I agonized over this same choice about 18 months ago.
There were no ELR's nearby, so I drove an hour and a half to the nearest dealer that had one. It was the first ELR that I ever saw, and it was gorgeous! It was red with the cashmere interior (exactly the way I would buy it).
At the time, I didn't own a Volt, but my local Chevy dealer had let me drive their 2013 Volt for a couple of extended drives while I was in waiting for service.
The first thing I noticed was that the ELR was like a sports car, low to the ground and more difficult for ingress and egress. Also, once in the driver's seat, you are in confined to your space, as the center console, door, and seat wrap you into position. This is great if you like this type of driving experience.
The ELR is simply beautiful inside as well, with power seats, power tilt steering, plush seating, and much more. It is less utilitarian, as it has a trunk rather than a hatch like the Volt.
I only got a short test drive, without much opportunity to put the car through its paces, but I could tell with the larger wheels and wider tires it was better planted to the ground than the Volt. It also was a warm day, and although the car had been sitting in the sun, the AC cooled the interior quite quickly.
In the end, it was the practical side of me that decided to get the 2016 Volt. The improved range, ICE with direct injection that used regular gas, the new electric drive unit (which is faster than the ELR), all played into the decision. I haven't regretted it.
I also feel that the ELR will require more maintenance (as mentioned by others, like tires that wear faster and are expensive to replace, etc.).
However, if money were not such a consideration, and I didn't need to use the back seat, I would love to have such a gorgeous and plush car as the ELR!
There were no ELR's nearby, so I drove an hour and a half to the nearest dealer that had one. It was the first ELR that I ever saw, and it was gorgeous! It was red with the cashmere interior (exactly the way I would buy it).
At the time, I didn't own a Volt, but my local Chevy dealer had let me drive their 2013 Volt for a couple of extended drives while I was in waiting for service.
The first thing I noticed was that the ELR was like a sports car, low to the ground and more difficult for ingress and egress. Also, once in the driver's seat, you are in confined to your space, as the center console, door, and seat wrap you into position. This is great if you like this type of driving experience.
The ELR is simply beautiful inside as well, with power seats, power tilt steering, plush seating, and much more. It is less utilitarian, as it has a trunk rather than a hatch like the Volt.
I only got a short test drive, without much opportunity to put the car through its paces, but I could tell with the larger wheels and wider tires it was better planted to the ground than the Volt. It also was a warm day, and although the car had been sitting in the sun, the AC cooled the interior quite quickly.
In the end, it was the practical side of me that decided to get the 2016 Volt. The improved range, ICE with direct injection that used regular gas, the new electric drive unit (which is faster than the ELR), all played into the decision. I haven't regretted it.
I also feel that the ELR will require more maintenance (as mentioned by others, like tires that wear faster and are expensive to replace, etc.).
However, if money were not such a consideration, and I didn't need to use the back seat, I would love to have such a gorgeous and plush car as the ELR!
