[J.Smith]

I think I've figured it out, but never hurts to ask; so from what I gather the 16, 17, and 18 are mostly unchanged, but the 19 gets a digital rear camera instead of analog, a 7.2kw fast charger standard on premier but optional on LT, new infotainment system, and 6-way power seats.

I'm not too interested in the auto-safety features, so it seems from this source that an LT with the "Power Convenience Package" and the 7.2KW fast charger (not sure how to tell if a used LT listed online has one or not) is quite on par with a Premier trim: Check Any VIN - It's Free | Free Vehicle History and VIN Check

The blackout package is odd, as it seems that for $2000, available on either trim, you're basically just getting wheels and black bowties? Seems pricey.

Any other pro-tips? So far I'm leaning to either a 2019 LT w/ leather and fast charger or a basic Premier.

 

[wssix99]

In 2019, I recall GM also took away the Lifetime Free basic OnStar package that many of us use to access our remote start/locks, etc. So, if you want those features on a 2019, you need to cut a check to GM until the end of time if you want those features.

I was thinking about trading my 2018 in for a '19 at the very end, but this was the show-stopper.

 

[wordptom]

Modifications have been made to the Gen 2 ERDTT settings over the years.

2016, 2017 Volt has for the Engine Assist Heat settings:
Touch On for temperatures below approximately 2 °C (35 °F), or touch Deferred for temperatures below approximately -10 °C (-15 °F).

2018 Volt:
Touch On for temperatures below approximately 0 °C (32 °F), or touch Deferred for temperatures below approximately -10 °C (-15 °F).

2019 Volt:
Touch On for temperatures below approximately 0 °C (32 °F), or touch Deferred for temperatures below approximately -25 °C (-13 °F).
In Deferred mode, when Max Defrost is selected the engine may run at temperatures below approximately -10 °C (15 °F) until the vehicle is powered down.

I also note the following about the 2019 Volts that came to my attention because the driver’s display has been modified from the previous Gen 2 displays, and the owner's manual has had some editing:

It is possible that GM slightly expanded the "usable window" in the 2019 Volt to give it a 57 ev mile range, but did not have it EPA retested, so the rated stats did not change.

I say that because the 2019 Volt owner’s manual has new illustrations for Normal, Sport, Mountain Mode, and Hold Mode in the Driving and Operating section of the manual.

These images reflect the new "analog" type gauge on the 2019 driver’s display where a "ball" marks the actual charge level and the entire gauge is divided into tenths (and, I think, a mark indicating the half way point between tenths). Previous models had ten bars on the battery icon that were green if that tenth of the battery still contained usable power, and not green if that tenth had no more grid power.

The manuals for the 2011/2012 Volts have illustrations for Normal, Sport, and Mountain Mode that show a battery icon with the top two "bars " blacked out, the bottom eight lit up, and 32 miles of estimated range (suggesting that each battery bar represents ~4 kWh of usable power, total range ~40 ev miles).

That illustration remained unedited through the 2013-2015 Gen 1 Volt manuals and also through the 2016-2018 Volt manuals, i.e., top two bars were blacked out to indicate they had been used, 32 ev miles estimated range was showing, and the bottom four bars were grayed out to represent the Mountain Mode reserve. Hold Mode was added, and the battery icon for the Gen 2 Volt was redrawn to reflect the actual Gen 2 driver’s display...

When the Gen 2 came out, no one bothered to edit the illustrations to reflect any increase in usable battery power (even the 2018 Volt illustration continues to show 32 miles of range with 8 bars remaining), or that the Gen 2 Mountain Mode reserved only 2 bars and not 4 bars of power.

Now look at the illustrations in the 2019 Volt manual. They show, in the bottom left corner, an estimated ev range of 57 miles! The illustration for Hold Mode shows the usage ball at the very top, suggesting that the full charge range of the 2019 Volt is, indeed, greater than 53 miles. Also, the illustration for Mountain Mode seems to show the ball indicating the MM-reserved charge is only ~1.25 bars, not the 2 bars the earlier Gen 2 models maintained...

It could be the 2019 Volt does have a "usable window" that is slightly greater than the earlier Gen 2 models. One owner has reported seeing on the energy usage display a 14.5 kWh Used instead of only ~14.0 when the car is driven beyond battery range. What is unknown is if a 2019 Volt owner must then pull more than 16.85 kWh from the wall to get a full charge containing slightly more usable power than earlier Gen 2 Volts to produce a 57 mile range, and if the car’s tested mileage would still remain at the 106 MPGe rating.

 

[Whatstreet]

I recommend keeping an open mind as to LT or Premier. I really like the ACC and rear cross traffic detection.

 

[gjm3]

One change not often mentioned for the 2019 model-year Volt, over the earlier 2nd-generation models, is a very significant increase in the regen braking when you let your foot off the accelerator in the ‘L’ drive mode. I find this a definite improvement over the weaker response on my previous 2016 model, since I’m a big fan of using one-pedal driving in ‘L’ mode. The paddle on the back of the steering wheel adds even more braking regen. I rarely use the friction brakes in my 2019 Volt.

The black-out package includes the front and back black bowtie symbols, sports pedals and the black painted pocket Premier rim set. It was not available with adaptive cruise control (ACC) because that requires a plastic, rather than a metal, front symbol so as not to block the needed forward-looking radar.

