Consumer Reports: GM's Volt 'doesn't really make a lot of sense'

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

The magazine has put about 2,500 miles on its Volt. It paid $48,700, including a $5,000 markup by a Chevy dealer...

David Shepardson - DETNEWS - February 28th 2011

It doesn't make sense, but they had to pay $5k over MSRP... --Ed.

Consumer Reports offered a harsh initial review of the Chevrolet Volt, questioning whether General Motors Co.'s flagship vehicle makes economic "sense."The extended-range plug-in electric vehicle is on the cover of the April issue — the influential magazine's annual survey of vehicles — but the GM vehicle comes in for criticism.

"When you are looking at purely dollars and cents, it doesn't really make a lot of sense. The Volt isn't particularly efficient as an electric vehicle and it's not particularly good as a gas vehicle either in terms of fuel economy," said David Champion, the senior director of Consumer Reports auto testing center at a meeting with reporters here. "This is going to be a tough sell to the average consumer."

The magazine said in its testing in Connecticut during a harsh winter, its Volt is getting 25 to 27 miles on electric power alone.

GM spokesman Greg Martin noted that it's been an extremely harsh winter — and as a Volt driver he said he's getting 29-33 miles on electric range. But he noted that in more moderate recent weather, the range jumped to 40 miles on electric range or higher.

Champion believes a hybrid, such as the Toyota Prius, may make more sense for some trips. "If you drive about 70 miles, a Prius will actually get you more miles per gallon than the Volt does," Champion said.

But GM has noted that most Americans can avoid using gasoline for most regular commuting with the Volt, while its gasoline engine can allow the freedom to travel farther, if needed... [Read More]

[xcel]

Hi INATM:

As we have described many times in the past, just wait until CR does their video review showing someone getting in the front and then the back...

Regarding pricing, CR’s buys their vehicles off dealership lots so there is no chance of manufacturer shenanigans. They pay what they pay and then sell them after they are done with them.

Chris trying to escape from the Volt!

We darn near had to call the LA fire department so they could bring in the jaws of life to rescue our poor and tired hero from the confines of the Subcompact sized Compact

Wayne

[aca2983]

Lose weight!

[Right Lane Cruiser]

Um, the key points here are that his head protrudes out of the open hatch because the roof is so low in the back seat, and his shoe actually got stuck under the driver's seat. This is in addition to having his knees both high enough to accurately judge the proper location for CPR and rammed into the back of the seat in front far enough to dislocate a driver's shoulders. If memory serves, Chris is 6'3" -- how do you think my 6'5" frame would fit?

[MaxxMPG]

Lose weight?
And exactly how will that reduce my inseam from 34 inches and my shoe size from 14?
Will it make me any shorter so my head fits under the low roofline?

Fortunately I have good balance and I'm still very flexible after all these years.

I couldn't close the door because my left knee was hanging out the door - my thigh was longer than the distance from seatback to seatback. Last time I checked, the length of your legs doesn't change when you diet.

The worst part of the rear seat was lack of toe space. Anyone with a shoe size over 8 is going to catch shoelaces on the wiring under the seat just as I did.

Has nothing to do with weight...

[wokwithm]

Forgot which Magazine did a comparo with the Prius PHEV and Volt. The Volt didn't make sense if you go farther than its EV range and the magazine didn't consider the shorter range when it's extremely cold. Prius PHEV was the better choice.

[saturnsc2]

Just because they had to pay 5k over msrp doesn't mean it was worth it :P

I would have kept that to myself...but I guess their message is, if we got ripped off this bad be sure that you will too!

[MaxxMPG]

And it's not like the dealer isn't already making money on the car...

Invoice: $40,896.15
Invoice date: 20110204
Produced date: 20110127
MSRP: $44,195.00

It averages about $3200 depending on options.

If I were going shopping for a Volt, I would bring along a can of Lemon Pledge furniture polish. Offer them $40900 and if they don't take it, hand them the Pledge and tell them, "Here. You'll need this to dust this car off for the next two years as it rots in your showroom because nobody is going to pay $50k for this thing. If you'll excuse me, I'm heading up to the next block to spend my $41k on two Pkg 2 Prii."

[herm]

poor Chris, I flinch everytime I see that picture!.. hopefully this wont be a huge issue in a regular Cruze.

Regarding "does not make a lot of sense", many (most?) greens are not really driven by "common sense" but by emotions.. and there is nothing wrong with that!.. greeness, religious faith and xenophobia are all valid parts of being human.

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Originally Posted by wokwithm

Forgot which Magazine did a comparo with the Prius PHEV and Volt. The Volt didn't make sense if you go farther than its EV range and the magazine didn't consider the shorter range when it's extremely cold. Prius PHEV was the better choice.

... especially if you're too lazy to walk or cycle short distances.

I hate the concept of low-AER PHEVs.

The big problem with the Volt is that it's not a Prius.