[Christopher12]

Hello and thank you for admitting me to your group. i drive a 2008 Pontiac Torrent that needs a new rear wheel bearing, four rotors, and with 165k miles is getting iffy.

I thought i would replace it with a used low mileage Equinox, but drove one today and wasn't that thrilled. I am highly interested in an electric or hybrid / electric car, and love the GM ride. I realize it's a different class of vehicle and size... but I wondered if anyone had any comments on these two options.

It had hardly occurred to me I could look into a used low mileage Volt also. I would miss the truck height I suppose, but could give it up. Do you feel the Volt has that comfortable Buick / Chevy / GM feel when driving? I've always loved mine. I had a Buick before this. I guess I'm just looking for thoughts on this... would you buy the Volt again? Are you pleased with your decision? Thank you sincerely for any response.


p.s. I am a professional drummer, so would be filling it up pretty well with cargo in some cases I imagine. The truth is though, the Equinox isn't all that roomy either.

 

[trm2]

I am on my second gen 1 Volt (3 year lease ended, then purchased one) and we picked up a gen 2 for my wife. Both versions are nice heavy cars that are well planted and drive and handle well. The ride is much closer to that of a Buick (there is just something about how Buicks ride) than any other Chevy I've ever driven.

The Volt does lack space. We picked up a 2017 Equinox two months when they were giving them away on leases. It certainly has more space, but the engine is noisy and the ride is just OK. There is always a right tool for the job. If you can fit everything you need in a Volt, it is a great car for you and I don't think you will be disappointed. If you can't fit everything you need in a Volt, it probably isn't the right tool for you.

 

[BAZINGA]

I owned a 2016 Equinox LTZ and 2017 Volt. Needed both to satisfy our life style. But we discovered the 4 cyl Equinox was a dog on long highway trips with any significant elevation changes and more space, so we traded the 2016 Equinox in on a new 2017 GMC Acadia Denali and love it.

So like they say - buy the best tool(s) for the job. Good luck.

 

[llninja]

I rented an Equinox once for a spring break trip to New Orleans. It is definitely roomier than the volt, yet I keep hoping GM adds a Voltec Equinox or Subyukonade to their lineup. I'm starting to lose hope as I've begun looking at Silverados and Suburbans. Guaranteed, as soon as I pull the trigger on ice truck or SUV, an electrified one will appear.

 

[fishhawk]

.. Guaranteed, as soon as I pull the trigger on ice truck or SUV, an electrified one will appear.

Well, hurry up and buy that ice truck/SUV so I can get my Voltec Equinox sooner!

 

[brushmore]

I have a 2017 Volt and a 2017 Equinox. I drive the Volt but I leased the Equinox for my three teenagers to drive. It really all depends on what you are looking for. The Equinox has significantly more room for cargo and back seat passengers than the Volt. The four-cylinder in the Equinox is adequate for around town but doing things like merging on the highway you will be wishing for more. However, we have seen up to 31 mpg average on a tank in the Equinox on mixed driving which isn't bad for an "SUV".

When it comes to driving I'll take my Volt any day. I really enjoy my Volt. I only buy gas on interstate trips and the instant torque of the electric motor is fantastic in the typical around the town driving. My opinion is if you can live with the smaller interior space of the Volt get it!

 

[Sean-a-Tron]

As a daily driver, the Volt is a pretty comfortable car for what it is. It's hard to beat the quietness and smoothness of its propulsion system. Unlike the Prius, you can actually feel the road through the steering wheel (Not overpowered power steering), and it takes corners quite well.

As a cargo hauler... Not really that great. It's definitely more of a commuter car. It is more convenient than a sedan with the hatch back though. See if there's a Volt you can test drive, then try to fit your equipment in.

If a 230 mile range is acceptable, there's also the Bolt and it has a lot more space available.

 

[OoPEZoO]

I had an Equinox as a loaner for a few days while my Volt was in the shop last summer. My Wife's daily driver is an aging Grand Cherokee with a V-8 in it, so I was curious to see it the Equinox could be a potential replacement in the near future. Long story short, you couldn't pay me to drive that thing on a daily basis. It handled like garbage, was underpowered for its size, and on the highway (most of my driving) the 4-cylinder just reved like crazy or the transmission short shifted. It drove me nuts. I liked the interior size and extra room, but there is no way I could handle owning one.

When I turned it back in, the service manager asked what I thought of it. I told him that they needed to tighten up the suspension and put a Voltec drivetrain in one and I'd buy it in a second.

 

[llninja]

As a daily driver, the Volt is a pretty comfortable car for what it is. It's hard to beat the quietness and smoothness of its propulsion system. Unlike the Prius, you can actually feel the road through the steering wheel (Not overpowered power steering), and it takes corners quite well.

As a cargo hauler... Not really that great. It's definitely more of a commuter car. It is more convenient than a sedan with the hatch back though. See if there's a Volt you can test drive, then try to fit your equipment in.

