[jay2017]

I am considering the purchase of a first generation Volt (2012 model year) which might replace my current Outback (2005 XT). Having a difficult time deciding if this is a move I should make so I wanted to obtain some feedback from anyone who has made the change (though I welcome all feedback). If you used to drive an Outback, especially the XT model, I'd really appreciate your feedback.

A little about my situation. The Outback is a 2005 XT with 148K miles on the clock. Nothing wrong with it but it's approaching the mileage where I need to do some preventative maintenance (for example there's a 150K miles inspection that I'll need to do soon). This is my daily driver and see approximately 120 miles a week...most of which is short drives. Ideal driving situations for operating solely on the battery. However I would never recover the cost of the Volt with the savings in fuel. The purchase would be is more of a curiosity of the technology (not the electronics within the cabin but rather the technology which moves the car) and I see that as the direction of the industry. Kind of a get my toe in the water kind of thing.

As I live in Denver and make an occasion trip to the mountains Subaru's have been great vehicles. However my lifestyle is not tied to the need of AWD or the Outback. However I have thoroughly enjoyed owning them (especially the XT...one of the most enjoyable vehicles I've owned). Given my history with them I wanted to obtain feedback from anyone who may have made the move from Outback to the Volt. I've thought about buying the Volt and keeping the Subaru to see how I like the Volt. If I find I'm happy with the Volt I can sell the Outback (I own another vehicle so if I did this it would be a third vehicle, a situation I wouldn't want long term).

If you used to own a Subaru, especially an Outback XT, I'd love your input. I'm also open to any ownership experiences others may have to offer. Going back to the dealer this afternoon to try and do a more long term test drive (so far the two test drives I've done have totaled maybe 5 miles...hardly enough to get a feel for a vehicle).

 

[mr_raider]

The only issue I see is the significantly reduced storage space. Other than that the Volt does fine in winter.

 

[ampera_jed]

The Outback is a 2005 XT with 148K miles on the clock. Nothing wrong with it but it's approaching the mileage where I need to do some preventative maintenance (for example there's a 150K miles inspection that I'll need to do soon).

You don't "need" to do anything.

What would you hope to achieve by doing an expensive service on an old car?

I had a Legacy station wagon at 160k miles. IIRC we bought it at 130ish. I changed the engine, gearbox and rear axle oils, and the only thing that ever went wrong was that I didn't bother to replace the ignition leads, which ended up breaking the ignition module.

It actually took a while to fix because replacing the ignition module (with a used part, for the price of a tank of gas) didn't stop the misfire, until we realised it was because of spark leads that had never been replaced.

At that age you can afford to wait for stuff to go wrong, then fix it.

But it sounds like you want to justify getting a Volt. You don't need to justify it, just get one if you want one.

 

[sduck]

Why are there 2 virtually identical threads? Can't we all use this one - http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?279105-Anyone-come-from-a-Subaru-Outback - and lock up this one to eliminate confusion?

 

[jay2017]

There are two threads because I posted once (this thread is the first one) and did not see the post in the forum list. Thinking I may have hit the cancel button when making the first post I posted again (the thread you're referring to). Apparently as a new forum member my posts have to be approved by a moderator before they'll appear.

 

[cmv727]

Last month I sold my Subaru Outback (stick) and bought a 2017 Volt. I've had three Subarus and loved them. I can imagine what is going through your mind! I've long thought the Volt is the only car that made sense with two obvious exceptions: the space and the AWD. Those were the two issues I had to think through. I live in the Bay Area and I do ski, so having a snow car is a factor. And, I did use the extra space.

In the end, I decided that I could use a roof rack (Yakima makes the only rack the fits) more than I did with the Outback. And the gen 2 Volts design seemed to to be large enough to fit 90% of my space needs.

As for the snow, I realized that I'm no longer interested in driving to Tahoe in the middle of a storm. If I really need to, I'll get cables and put them on the wheels if I really need to. Or, I'll rent an AWD (yes, at great expense). Its a risk and a tradeoff and I'm still not sure if I'll regret not having a snow car.

I love the Volt and everything about it. I'd say if you have put a lot of thought into this, and the Volt is not simply a matter of fascination but rather a car the makes sense for you, go for it. But be sure you can live with the tradeoffs.

My two cents.