As I handed the keys over to the valet, I asked if they had a charging station I could use. The 8-inch MyLink infotainment display gets the latest generation of Chevrolet's tech, which is also quite good." Even so, it's been spending more and more time parked at our office at night. Braking: The brake pedal has a soft effort and long travel, almost SUV-like. Not with this giant battery-pack hump in the middle of the back row. It's all or nothing, which makes it a guessing game approaching every red light. I have, however, found something to complain about. Our Volt's "drip" manifests in the form of a squeaky brake pedal. One limitation within the space is the Volt's sloping rear hatch. The Society of Automotive Engineers standardized the plug some years back. 2017 Chevrolet Volt does not come with the power seats , The top-of-the-line Premier model can not be equipped with the power seats , You should manually pull the lever to adjust your seat and this issue takes away from the Volt's luxuriousness . "Thanks, but I want to do it myself. It didn't matter much because I had my laptop and plenty of work to do, and they had WiFi access, a nice waiting room desks and hot coffee. Mike Schmidt, senior manager, vehicle testing operations, "A reader commented that he wouldn't want to stack heavy items such as 50-pound bags of concrete inside the cargo area, but the area is well-supported underneath, so that whatever weight is placed there is surprisingly well-distributed. A routine visit to the dealer led to some surprises, in the form of three recalls and over four hours of our day. It's also best going from brake to throttle with no pedal overlap in between (power braking). --, "Front-seat room is fine, but the rear seat is still on the tight side for taller passengers, while the new fifth seating position is for short trips only." Alas, that's how my Wednesday started with our 2016 Chevrolet Volt. Here's what we've observed so far: Average electric range: 52.8 miles Best electric range: 75 miles EPA electric range rating: 53 miles, Best range between gasoline fills (electric fills + gasoline): 681 miles Current odometer: 20,447 miles, Logbook Highlights Comfort "I continue to give the Volt a chance. Its gas engine runs in the dim background to the point where it feels little different than all-electric mode when cruising at moderate speeds or nosing around the city. --, "The trunk, at 10.6 cubic feet, is modestly sized; fitting golf bags is problematic. Tracking fuel economy for a plug-in hybrid such as the Volt is not exactly straightforward, and we do our best to separate miles driven solely on battery power from those using the gasoline engine. All in, this 2016 Chevrolet Volt Premier Hatchback wears a sticker price of $40,620. The first Volt used an awkward shifter that was half-buried within the dashboard. So in case I didn't notice that the switchover took place, I asked my passenger to keep an eye out for the moment it happened. And I drove 27.4 miles on Sunday before recharging it with 29 miles remaining. A few more horsepower here, an inch more legroom there, and perhaps a "boldly styled!" Chevy Volt - How to lay down rear seats 2,814 views Oct 4, 2018 57 Dislike Share Save DIY Pinto 50.8K subscribers Laying down the rear seats on this particular model of a Chevy volt .. I've been impressed by the touchscreen's response times. The Bolt seats five, and cloth upholstery and six-way manually adjustable front seats come standard. --, "Despite all of that, your eyes will probably be drawn to the 8-inch infotainment touchscreen, which has been switched from Chevrolet MyLink to the new Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system. Let me start by immediately walking that assertion back. No big deal. The oil change and tire rotation cost $45.70 and took about 30 minutes. Come to Copeland Chevrolet Hyannis to drive or buy this Nissan LEAF: 1N4BZ0CP8HC309643. We aren't a good fit for each other." Our financing experts will help you find the lease or financing option that works right for you. There's less cargo space than in rivals. Now if I can just find out where they hid the paint gun from me and get the keys to all the silver/gray/white cars in our fleet, I'll have some work to do. I have almost a year to find out. Mike Schmidt got a flat tire in October last year, and we likely forgot to replace the goo. Call it evolution, or the simple realization that the original Volt's cabin had a few features that weren't very practical. Notably, we passed the 20,000-mile mark, although a bit behind schedule. But the person I talked to seemed unsure and said something about the update being delayed until April. Immediately following a Waze alert (or, I suspect, similar such actions from apps running natively on the phone), the Volt's audio system always switches over to playing your phone's music. As you can see, the Volt, when it's running in pure electric mode, is right in the mix with the dedicated EVs like the Leaf and 500e in terms of energy efficiency. Keep in mind that the Leaf and e-Golf offer more powerful chargers in upper trim levels that significantly reduce charging times. I could exist quite comfortably under its 53-ish-mile ceiling for the majority of the week, which means far fewer pesky stops at the pump. But it turns out the rear-most edge of the cargo space is just under 3 feet. If I'm approaching a stop light and need to slow down, I'll just get off the accelerator (while in Low) and eyeball when I need to apply the paddle for even more regen. Sure enough, there wasn't a shudder or an engine drone when the last EV mile clicked off. The Premier trim also unlocked additional options. We headed to CarMax and accepted its offer of $20,000. It's even on Amazon.com, so rejoice, Prime members. So we didn't. Highway passing maneuvers require extra calculation before execution. The 2021 Chevy Suburban and. I made it home on electricity, but 'only' had 13 miles left. There's more legroom than I would have thought, and an elevated seating position provides