[Milenkod]

I put a down payment to hold a Volt that the dealer is trying to get from a sister dealership. If all goes well, I'll pick her up for 0% 60mos on Friday...fingers crossed.

In the meantime, can the forum clarify a few questions?

1. During the dealer demo, he showed me that he could use his Volt iPhone app to unlock the car, track it etc. Does that require a subscription to OnStar? And speaking of OnStar, what will it do for me and how much does it cost?

2. "D"rive and "L"ow. What's the difference in the Volt and why would I use one over the other...and when?

3. Is it dumb to buy the Premiere model now with Memorial Day around the corner and the 2018's coming soon? On other Volt forums, they were seeing 20% off MSRP when the 2017's were rolling in which would be about $2500 more off than I negotiated. But I guess that wouldn't apply necessarily to the Premier? Yes or No?

Thanks

 

[telveer]

1. New Volts come with 6 months of OnStar Guidance Plan (though some users maned to snag 3 years) and 5 years of Basic Plan. Basic Plan is enough to Lock/Unlock the vehicle but tracking required guidance plan, which costs about $35 per month after the free trial. Most people get steep discounts if they let the plan lapse and then renew. More info at https://www.onstar.com/us/en/plans-pricing.html

2. Driving in L regenerates more aggressively when you let go of the accelerator. Driving in D behaves more like a traditional automatic transmission vehicle. Using a combination of L and the Regen-on-Demand paddle on the steering wheel, you could potentially drive one-pedal for the most part, without having to press the brake. I find that driving carefully in D carefully is the most efficient but L may be useful in heavy local traffic as you can avoid the hassle of frequently switching between the accelerator and brake. I fund that regen on demand paddle is more prominent when driving in D.

3. Prices usually always come down. Buying the car you like when you really "need" it is not dumb. But if you could have waited, it will likely be cheaper in a few months. June/July is when you get the best choices and deals ... and then the new MY kick in

 

[Mister Dave]

2. "D"rive and "L"ow. What's the difference in the Volt and why would I use one over the other...and when?

The manual has recommendations, like stop and go traffic or downhill roads where L really shines.

I like to use both. I usually drive in D but switch to L when a sudden red light pops up, or I'm about to do a corner a little faster than grandma. Sometimes when no one is behind me I hit L coming up on a red light just 'cuz. They gave me a shifter and I use it.

 

[llninja]

One more thing about L vs. D. You can drive in L all the way up to the vehicle's speed limit. Don't do that in a regular car.

As for prices, it's anyone's guess, but it's also frustrating to spend so much money then give yourself a dope slap later because you saw someone else get a better deal. It all depends on how badly you need or want the car. Not to throw a wet blanket on your deal but I stumbled onto the deal of the decade when I bought my volt. I got a $44k MSRP premium for $21k after all the incentives, rebates, and tax credit came in. The dealership would not give me 0% financing as they claimed they would have had to drop some of the GM rebates to get 0%. So you might want to check to see if there is some other deal that could be added to your incentives that might mathematically work better even with a higher percentage rate. Often people are paying close to MSRP to qualify for 0%. Part of it is you credit score, themother part is how muchnkarging they are making off of you.

Finally, I think the best time to buy a 2017 is in 2018 if there are any left at that time. If you can possibly wait until 2018, the attention will be on the bolt, model 3, and whatever else arrives on the EV landscape. Gm will have to toss in some rebates to keep the factory moving. That's when you will see unheard of low pricing.

So if you really want this car now, buy it, then stop shopping for a better deal as it will only frustrate you. Just enjoy your new purchase.

 

[Bacardi]

You should fight for 15% off MSRP before any incentives...Incentives generally change month to month, yet there could be extra "bonus tags" released around holiday weekends...Last year the great 20% off sale was in July...

 

[Milenkod]

You should fight for 15% off MSRP before any incentives...Incentives generally change month to month, yet there could be extra "bonus tags" released around holiday weekends...Last year the great 20% off sale was in July...

Do you recall if that was limited to LT models or Premier as well?

 

[Bacardi]

Do you recall if that was limited to LT models or Premier as well?

It was originally advertised as 20% cash back on the Volt Premier but we determine it was LTs as well...All I can say is I would take a Vegas bet there will be another big discount for the model year end, right now for May all Malibu's including the Hybrids are 20% cash back...

