Tailfin61

Here are the sales numbers so far this year. Verano is on a roll. I threw in the TSX too for comparison: JAN 2012 TSX - 2266 Regal - 1855 Verano - 795 FEB 2012 TSX - 3373 Regal - 2636 Verano - 1688 MAR TSX - 3355 Regal - 2609 Verano - 2497 APR TSX - 3138 Verano - 2989 Regal - 2852 MAY Verano - 3609 TSX - 2880 Regal - 2550 Another excellent month for Verano in June. It not only outsold Regal, but also TSX/ILX combined. Verano 4091 TSX 2602 Regal 2326 ILX 1081 Verano does it again in July! Verano 4235 TSX 1980 Regal 1784 ILX 1410

Here are the sales numbers so far this year. Verano is on a roll. I threw in the TSX too for comparison: JAN 2012 TSX - 2266 Regal - 1855 Verano - 795 FEB 2012 TSX - 3373 Regal - 2636 Verano - 1688 MAR TSX - 3355 Regal - 2609 Verano - 2497 APR TSX - 3138 Verano - 2989 Regal - 2852 MAY Verano - 3609 TSX - 2880 Regal - 2550 Another excellent month for Verano in June. It not only outsold Regal, but also TSX/ILX combined. Verano 4091 TSX 2602 Regal 2326 ILX 1081

Here are the sales numbers so far this year. Verano is on a roll. I threw in the TSX too for comparison: JAN 2012 TSX - 2266 Regal - 1855 Verano - 795 FEB 2012 TSX - 3373 Regal - 2636 Verano - 1688 MAR TSX - 3355 Regal - 2609 Verano - 2497 APR TSX - 3138 Verano - 2989 Regal - 2852 MAY Verano - 3609 TSX - 2880 Regal - 2550 Another excellent month for Verano in June. It not only outsold Regal, but also TSX/ILX combined. Verano 4091 TSX

Here are the sales numbers so far this year. Verano is on a roll. I threw in the TSX too for comparison: JAN 2012 TSX - 2266 Regal - 1855 Verano - 795 FEB 2012 TSX - 3373 Regal - 2636 Verano - 1688 MAR TSX - 3355 Regal - 2609 Verano - 2497 APR TSX - 3138 Verano - 2989 Regal - 2852 MAY Verano - 3609 TSX - 2880 Regal - 2550

I'm a bit baffled by the headline. Sales are falling? All auto manufacturers reports sales based on current month/year compared to current month/previous year, for example FEB 2012 compared to FEB 2011. Using that method, Volt sales have increased DEC, JAN, FEB. To my knowledge no manufacturer compares consecutive months in the current year. Just sayin' . . .

You can now build your Verano on CARS.com. Here are the highlights: Base $23470 - includes 18" alloy wheels Convenience $24670 - adds heated mirrors, auto dim mirror, pwr driver seat, reverse sensing system. Nav avail $795. Leather $26850 - adds heated steering wheel, heated front seats, 9 speaker stereo. Split spoke 18" wheels avail $450. prices include $885 destination. Other options: sunroof $900 engine block heater $100 9 speaker stereo $595 (std leather) Crystal red paint $325 while diamond $495 navigation $795 (not avail on base) split spoke alloys $450 (leather only) Interior: Base and Convenience - Cashmere or Titanium Interior Leather - Cashmere, Ebony, Choccachino Exterior: White Black Silver Crystal Red White Diamond Mocha Bronze

Not a sports car but definitely sporty. Steering is nicely weighted, feels planted on the road.

6th month update for Volt 1712. Summer went by uneventfully. I continue to drive Monday - Friday gas free with bit of gas used on the weekends. So far I've traveled 5930 miles, 4170 electric and 1760 on gas (70% electric). For the 1760 gas miles the Volt used 42.5 gallons of gas for an average of 41.4 MPG. My overall mileage is 139 MPG, factoring in the cost of electricity it's roughly 89 MPGe. The bulk of gas used was for two long distance trips. One, in July, from CT to the Outer Banks of NC. That round trip was approx. 900 miles. The trip down averaged 44 MPG, the trip home 46 MPG. Those numbers include the 40 miles or so of electric miles at the beginning of each trip. While in NC the Volt charged with the standard 120V charger using an outside outlet at the house we rented. All miles driven while there were electric. We had no issues on that trip. The Volt ran great and the seats proved comfortable for the 12 hour ride. The second trip was to Cape Cod, we averaged 47 MPG on that trip including the 25 electric miles at the start. For this trip we drove to the Cape in MOUNTAIN mode, which essentially allows you to bank some miles. Once at the Cape, I took it out of MOUNTAIN mode and we had 15 miles of electricity available for driving around town. We parked in a public lot over the weekend with no chance to recharge. There was one minor issue that cropped up. At certain highway speeds there was an inter-mitten knocking noise on the passenger side, I found it was the plastic wheel well liner that was slightly loose and knocking against the metal wheel well. I jury-rigged a fix and the dealer corrected it at the 5000 mile service which was basically a tire rotation. Other than that, no issues to support. With no long distance trips on the horizon I'm sure the average mileage will get back up to where it was prior to the summer. Overall, love the Volt.

