[wx4gps]

I am considering a used Gen 1 Volt, and I had found a couple of dealerships in the Lexington area within a 30 minute drive have a used volt in their inventory. 3 of them our at chevy dealership, one of them being certified but has an accident on its carfax but at 11K miles and 2015 with safety packages at $18K I was not gonna rule it out.

However this is the experience I am running into. I one, have no experience driving these vehicles, and I do question if it would be the right vehicle for me... When buying a new vehicle I have no problem taking a car for an overnight test drive before buying. But all 4 of these dealerships do not offer this. It is honestly very difficult for them to even let you drive it without them in the car. So honestly I have been stuck going around a preplanned driving course that the dealership pretty much uses for any test drive.

I am the type of person I want to sit and figure out the center stake, I want to drive it through one of my daily work commutes.. before making a decision. Has anyone else had this type of problem when they were shopping, were you able to make yourself feel comfortable before signing on a line about a completely different type of vehicle that is hard to sell to the mainstream. I would think the dealers would be more understanding of the concerns about changing to this type of vehicle.

Any advise from those that bought used, to what extend did you test the vehicle before you purchased?

Thanks,

Ron

 

[TheBlueFlash]

Bought our 2013 and 2016 used. No qualms about doing it whatsoever. The Voltec warranty is 8yr/100k miles, so if you get that 2015 with only 11k miles, you'll have plenty of warranty left. Really the only things you need to check when buying used is the charging system (plug it in at the dealership and make sure it will accept a charge) and open the hood and listen to the ICE and drive it in HOLD mode and listen to the ICE. Check CarFax, you don't want something that has been in a major accident. Check coolant levels, if you're looking at a 2015 it should have the correct levels, but just in case. Oh and make sure the EVSE (the charge cord) comes with it. Sometimes people buy used Volts and realize after getting it home it didn't come with the EVSE and then get on the forum asking, "Are Volts supposed to come with the charge cord?" If no cord, insist on the dealer replacing it before buying. Enjoy the Volt and forgetting what the price of gas is!

 

[Sean-a-Tron]

I bought mine used. My home dealership let me drive one overnight, though the others in the bigger cities didn't (It's so annoying).

Check under the rear cargo door for the VOLTEC EVSE. If it's not there, ask them to either get you one, it knock $450 off the price so you can buy your own. (This is essentially the same one
https://store.clippercreek.com/level1/pcs-15-portable-ev-charging-station ) The EVSE is a critical component to the car.

Aside from looking for the usual cosmetic things like flood damage and signs of repainting, the mechanical test in a Volt is pretty unique. When the Volt is powered on, open the hood. This will activate the engine so you can hear it run. Check the coolant reservoirs, check the charging capability (Use the Voltec EVSE or a public charging station), and if the battery is low, test mountain mode (This should charge up the battery a little).

 

[gjtoth]

I got mine at Bachmann Chevy in Louisville. The salesman seemed very knowledgeable about the car. He said right up front that if I took a lot of road trips, this car was not for me. Otherwise, this car would save me a bunch of money. And, it has! The GM owned one, too. As others have said, check it to make sure all the equipment is in the trunk. My tire repair kit was missing and, while you can get one to fit in the slot at Walmart for $20, they were happy to get an OEM kit for me. I *highly* recommend the extended warranty. The finance person knocked off $1500 if I would close the day I bought it even though I'm not out of factory warranty yet. The way things are going, I doubt I'll need it. But, ya never know. I took mine through all the driving scenarios I could think of. The sales rep answered all my questions without hesitation and correctly. I did a LOT of research before I went out the door to look so I sort of knew the answers before asking. My main purpose for the test drive was to compare it to a Prius I test drove a while back. The car pretty much sold itself.

 

[Sean-a-Tron]

I *highly* recommend the extended warranty.

I would actually advise against the extended warranty. If OP is getting a 2015, then there's still 1yr on the B2B and 6yrs on the Voltec. Though if the car will be heavily used, the extended warranty might be a good idea.

 

[wx4gps]

IT would be a second car along side my Subaru Impreza, I typically drove 22K a year but like I said I think I would divide the mileage in half between both cars over the course of a year and drive the volt on nicer days, and when the weather is going to be bad, Ill take the AWD vehicle out. I drive 19 miles to work, so 38 miles round trip, part of that is highway about 6 miles so I was thinking using Hold mode for that and I should do my commute easily with only consuming 2 gallons maybe a week, so filling up once a month in that drive pattern. And actually on my days off I would probably use all electric for my errands.

 

[tacman7]

I've always had good luck buying used cars...

Until recently!

I bought a CRV that I loved but the engine blew up.



So I went with carmax.

I was going to get another CRV but then I saw the Volt.

I wanted the Volt because it's some kind of hybid or something right?

I saw one close by on the internet and went down and signed the papers.

I got their loan then got my credit union to replace it.

First time I ever saw it was when I picked it up, same day I bought it.

