[Marcad80]

I purchased and have been driving a Volt since Oct 2012. And just recently we added a Tesla Model S to our little electric family. And I must say its an amazing car, but it really has shown me how amazing the Volt really is.

Technology wise Volt beats the Tesla hands down

Fit and finish, the Volt really seems like a more solid car

Regenerative breaking, the Tesla doesn't have this (I was shocked to, the Tesla only has the equivalent of driving in L)
Ride and handling, for normal driving purposes, I really enjoy both cars

Where the Tesla exceeds:

Size, the Model S is a really big car

Free internet access build into the car is pretty nice, especially tracking the car on google earth, and enjoying Slacker radio. All free

Range anxiety.... Believe it or not I had more range anxiety in the Volt. I hated using the gas engine so much that sometimes I would wait unit it reached a charge to leave. With the Tesla I don't even have it set to charge all the way. I don't really ever pay attention to the miles remaining unless on long trips.

Wow factor, the Tesla still gets alot of questions and comments. I used to get this alot about the Volt but that seems to have stopped.

I could go on, and on,

But all in all, I have to say there is no way the Tesla is worth 3 volts. The Model S is a great car and if I was transitioning from an ICE car to it, I would be amazed and in awe like everyone else. But coming from a Volt...... Well it helped me to realize what a great value the Volt is.

 

[bentbiker]

Regenerative breaking, the Tesla doesn't have this (I was shocked to, the Tesla only has the equivalent of driving in L)

I think I understand the point you are trying to make, but I believe it is a misstatement to say it doesn't have regenerative braking. Either that or somebody has been "breaking" your Model S (i.e. it is broken). If you mean that you can't vary the amount of regenerative braking force using the brake pedal, that is different, and frankly, I was not aware.

 

[Marcad80]

I was actually pretty shocked when I received the car. The breaking system in a Model S is a like a normal ICE power breaking system. Pressing on the break pedal gives instant pad to disk engagement. The break pedal only applys friction breaking. I know this seems impossible on a car like a Tesla but its true. I was shocked as well, but have verified it many times. All regeneration on a Model S comes from letting off the accelerator pedal. Exactly like driving a Volt in L. There is two settings you can choose from "Normal" regeneration and "Low" regeneration. The normal will regenerate up to 60kw, while low limits to 30kw (low feels just like L). If you take your foot completely off the accelerator, in Normal, in a Model S it feels like someone is slamming on the breaks all the way to 7mph.

I never really liked driving the volt on L, so this has taken some getting used to. In the Model S you must drive in L. It gives you no choice, unless you shift into Neutral everytime you get off the accelerator. There is no coasting in a Model S until you learn the "0" position of the accelerator.

Break lights are lit when you cross a "g" level of deceleration on the accelerator.

The breaks are really smooth and linear though, so that's nice.....

 

[Scupper]

An ode to the Volt... Marcado80, I couldn't help agree with your assessment. I have driven both power trains of the model S, and after returning to my Volt was more impressed with the Volt than ever. Do I want a model S? Of course. Not fully baked yet for my tastes.

The lines of the model S are great from any angle, and interior size is no match, but the price and interior finish leave me flat. I can't help thinking what GM and the premier German brands could do to counter this first very successful full sized luxury salvo. Though my Volt dealer is very good, I generally loath all dealers by comparison to the laudable Tesla service program.

The Volt is a watershed car for a beliver in the synergy of green technology and financial conservatism. I look forward to the near future BEVs that can meet and exceed 100 years of automotive stagnation.

Thank you Tesla and GM.

 

[Steverino]

I purchased and have been driving a Volt since Oct 2012. And just recently we added a Tesla Model S to our little electric family. And I must say its an amazing car, but it really has shown me how amazing the Volt really is.

Technology wise Volt beats the Tesla hands down

Fit and finish, the Volt really seems like a more solid carBut all in all, I have to say there is no way the Tesla is worth 3 volts. The Model S is a great car and if I was transitioning from an ICE car to it, I would be amazed and in awe like everyone else. But coming from a Volt...... Well it helped me to realize what a great value the Volt is.

So when I read people bashing the Volt's interior and lauding a Tesla I should think, "They have deceived themselves or never drove both"?

When I read that the 200 mile Bolt will be good but should be dumped for a Model E when it finally arrives because a Tesla will automatically be superior, I should not be quick to agree?

 

[BAZINGA]

IMHO my perfect garage will have a Volt and Tesla. So that's my goal. Once our 2013 Volt get's paid off this Jan I will be ready to buy a CPO Tesla using my 2014 Stingray as a trade.

And yes after taking a test drive in a Tesla I was surprised to learn the Tesal has an old school mechanical BRAKE system no different than any other car sold. I personally don't like driving my Volt in LOW due to the jerky nature of lifting a bit too much off the throttle and then having to add some and the car set up a "slight" undulation motion that makes my wife car sick. So the simple and NATURAL use of the brake pedal to modulate braking is the more elegant solution.

The Tesla does have TWO regen setting you can set from that BIG SEXY 17" LCD but it's one or the other.

