New Volt Owner

I purchased a 2017 volt earlier this year. I held off making a decision until I could test drive the 3 cars I was considering: Chevy Volt, Chevy Bolt, and Prius Prime.

Here are the major pros/cons I found in each.

Volt:

Pros

1) Good EV range
2) Fun to drive​

Cons:

1) Poor rear visibility
2) Small back seat​

Bolt:

Pros

1) Excellent power
2) Never use gas
3) Hopefully low maintenance cost (no ICE)​

Cons:

1) Range Anxiety
2) Don't care for body style
3) No adaptive cruise control​

Prius Prime:

Pros

1) Excellent efficiency​

Cons:

1) Looks (purely subjective, but I hate the front and back)
2) Limited EV range
3) Lack of power
4) Infotainment system (poor interface and no Android Auto)​

I first eliminated the Bolt from consideration since I'm not quite ready to go full EV. I like to go on road trips, particularly through the mountains and I'd be concerned about recharge locations. I expect my next vehicle will be full EV though.

Then I opted for the Volt over the Prime, primarily because I found it much more enjoyable to drive, and with the EV range I could eliminate gas completely except when I leave the city. With the prime I would still be using gas most days. I can definitely see how the Volt would be too small for many (especially the back seat), but the size works well for me since I rarely have multiple passengers.

The price was surprisingly about the same because of good discounts on Volts, even though I got a fully loaded model with a sticker > $40k. I negotiated a $5000 discount off the sticker price, got the $7500 federal tax credit, Colorado's $5000 tax credit, and some smaller discounts.

I am loving it so far, it is so fun to drive. I have 3000 miles on and still have half a tank of gas. The only times I've used gas so far are when the temp dropped below 15 degrees Fahrenheit (that is unavoidable unfortunately) and on two snowboarding trips to the mountains.