[JD4JC]

Car & Driver October, 2017 Issue

And, boy, is it ever "In-Depth!" It's hard to believe that GM didn't write this for C&D. I've been a subscriber since the first issue and cannot remember them ever going so overboard for a make and model!

If there's a paywall on the article for non-subscribers, I can provide a link to an Evernote Notebook with the whole article clipped.

 

[viking79]

Thanks. CandD is tring to set themselves apart from the bloggers that dont provide many details. I love their new cargo section, will call BS on manufacturers making silly claims.

 

[JRRF]

Nice article. C&D always does a comprehensive job. And while the car is praised here and there, I would not call this a glowing endorsement. The car ranked at the bottom of most test results, and they had plenty of unflattering things to say as well.

 

[fotomoto1]

The car ranked at the bottom of most test results,

Yeah, I was surprised to see my long-in-tooth CMax bested it in about 20 of 34 categories (charts).

 

[randl]

I think it did pretty well. But, gosh, only 40 mpg in hybrid mode. A guy could broke paying for gas at that mileage.

Honestly, if you want a car that gets better gas mileage, ask how much you'd enjoy driving it.

 

[TheBlueFlash]

Honestly 40 mpg is pretty low for the gen 2. I regularly see 45-50mpg on road trips in ours. Granted, we drive the speed limit and reviewers typically drive it like they stole it, but I don't think 40mpg is representative of the gen 2 population as a whole.

 

[glasspilot]

I haven't received my Oct C&D yet. The magazine did an article on the Volt and Prius earlier this year. The Volt easily trounced the Toyota.

 

[BAZINGA]

They obviously are not "hypermilers". Guess that's a good thing, report lower numbers and let real world consumers be pleasantly surprised when they get better results. Having owned three Volt's since March 2012 driving them over 60K miles as our DD I have easily bested GM/EPA's numbers. Often considerably. Just so they are consistent in their test routine, especially the OAT.

 

[Cobalt60Volt]

Car & Driver October, 2017 Issue

And, boy, is it ever "In-Depth!" It's hard to believe that GM didn't write this for C&D. I've been a subscriber since the first issue and cannot remember them ever going so overboard for a make and model!

If there's a paywall on the article for non-subscribers, I can provide a link to an Evernote Notebook with the whole article clipped.

I drive long distance to work (135kms return trip). So far even though I burn gas everyday, I have put on 1000 kms and still have half of the gas. I expect to get at least 1600-1800kms before adding gas.

My coworker has a Prius and yes he gets better Hwy mileage but over all I am going much further on a tank of gas. And to rub salt in his wound, my car is better looking and faster.

The reason I am doing so much better is... I put the car in HOLD when I am going 120km/hr and when I hit traffic return to NORMAL mode. I also tried taking the side roads home and almost extended my range to make the entire trip in electric... almost... 8 mins from home the gas kicked in.

I by no means baby the car. I drive quick off the line and drive it like I would any other car.

 

[bubbajan21]

I saw this yesterday but didn't even realize there was more to the review than the intro page. Very in-depth thanks for sharing!

 

[jemez]

Interested in their take on the cost of the Premier not being worth what it includes. I felt the same way when I looked at it, the extra $$$ was just too much.

 

[stevenwm]

They must have been flooring it all the time to get only 39mpg average...

When I use gas, I rarely get less than 45... 45-49 is my norm. And that is on state highways at 50-65mph. I only ever see sub 45 on long interstate drives.

 

[jcanoe]

They must have been flooring it all the time to get only 39mpg average...

When I use gas, I rarely get less than 45... 45-49 is my norm. And that is on state highways at 50-65mph. I only ever see sub 45 on long interstate drives.

C&D said their standard mileage test included highway driving at 75mph using cruise control.

 

[accelerus]

2017 Volt here with almost 30k on the clock so far, I get generally better than EPA numbers, usually around 111-115 MPGe in electric mode, and 42mpg if I'm on gas. This is following the speed limit of 70mph on a 70% highway round trip to and from work totaling about 70 miles (funny how it's all 70's)

Anything above 60ish miles an hour on the highway really starts to sap the juice, be it electric or gas. On road trips when I'm more inclined to speed over the course of 4 hours driving I get far worse numbers. a simple 5 mph increase in speed saves me 20+ minutes of sitting in the car driving. Speed limit might be 70 but going 85+ in the middle of nowhere TX to save an hour, gas be damned.

 

[tjkenny15]

340 miles a tank/charge.... I beat the piss out of the gas motor on long road-trips and can easily get 390 miles...

37 miles of EV range observed... was the car being autocrossed?? jezzz I've not once obtained anything less than the EPA rated range.

 

[Kraven]

In reading through it I agree, it's quite in depth but there were a few things that made me raise an eyebrow. First, they reference two regen paddles, for varying degrees of regen. Not sure what they are talking about. See the "Performance and Driving Impressions" section, quoted here:

"Chevrolet added a pair of paddles to the back of this second-generation Volt’s steering wheel that allow the driver to control the intensity of the regen, which is experienced as increased deceleration when coasting or braking. It’s an innovative solution that makes driving the Volt—and getting the most out of its electric technology—an engaging experience."

Also, this article comes out in an October 2017 issue, and they reference the new 2017 model that came out when, over a year ago? Would have thought they could get their hands on a 2018, or simply wait a month or two to be able to do that and then write an article that would be more current.

If anyone knows where that second regen paddle is, please let me know

 

[CurrentEvent]

Maybe someone mistook the favorites paddles for regen paddles. They close on the back of the steering wheel. That would really make me wonder.

 

[jcanoe]

I think the C&D review of the 2017 Chevy Volt was prepared many months ago, just now deciding to release it. After all, the 2018 Volts are starting to arrive.

 

[JRRF]

a simple 5 mph increase in speed saves me 20+ minutes of sitting in the car driving. Speed limit might be 70 but going 85+ in the middle of nowhere TX to save an hour, gas be damned.

Here on the east coast, going much faster than the speed limit just puts you 2 or 3 cars ahead in the next traffic jam where you will sit the same amount of time anyway

 

[quirkySquirt]

Overall a good review and mirrors a lot of my likes and gripes about the Volt. Mostly, I love the Volt and I think it was pretty much close to ideal vehicle for 95% of urban commuters that take the occasional long weekend trip. I easily got 65 miles mildly hypermiling (increased one-way commute time by 10 minutes by avoiding freeway) in the summer and 55 miles in fall and spring. Same driving behavior resulted in ~42mph average through the year. If it weren't for the blasted ICE misfire I would've kept my Volt.