[blinkme323]

Hello,

So I'm have somewhat of a dilemma here. My wife's CR-V is coming off lease soon and she identified EV as her next car of choice, as she is very much an environmentalist. We looked at the Volt, Leaf, Niro, Prius, etc. and she absolutely fell in love with the Volt, namely the plug-in aspect and the styling.

My one worry is that moving from the CR-V will be quite a shock to her from a utility perspective. We have two children, ages 1 and 3, and have never really had to worry about space before. Is the Volt ok to tote two kids around in and still have room for strollers, groceries and the like? Any advice from those in a similar situation would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance

 

[Steverino]

Is the Volt ok to tote two kids around in and still have room for strollers, groceries and the like? Any advice from those in a similar situation would be much appreciated.

I'd say yes, but the best bet is to drag them all over to a Chevy dealer and test out the theory by packing them up in a Volt. You don't buy a bed without laying on the mattress after all.

 

[freshcut]

If its clear that you're really serious they might even let you take it for 24 hours to get more of a feel than just a quick test. I would definitely mention that you're interested in other brands as it might be just enough incentive to let one go for a day.

 

[bjrosen]

The Bolt is much closer to the CR-V than the Volt. The Volt has a tiny trunk and the rear seats are cramped, it's really a two person car. The Bolt has much more room. The downside of the Bolt is that it's not road trip capable because there are very few CCS chargers available, the Volt on the other hand can go anywhere. However assuming that you have another car with an gas engine that's not a problem. The Bolt's 238 mile range is more than enough for all local driving.

 

[Jmaj]

The fitness center I work out has a lot of mom's as members and what they drive besides mini-vans are CUV's - Equinox to Traverse size vehicles.
I can tell you that a Malibu with the 1.5 L engine is very economical on fuel, and has tons of room.

 

[fishhawk]

My wife babysits for two of our grandchildren, ages 1 and 3, so we have one of the Volts equipped with car seats in case she needs to go somewhere with them. The 3 year old is in a forward-facing seat right behind the driver, and since my wife is about 5'4", that's not too bad. But the 1 year old is in a rear-facing seat on the passenger side, and I can tell you it really affects the seating position for anyone in the front seat. I'm 6' and have a hard time sitting up there if there is a rear-facing seat behind me.

Of course, this could depend on the car seat manufacturer, but rear-facing seats are just huge. So the advice to take the kids and car seats to the dealer is a good one. That way you know what you will be dealing with.

 

[Coppersnowboarder]

Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid is designed for your needs. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1107096_2017-chrysler-pacifica-hybrid-first-drive-of-plug-in-hybrid-minivan If your wife is an environmentalist, I think that you should consider keeping your vehicles for a full useful lifetime, reducing operational costs and spreading depreciation across more years along with not scrapping vehicles for junk. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=38491

 

[blinkme323]

I appreciate the advice so far everyone, this is great. Just to add some additional context, my wife thinks this will all work out, but I think she may just be clouded by the car itself They are offering us one heck of a deal, but from the sounds of things on here, the size just might not make sense long-term.

 

[Bacardi]

Awesome, it sounds like the Volt would work and it's great that she loves it...two babies and carrying strollers shouldn't be a problem; only issue might be going to an airport loaded with strollers and luggage but you'd have that issue with any compact vehicle...Perhaps you yourself have a larger vehicle in that instance...
As pointed out there is more room in the Bolt but it's still a sub compact so may hardly matter...Not sure when it's coming to PA but should be pretty soon and is worth checking out although odds are the Bolt will be sold close to MSRP while the Volt could be had far cheaper, Costco is selling the Volt under invoice and there are many incentives on it...

 

[Sean-a-Tron]

Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid is designed for your needs. http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1107096_2017-chrysler-pacifica-hybrid-first-drive-of-plug-in-hybrid-minivan If your wife is an environmentalist, I think that you should consider keeping your vehicles for a full useful lifetime, reducing operational costs and spreading depreciation across more years along with not scrapping vehicles for junk. http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/Find.do?action=sbs&id=38491

Keeping a vehicle for its entire practical lifetime is the ideal way to conserve resources, but they're on a lease. If possible, they could buy it out.