I found out that the volt is an electric car! and it has a generator on board!


This was my idea, back in the 80's, I said "Hey make an electric car but just carry a generator with you"

I never got any royalties for my idea though.


It's been a very positive experience for me, it's the perfect car for my wife and me.

I drove it home and found there was no charger.

They got me one that went on a Leaf I think.

Works though. I do fine with level 1.

Owning the Volt has been a life changing experience.

 

[PIYIRIO]

I bought my 2015 premier used in January for $22k. It had between 7k and 8k miles and was a CPO that had never been titled. I thought the price was steep, but will clock in at a reasonable $14500 after the $7500 rebate. As a CPO they added that extra B2B warranty to the end of the standard 3 year B2B (ends mid-2018).

I got this one just to see if I like driving an phev... I do... a lot. I can make it to work and roll into my drive at home with a mile left and no battery bars (with no A/C or heat). I really need a few extra miles on battery so I'm actually looking to get a Gen 2 in a year or so. I couldn't justify the price difference jumping from a 2015 to a 2016 at the time but the Gen 2 all-electric range really is the sweet spot for me. I don't think there would be any issues taking it on a trip; 2 people would be no problem, 3 wouldn't be too bad either, 4 would push it depending on passenger size and luggage.

I wouldn't hesitate on buying another used volt, especially with the low miles a lot of these have.

 

[hellsop]

Any advise from those that bought used, to what extend did you test the vehicle before you purchased?

The brilliance of the Volt is how little different from any other well-performing small car. All the discussions of technique and tracking and "L" vs "D" and when to put on Hold mode actually make pretty insignificant differences in how well the car performs, how economically it runs, or how long it lasts. The car will cope just fine, so long as you've read the manual (available as PDFs from Chevy's site) and when it alerts you about something, you address it immediately.

As for what I did with it prior to purchase, it was one test drive with the sales dude in the back seat, including a trip from one freeway exit to another to get a feel for the pull. And that was enough. I didn't have a place to charge it (technically I was homeless at the time), I didn't have a routine, but it was obvious that the thing would cope with that -- if I didn't charge it, it would just be a hybrid. It worked for everything and it was more economical than the car(s) it was replacing no matter what.

 

[hellsop]

I got mine at Bachmann Chevy in Louisville. The salesman seemed very knowledgeable about the car. He said right up front that if I took a lot of road trips, this car was not for me.

Lies! It's a lovely road car, very stable and easy to drive even in 50 MPH crosswinds, and in better conditions I've gotten nearly 50 MPG out of it. Typical months are about 46 MPG. And coming from a turbocharged Chrysler that barely peeked over the 22 MPG line, that's a stunning improvement.

 

[Southcross]

I purchased mine with about 46k back in December, recently just rolled to 50k, mostly gasoline miles as I don't yet have a reliable place to charge for day to day driving. I love the car.
I average about 4 miles per Kilowatt, way better than the EPA estimate, and *giggle* due to my driving habits with the ICE I average about 30mpgs (not great, but more than double my old car) on my weekday as it is a lot of stop and go... cruising at 35ish through 65mph my MPGs can climb up to about 50, at 80mph my MPGs drop to about 37. Cruising at 80mph, and at an altitude of 5000 feet, is way beyond the efficiency of the electric drive but the handles it beautifully even in hills. In Mountain mode, cruising at 75mph between Denver and Colorado Springs Colorado I averaged 43mpg.
I have taken the car to the track, the road course at High Plains Raceway, I was able to reach a good 85mph in the straight stretches and keep on the tarmac even in the tight twists. The car handled "ok", but in my opinion it needs to have a rear swaybar added and better tires.
Lastly, I did have to take the car in to have the ICE waterpump replaced under warranty... my only complaint has nothing to do with the car but in the dealer that handled the repair.

Again, I love the car

 

[jcramer]

That $18k sounds high to me, particularly for a Volt that has been wrecked. At the end of May-2017 I bought a 2015 Volt LT with 18,400 miles from a Ford dealer in Renton, WA for $15k. They were advertising it for $16.9k, but they accepted when I offered $15k.

Carfax is OK, but I advise putting the car's VIN number into research.com. It's free and gives a lot of information, some of which carfax may miss.

 

[Froggmann]

1: Don't have your heart set on one particular car. THere are a lot of these coming off-lease and the market is pretty well stocked with them.

2: Definitely do your own inspection. Check the bumpers for changes in paint texture, signs of overspray and glaze spatter (white or yellow powdery deposits)

3: If the vehicle was maintained by the dealer (Most were) the dealer will be able to produce all of the vehicle's records.

4: Check the lifetime MPG. If it's between 40-60 the engine has had a good amount of hours. If it is 150 and above it was used more as an EV.

