[bro1999]

So no, this post isn't gonna be about how great the "5th seating position" is to transport 5 adults long distances....as that would still probably be torture for the 3 people in the back (unless they are all small people).

But I've found the 5th seat to be very handy in the 5 months I've had the '17 (I also have a 2012).

First off, I would not have even leased the '17 if it did not have the 5th seat. A requirement is that one of my cars absolutely needs to be able to transport 5 people (legally). Otherwise, I would probably have some cheaply leased gasser in the driveway at the moment.

On a couple of occasions, I had my brother in law come to town to visit. No problem having one of the kids sit in the middle seat while he sat in one of the flanking seats (with the other kid on the other side).

Oh wait, we need to do a favor for a friend and drop one of their kids somewhere? No prob! Plop them in the middle and away the 5 of us go.

My wife's friend (and her kid) from overseas visited our area during the summer. Piling the 3 kids in the back allowed them to drive together in the '17 without any issues. No complaints from the kids either.

So yeah, road tripping in a '17 with 5 adults in tow is out of the question, but for local travel, that 5th seat comes in handy! And makes taxiing 3 kids at a time possible.

 

[Qinsp]

We have used the 5 passenger mode a few times. It really helps in a pinch. Once was me and 4 High School Seniors going to an event 100 miles away. Worked fine. Shortest in the center, tallest in the two fronts.

 

[mike100]

May as well make it legal even if the 5th seat isn't preferred. I have personally ridden 3-up in a corvette before and a friend of mine had a similar tale of riding to Los Angeles with 3 people in an mr2. People will clown-car given the opportunity.

 

[JD4JC]

This thread "spilled the beans" on Chevy's factory hint on how a male passenger can find more comfort in the "fifth seat"!

 

[bro1999]

While the extra seat is a great improvement, this statement is absurd.
I am glad it has worked out for you, the way GM intended

How is it absurd? Especially since it's a personal requirement?

If I picked up say a used Gen 1 Volt instead of the Gen 2, I would need to rent a car (or drive both Volts around) every time I wanted to transport 5 people at a time. In my case, that would be equal to about at least a couple dozen car rentals in the past 5 months. THAT would have been absurd.

 

[Steverino]

Yes, the 5th seat was GM's response to people who wanted it for a kid. For that purpose, it seems to meet the need. I don't think it was ever intended for an adult except in some sort of dire emergency and then for only a short trip.

 

[BAZINGA]

I used it for the first time last week when my wife and I had to pick up our SIL, daughter and granddaughter at STL IAP. Usually we took our Equinox, this time we took the Volt.

4 adults, a car seat and all their luggage fit nicely into our 2017 Volt. We made the 56 mile r/t drive all on the battery and everyone was happy.

 

[16513]

Joe, do you have a problem? Your posts are very illogical. Let it go.

 

[khalfyard]

The '5th Seat' was the primary reason why I bought a 2017 Volt (at a premium cost) instead of a Used 2013-2015 Volt.

We have a family of four, but very often we have a 5th person in the car, for short trips (<10 miles) that still may occur when we are not at home. As the VOLT would be our primary long distance car (trips to cottage, etc. etc.), my wife would not permit a four seat car, under any circumstances. We have received zero complaints about the fifth seat, albeit it is mostly children in the back, rarely 3 adults.

 

[bro1999]

Perhaps in the old Soviet Union.....

Here in north america, we buy the proper vehicle to best suit our needs overall.

You aren't really making much sense.

A 5 seat Volt fits 98% of my driving needs, while a 4 seat Gen 1 would cover maybe 95%. I need one of my cars to have 5 seats, so I got a '17. Again, what is absurd?

 

[linkim]

You aren't really making much sense.

A 5 seat Volt fits 98% of my driving needs, while a 4 seat Gen 1 would cover maybe 95%. I need one of my cars to have 5 seats, so I got a '17. Again, what is absurd?

The 5th seat is used occasionally to drive a friend of our grandkids. I would not have bot the Gen2 without it. My Leaf has 5 seats but has a degraded battery so range-limited. so Volt is the go-to car for longer trips. I have never ridden in the 5th seat but would if the options were walking or taking public transit.

 

[Joe67]

You aren't really making much sense.

A 5 seat Volt fits 98% of my driving needs, while a 4 seat Gen 1 would cover maybe 95%. I need one of my cars to have 5 seats, so I got a '17. Again, what is absurd?

As I re-read my reply. I mis-read your initial post regading the issue. I read it initally as it should be a legal requirement to have a 5th seat LOL. My miss - moving on slowly down the hall

it's great that it works for you and you bought the vehicle.