That one feature causes me to pause when thinking of a Tesla and the difference between the the driving experiences.

 

[llninja]

I was actually pretty shocked when I received the car. The breaking system in a Model S is a like a normal ICE power breaking system. Pressing on the break pedal gives instant pad to disk engagement. The break pedal only applys friction breaking. I know this seems impossible on a car like a Tesla but its true. I was shocked as well, but have verified it many times. All regeneration on a Model S comes from letting off the accelerator pedal. Exactly like driving a Volt in L. There is two settings you can choose from "Normal" regeneration and "Low" regeneration. The normal will regenerate up to 60kw, while low limits to 30kw (low feels just like L). If you take your foot completely off the accelerator, in Normal, in a Model S it feels like someone is slamming on the breaks all the way to 7mph.

I never really liked driving the volt on L, so this has taken some getting used to. In the Model S you must drive in L. It gives you no choice, unless you shift into Neutral everytime you get off the accelerator. There is no coasting in a Model S until you learn the "0" position of the accelerator.

Break lights are lit when you cross a "g" level of deceleration on the accelerator.

The breaks are really smooth and linear though, so that's nice.....

Grammar alert. Replace break and breaking with brake and braking. But I'm pretty sure the tesla has a slider on one of its screens that adjusts the regen to your tastes (at least that's what I remember while sitting in the tesla store fiddling with every control on the touchscreen). So I don't think you only have two options, but many depending on your taste. But if tapping the brakes really engages the friction brakes, then I really prefer the infinite regen afforded by the volt in Normal D mode. Too many people are sport L fans or wishing the volt had paddles like the ELR not realizing they have much finer control of regen with the brake pedal.

 

[David Friedenberg]

A racing buddy's Tesla shows lots of brake dust on the wheels when I saw it last. So it could be that a Tesla does not have a sophisticated braking system as a Volt....

Love my Volt. Driving in L allows me a more aggressive driving style without much sacrifice.

I agree with some of the above comments. I wasn't impressed by the fit and finish of the Tesla either. Certainly agree that it's not worth 3 Volts. Just sayin...

 

[llninja]

IMHO my perfect garage will have a Volt and Tesla. So that's my goal. Once our 2013 Volt get's paid off this Jan I will be ready to buy a CPO Tesla using my 2014 Stingray as a trade.

And yes after taking a test drive in a Tesla I was surprised to learn the Tesal has an old school mechanical BRAKE system no different than any other car sold. I personally don't like driving my Volt in LOW due to the jerky nature of lifting a bit too much off the throttle and then having to add some and the car set up a "slight" undulation motion that makes my wife car sick. So the simple and NATURAL use of the brake pedal to modulate braking is the more elegant solution.

The Tesla does have TWO regen setting you can set from that BIG SEXY 17" LCD but it's one or the other.

That one feature causes me to pause when thinking of a Tesla and the difference between the the driving experiences.

Agreed, but I think I would rather have a model X over a model S, if they could ever get around to making one. I am a bit worried about the real world usability of the falcon doors though. I can just see a pile of snow avalanching into the main cabin area or the doors getting stuck during a thaw/freeze with several horizontal seams. This doesn't occur with regular car doors as gravity usually takes care of it with doors on the sides. So just like for volt where I waited for others to be the guinea pigs, someone else will need to be first adopters. Part of me thinks that Elon has been so adamant about putting falcon doors onto the X while if they just had a regular minivan slider, it would be on the road by now. But he doesn't want to back down as giving in would mean he was wrong to introduce the prototype in early 2013.

 

[Zythryn]

Congratulations, that is a great duo!
A couple of notes.

The regenerative braking, as others have pointed out, does exist, it is just on the accelerator rather than the brake.
This gives a very smooth change-over from acceleration to braking. If you want less braking, don't let up so much on the accelerator.
We love the one pedal driving, a specially in rush hour. I have met one other person that didn't like it. After getting send to it you can always turn it to "low" in the settings.

Internet is free, for 7 years, not forever, endless that changed in the last month.

I couldn't agree with you more about the electric range in the Volt, I felt exactly the same

Enjoy the two phenomenal cars you have!

 

[BAZINGA]

Correction the Volt doesn't induce Range Anixety but it can induce Gas Anxiety.

 

[El Dobro]

Agreed, but I think I would rather have a model X over a model S, if they could ever get around to making one. I am a bit worried about the real world usability of the falcon doors though. I can just see a pile of snow avalanching into the main cabin area or the doors getting stuck during a thaw/freeze with several horizontal seams. This doesn't occur with regular car doors as gravity usually takes care of it with doors on the sides. So just like for volt where I waited for others to be the guinea pigs, someone else will need to be first adopters. Part of me thinks that Elon has been so adamant about putting falcon doors onto the X while if they just had a regular minivan slider, it would be on the road by now. But he doesn't want to back down as giving in would mean he was wrong to introduce the prototype in early 2013.

What's the difference between a falcon door and a gullwing door?

 

[llninja]

What's the difference between a falcon door and a gullwing door?

