GM Volt Forum banner

Part 1 of my first impressions of my new Bolt EV

4498 Views 17 Replies 7 Participants Last post by  Ladogaboy
Part 1 of my Bolt review:

Ok, here are my first impressions after driving my new Bolt EV for five days all over Fresno.

1. Ride: It has a softer, more refined feel over little road imperfections than the gen1 Volt. I can't compare it to the gen2 Volt, having never driven one. It also does a good job of absorbing larger bumps, especially considering it has a shorter wheelbase than the Volt. I have ridden in a Jeep, and felt like I was riding a bucking bronco, and while there is a hint of that on large bumps, the Bolt handles normal roads very well.

2 Handling: The oem LRR tires are understandingly less capable than today's available performance tires, but the body roll is very minimal, and short wheelbase and slightly narrower track seem to give the Bolt very good manners and it has pretty neutral handling,
with not too much of the push American cars are known for. It may do quite well as an autocross car, and I will be exploring this subject more this year, and will try to leave updates on this forum as I learn more.

3. Acceleration: Again, the oem LRR tires limit this, due to more torque available than those tires can handle in most conditions. This is not a bad thing, though, because any good set of performance tires will alleviate the problem. And, the traction control and stability control keep the situation manageable. The biggest difference between the Bolt and Volts is that the acceleration doesn't fade above 30 mph like the Volts do, which makes freeway on ramps, etc. a blast.

4. Regeneration: This is better than the Volt in all modes, 'nough
said.

End of part 1, more to come.......
1 - 2 of 18 Posts
Another thread is discussing whether the Bolt can start up all by itself and go into reverse. Maybe you can help answer some basic questions about the shifter actions.

1. If you reverse into a level parking spot, put it in Park without setting the parking brake and without pressing the P button, does the car roll backwards by itself after several minutes?

2. If you reverse into a level parking spot, put it in Park without setting the parking brake and without pressing the P button, does the car engage Park (as indicated on dash and/or the shifter light) all by itself if you open the driver's door?
I do not think you can put in park without pushing the Park Button, turning off the car (blue button) or opening the door while in N.
The owner's manual specifically has a step calling for pressing the park button after the shifter is returned to the park position. Hence the questions on what happens if you don't follow that step.
1 - 2 of 18 Posts
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top