[dcsmith]

I have been an owner of electric cars since 2001. Gen 1 Prius then a 2012 Volt. I have been very happy with the Volt. I felt it was time to look into a new Volt. However, it was not to be.

My local Chevy dealer wouldn't even give me Edmunds Trade-in value on the car. I had put together a build list that brought the new Volt in at $41K+. He wouldn't budge on the price!

The low resale value of Volts and the knowledge that Chevy may be discontinuing the Volt in 2020, didn't help.

 

[JRRF]

I have been an owner of electric cars since 2001. Gen 1 Prius then a 2012 Volt. I have been very happy with the Volt. I felt it was time to look into a new Volt. However, it was not to be.

My local Chevy dealer wouldn't even give me Edmunds Trade-in value on the car. I had put together a build list that brought the new Volt in at $41K+. He wouldn't budge on the price!

The low resale value of Volts and the knowledge that Chevy may be discontinuing the Volt in 2020, didn't help.

Try a different dealer.

 

[Qinsp]

I have been an owner of electric cars since 2001. Gen 1 Prius then a 2012 Volt. I have been very happy with the Volt. I felt it was time to look into a new Volt. However, it was not to be.

My local Chevy dealer wouldn't even give me Edmunds Trade-in value on the car. I had put together a build list that brought the new Volt in at $41K+. He wouldn't budge on the price!

The low resale value of Volts and the knowledge that Chevy may be discontinuing the Volt in 2020, didn't help.

The Gen 1 Prius was not cheap in it's sector, neither was the 2012 Volt. The 2017 Volt is actually cheaper than the 2012 Volt, but more expensive than the Prime, but you lose a seat, lose performance, and lose the ability make full acceleration or climb steep hills without burning gas. And of course, lose a lot of EV range.

But that must be an interesting build. I put NAV/ACC/Driver Confidence II/Premier/upgraded mats and it was $39,715 before any GM points, Fed/State/Utility/Costco/or Dealer programs. Our loaded 2017 in CA, was $28k after all taxes, fees, and incentives, and we have a 8.x% sales tax. The car is taxed on the actual sale price before external incentives, or about $3,500 in tax. So the car was really about $25k loaded + sales tax.

 

[BAZINGA]

Local dealer has 5 Volt's and discounting them by $5K and that's before any further negotiations. I bought 3 Volt's from them. Might be worth a cheap SW ticket. I can give you the name of my contact there if interested.

http://www.jackschmitt.com/VehicleD...et-Volt-5dr_HB_Premier-O'Fallon-IL/3047539023

 

[fotomoto1]

Might be worth a cheap SW ticket.

I would think any savings would be eaten up by the hefty airline seat pricing to bring along his 2012 trade in.

 

[MikeyCVolt]

Take advantage of those resale values and do like I did and get a used 2017. I found a 2017 at a dealer a little over an hour from me for $24k. It was worth the drive and the car is basically brand new. No, you don't get the tax break but for me it worked out because I didn't want to have to get a loan for full price only to get $7500 back next year. And the price of a used 2017 was lower than the tax break so I did OK. And I LOVE the car!

Mike

 

[jcanoe]

You can get GM Supplier pricing on a new Bolt or Volt with a Costco membership. http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?300969-Costco-members-now-get-GM-Supplier-Pricing-on-Chevy-Bolt-EV-Volt

 

[Upper5Percent]

I have been an owner of electric cars since 2001. Gen 1 Prius then a 2012 Volt. I have been very happy with the Volt. I felt it was time to look into a new Volt. However, it was not to be.

My local Chevy dealer wouldn't even give me Edmunds Trade-in value on the car. I had put together a build list that brought the new Volt in at $41K+. He wouldn't budge on the price!

The low resale value of Volts and the knowledge that Chevy may be discontinuing the Volt in 2020, didn't help.

If you are happy with your 2012...depending on how many miles you have on it...drive it another couple of more years and invest that would be car payment every month and you'l be surprised how much you have available when the new Generation of EVs come on the market...

 

[mikeg3]

I have been an owner of electric cars since 2001. Gen 1 Prius then a 2012 Volt. I have been very happy with the Volt. I felt it was time to look into a new Volt. However, it was not to be.

My local Chevy dealer wouldn't even give me Edmunds Trade-in value on the car. I had put together a build list that brought the new Volt in at $41K+. He wouldn't budge on the price!

The low resale value of Volts and the knowledge that Chevy may be discontinuing the Volt in 2020, didn't help.

Perhaps the dealer doesn't want more Volts on the road that he has to service.

Why are you trading in your 2012 Volt?

My 2011 runs perfectly. I think that when you are almost always on battery, the lack of heat in the engine compartment and exhaust system dramatically extends the life of the components. I'm at 89,000 miles and still on my original brakes, muffler, etc. I heard that the Gen 1 Volt was over-engineered to avoid embarrassing GM, so I'll hang onto my Gen 1 Volt as long as possible.

 

[ClarksonCote]

I have been an owner of electric cars since 2001. Gen 1 Prius then a 2012 Volt. I have been very happy with the Volt. I felt it was time to look into a new Volt. However, it was not to be.

My local Chevy dealer wouldn't even give me Edmunds Trade-in value on the car. I had put together a build list that brought the new Volt in at $41K+. He wouldn't budge on the price!

