Why would one buy Prime over 1st Gen Volt?

I'm quite happy with my Volt.

 

Update:

	Requirement	type	weight	Used Volt	Used i3-REx	New Prime
1	dynamic cruise control and automatic braking	mandatory	not negotiable​	No	Yes	Yes
2	gas efficiency	optional	40%	2.7 gal/100 mi premium	2.6 gal/100 mi premium	1.9 gal/100 mi regular
3	EV efficiency	optional	30%	35 kWh/100 mi	29 kWh/100 mi	25 kWh/100 mi
4	range	optional	15%	380 mi	150 mi	640 mi
5	tax credit	optional	10%	No	No	Yes
6	PriusChat content	optional	5%	lost	humble	beloved

Requirements are an individual's choice. Safety features are ours. Once the mandatory requirements are met, the rest are negotiable.

Bob Wilson

 

Good! State the requirements:

I don't see a mandatory requirement so we'll treat them as optional:

	requirement	weight	2014 PIP	2014 Volt	2014 i3-REx	2017 Prime
1	EV range	20%	0 (11)	2 (38)	3 (72)	1 (25)
2	range	20%	2 (540)	1 (380)	0 (150)	3 (640)
3	body shape	20%	2	1	3	2
4	dynamic cruise control	20%	0	0	1	2
5	LKA	20%	0	0	0	1

• Edit the weight % to match their worth to you
• Adjust the evaluation based on some universal scale 0-n, here 0-3
  • If you want finer granularity 0-9 or 0-n where "n" can be evaluated
• Total the scores and sort

GOOD LUCK!
Bob Wilson

 

A couple years ago I thought about picking up a used Volt. I searched the forums and looked at Consumer Reports. Overall, my takeaway is that the Volt is one of Chevy's more reliable cars, and most owners seemed to have a relatively trouble-free experience. Consumer Reports did show the first year or two of the Volt as having a higher than average issue rate, but digging through the numbers seemed to indicate that it was largely due to a misbehaving/faulty fuel (or charging, I can't remember which one) door.

Two other concerns that people have shared with me about not purchasing the first generation Volt are
1. the lack of a backup camera on some trim levels (since rear visibility is poor)
and
2. Constant monitoring of your location (and remote access to the vehicle) via OnStar

I would strongly advise you not to rely on driver aids such as lane-keep assist (or even Tesla's Autopilot) and to simply pay full attention while driving as if these systems were not present.

 

has to be better than gen 3, based on the engine problems.

 

That was my very first car!

 

Ouch! And you survived! Be glad you weren't rear-ended by the gas tank...

 

I was 15 years old at the time with a “restricted” license. The car was recalled and I took it to John Foster Ford in Easley SC so they could install a black plastic flap between the gas tank and the rear differential. The engine went bad soon after that. I think it had about 60k on the odometer.

 

I understand the risk of dealing with new technology but that was the 1.8L engine in the Gen-3. The only significant weakness was tapping the exhaust before the catalytic converter but this is fixed in the prime. The Prime transmission / transaxle is the new technology.

The P610 transmission went from coaxial shafts to simpler bearings of parallel shafts. Toyota significantly improved cooling with an ATF heat exchanger and lighter weight. Internal lubrication is improved driven by motion gears, not just an engine driven pump. But the major technical addition, the one-way clutch on the flywheel.

Called a spray clutch, the pin and spring assembly means MG1 can work in parallel with MG2 and that is key to the Prime. Simple yet effective, it is new but low risk.

Bob Wilson