Chevy Bolt EV Forum banner
  • Hey Guest, welcome to ChevyBolt.org. We encourage you to register to engage in conversations about your Bolt.

ZappCatt checking in...

3K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  zappcatt 
#1 ·
Howdy All,

I have been lurking for a few weeks, and will either get a Bolt or Volt in the near future.

I wish the Bolt had come out 6 months earlier since I am unfortunately getting to the place where I need/want a new car, just as it is being launched, thus I am caught up in the whirlpool of supply not meeting demand.

When the Volt was launched, I felt it was a very good step forward, but was not ready to buy and have followed the Bolt avidly since they offered Test Drives at CES.

I thought it, or a very similar competitor would be my next car, but during my last service, I found out my current 8 year old Camry Hybrid required $3K + worth of work, thus my timeframe to replace it was pushed forward.

I have driven the Bolt, Volt, BMW and Fiat, and they all figure somewhere into the matrix of meeting my needs(HOV lane acceptance for single commuter-CA) with being able to handle my daily commute(40 flat to 55 hilly miles).

The Bolt is my favorite one so far, but also the most expensive to Lease.

These last few weeks of the year will be spent trying to decide whether the drastically lower cost of the Volt outweighs the limitations, and seeing if I can get an even better deal on one as the Month/Quarter/Year ends.

I have put a deposit down on a Bolt Premier, but have decided for this round, I am going to stick with the LT.
 
See less See more
#4 ·
I am in Northern California, and have a deposit down on a Bolt with a build date of 12/19, but it is a Premier, and I have since realized that the LT is better for my current situation.

I enjoyed the test drive for both the Volt and the Bolt, and I did not notice anything drastically differently between the cars as the driver.

The rear seat on the Volt would cause some issues if I were to offer to drive to/from family events since my father can not sit upright in the back seat. My 12 year old son is quickly approaching that height also. The Bolt had plenty of room.

Since my main goal for this car is my daily commute car, this really is not a huge consideration, but it is important, since I often drive.

My current thought is to harrass all the local Chevy dealerships to try to snag a Bolt LT before the end of the year, if it is obvious that I will not be able to do that, I will try to get an amazing Volt deal in the last few days of the Month, Quarter, Year. Hopefully I can find that dealership which is a car or few away from hitting their major bonus threshold and get a deal. I also will get the Costco Cash card(yay, free tv!)
 
#5 ·
If you don't mind a trip down to Socal, Rydell Chevy (who I am purchasing my Premier Bolt from) *may* have some loose Bolts left in the initial shipment. I think they said they had 6 loose Bolts out of 16 coming to them. Not sure if they are Premiers or LTs, but if you are interested let me know, and I'll give you my contact.

They are giving me $1k off MSRP for a fully loaded Premier with DCFC....not sure the discount on an LT though.
 
#7 ·
I understand all too well the pain of expensive car repairs. However, it may be worth to invest the $3K into the Camry to hold off buying a new car, whether it is Bolt or Volt or something else. The $3K represents about 4 to 6 months worth of car payments. Or 8 to 10 months of lease payments on the Bolt, if you qualified for the lowest rate and miles per month. At one point we had to spend upwards of $3500 for repairs on a 9-year-old Sienna. It was still working 3 years later when we sold it (Highlander Hybrid replaced it). It only had to last a year to have made the repairs worth it...
 
#8 ·
Those are all pretty different cars!

The new Volt is a good car. Just three things turn me off: poor visibility, cheesy infotainment graphics, and comically bad rear headroom.

The Fiat 500e is an incredible deal to lease and ridiculously fun to drive. Pretty much a 2 person car though! I have one and love it like a son.

If you want rear headroom, easy availability, and good pricing, don't forget the original modern EV: the Nissan Leaf. The Kia Soul EV has the tall hatch/wagon shape too, but less legroom IIRC. Ditto the Mercedes B Class Electric---but it also has a way nicer interior and way more power, and you can pick one up lightly used at CarMax for half its giggly new-car price.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top