This package is expensive because of the special rims. The upgraded rims alone were listed at $1895 as a separate option - just $100 less than the blackout package. A lot of buyers didn’t realize this was a dealer-installed option. The car was delivered from the factory with the regular rims and the dealer swapped them out with the upgraded rims. The purchaser had paid for and owned both sets of rims but many less-than-honest dealers didn’t mention that and kept the extra set for themselves. The extra Premier rim set could be sold on the open market for over $1000 in some cases.

Note the power-seats option actually only applies to the driver’s seat - the passenger front seat still has mechanical controls and no back bolster adjustment.

The 2019 upgraded graphics for both the driver and entertainment screens are quite a bit more refined than those for the earlier years - I much prefer them.

Living in a sunny climate, I’m not very enthusiastic about black interiors. The 2019 LT did have an option for a light grey interior and the Premier had a porcelain blue option. These lighter options are fairly rare from what I read. It seems dealers generally would only order black for cars on their lots, so the lighter interiors mostly come from custom orders rather than lot purchases. My porcelain interior comes with a black dash, which is an improvement on the tan color for my 2016 model. The lighter dash is more prominently reflected in the windshield under certain lighting conditions, making it a little harder to see out.

 

[J.Smith]

The car was delivered from the factory with the regular rims and the dealer swapped them out with the upgraded rims. The purchaser had paid for and owned both sets of rims but many less-than-honest dealers didn’t mention that and kept the extra set for themselves. The extra Premier rim set could be sold on the open market for over $1000 in some cases.

Ah that makes more sense then, dealer installed options are always expensive... but talk about crooks!

The 2019 upgraded graphics for both the driver and entertainment screens are quite a bit more refined than those for the earlier years - I much prefer them. Living in a sunny climate, I’m not very enthusiastic about black interiors. The 2019 LT did have an option for a light grey interior and the Premier had a porcelain blue option. These lighter options are fairly rare from what I read. It seems dealers generally would only order black for cars on their lots, so the lighter interiors mostly come from custom orders rather than lot purchases. My porcelain interior comes with a black dash, which is an improvement on the tan color for my 2016 model. The lighter dash is more prominently reflected in the windshield under certain lighting conditions, making it a little harder to see out.

Thanks! Yeah, I saw that on one of the youtube reviews, he showed the tan reflection. I probably can't be too picky on interior color either way. In another thread Consumer Reports warns specifically against the 2019 model year that I was sure I wanted, so I'm still on the fence now whether I should just go w/ a 2018 after all. There are a lot more 2018s in my area as well.

 

[J.Smith]

Speaking of colors, found this lighter gray trim I hadn't seen before. Its quite a drive away, but hopefully not too reflective on the dash. Usually a-pillars that aren't black can show up a bit on the glass.

 

[Steverino]

A two tone dash anyone? Dark on top and light for the rest? I'm sure I've seen two tone hairstyles like that.

The light interior does look nice though.

 

[J.Smith]

A two tone dash anyone? Dark on top and light for the rest? I'm sure I've seen two tone hairstyles like that.

The light interior does look nice though.

Only thing Chevy messed up on are little details IMO. Like the little blue knob? Cool, why isn't the Chevy logo and stitching blue too?

 

[gjm3]

A two tone dash anyone? Dark on top and light for the rest? I'm sure I've seen two tone hairstyles like that.

The light interior does look nice though.

Well, that's pretty much how the porcelain blue option is in a 2019 Volt - two-tone dash!

 

[idaho]

One change not often mentioned for the 2019 model-year Volt, over the earlier 2nd-generation models, is a very significant increase in the regen braking when you let your foot off the accelerator in the ‘L’ drive mode. I find this a definite improvement over the weaker response on my previous 2016 model, since I’m a big fan of using one-pedal driving in ‘L’ mode. The paddle on the back of the steering wheel adds even more braking regen. I rarely use the friction brakes in my 2019 Volt.

The black-out package includes the front and back black bowtie symbols, sports pedals and the black painted pocket Premier rim set. It was not available with adaptive cruise control (ACC) because that requires a plastic, rather than a metal, front symbol so as not to block the needed forward-looking radar.

This package is expensive because of the special rims. The upgraded rims alone were listed at $1895 as a separate option - just $100 less than the blackout package. A lot of buyers didn’t realize this was a dealer-installed option. The car was delivered from the factory with the regular rims and the dealer swapped them out with the upgraded rims. The purchaser had paid for and owned both sets of rims but many less-than-honest dealers didn’t mention that and kept the extra set for themselves. The extra Premier rim set could be sold on the open market for over $1000 in some cases.

Note the power-seats option actually only applies to the driver’s seat - the passenger front seat still has mechanical controls and no back bolster adjustment.

The 2019 upgraded graphics for both the driver and entertainment screens are quite a bit more refined than those for the earlier years - I much prefer them.

Living in a sunny climate, I’m not very enthusiastic about black interiors. The 2019 LT did have an option for a light grey interior and the Premier had a porcelain blue option. These lighter options are fairly rare from what I read. It seems dealers generally would only order black for cars on their lots, so the lighter interiors mostly come from custom orders rather than lot purchases. My porcelain interior comes with a black dash, which is an improvement on the tan color for my 2016 model. The lighter dash is more prominently reflected in the windshield under certain lighting conditions, making it a little harder to see out.

In my '17 I couldn't get the light grey interior I wanted unless I ordered the LT. I preferred the Premier but the LT won out for that reason. Had to special order, or course. Anything but black! Anyway, it's my third new Volt and they have all been good cars.