I would definitely recommend the Pacifica hybrid if you have the money and space for it (It's 2ft longer and 8in wider). It's essentially a Volt minivan. The only problem I have with it is that it's a Mopar product and I've personally never trusted their reliability.

My wife has a CR-V (2011, same size) too. We don't have any kids but I can say with good confidence that the Volt would be too small for 2 kids with car seats and cargo. My sister had a 2008 Malibu (Which is slightly larger than the Volt) and even that was too small for her 2 kids.

My personal recommendation is to look at the Prius V. Aside from the $100,000 Tesla Model X, and the Pacifica Hybrid, there aren't any other large plug-in vehicles.

 

[bjrosen]

I reiterate, the Bolt is the right car for you, it's a CUV.

 

[mvanzanten]

I bought my Volt 4 1/2 years ago when my kids were 8 and 5. They were both front facing by that point, mostly using booster seats. I had plenty of room. As for all the cargo space, what I have learned is that if you have it, you will fill it. But, I must admit, you might have trouble getting large strollers into the Volt. Definitely go to the dealer and try to fit your usual stuff inside before you decide.

 

[Bacardi]

I reiterate, the Bolt is the right car for you, it's a CUV.

Both the Volt and Bolt EV are FWD hatchbacks...Except in their of PA, they won't arrive until July and that's if it's not delayed...Odds are you're paying far more at launch than you would on a Volt in which you can buy for under invoice with Costco right now (Bolt cannot currently be purchased through Costco at this time)...It's also worth noting while there is more cargo space, the Bolt EV's seats are narrower than the Volts and some have dismissed the Bolt due to finding the front seats bottoms uncomfortable...

 

[BAZINGA]

You don't buy a bed without laying on the mattress after all.

I didn't ask the wife to marry me until.........

 

[Fyodor]

My wife babysits for two of our grandchildren, ages 1 and 3, so we have one of the Volts equipped with car seats in case she needs to go somewhere with them. The 3 year old is in a forward-facing seat right behind the driver, and since my wife is about 5'4", that's not too bad. But the 1 year old is in a rear-facing seat on the passenger side, and I can tell you it really affects the seating position for anyone in the front seat. I'm 6' and have a hard time sitting up there if there is a rear-facing seat behind me.

Of course, this could depend on the car seat manufacturer, but rear-facing seats are just huge. So the advice to take the kids and car seats to the dealer is a good one. That way you know what you will be dealing with.

I've had similar experience with my grandchildren, and I'm a lot shorter. Also, I find the rear door opening / back seat relationship makes getting the kids in and out very difficult. (This with a Gen1). The shape and shallow depth of the cargo hold is also frustrating if you have strollers, etc. to carry.

You really should try before you buy, but I think I would look at something bigger and squarer.

 

[Jdl30]

Definitely get to the dealership and try the Volt and Bolt on for size. In my experience I'd say the Volt is too small for a practical family hauler. I've had my nieces and nephews (ages 3-11) in the back seat at various times and it's really tight. I can't imagine getting too much more in the trunk if you had strollers for each, etc.

I was at the dealership yesterday and saw the Bolt firsthand. It's also small, about the size of the Honda Fit if I were to guess. My vote would be for you to check out the Pacifica. Your kids will grow and the small car won't. The Pacifica should fit you for a good long while.

 

[blinkme323]

Again, thanks for all of your thoughts on this one so far. I will begin the process of trying to talk my wife out of this one

 

[blinkme323]

Welp, my lecture failed, she is all-in on the Volt. I will keep you guys posted on how things go!

 

[Fourdoors]

I love my Volt but I have no kids at home. I think it would be too small for your needs. I'd look at the Pacifica hybrid or the Prius V. Even an Accord hybrid would give you way more room.

 

[Anonymoose]

As a father of two (infant and toddler) and also the owner of a 2016 Volt, I don't have any problems with having enough space to transport them and their things around. Not sure what all these vague concerns are that others are expressing. All four of us can comfortably go on weekend trips without issue. The hatchback provides more utility than you would expect.

Would a Bolt give you even more space? Yes. But it comes with other limitations (let's face it - outside of particular areas like California there just isn't widespread supercharging available).

If it matters, I'm 6' and have the rear-facing seat behind me without issue.