Overall impression – The Bolt is a very well-designed car that is a delight to drive. It’s easy to operate and drive. Incredibly well designed. And packed with many useful features. It’s much than you might expect for one of the best-priced EVs on the market.
Appearance - At first I thought the Bolt looked kind of clunky, but I have grown to like it. It doesn't have the crazy angular lines that many EVs have. The 2023 Bolt has the best-looking wheels I’ve seen on any EV. So many EV wheels are just… Ugly!
![Image]()
Ease of operation, available settings, features – Excellent.
Quality – I have not encountered even the slightest problem. As far as I can tell, the car was delivered to me with NO problems. I figured I’d have go back to the dealer to fix some little problem, but no problems to fix.
Charging – It’s simpler and easier than I expected. Charging is slower than many other EVs, but I think any Bolt buyer who has done even minimal research should know this before they buy. If most of your driving is local and you can charge at home, charging is not an issue. When I shop or run errands, I usually don’t need to go far. I’ve only charged the car three times and don’t feel compelled to charge it fully (by “fully” I mean 80%).
Safety features – Quite good. I do wish Lane Assist was lane centering instead.
Acceleration – Impressive. The car will take off when you want it to. I really don’t need to go from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds, as some EVs are capable of.
Torque – As expected, the instant torque is great, and fun. I’ve seen reviews that say you can easily spin the front wheels. This has never happened to me. I think you’d have to try pretty hard to make it happen.
Suspension and ride – OK on most roads, but terrible on bumpy roads.
Steering – A bit too much play; requires too much correction; could be more firm and steady. The small turning radius is nice for turnarounds.
Interior – Very nice, good fit and materials. I love the gray and white interior option with real seat stitching (Premier only). Roomy and comfortable. (Many online reviewers complain about piano black plastic because it easily shows fingerprints. There are worse things in life then piano black.) Everything fits as it should—exterior, too.
Controls – The controls are sensible, well-designed and easy to use. I want real physical buttons, dials and switches. I DO NOT want all nearly all controls on a screen, as is the case with at least one very expensive EV brand.
Infotainment system – Works well, designed well, responsive. (I like that Apple Carplay is allowed, whereas on a certain car brand that starts with a T, the CEO [whose name begins with an M] won’t allow Apple Carplay. To me, Carplay is essential.)
Standard sound system (not the Bose option) – Sounds good to me, although I’m not an audiophile.
Rear cargo space – Fairly small. Of course, it’s larger if you fold the rear seats down.
Cameras – The entire camera system is amazing with outstanding resolution. The front and rear views for parking are extremely useful. My favorite camera feature: Overhead view for parking that shows you everything near the car. The rear view mirror video view option is great. Your cargo area could be fully loaded, yet you’d be able to see. As with all other cameras, the resolution is excellent.
Headlights – The illuminated view with high beams is incredible—a very large area, well lit. Signs pop out at you. I never had auto-dimming headlights on a car before. It’s great that you don’t have to watch for bright lights ahead so you can dim the lights.
Door locks – I love the button on the door for locking/unlocking. A small detail, but super handy. The buttons on the key fob could be more responsive; they require a bit too much of a press.
Sound system – I went with the standard option (not Bose). I’m not an audiophile, but it sounds very good to me. Nice that you have very little noise from the car or road.
One-pedal driving – Great! Easy to use. Conserves electric power by using automatic regenerative braking. When I read about regenerative braking, I assumed any regeneration of electricity back to the battery pack would be minimal. Apparently not. I see the Regen indicator when I go down any hill or grade.
Gas mileage – Zero. Couldn’t be better. Fun to drive past gas stations and not care what the price is. I have solar panels, so my “gas” is free, from the sun.
Appearance - At first I thought the Bolt looked kind of clunky, but I have grown to like it. It doesn't have the crazy angular lines that many EVs have. The 2023 Bolt has the best-looking wheels I’ve seen on any EV. So many EV wheels are just… Ugly!
Ease of operation, available settings, features – Excellent.
Quality – I have not encountered even the slightest problem. As far as I can tell, the car was delivered to me with NO problems. I figured I’d have go back to the dealer to fix some little problem, but no problems to fix.
Charging – It’s simpler and easier than I expected. Charging is slower than many other EVs, but I think any Bolt buyer who has done even minimal research should know this before they buy. If most of your driving is local and you can charge at home, charging is not an issue. When I shop or run errands, I usually don’t need to go far. I’ve only charged the car three times and don’t feel compelled to charge it fully (by “fully” I mean 80%).
Safety features – Quite good. I do wish Lane Assist was lane centering instead.
Acceleration – Impressive. The car will take off when you want it to. I really don’t need to go from 0 to 60 mph in 3 seconds, as some EVs are capable of.
Torque – As expected, the instant torque is great, and fun. I’ve seen reviews that say you can easily spin the front wheels. This has never happened to me. I think you’d have to try pretty hard to make it happen.
Suspension and ride – OK on most roads, but terrible on bumpy roads.
Steering – A bit too much play; requires too much correction; could be more firm and steady. The small turning radius is nice for turnarounds.
Interior – Very nice, good fit and materials. I love the gray and white interior option with real seat stitching (Premier only). Roomy and comfortable. (Many online reviewers complain about piano black plastic because it easily shows fingerprints. There are worse things in life then piano black.) Everything fits as it should—exterior, too.
Controls – The controls are sensible, well-designed and easy to use. I want real physical buttons, dials and switches. I DO NOT want all nearly all controls on a screen, as is the case with at least one very expensive EV brand.
Infotainment system – Works well, designed well, responsive. (I like that Apple Carplay is allowed, whereas on a certain car brand that starts with a T, the CEO [whose name begins with an M] won’t allow Apple Carplay. To me, Carplay is essential.)
Standard sound system (not the Bose option) – Sounds good to me, although I’m not an audiophile.
Rear cargo space – Fairly small. Of course, it’s larger if you fold the rear seats down.
Cameras – The entire camera system is amazing with outstanding resolution. The front and rear views for parking are extremely useful. My favorite camera feature: Overhead view for parking that shows you everything near the car. The rear view mirror video view option is great. Your cargo area could be fully loaded, yet you’d be able to see. As with all other cameras, the resolution is excellent.
Headlights – The illuminated view with high beams is incredible—a very large area, well lit. Signs pop out at you. I never had auto-dimming headlights on a car before. It’s great that you don’t have to watch for bright lights ahead so you can dim the lights.
Door locks – I love the button on the door for locking/unlocking. A small detail, but super handy. The buttons on the key fob could be more responsive; they require a bit too much of a press.
Sound system – I went with the standard option (not Bose). I’m not an audiophile, but it sounds very good to me. Nice that you have very little noise from the car or road.
One-pedal driving – Great! Easy to use. Conserves electric power by using automatic regenerative braking. When I read about regenerative braking, I assumed any regeneration of electricity back to the battery pack would be minimal. Apparently not. I see the Regen indicator when I go down any hill or grade.
Gas mileage – Zero. Couldn’t be better. Fun to drive past gas stations and not care what the price is. I have solar panels, so my “gas” is free, from the sun.