 

[Milenkod]

....right now for May all Malibu's including the Hybrids are 20% cash back...

but that doesn't include the Volt, correct?

 

[Bacardi]

but that doesn't include the Volt, correct?

Correct as in the sentence you quoted no where did I say "Volt"...Best guess is it will be July, but I'm just a person on the internet...

 

[DonC]

On pricing, I think you always want a fair deal at the time you're buying. If you worry about timing you can drive yourself crazy. There will always be someone who gets a better deal and there will always be a better time to buy. GM runs a lot of programs, many of which only affect some models and some only certain cars. Having said that, you get better deals when the next MY comes out and you can get better deals if you're willing to be more flexible on options and colors. Look at cars.com and see what you can find. That should give you a decent idea of the market.

Your OnStar question is somewhat complicated. Comprising a number of features, OnStar isn't one thing. AFAIK your car comes with Basic OnStar for five years. That would include Remote Access. However, Location Services is always an add-on (it might be free for six months). You might want to check out the OnStar web site and compare the plans. I've always thought the features and pricing are confusing so you may need to spend a little time going through all the options.

Oh, yes, don't buy the extended service plan. You can get this later and you can shop nationwide.

Do you recall if that was limited to LT models or Premier as well?

Generally they would both be covered. Keep in mind that history doesn't necessarily repeat itself in this area. You can generally count on discounts when the new model year is out, but that's about all. (And note these "discounts" are generally reflected in a lower resale price so what you gain on the front end you can lose on the back end). It all depends on the supply situation for the model and, in the case of the Volt, how many CAFE and ZEV credits GM needs. Again, best to look at cars.com for the inventory situation. For example, in SoCal dealers don't seem to have nearly as many Volts as Bolt EVs (not to mention Malibus). Within 250 miles of my zipcode there are 2160 Bolt EVs in inventory and 630 Volts. Given the Volt is outselling the Bolt EV I wouldn't assume a fire sale on Volts.

 

[TSquare]

1. During the dealer demo, he showed me that he could use his Volt iPhone app to unlock the car, track it etc. Does that require a subscription to OnStar? And speaking of OnStar, what will it do for me and how much does it cost?

Once my free trial expires, I switch to the the $20/month Protection Plan. It gives you full access to the Onstar and the MyChevrolet Remote Apps that includes remote start, lock/unlock, and location. It gives you the Emergency Response Protection that Onstar is famous for. With the minimum plan, you don't get navigation (I have a gps and Android Auto for that) and if your car is stolen, Onstar will not call the police and deactivate the car for them. But, with the app, I can call the police myself and show them where the car is located.
Also, if you are waiting for a better "deal", you will never buy. If it looks like a good deal "now", just do it.

 

[Milenkod]

Once my free trial expires, I switch to the the $20/month Protection Plan. It gives you full access to the Onstar and the MyChevrolet Remote Apps that includes remote start, lock/unlock, and location.

Looks like OnStar Basic that is included at no-cost will do everything I need: "Remote start, lock and unlock your vehicle, all from your compatible smartphone using your vehicle’s mobile app."

 

[canehdian]

Looks like OnStar Basic that is included at no-cost will do everything I need: "Remote start, lock and unlock your vehicle, all from your compatible smartphone using your vehicle’s mobile app."

Correct. Basic is included for 5 years from purchase date for all vehicles since 2014.

 

[llninja]

Correct. Basic is included for 5 years from purchase date for all vehicles since 2014.

Strangely enough, my gen1 volt had 3 years of their full service free, then when that expired, I switched to basic, and it expires in 5 years. So I'm good until october 2021. With any luck, by then I'll be retired and driving a dream vehicle or two.

 

[Fourdoors]

I actually got a better lease deal on my Volt in December than I did in July when I first shopped last year. So it all depends. If you get a deal you're happy with now, I say go for it. You won't regret getting a Volt.

 

[llninja]

On pricing, I think you always want a fair deal at the time you're buying.

Oh, yes, don't buy the extended service plan. You can get this later and you can shop nationwide.

I disagree. You always want the deal of the decade when buying a car, not just a fair deal.

