[Martin D]

The second generation Bolts are vastly improved and in a multitude of ways. I won’t even be able to get to the detail stuff, but I will answer your immediate questions and a few more that you didn’t ask.

1) The overall fit and finish is much nicer in my opinion. Higher quality of finish and particularly the dash. I didn’t have a squeaky interior in the earlier years, and I still don’t. I haven’t experienced creaking or rattling in any location or any other condition than an extremely washboard road that will make anything rattle.

2) I have an EUV premier, so I don’t miss anything. I never cared about the unlocking buttons on the rear doors, so I don’t miss them at all, and I can’t think of anything else that is now gone. I absolutely don’t miss the old shifter and the idiocy of trying to get it into car wash mode. I was initially surprised by how the regen setting also works in reverse, but quickly got used to it. The EUV doesn’t have any aluminum doors or hood, so they feel heavier, but they are actually more traditional in the way they close. They somehow made the EUV quieter than the original EV, and that could be a part of it. I also don’t miss the much less intuitive infotainment system, and I definitely like the HVAC controls much better.

3) The seats are much better than the 2017 and a noticeable improvement over the 2020 as well. The power seats are much more adaptable and the ventilation option is extremely nice for the leather seats. I never feel damp now. The lumbar support is now adjustable, and the overall car is superior for longer trips. I have not become uncomfortable yet in the EUV. The ACC is helpful at times, but it is basically in the same category as the LKA. It only works for some situations, and I will turn it off when a road is curvy so that it doesn’t get false readings from vehicles in other lanes. I will also turn it off when traffic is variable in speed. It also doesn’t recognize that cars are coming to a stop ahead until later than I care to wait for, and then make a harder stop than I also don’t care to have happen. It is good for flat ground but uses more physical brakes than regen to keep speeds down.

4) I already covered the seats. If you like the seats in a 2017 you will find a new level of appreciation for the latest seats. The backrest on the 2017 was all wrong, and the seat bases were too soft, which meant that I could feel the bolsters with my theighs. I absolutely did not like the 2017 seats at all. I thought they should be recalled.

The EUV ride is a subtle but much smoother experience. The noise level is the cabin is lower to a very noticeable level. The general ride is softer and more refined. The “pogo stick” suspension of the EV is gone. I absolutely like the EUV better as a result, and the slightly less acceleration and handling performance is questionable for any significant reason. I actually think that the EUV feels more capable of superior handling on less smooth surfaces, as the suspension keeps the tires hooked-up better than the stiffer EV suspension. Slightly more body lean doesn’t slow anything down other than in the mind.

The new infotainment software is vastly improved. The app format is intuitive and easy to navigate. Much easier.

Did I mention that the new shifter setup is much easier to use? I can go into a car wash now without having to get out and explain to the moron controlling the conveyor to wait for my signal before he engages the thing. I actually stopped going to one particular car wash because of that problem. Now I just press the N button and it’s ready to go.

 

[Martin D]

I am constantly amazed by people who trade cars every few years. I have event tee shirts over 20 years old. (I am wearing one right now, from a 1999 recumbent bike rally in DC. I have a group picture of us at that event, taken in front of the White House front gate. I could literally have hit it with a rock. How the world has changed.) I even have my original wife. Maybe if she left me, and took the Bolt, I'd get an Energica Experia MC.

Me too actually. I don’t normally change cars except when I buy one and then they tell me that the battery might explode for no good reason. So I call and ask what they are going to do about it. Then they give me my money back so I buy a brand new one that doesn’t have the problem. And they just happen to have it on sale, so it actually doesn’t cost me as much for the brand new one!

And then 4 months later, they tell me that the brand new one is actually the same as the old one. So I call again to ask them what they are going to do about this one too, because it has the exact same problem. So they give me a brand new and improved version and it only costs me about $700. I never told them what to do, they just did it.

So I started with a used one and ended up with a much newer one that hasn’t cost me much of anything. These are the best cars ever! I hope that this new one stays good, because I like it the best of the 3 without question.

I used to have a Led Zeppelin T-shirt that was tie-dyed that lasted about 5 years more than when I probably should have retired it, but it had sentimental value. I am hoping that the EUV will also have the same effect, because I am getting very attached to Bugs the EUV. Ventilated seats are no longer optional for my cars. It’s really that important 😀

 

[Martin D]

After the tax credit the difference i should get on trade vs msrp isn't much different. Especially considering the possibility of $500 ev go credit, bumper to bumper warranty, and increased resale value. Won't have a payment either, just going to pay the difference in cash.

That is absolutely the smartest way to buy a new car. And there’s a very special feeling when you are driving a brand new car and you have the clear title at home 👍

 

[Martin D]

Here's a few questions for those who have gone from 2017-2021 to a 2022+ (more specifically premier vs. 2lt)

1. Is interior quality that much better after a few months of ownership? Less creaks and rattles specifically? The scratchy dash of my 2017 is so bad...
2. I love the rearview mirror camera in my 2017... sad it's only available for EUV. What else do you miss from the older version?
3. What else have you noticed that the newer version has that the old doesn't besides power seat and ACC?
4. I don't think the old seats are that bad... are the new seats quite good?

I have sat in an EUV and was able to look inside an EV, but couldn't sit or touch because it was already sold...

If you want to stick with the EV, then you will just have to make do with a 2LT.

1) the new interior is much better finished. It doesn’t look like a plastic fantastic piece of 💩 No creaky anything in any of my Bolts.

2) I will sell you the one from my EUV. I never use it. I don’t miss anything. I never used the rear door buttons so I don’t see what the big deal is. The front doors are a couple feet away (?)

3) Looks like it costs more than it does instead of vice-versa. The new front end looks much better. The infotainment is light years better and easier to navigate. No reflection off the dashboard anymore.The HVAC controls are much better and more intuitive. The shifter is twice as easy to shuttle between gears. You liked the D-L shuttle? Now it’s a button that is much faster. Going into N is push a button and then it’s ready for the car wash. I never could figure out the stupid car wash mode BS, and the idiot would start the track before I was ready every time. Now it is actually in neutral by just pushing the N button. The shifter is light years better.

4) the seats in the 2017 were a deal breaker along with my comfort. I would feel broken after 50 miles. I don’t know what you wer sitting in but it wasn’t my seats. I couldn’t get rid of that car soon enough.

With the new power seats, I have yet to feel even slightly uncomfortable. It only took about 25-30 miles in the 2017. The 2020 seats were a big improvement over the 17, but the 22 seats are finally what I needed. I think you should notice a big difference. And they are much more adjustable. No more thigh discomfort from no support at the front of the seat, and I used to be able to feel the bolsters on the 2017. They were the worst seats of any car I have had. Only a truck was worse.