[Trampis]

Hey all,

Newbie to the forum but not a Volt owner yet. I have my eye on two and wanted opinions on them. There's a 2014 Premium with 20K miles on it for $18K. The other is a 2016 Premium with 8K miles for $27.5K.

My question to you all is this: Is the 2016 worth the extra $$?

Thanks and I can't wait to become an owner!

Mike

 

[norcalkrautnit]

Greetings,
As an owner of a 2015 Gen1 Premium, my recommendation on those two options only, is to go with the 2014 model at (with taxes included) over $10k cheaper. The 2016 Gen2 Volt is, by most paper measures, the superior car, but is it greater than $10k better? I have my doubts. That said, you could buy a brand new 2017 Premium in a month or two at a net cost less than that used 2016, assuming that your tax situation allows you to take advantage of the full $7500 tax credit (the $1500 from CA is currently on hold until the Assembly replenishes the EV coffers). By around September, you should expect GM to offer a 17-20% discount off MSRP, with the dealer likely kicking in another $3k-$4k-ish. 20% of $40k is $8k, and adding in $3k gets you down to $29k pre-Fed/CA incentives. Post incentives, you're looking at right around $20k. And you get to pick from dozens to hundreds of models sitting on NorCal dealer lots, not just one as in your example. If you've got a GM Card with lots of rebates attached, you can get that price down even more, and you may be able to stack a few additional incentives (Costco, Farm Bureau, ???) on the final price. The only reason to go used on the Volt based on your price quotes is if you cannot recapture any of the $7500 tax credit and CA never honors the $1500 rebate due to funding issues.

Personally, I would hammer the 2014 price down a few grand and call it a day. You're not going to see a whole lot of depreciation in the next few years versus what you'd experience buying a new car. Also beware of what might happen to new and used EV pricing when a manufacturer's tax credits start to phase out and then expire completely. For GM and Tesla and Nissan, that's likely to happen in 2018. For the laggards and fence-sitters, a few years later.

Good luck with your decision, and be sure to let us know how your negotiations went

 

[jasonic]

Welcome to the forums!

J

 

[gjm3]

It all depends on what your usage pattern is for the car. I’ve owned both a 2011 loaded Volt and now a 2016 Premier model. I find the later model a very significant upgrade for these reasons.

1. Most of my local round trips seem to be in the 40-50 mile range, so the gas engine on my 2011 Volt (EPA mileage 35) would regularly come on as I neared home – rather annoying. The 2016 model at 53 miles EPA almost never comes on for such trips.

2. On longer trips, the gas engine on the 2016 model is much quieter, particularly going up long grades.

3. The new car takes regular gasoline (Gen 1 takes premium fuel) and gives me better gas mileage (42 EPA versus 37 EPA).

4. The interior dash controls are much easier to use and having Apple CarPlay (and Android Auto) is very helpful. The center infotainment screen is bigger and better placed.

5. I find the new model quite a bit peppier than the older one – it weighs less despite the larger battery.

6. The rear-seat arrangement in the new Volt, with no gap between the seats, looks a lot better.

7. I find the exterior styling more appealing on the new model.

Some bemoan the lack of Homelink and flashing indicators on the side mirrors for the new model compared to the old but, frankly, I think that’s much ado about nothing!

So it all comes down to what is important to you and how much you are willing to pay for it!

 

[freshcut]

All things aside, I would likely go with the '14 myself. Looking at it from a depreciation point, it's closer to "real" value than the '16. I find my '13 gives more than enough range for my average daily commute and even extra for running around. The extra battery capacity of the '16 would be nice, but isn't necessary for my personal average use. Another point is that the Gen 1 tends to be a bit higher on the reliability scale as the '16 was a completely different design and first year of the Gen 2 and some members have reported lower reliability, though still very reliable.

I would however highly suggest a drive in both to get a real feeling of the differences between the two and how it may work with you. Some dealerships may even allow you a 24 hour test drive so you can really get a better feel.

 

[Trampis]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I love this forum! I'm kind of leaning towards waiting til a little later this year (fall maybe?) and see what the deals will be like for a new 2017 like Norcalkrautnit suggested. I know there will be more deals on 2014 models as this is the year the 3 year leases are up so they will be available probably all year. I've driven the Gen 1 but will def drive the Gen 2 to see what the differences are.

 

[amyc]

Definitely the 2016. I leased a 2013 (some a hole totaled it in 2015 but thankfully I walked away with minor injuries) and couldn't wait to get my 2016 when it first came out. Love the added range. I felt the 2013 just didn't have enough range especially in the winter (even in California.) Backup camera is standard in 2016 too. It has cool LED lighting inside and seems a bit sportier. I would go with the car with the lower mileage. Think battery life. Think tire tread. These low resistant tires are EXPENSIVE. Check into how much they cost to replace. Find out how the person drove the car. What percent of the time did they charge from empty?