The Cruze vs. Volt fuel cost comparison depends on where you live. Here in CT, it costs me 9 cents per kilowatt hour to charge my Volt. That's roughly 90 cents per charge. Gas here is a bit over $4.00 per gallon. I am easily averaging 45-48 miles per charge. Using 45 miles, I can travel 180 miles for $4.00 vs. the Cruze's 38-40 miles. In my first 3000 miles I used roughly 5 gallons of gas. In July we took a trip to the Outer Banks of NC, approx 900 miles round trip. Including the 45 electric miles on either end of the trip, we averaged 44 MPG while in extended mode; that included a lot of stop-n-go traffic and 103 degree heat with the AC on. The same trip last year in a VW CC yielded 29 MPG. Although I understand your concern regarding the battery replacement costs, there is NO WAY to know TODAY what the replacement costs will be 8 YEARS from now. Like many Volt owners, I did not buy it to save money. I bought it to use less gas, try new technology, and because I actually enjoyed driving it. I'm just about to hit 5000 miles and so far I love the Volt.

The $7500 is a tax CREDIT not a rebate. It's my understanding that you would have to owe taxes in order to see any of that money UP TO $7500. If you owed $1000, that's what you would receive as a credit. Since I get money back on my taxes due to my mortgage deductions, I would not have qualified for the tax credit. If you read anything Chevy puts out, they clearly say that not everyone will qualify. This is one of the reasons I leased my Volt as they added $7500 to the residual, lowering the payment. The lease is really the way to go. As I said, this is how I understand it. If anyone has info to the contrary, please share it. Thanks!

You know, honestly, I don't think I've driven a RWD car since the '76 Fiat Spyder I had back in the early 80's . . . The Volt is definitely fun to drive, though, much more than I expected it to be. You're right, I'm sure that weight low and in the center adds to the feeling of balance.

GM is very attentive to the Volt owners. They assign a Volt advisor who checks in regularly for questions, issues, and feedback. Since I just started to notice the scuffing issue, I will be sure to mention it next time she calls. The Volt compares very favorably to my previous VW CC. I in no way feel I've taken a step backwards. The Volt rides smoother and quieter, taking bumps much better. The handling edge may go to the CC, but neither is a sports car, though definitely sporty. The Volt is actually more fun to drive, with better throttle response and steering. Despite its cool looks, the CC is not as fun to drive as previous VWs I've owned. The CC also had numerous rattles, the Volt does not (at least not yet anyway . . .)

Actually, I do feel guilty when the gas engine comes on, not sure exactly why. Our other car is a convertible. I feel the same way with that when I drive with the top up on a nice day . . .

Month 3 update for Volt 1712: A sense of normalcy and routine has set in for me as the Volt completes month 3. No issues or problems to report. My employer installed electric charge stations late last year and I was the first to use them starting in March. This month, I've been joined by two other Volts. The stations are in the Visitors parking lot, so many folks do a double take when they see the Volts parked there as it's still not a typical sight to see. As I mentioned last month, I've been driving in Low/SPORT and have reached a high of 51.7 miles in EV mode for one charge. I traveled 747 miles in May and used less than a gallon of gas (0.7). As of June 1st, my total miles where 2070, 1913 of them in EV mode. While in extended range mode, I traveled 157 miles on 3.88 gallons for an average of 40.46 mpg. Since March 10th, I've now averaged 145.36 MPGe (using CT gas pricing of $4.15 per gallon of gas, 9 cents per kilowatt hour, and an average of 40 miles per charge). So there must be something I don't like, right? Well, yes. Some of the interior plastics could be a higher quality, or maybe I should say a different quality as they scuff easily, especially around the foot wells and door thresholds. I also purchased the all-weather (rubber) Volt floor mats and cargo mat. They look and fit well, but again, they scuff easily. They were significantly cheaper than the mats I purchased for my VW, but the VW mats didn't have the scuffing issue. I guess you get what you pay for . . . Because of the vehicle's aerodynamics, it is difficult to drive with the windows open without the ear drum busting buffeting noise. It takes some playing around with each window to get the right balance of airflow and buffeting. I had a similar problem with my previous VW CC, but to a much lessor extent. In the CC you could just put all 4 windows totally down and that solved the problem; that doesn't always work with the Volt. The Volt isn't perfect, but the little things I don't care for are totally fixable and have nothing to do with the drivetrain, which is the whole point of the car anyway. It continues to run great, and is really enjoyable to drive. I'll check back in at 6 months. In July I'm taking the Volt from CT to the Outer Banks of NC, so I'm curious to see how that goes. In the meantime, hit me up with any questions. Ken

Will do!