The low resale value of Volts and the knowledge that Chevy may be discontinuing the Volt in 2020, didn't help.

Go to another dealer, for crying out loud! I just had a voicemail from my local dealer, they want to move 3 2017 Volts this month and are willing to do a lot of discounting to make it happen.

 

[Edward Tyer]

Sell your car at Carmax.
Then you should be able to get a great deal on a Volt. I am sure you can find dealers that are willing to do several thousand off msrp.
Check Autotrader dot com.

 

[JRRF]

Might be worth a cheap SW ticket.

I once bought a car over a hundred miles away. I took a train to the dealer, they were happy to pick me up at the station, put me in my new car, and I was happy as a clam driving it home all that way.

 

[electrcglide]

I have been an owner of electric cars since 2001. Gen 1 Prius then a 2012 Volt. I have been very happy with the Volt. I felt it was time to look into a new Volt. However, it was not to be.

My local Chevy dealer wouldn't even give me Edmunds Trade

Hey Mr. dcsmith...
You have got a lot of good advice here, don't give up so easily. Do your homework, use the internet, shop click and drive...there is somebody out there that will sell you the car you want at your price.

 

[jcanoe]

For example, this 2017 Volt Premier at AutoNation Ford Scottsdale.

https://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/volt/2017/vin/1G1RB6S57HU104883/

 

[snic]

None of the dealers within an easy local drive were willing to come down to a price I could live with. I used the Chevy website to identify Volts in stock with the features I wanted, and contacted the dealers. When they understood I had no intention of coming in and would only negotiate by email and phone, most were willing to negotiate. The one that finally agreed to the price I wanted was a good 50 miles out of my way.

I actually came close to buying a Volt in New Hampshire, several hundred miles away. It would have saved me a couple of grand, but it would have required a weekend trip, which I didn't have time for, and we were getting to the point where we needed the car soon because my wife was starting a new job.

Of course I wasn't trading a car in. Evaluating a trade in is the first trick the dealer has to get you to come in. That's why I'd never trade in - I can just sell it myself. That's why they invented the internet, ffs.

 

[JRRF]

None of the dealers within an easy local drive were willing to come down to a price I could live with. I used the Chevy website to identify Volts in stock with the features I wanted, and contacted the dealers. When they understood I had no intention of coming in and would only negotiate by email and phone, most were willing to negotiate. The one that finally agreed to the price I wanted was a good 50 miles out of my way.

Of course I wasn't trading a car in. Evaluating a trade in is the first trick the dealer has to get you to come in. That's why I'd never trade in - I can just sell it myself. That's why they invented the internet, ffs.

I did the same thing with my Volt -- purely over the internet, via email and text. I even traded in by sending them pictures of my current car. When they understood I was serious, they got serious also. Once we agreed on a price I told them when I would be there to pick it up.

I probably gave up a little on my trade, but with cars being so expensive I'm happy to do that these days rather than get involved in a high dollar transaction with an individual.

 

[MikeyCVolt]

I did the same thing with my Volt -- purely over the internet, via email and text. I even traded in by sending them pictures of my current car. When they understood I was serious, they got serious also. Once we agreed on a price I told them when I would be there to pick it up.

I probably gave up a little on my trade, but with cars being so expensive I'm happy to do that these days rather than get involved in a high dollar transaction with an individual.

Exactly what I did. All over the internet first, but then a couple followup calls got them serious. They knew I was driving over an hour so they were very accommodating. I even whittled them up $1k on my trade because I felt like they undercut that by about $2k. Met them in the middle. All worked out great and nice people to work with: Stingray Chevrolet in Bartow, FL.

Mike

 

[DonC]

You seem to have a negotiating problem. I would never start the process by talking about a trade in with a dealer. At a minimum, I'd start by taking your car to Car Max. As for the price of a new Volt, try finding a different dealer. There aren't any fire sales on Volts, but I'd be surprised if you can't get a decent discount off MSRP. In fact the Volt is part of the Costco supplier pricing program.

As far as resale is concerned, the Volt holds its value much better than the average car. Just remember you need to factor in the $7500 tax credit. When I bought my Volt the Prius Three, similarly equipped, was slightly more expensive than the Volt after the tax credit. When I look on Edmunds the Volt is about $1000-$1500 more, more or less (hard to know without really looking hard at all the stats).

 

[dannycamps]

When I first starting looking at Volts, I was considering purchasing a used one from a dealership in Texas (I am on the east cost) and having the car shipped to me. The shipping cost was easily offset by the savings I would've gotten on the car compared to local dealerships.

In the end, I held off because the '16 was announced and I decided to buy the Gen 2 for better range, fifth seat, etc...

 

[sosmerc]

Just a heads up if you are going to use the Costco program....I started out with it, but after some additional effort to get prices from other dealers I was able to get an even better price than the "Costco Price". It pays to shop around and do your research. Also, even if you actually plan to trade in a vehicle, do not say anything about a trade. Get your best price on the car you want and then tell them you have decided to trade in your old car, if they can give you what you think it is worth. In other words, get your best price on both vehicles.
Some people enjoy the challenge of negotiating.....for others it is the worst part of buying a car, whether new or used. It would be interesting to see a poll......would you prefer to buy a car from a dealer and negotiate the price? or would you prefer to buy a new car direct from a dealer/manufacturer at a fixed price (same price for every buyer)?