Pruis Plug-in vs Volt Motortrend Review

It is good to know Canadian cargo number. Do you have the numbers for Volt and Insight?

 

One thing that people, in general, do not appreciate about the Prius. It was designed to be a super efficient vehicle and, because we are on the 3rd generation, it really is just that. It is efficient beyond my belief in terms of interior room (no problem going surfing with a 9 ft surfboard inside). Prius is very light weight for its size. It is also very aerodynamic. Light weight + aerodynamic + efficient drive train + efficient engine + efficient energy management = super efficient vehicle. It looks like the Volt was designed to be something else: a PHEV for people who do not care about efficiency.

 

Contradiction: if people did not care for the environment, which is directly linked to efficiency, they would not care to charge it or to drive it carefully.

 

telmo, he means those who would be cool with the 37 MPG figure and buy Volt because it's GM. It's more like they're not looking for max efficiency.

There's already a post from a couple who passed on a Volt after seeing the range and 37 MPG figure.

I really think the 37 MPG and purchase cost will just bite that car. No rocket science there.

 

Just wait till they figure out how much the cold weather EV range drops that 37 MPG down. I am betting on large losses in winter EV range based on what is being reported for the Prius Plug in. Of course the ICE looses efficiency in winter too! If you live in a cold climate those GM Volt lovers better wake up.

I get 50 to 55 MPG in my Gen III in the summer and in winter especially Jan i go down into the 20 to 30 MPG range or if on a longer trip i might get up into the high 30's or even make it into the low 40's. If the Volt Ice has to warm up and the EV range drops 50% in sub freezing weather just think about it.

 

Really? We're just about Winter now here SF Bay Area. Granted it's only 40 to 50 F range, but I'm still pulling 46 MPG in a 2009, no hypermiling, trips from 2 miles to 8 miles only. Low altitude though. If there's such a thing as winter blend gas, we may be on that too.

 

My 2007 performed just about the same identical way except it did not do quite as well in summer as my Gen III.

Sub freezing has a big impact when the car is 13 F in the mourning it has to warm up 3 or 4 min before you drive it or it is to sluggish to drive safely. Plus the ice runs for every stop sign until i go a few miles. If i make a 4 or 5 mile trip the ice runs the whole time and its getting around 22 to 24 MPG on those short trips.

We have 8 deg F here this am and it will kill my mileage on a 2 mile trip i need to make this mourning.

When we are in the 50 F range like you mentioned i get the same as you around mid to high 40"s MPG, and we are at 1200 ft above sea level here.

 

Some people will buy the Volt for the same reasons some people buy the Prius:

They like the lines of the vehicle.
It's new.
They can be "seen" to care about the environment (like MY company...)
They like the wheels.
They're not what you would call 'super informed' about EV's, PHEV's, SCHEV's, MTLAHEV's, etc...
whatever...

There's probably already a VOLT forum out there that's extolling the virtues of this car to the determent of Priuses, LEAFs and Insights---just like some people on this sight (and those who are LEAF and Insight cheerleaders) argue like religious zealots, political hacks, and soccer fans about the fact that anybody who drives anything but a Prius is an uneducated cretin.

I suspect that if the VOLT survives the economics test and reaches a third generation, some upstart will come along and threaten its hold on whatever niche it carves out in the personal transportation market.

There really is nothing new under the sun.

 

The price-tag difference alone will be what defines the difference between a market success and failure. I expect the PHV Prius to be a hot seller, the Volt will always be considered a hot seller but only because the supply is so limited there will always be a waiting list, making it look like a hotter commodity than it is.

In the end, GM may have a good product, but when people drive down the road the only plug-in cars they will see are Nissan Leaf and Prius PHV for the first few years.

 

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?5953-How-far-on-a-charge

Volt owners are out there excitedly driving their new cars and reporting data. It's a good thing and I'm happy for them. I've not heard much Prius or other car bashing on the site above. If the Volt does well and GM embraces it, well, that's a good thing indeed.

 

-40 F ambient temperature !

I've heard about -10 F being very cold, but -40 F , yikes!

 

I agree. If the people buying/easing them are happy then that is what maters. 37mpg is not that bad although still well below the Prius unless they rarely use CS mode. I just wish they had done better on the emissions.

 

1 is from a company that is known for a lack of durability and reliability
1 is from a company that is FOR distinct reliability and durability...

1 has received millions/billions in handouts from the government
1 has received NO handouts and only adds and contributes to the country they are made in - ie: US, Australia, Japan, etc

1 is new and expensive as hell
1 is proven over 13 years of ongoing R and D and 4 generations of development and anything from 5-20k cheaper (will await official prices)

1 is supposedly pretty and appealing to the eye - again, subjective
1 is quirky, interesting looking and has a polarising look - love it or hate it - does not just look like ANY other car!

Ok, I got no more atm... lol

 

Really? Is Honda making a plug in?

Seriously though Toyota is better then GM overall but the difference in quality is far from clear cut and much smaller then it used to be.

"Champion said Honda is the top manufacturer for reliability, with the Honda and Acura brands consistently at the top of the survey due to a continued emphasis on quality. Champion said the Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford has several individual models that have better quality than Toyotas. Ford's quality resurgence was led by the Fusion midsize sedan, which outranked Honda's Accord and Toyota's Camry, two of the most reliable cars on the road. Ford's improvements began five years ago and have continued, Champion said.
General Motors showed the most improvement. GM had 69 models with average or better reliability, up from only 21 last year. GM's top-ranked brand was Chevrolet at 17, up from 25 last year."


Most Reliable Cars: Honda, Toyota Top Consumer Reports Rankings

 

I wanted a volt, but all this info is really pushing me towards just going full PHEV with my existing Prius. I live in Vancouver BC where most of our electricity is generated by water/hyrdo. It would be very satisfying to go full EV and 100% emissions-free completely.

 

PHV Prius, iQ EV and RAV4 EV are coming out in about a year. If my current ride still works fine, I would wait and see. It is easier to make decision when you have more choices and you know the pluses and minuses.