[pasadena_commut]

Is it just me, or does that lowish mileage 2015 Volt that looked like a decent buy yesterday at $15K suddenly look about $3K too high???

Up until today I was seriously considering buying a used Volt. Now that GM has bailed on the current model and any future development that puts all the existing cars under an ominous shadow. Manufacturers generally provide pretty good support on older variants of models they currently sell, in large part I think because they hope some of those owners will eventually upgrade to a new car. Since that ship has now sailed, GM has a lot less motivation for providing the support that would keep those older Volts on the road. GM never did commit to a battery replacement price, and I'm thinking that as of today whatever they were going to charge (let's say in 2025) has now gone up, who knows how much. Assuming that they do not bail entirely on supplying replacement batteries for Gen 1 once the last of them have passed their warranty dates. (Also assuming that they survive the next economic downturn/gas price spike, after having gone over to a sales base consisting to the greatest extent possible of large gas guzzlers.) While there are third party batteries for NiMH packs I am a lot less sanguine about that possibility for big lithium ion packs, especially when the number of cars in question is not all that large. In short, that used Volt now looks like a more expensive prospect over the long term than it did 24 hours ago, so I would have to figure that into the purchase price.

In another thread somebody mentioned that GM doesn't make Corvairs any more and some of those are still on the roads. I don't think that is a very good analogy for the current situation, because having owned one, that was a much much simpler car. If push came to shove a good machine shop could make a replacement for most Corvair parts. That isn't at all the case for the complicated power electronics in the Volt.

 

[DMC5180]

Your major parts will continue to be supported, lesser parts like interior stuff will last until spares inventors are exhausted. Your drivetrain and suspension stuff will be supported with OEM and Third party sources. Batteries will also go into third party rebuilding once there is enough post warranty demand.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[DAC17]

This was a classic example of a time when leasing was the preferable route!

 

[emg77]

I've been through this before with a Saturn Astra... It really didn't take much of a hit. Bought for $18k new, drove for 9 years, sold for $3500. I got my money's worth. GM continued to support parts and I didn't have any issue getting anything for the car, even though it sold in much lower numbers than the Volt. (~12,000 total in the US and Canada).

Unless you plan to only drive something for a few years, you shouldn't worry about resale value. And if you are buying every couple years, it's probably better to just lease. The Volt warranty gives you a lot of protection for 8 years from the in service date for a used car.

I look at low resale value as something I should look at for a used car. And that's why I bought a 2014 Volt last year. I don't think it's still going to be on the road in 50 years, but I hope to get a solid 6 years out of it (after the 3 that the previously owner had). Even if it's worth nothing at the end because it needs an expensive battery replacement or something, I did OK.

 

[Sheldon]

Is it just me, or does that lowish mileage 2015 Volt that looked like a decent buy yesterday at $15K suddenly look about $3K too high???
...

reduced supply of Volt class PHEV's along with the end of the $7500 rebate would tend to increase prices on used Volts; or at the very least hold prices constant. There is demand out there.