And never buy and extended service plan. Mathematically you are better off putting the money spend on an extended warranty into the bank and using that for car repairs. That's exactly how insurance works. They pool the money from many people and compute the rate to be enough to make hefty profits on average. It's amazing how many companies will call you and mail you letters and post cards to try to sell you an extended warranty. It's a huge business, second to leasing and financing to the industry.

You are better off siphoning a percentage from your hard earned money into an emergency fund, to self insure and use this money for any emergency... flat tire, car repair, house plumbing, appliance replacement, etc.

When I bought my volt, the dealer extended warranty was going to cost about $3800. I knew that was pricey, and I have yet to spend anywhere near that on repairs that would have been covered had I purchased the warranty. Sure that $3800 might mean peace of mind to some of you, but the $30k I have sitting in a bank account not earning hardly anything is my peace of mind. I can total the car and not even blink to get a replacement. That $30k was obtained by making a lifetime of choices to not waste money on gimmicks like extended warranties, whole life insurance, leases, or vehicle financing.

 

[canehdian]

Strangely enough, my gen1 volt had 3 years of their full service free, then when that expired, I switched to basic, and it expires in 5 years. So I'm good until october 2021. With any luck, by then I'll be retired and driving a dream vehicle or two.

Yeah, some people got good timing with the intro of the basic plan and got extended, even if not included from day 1.
For example, everyone in Canada got 5 years basic from the date of onstar module upgrade in 2015 or so.
Basically everyone with a 2012+ that still had service in 2015 and did the upgrade received basic through to 2020.
There was also a thread on here that you could just call up and ask and get 3 years without hassle.

But officially 2014 was when they started including 5 years of keyfob access (now basic plan) with all vehicles sold

 

[Milenkod]

I disagree. You always want the deal of the decade when buying a car, not just a fair deal.

I had a better deal on another Volt at another dealership 50 miles away but wouldn't trade with my local dealer. I ended up getting another more equipped Volt wiht the tri-coat paint but I felt that the deal wasn't the best. My wife 'pressured' me to just do it....I think she was beat-up over my back-and-forth with the sale manager. Im not dissatisfied with the car...love it...just disappointed in myself that i didn't win the "best deal" negotiation in my mind. Oh well...I did get $5k off of MSRP in the end.

And never buy and extended service plan.

I bought a sev warranty on my CPO BMW 15 years ago...paid off 5-fold...but based on the satisfaction rate and reliability ratings of the Volt, I didn't see any need need to consider it. The finance guy said he didn't even bother offering that to me because he was witness to my negotiating with the sales manager...told me he know that there'd be no convincing me ...haha...guess im kind of a an a-h0le to negotiate with

 

[llninja]

I had a better deal on another Volt at another dealership 50 miles away but wouldn't trade with my local dealer. I ended up getting another more equipped Volt wiht the tri-coat paint but I felt that the deal wasn't the best. My wife 'pressured' me to just do it....I think she was beat-up over my back-and-forth with the sale manager. Im not dissatisfied with the car...love it...just disappointed in myself that i didn't win the "best deal" negotiation in my mind. Oh well...I did get $5k off of MSRP in the end.



I bought a sev warranty on my CPO BMW 15 years ago...paid off 5-fold...but based on the satisfaction rate and reliability ratings of the Volt, I didn't see any need need to consider it. The finance guy said he didn't even bother offering that to me because he was witness to my negotiating with the sales manager...told me he know that there'd be no convincing me ...haha...guess im kind of a an a-h0le to negotiate with

You're not an a-hole, but a ferengi. $5k off MSRP? I guess that's ok. My deal was $23k off MSRP with state and fed incentives included ($11.5K off before incentives, plus dealer paid $2.6k in state sax for me. That was the deal of the decade that will be difficult if not impossible to repeat.

 

[Milenkod]

You're not an a-hole, but a ferengi. $5k off MSRP? I guess that's ok. My deal was $23k off MSRP with state and fed incentives included ($11.5K off before incentives, plus dealer paid $2.6k in state sax for me. That was the deal of the decade that will be difficult if not impossible to repeat.

Geez...now that I see your deal, I feel worse...thanks.
No kidding, you got a great deal. My fed/state incentives come at the end of the year...they are not rolled into the cost of the car in CA unless it's a lease. Combined, I get back $9k...so $14k in overall saving you can say.