First Month with my Volt

[Tailfin61]

Picked up my Volt on March 10th. Volt #1712. Black w/black cloth interior. The only option are the polished wheels, which look great with black exterior and the other touches of chrome trim. Each Volt displays their build number as part of the NAV screen display. I'm not sure if that will always be the case or only for the first model year.

I had no real intention of getting one, I had been monitoring my local dealers through CARS.com to see if there was one within 50 miles of me, just so I could see one and perhaps test drive. No dealers had one in JAN or FEB. In early MAR one showed up at a local dealer. I went down on a Saturday to check it out. I was told it was still in transit but would arrive that week. They said that each dealer in CT would only receive 2 for calendar year 2011, one had to be in service as a demo for at least 6 months, one they could sell. The one coming in was available for them to sell and that all those they had on their waiting list either couldn't wait and had already purchased one in NY or NJ, or didn't like the way this particular vehicle was equipped. It came in that following Tuesday. I was already sold on the concept, but really needed the test drive. I'm used to driving European imports so the Volt had to be fun to drive. I was driving a VW CC as a daily driver and also have a SAAB convertible. I was really impressed with the ride and handling, and the QUIET. Very smooth and compliant ride. Fit and finsh was also better than expected, but not up to the level of the CC (which is much better than average for it's price class).

I ended up leasing for 36 months. They applied the $7500 tax credit to the residual and I got a very fair deal on my trade. I purchased at O'Neill's Chevrolet in Avon, CT. Scott Anderson was great to work with.

My daily commute is around 20 miles round trip. I am keeping a log of my miles and gallons used and will fill up on the first of every month. For March I traveled 568 miles on 1.2 gallons. My per kilowatt hour charge through Northeast Utilities is .09 cents. That would equate to approx 90 cents per day if I was charging a totally depleted battery, but that is seldom the case for me. I'm currently using a standard 120V outlet in my garage, but I do plan on installing a 240V. I'm working through SPX and I'm waiting for the estimate. My employer has also installed charging stations, which are free to use!

The car has run flawlessly so far, no bugs that I have found. The transition from EV mode to Extended mode is totally seamless and transparent, as others have noted in their reviews. I drive mostly in SPORT mode as I prefer the feel of the throttle. That's it for now. I'll update next month.

Ken

[Satty]

First, congrats on Tue awesome ride. Second, thanks for hopping on to C&G for the mileage update. Third, please keep us updated.

I do have a question, have you had passengers, and if so how's room? I haven't checked a Volt out yet, but its on the short list for cars a couple years from now.

[Tailfin61]

First, congrats on Tue awesome ride. Second, thanks for hopping on to C&G for the mileage update. Third, please keep us updated.

I do have a question, have you had passengers, and if so how's room? I haven't checked a Volt out yet, but its on the short list for cars a couple years from now.

I came out of a VW CC which has a rather low roof line and is also a 4 passenger car as the rear compartment does not have a center seat. So, in comparison to that, the Volt feels roomy. I'm also not very tall at 5'8. I have not had any rear seat passengers yet. The hatchback versatility is also a plus with the Volt.