't really obsessed with the PIP's lack of range- it just left me wanting more.

    At the time I bought the PIP (Oct 2012) Toyota was giving that big $5K credit, my local utility was giving $500 back, and then there was the $2.5K fed tax credit too. Between all that ($8K total) and a good trade in on my 2012 Five- the PIP only cost me $2500 additional so it was an easy upgrade. Back then the Volt was still 40K with not much history behind it, so I never really considered it. Things changed in the ensuing 18 months- GM lowered the Volt MSRP to $34,995, there's still the big $7,500 tax credit and now the Volt's got a good history of solid service behind it.

    One thing I noticed right away with the Volt- GM seems more liberal on the use of power for the EV range.
    My commute is 28.0 miles to work, if I start with 40 EV miles on the battery from home... I actually arrive at work with 12 miles EV range left. The PIP was decent with it's EV estimate for low speed driving- but the 60-65mph that I have to do on the expressway really burned up the EV miles much faster than the estimate projected. The Volt doesn't suffer from this condition- if I drive 65mph I get the projected EV range estimate, if I drive slower I get even more EV miles.
    My "full charge" EV range estimate is up to 40 miles (it was at 38 mi when I got the Volt Tuesday) now having driven to work three full days, my PIP was down to 8.9 mi EV range last week driving the same route to work under the same weather conditions.
     
  19. Jerry Liebler

    Jerry Liebler Member

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    "but stupid question - I'm a huge PiP fan
    BUT
    if putting 3-4k into it to double the range to 26miles - wouldn't buying the Volt then make sense ?"

    To some a Volt may make more sense, not to me because: 1. I want to maintain the 53 MPG highway mileage I get on long trips, using no EV. 2. I often carry 3 in the back seat. 3. My PIP's resale value is dubious (see My recycled PIP in the newbies forum) & I plan to "drive it till the wheels fall off" 4. While I've called it a "range doubler" the predicted gain in EV miles is 150%.
     
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  20. Technigogo

    Technigogo Member

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    Aren't you concerned about GM reliability versus Toyota when buying a Volt?


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