 

[jamess]

i bought used from carvana. good experience and love the car... but it was replacing another volt that was totaled by an uninsured motorist. so i already knew i loved them...

such a beauty that tesla owners park next to it to get a better view

 

[seth1976]

I purchased a CPO 2013 Premium with 48,000+ miles. The out-the-door price was $15,000. I took a short test drive of that specific car just to make sure it was fine, but given that it was a CPO I wasn't really worried about it. As the car I wanted was a three-hour drive away from me, I did all my negotiation via email and texting. I bought it from a huge dealership with a dedicated Internet sales division, so they were familiar with the process.

I've been extremely happy with the car so far. I've only put gasoline in it twice since I purchased it three months ago, and that was the result of driving it back home after purchase, a interstate trip to a conference, and a couple ~100 mile commutes to a remote office. Day-to-day I use no gasoline, and have even managed to have the car enter the ICE maintenance mode with a lack of usage.

Be warned: Buy one, then drive it for a while, and it will ruin most other cars for you. The immediate shove of torque coupled with a single-speed transmission is incredibly satisfying--especially for city driving. Add the driving experience to the quiet, composed nature of the car and it is a perfect commuter vehicle. I plan to keep the Volt for a long time, but any future daily driver I ever replace it with will be electric as well.

 

[newrollo]

Bought mine in Denver, CO from my son. He had it for sale and I gave him the price he wanted. $14,000. It is as solid and responsive as it was when new. Only needed tires. Wanted a sports car, like a Sonic RS or CUV like an Encore. So glad I could help him out. This car covers both of my other choices. Had no idea how much fun it could be. I look for curvy roads now.

 

[MinnVolt]

I recently bought a 2013 with 27K miles from a dealer that has a pretty good reputation. Salesman was great, whole transaction was pleasant except for two things: I naturally didn't get as much for my trade as I wanted, but that is normal. The real annoyance was the finance guy trying to sell me glass treatments, paint protection, interior stain-proofing, and the that wonderful extended warranty!

I did a lot of research before ever going to a dealer - downloaded the manuals and actually read them! Also did a lot of on-line research on forums, etc. so I was pretty much up to speed when I started shopping seriously. I like info ahead of time, because I have found that most salesmen really don't know that much about the vehicles they are selling. Maybe that is cynical but I have bought a lot of cars over the years, and it is amazing the lack of knowledge. The best I ran into was a Volvo dealership - a real class act.

Even in the twin-cities metro area there were not a lot of Volts for sale. I started shopping on the internet, and pulled carfax docs on the ones that seemed interesting. I'm probably old school, but I like a pretty car, but most of what I found were white, black, or silver with a black interior., so I was real happy to find a silver topaz blue car with the premium beige suede interior - loaded, low miles, clean carfax, and really spotless, at a dealer about 50 miles away. They just got it from a Michigan auction, and I drove it before it was prepped. Carfax said it was a manufacturers car, never sold to a private owner, and it still had the build labels on the windshield. Paid a couple bucks more than I planned, but got a great car with the features I wanted.

I know the guys with white, silver, or black cars won't like it that I don't find them attractive - but beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

 

[wws]

IT would be a second car along side my Subaru Impreza, I typically drove 22K a year but like I said I think I would divide the mileage in half between both cars over the course of a year and drive the volt on nicer days, and when the weather is going to be bad, Ill take the AWD vehicle out. I drive 19 miles to work, so 38 miles round trip, part of that is highway about 6 miles so I was thinking using Hold mode for that and I should do my commute easily with only consuming 2 gallons maybe a week, so filling up once a month in that drive pattern. And actually on my days off I would probably use all electric for my errands.

With only 6 highway miles on your daily commute, you may find you never use gas - at least most of the year when it is warm outside. In the winter, the EV range will go down a bit - depending on how much you use the cabin heater. It can become a bit of a game: pre-heating the car before you leave in the morning while still plugged in to "shore power", and use of the seat heaters (don't buy a Volt without them) can mitigate the need to run the cabin heater. But of course the ICE is always there if/when needed, so no worries.

 

[emg77]

I just bought a CPO 2014 with 33k miles last week. It has every option package, and I have no regrets about my purchase. I've used about a 1.5 gallons of gas in 500 miles so far. I replaced a 2008 Saturn Astra with 120,000 miles that I was the original owner on. I do miss my sunroof, automatic wipers, and manual transmission a bit, but the Volt is fun to drive in a completely different way. I looked at the Volt as a 3 year old used car that has most of the components (Voltec)covered under warranty for another 5 years and 67k miles. CPO got me a year of bumper to bumper warranty too. The used volts are a great amount of car for the money (easy to find for 60% off the original MSRP for a 3 year old car). The previous owner of mine only had 5,000 miles on the ICE, so I look at that as practically new. I drive about 7-8,000 miles a year for work to various jobsites. The volt gets to to and from the office with 20-25 miles of range remaining, which is usually sufficient to get me downtown to a job site during the day too, with maybe needing 5-10 miles under ICE power. Anything over a 200 mile round trip, work requires me to get a rental car, so I think the Volt will work great for me.