some useful thigh support. March was nearly over when I decided to call our Volt dealer to set up a time to bring it in. This was an issue we noticed with the previous generation Volt. It's the steering wheel paddle on the left, and its reason for existence is questionable at best. There are two full sets of anchors on the outboard rear seats, and there's a single top tether anchor for the middle seat. I had been in "L" as I do, and using the regen paddle as I (reluctantly) do, but I'd been heavy with the throttle and even tried to see if the tires would spin full whack on a 90-degree turn (they do). Most commute statistics say that the majority of people drive no more than 20 miles each way to work. But here's another early anecdotal result, taking the car's trip computer at its word. For one, the general consensus is that it's an attractive car. I hit skip again. Sure, there's not a lot of headroom for you to lean down into and the seat bottom is angled slightly back, which may mis-angle some car seats but that's easy to work around. Take away the conversation, the sound track, the background noise, and suddenly you're exposed to things you would've otherwise overlooked or ignored. It has plenty of all-electric range, it's quick to accelerate at low speeds and its hatchback design provides a fair amount of utility. Calvin Kim, road test editor, Performance "While crunching fuel numbers for this log, I noticed there were a few switchover points (the point when it stops being an electric car and starts being a hybrid) left unrecorded. In order of repair: Recall 38240: Confirm seat track locking pin is intact. I did this a couple times before I got the hang of it and felt so embarrassed." It takes 6 to 8 weeks for license plates to be issued, so it didn't matter until now. Maybe our Volt's interior would look better with the Premier trim's optional two-tone color scheme (you can see what it looks like with Chevy's consumer site configurator), but you'd still have the sprinkling of chrome trim bits, which do little other than reflect sunlight and cause driver distraction. Compare the Volt to our 2016 Toyota Prius here. Nope. It's a legit EV with 60-plus miles of electric range, it's an equally legit hybrid once the battery runs down, it's admirably refined on the road, and its compact size makes it a cinch to park. And one of those is the ability to comfortably seat adults in the back. The standard infotainment system in the Volt comes with an 8-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, six speakers, two USB ports, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and a Wi-Fi hot spot. With only 10.6 cubic feet of room available in the trunk of the Volt, there's not much offered in the way of practicality, albeit only marginally less than what's offered in the segment as average. So we have couple of variables left to test, primarily to see how much more juice we can extract from a 12-amp charge. The e-Golf SE's DC Fast Charging package (standard on the SEL) includes a 7.2 kW charger that reduces charging time to about four hours. I got everything in, but it was far from graceful." Compared to other hybrids, the Volt fares pretty well. The Volt touts a quiet cabin with a host of tech features and a good amount of space up front. "[The interior] is more upscale than the previous model's, with two-tone color schemes, easy-to-use audio and climate controls and a pair of 8-inch information screens. That's one more than the Toyota Prius Prime can handle, but it's on par with the Chevrolet Bolt. Because it's a requirement in California (and 30 other states,) a front license plate bracket came with the car. Whether it's executing the perfect holeshot across an intersection in virtual silence, having an effortless conversation with your passenger, or listening to music untainted by the melodies of internal combustion, our 2016 Chevrolet Volt lends itself well. Since this isn't just a test of the powertrain, but the whole car, we picked the Premier and added options. The whole round trip added another 874.6 miles to the odometer with 21.957 gallons of gas poured in. Just like with the Corvette, GM doesn't want my arms to have any space. I'm not sure whether to credit the Volt for this or my own stubbornness. Since split-folding second and third-row seats come standard, it's easy to take full advantage of the Chevy Suburban cargo space when you're out and about in Sicklerville . Yet we still managed to set new lifetime marks in average mpg and average electric range. She only drives 10 or 12 miles a day. Pulling the regen paddle on the steering wheel is therefore level three, which is the highest level of regen/deceleration without engaging the Volt's traditional friction brakes. The Volt isn't wide enough to support useful three-across seating, and the big center console and hump (underneath is the Volt's battery pack) takes away vital space for the center person's feet. And to Chevy's credit, the armrests are covered with decent padding and the steering wheel is nicely shaped. Refinement? And I mean that literally because the full-width Google Maps and the audio and phone display graphics looked great. Perhaps the interior designers knew they had a tight budget and chose to focus their money on the most important bits. That big steering wheel paddle, only on the left side, engages even heavier regenerative braking when pulled. More invisible, though. It's bad because (Captain Obvious here) your head is right below the hatchback glass." --, "Front-seat room is fine, but the rear seat is still on the tight side for taller passengers, while the new fifth seating position is for short trips only." Assuming it's plugged into a system that accommodates the maximum charging rate, the i3 will "fill" faster than the Volt even though the i3's battery is larger. It's been over a year and a half since we bought our long-term 2016 Chevrolet Volt, well over our usual yearlong testing period. That may not sound like much of a difference, but it amounts to a lot more screen area