The falcon doors have a hinge just below the glass so it folds as it opens. You can park the model X 6 inches away from a minivan and successfully open you falcon doors whereas if they made it a fixed gull wing door, you would hit the car in the next spot when you swung to door up and open. There's a interactive web gizmo on teslas website that allows you to see the doors opening and closing. The ability to open these doors even in a typical garage is a big deal.

 

[llninja]

Correction the Volt doesn't induce Range Anixety but it can induce Gas Anxiety.

That's nothing compared to a the gas payment anxiety of a 1999 Deville. It was a matter of extreme fuel savings at the expense of space with a car payment vs. no car payments, but paying up the wazoo for fuel and some upcoming somewhat expensive suspension work that pushed me towards the new volt. A year and a half later, I paid off the volt early so now it's just a tank of fuel per month in the summer and 2-3 tanks per month in the winter, tires, and occasional maintenance going forward (plus hopefully more more run-ins with deer, flying debris, and stop signs). I've never done so much for bodywork on any car before this one.

 

[Paulacton84]

An ...The lines of the model S are great from any angle, and,....

Great thread all. Great lines in a car are a wonderful and almost mystical thing. but most car body folks think their job is to be jarringly different in the hopes of finding the next "great lines" look. look at an early 60s jaguar e-type and except for the vertical windscreen, its a wonderful line, the first mustang, while really just a 62 falcon in different sheet metal, (and not that different if you take a step back) it has great lines. look at the Miata evolution, have the designers jumped the shark this year, with corvette like bulges? So yes, the S has great lines and cache', together worth more than any advertising that money can buy. and the Tesla is a great car, and yes, my volt is a better car for me, but that's just for me.

That's nothing compared to a the gas payment anxiety of a 1999 Deville...so now it's just a tank of fuel per month in the summer and 2-3 tanks per month in the winter, ...one.

ha!, and that tank costs about $24.00 at last fillup... our sienna minivan takes 16 gallon gulps every week,

 

[Noel Park]

llninja @ #7

I f you are going to correct people on their grammar, you might think to taking the trouble to capitalize, LOL.

 

[Marcad80]

First sorry for all the "breaks" instead of "brakes". Just a brain fart....

Second, I've attached a picture of the regen setting for verification of the standard, low setting. Also attached a picture of our new siblings😃

Also realized that I forgot to mention two more advantages of the Volt I discovered:

I'm sure everyone remembers all the threads about the failed bearing issue..... Well let me tell you that is nothing to the failing drive units on Tesla. Most posted surveys on the Tesla forums don't even ask if you've had your drive unit replaced, but how many times. It is a big enough to issue that Tesla has extended the drive train warranty to the battery warranty of 8 years, Retroactive! Edmunds is on there third drive unit. Tesla no longer replaces them with new units, only re manufactured ones.... Yes it's that common.

So my next point I'm proud of my Volt..... GM's 100 years of building cars, they really no how to develop and launch reliable products. Not that the Tesla is not an amazingly reliable car for the first car ever produced (excluding the Lotus roadster), it's just I won't really consider buying an extended warranty on the Volt, the Tesla on the other hand......

And the last but not least..... This Forum! I've been absent from this forum for a while because I've been on the Tesla forum, and man that's a rough forum! If I said anything like this about the Tesla on that forum, I would get HAMMERED! Anyone who complains about anything about Tesla on that forum always starts out their post with "I know I'm going to get hammered for this but", And usually ends it with "so let the mud fly". Or something like that.

All being said, I love my Tesla and would buy it again in a second. Of the two cars in the garage I pick the Tesla almost every time. But the choice to pick the Tesla probably has more to do with .... well that I'm a guy, than it has to do with my admiration in both vehicles

The reason I'm writing back in this forum after so long, is that for so long I sat with a Volt in my garage wondering how cool it would be if it was a Tesla, and I kind of lost sight of how cool was the Volt.....

 

[ampera_jed]

Personally, I think Model S looks like a wind-tunnel honed blancmange without any significant styling cues that moves the state-of-the-art any further than the 1996 Jaguar XK.

It's an elegant blancmange I grant you, a classic shape that I am sure will offend few and look handsome to old people, but still a blancmange.

 

[don shaw]

Zythryn

Simply put, the Volt does have regenerative braking available via the brake pedal the the Tesla does not have, Both have regenerative braking via lifting your food off the 'gas' pedal (with the volt in 'low". I guess the Tesla does not have the drive mode giving the 'coasting effect' that the Volt has.

Not trying to knock the Tesla, I am thankful for both the Tesla, Volt and Leaf too

 

[don shaw]

Marcad80

And the last but not least..... This Forum! I've been absent from this forum for a while because I've been on the Tesla forum, and man that's a rough forum! If I said anything like this about the Tesla on that forum, I would get HAMMERED! Anyone who complains about anything about Tesla on that forum always starts out their post with "I know I'm going to get hammered for this but", And usually ends it with "so let the mud fly". Or something like that.

Hi

I dare you to post your comments on the Tesla Forum……..!!!!! The moderators might ban you.

I have noticed the same roughness. Have noted that the new Chevy BOLT will automatically be inferior in every way possible per Tesla forum people