Quick Volt questions if you don't mind

3923 Views 58 Replies 21 Participants Last post by photonburst, Aug 19, 2017

bcsteeve

Discussion Starter · Jul 29, 2017

I'm sorry I haven't read through to see where the appropriate place to post might be. I feel in "crisis mode" - although I have to laugh at myself (first world problems).

I had my heart set on a Tesla Model 3. So much so that I pretty much ignored or dismissed other possibilities. The big 'reveal' was tonight and I was sorely disappointed. I remember the Volt was probably my #2 choice (although distant). I'm wondering if you wouldn't mind providing some insight that I can't really look up with facts and figures.

#1 - I live in a mountainous region. Long steep grades (8.5% - so not insane, but significant) and high speeds (120kph / 75mph). When the electric range is used up, how is this thing in the hills? I drive a Honda Fit now and it is woefully underpowered and I often can't hold the speed limit. More bothersome, however, is how bloody loud it is from the engine noise. That's a main reason I wanted a BEV.

#2 - It is listed as having a tiny 10.5 cubic foot cargo space... surely it isn't really that little, is it? When the seats are folded, etc... can you make a trip to Costco of any significance? Or is it as useless in that regard as the specs indicate?

#3 - How is it for tall guys? I'm 6'4, mostly in the legs. For anyone that's driven a Honda Fit... that's about as tight as I can go. I wouldn't call it comfortable, but I manage.

#4 - One problem with the Fit is that my kid... er... no longer "fits" (pun avoided as best as I could). He's 5 and still in a child seat and he's getting cramped. Again, can anyone relate to the Fit?

I'm really hoping someone's got experience with both the Volt and the Fit and can advise if I'm looking at a significant upgrade or not.

Thanks so much.

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NickHark

· #7 · Jul 29, 2017

bcsteeve said:
#1 - I live in a mountainous region. Long steep grades (8.5% - so not insane, but significant) and high speeds (120kph / 75mph). When the electric range is used up, how is this thing in the hills? I drive a Honda Fit now and it is woefully underpowered and I often can't hold the speed limit. More bothersome, however, is how bloody loud it is from the engine noise. That's a main reason I wanted a BEV.

#2 - It is listed as having a tiny 10.5 cubic foot cargo space... surely it isn't really that little, is it? When the seats are folded, etc... can you make a trip to Costco of any significance? Or is it as useless in that regard as the specs indicate?

I have driven both of our volts to Las Vegas and back to San Jose six times, a 1000 mile round trip. The journey requires us to transverse 2+ mountain ranges. We do not recharge the Volt during the trip so it is essentially all gas. Sometimes I will drive over the mountains and I will twiddle with mountain mode. Sometimes my wife drives over the mountains and does not twiddle, she just drives.

We have noticed no power loss driving 70+ mph on cruise control over the mountains except when you want to put your foot in it to pass a slow moving "PIUS". It works a lot better when you are in mountain mode and you have the ability to give it a shot of electricity especially at 4000' elevation. So I have gotten in the habit of driving in mountain mode if I am going to consume all of my electricity on every trip.

I think the genius of MM is that if you deplete your traction battery (ie. forget to engage MM when you have the juice), if you engage it 10-20 minutes before you "need" it, it will be charged to the ~20% and be held there.

Needless to say, the cargo space is manageable, like for example, on these long trips we usually take a big ice chest, clothes and food for two, plus my golf clubs.

I'm adding a spare tire to the mix because we probably should have one during our trips through the Mojave desert.

I'm convinced that the cargo space we lose because of the tire, is not that big a deal.

Test drive one on a freeway; put in "Hold" mode, to force it to operate solely on gas. I am sure you will be surprised how much power the car has.

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