If a 230 mile range is acceptable, there's also the Bolt and it has a lot more space available.

But as a hatchback, it's definitely more useful than a sedan

http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?148538-Volt-Trunk-Size&p=2069994#post2069994

 

[llninja]

Well, hurry up and buy that ice truck/SUV so I can get my Voltec Equinox sooner!

Started shopping last weekend

 

[fishhawk]

But as a hatchback, it's definitely more useful than a sedan

Yes, definitely true. Stuff I've hauled:
http://gm-volt.com/forum/showthread.php?286161-Amazing-things-I-ve-hauled-in-my-2011-Volt

 

[CurrentEvent]

I don't know much about drums, but I imagine you'd have to fold down the rear seats and fit the big pieces in right behind the front seats. One thing I am sure of: you'd look pretty good pulling in to drumming jobs in a gen 2 Volt.

 

[jcanoe]

How many miles do you typically drive per day?
Do you have a place where you could plug in a Volt at home or at work?
How often to you haul your drum set?
Do you often carry more than one passenger in addition to your drum set?

 

[alfon]

Our 2016 Volt has quite a lot of room with the rear seats folded down. My wife and I went camping and everything went in the rear with the seats folded down. More room than I would have imagined.

 

[srmarti]

My drummer used to fit his entire drum kit in his VW bug. Bass, double toms on the bass, snare, floor tom, high-hat, cymbals, etc.

 

[bjrosen]

If you are going to get a Volt get a new one not an old one. There is a $7500 Federal tax credit available that not available on a used car, don't know if your state also has a rebate, mine has a $2500 rebate. In addition the Gen2 is much better than the Gen1, 53 miles of battery range vs 37, a better ICE, Android Auto and Apple Car play (Android Auto is huge, I would never buy a car that didn't have it, Google's voice recognition works, the built in voice recognition is useless, Google Maps are vastly better than any built in nav, in fact GM recognizes this and they dropped built in navigation from the Bolt in favor of Android Auto and Apple Car Play only).

 

[jupitermoon]

Hello and thank you for admitting me to your group. i drive a 2008 Pontiac Torrent that needs a new rear wheel bearing, four rotors, and with 165k miles is getting iffy.

I thought i would replace it with a used low mileage Equinox, but drove one today and wasn't that thrilled. I am highly interested in an electric or hybrid / electric car, and love the GM ride. I realize it's a different class of vehicle and size... but I wondered if anyone had any comments on these two options.

It had hardly occurred to me I could look into a used low mileage Volt also. I would miss the truck height I suppose, but could give it up. Do you feel the Volt has that comfortable Buick / Chevy / GM feel when driving? I've always loved mine. I had a Buick before this. I guess I'm just looking for thoughts on this... would you buy the Volt again? Are you pleased with your decision? Thank you sincerely for any response.


p.s. I am a professional drummer, so would be filling it up pretty well with cargo in some cases I imagine. The truth is though, the Equinox isn't all that roomy either.

How much are you willing to spend? Being a drummer, you might need something a bit more upright and boxy to haul your equipment I'd imagine?

 

[Christopher12]

Thank you guys. Very thoughtful answers, and exactly the input I was looking for. I agree about the Equinox ride, esp the 4 cylinder. It felt very underpowered to me, that's just with my 140 pound body in it. Full of gear it would be a slug, I would imagine. I'm also pleased to see the Volt depreciates quite a bit, yet seems to hold up mechanically. I see tons of good reviews on youtube, and your own reports here.

The Volt I'm looking at is a white 2013 2013 Chevrolet Volt Premium FWD Premium 4dr Hatchback with 33k miles. The price is 15 thousand. Any thoughts on that deal?

Thank you guys again sincerely. Very helpful.

 

[AJDare]

I feel uniquely qualified to comment. As in the last week I've driven a 2007 Torrent with 119K, 2013 Equinox LTZ 62K miles and a 2015 Volt. The Equinox is slightly bigger than the Torrent, with a far smoother ride. Both are FWD only. Unlike others, I don't feel that the Equinox is under powered for most driving. When I need more power I just pop out of ECO mode.

I and my wife prefer to drive the Volt instead of the Equinox. It is her summer daily driver. In the winter she prefers the clearance of the Equinox. What she misses most when driving the Volt is the height. But she is fine with the lower seating of the Volt just so long as she isn't swapping between them constantly.

If your drums fit in the Volt then you will probably save money going with a used one. Even after the $7500 tax credit (IF YOU QUALIFY) and the Mass MOR-EV $2500 rebate. I haven't looked at prices for a used Equinox, but my guess is that given the same year and mileage the Volt will be substantially cheaper.

Good luck

 

[Dutch]

But we discovered the 4 cyl Equinox was a dog on long highway trips with any significant elevation changes

Yeah I can second this. Work has an Equinox and for around the site it's wonderful but if we have to go over the mountains I feel like I should get out and push, especially with two or more people and a decent load of tech gear.