because of math. They came to the office and repaired the chip to almost perfect invisibility. Again. Unsatisfied, I called Guaranty Chevrolet, which should have been my first choice because it's barely two miles from my home. Now, it's always easier to get better when you have some obvious flaws to begin with. Steering and handling at routine speeds promises an alertness that proves to be an illusion the first time you take a corner with any enthusiasm. So if you're just driving a few hundred feet, for example, the experience can be a lot like zipping down the street in a golf cart. The angle of the rear seatbacks places the occupants' heads directly below the rear hatchback window. When it fired up you couldn't help but notice the added racket. That's one more than the Toyota Prius Prime can handle, but it's on par with the Chevrolet Bolt. A power-closing feature is necessary here." 60-40 folding rear seat - Down for whatever. What this means, though, is that I only beat the new rating by 32 percent. As a Volt buyer, I would gladly pay a little extra for some more advanced motor mounts to keep those vibes completely out of my space." The 2017 Chevy Volt can seat up to five. And surprisingly, I am able to last a good two hours before my lower reaches grow tired. Apparently the switchover is so subtle that you wouldn't notice when it happens. Cargo Volume Rear Seats Down: But that doesn't diminish all the good that the 2016 Volt represents. There's more room to display maps and info, too. I dialed up Safelite. But Majoros said Chevrolet has pent-up demand for the Bolt. Receive pricing updates, shopping tips & more! Usually we test a vehicle's braking before diving into our acceleration runs, but we want to test battery-powered vehicles with a full charge. This mode maintains a reserve electrical charge of the high voltage battery to provide better grade climbing performance.". "Not terrible," I thought, as I popped the hatch, opened the rear doors, and started to fold forward the Volt's 60/40-split rear seats. But the 2016 Chevrolet Volt is noticeably improved. Other factors also come into play. Back when the Volt first came out, we had one in our in our Long-Term Test Fleet. Once the interior is cooled down to your temperature of choice, the Eco mode does a nice job of maintaining the temperature and you probably won't feel like you're making a huge sacrifice in the name of fuel economy." The Volt hovered at "one mile remaining" for about three miles, then the range ran out at 74.8 miles. Despite the subjective instability, brake runs were incredibly consistent, all within a half-foot of each other. The Volt is comprehensively outfitted with features that offer a decent level of comfort, convenience, and entertainment. I ran upstairs to the office and grabbed a set of pliers out of the testing equipment. Let's first look at why I would like to own a Volt: The powertrain. Alas the tire couldn't have been flatter unless it was two-dimensional. It works well, but it takes a little practice to consistently get the Volt to stop right where you want it. (Check out some pictures of our 2014 Chevrolet Silverado's touchscreen here.) Trunk space is OK for a hybrid but subpar for a compact car. We wrote a check for $38,114 and the 2016 Chevrolet Volt Premier was ours. So I drove around the remainder of the weekend on the Volt's 101-horsepower gas engine and was very impressed. There's not a whole lot of grip from the economy-oriented tires, the steering doesn't give any road feel to the driver, and the Volt unsettlingly bobs and floats around when it drives over some midcorner bumps." At home, I plugged in the Volt around 10:30 p.m. By 9:30 a.m., the battery had filled to about 60 percent, storing 33 miles of EV range. Having said that, I found I drove our Volt with the rear seats down, turning it into a mini-truck. Nobody walks in Edmunds.com's hometown of L.A., or so the saying (or song) goes. As we wrote previously, you can also use the gear selector's "L" mode and the paddle on steering wheel. In fairness, this hiccup might be an Apple issue and not a Volt issue." --, "CarPlay allows users of iPhones with Lightning connectors to access Siri: Eyes Free text-message alerts, Maps, iMessage, Apple Music, and, of course, the phone itself. That's why I find its climate control setup so satisfying. Ed Hellwig, Executive Editor, MPG "I took possession of the Volt with 286 miles on the trip meter and the onboard calculator showing fuel consumption at more than 250 mpg, the highest number the calculator displays. It was also worth the price, which was a warranty job that cost zero, zilch, nada. Tesla is the only holdout that didn't go along. Dealerships catch a lot of online flak for their service operations, but I got nothing but good vibes from the folks at Hooman. What Kind of Fuel Economy Did It Get? We also added navigation, Kinetic Blue paint, an illuminated charge port, a cargo mat and a cargo net. Deserves so much more attention than it gets." And on longer grades, when electric boost is sapped and the engine kicks in to supply power, it falls flat at about 69 mph This doesn't seem to be quick enough for many. To survive, I time-shift and work an East Coast schedule, setting my alarm at 4:15 am in order to get on the road at 5:00 am (OK, usually 5:15 am), at which point I have a decent chance of getting to work by 6:00 am. I texted Dan: On pace for a 75-mile run. We also drove it to Rosamond, California, home of the famous Willow Springs Raceway, for our annual driving school. I've also watched the Volt's battery regen meter while using the regular brake pedal. Third Row Headroom/Legroom/Shoulder Room 38.20 inches/36.70 inches/48.40 inches. In case they don't sell them where you live, the "e" stands for electric. When you pull the paddle in "L" after lifting your foot off the throttle, the slowing effect is much less severe since the car is already slowing. I wasn't expecting to break the record when I set out that night. 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