[llninja]

Rented a car to drive from IL to Boston. I'm amazed that within 7 seconds after starting the Altima, the Bluetooth magically syncs and music streams exactly where I left off when shutting off the car. why can't the volt do this? When I start the volt, it usually defaults to FM and I have to do multiple button presses to get my phone to correctly stream.

On the flip side, with all the recent complaints about Bolt seats, I can definitively say the Altima seats are the worst. There's absolutely no lumbar support, little padding, and I'm going to need back surgery following this trip. For a high volume car, I can't imagine what they were thinking. The headrest doesn't tilt forcing you to sit in the hunchback position. 22 hours of driving was almost unbearable until I found a position that didn't hurt, riding with the seat reclined way back like a gangster.

 

[Qinsp]

So it's a 2013 Altima? Normally rentals are not more than 2 years old at most.

 

[Powered7]

Your 2017 Volt has sync issues, or do you have a Gen 1 model? If you're interested, you could write Chevrolet at https://www.chevrolet.com/contact/email-us.html.

 

[llninja]

Your 2017 Volt has sync issues, or do you have a Gen 1 model? If you're interested, you could write Chevrolet at https://www.chevrolet.com/contact/email-us.html.

I have a gen1 (in the signature). Knowing GM, there's no magical software update to the infotainment system in the works. A web submitted complaint won't do anything. I'll just live with the volt's quirks until I drive the wheels off and replace it with the next car, 10+ years down the road.

 

[Kraven]

I have a gen1 (in the signature)

As others have pointed out, your newer Altima rental and the G2 Volt both have this feature you are liking, can't compare tech on a newer vehicle to an older one.

 

[llninja]

So it's a 2013 Altima? Normally rentals are not more than 2 years old at most.

According to the key tag, it is a 2016. I'm somewhat amazed how big this car is compared to the gen1 Altima.

 

[Dutch]

Rented a car to drive from IL to Boston. I'm amazed that within 7 seconds after starting the Altima, the Bluetooth magically syncs and music streams exactly where I left off when shutting off the car. why can't the volt do this? When I start the volt, it usually defaults to FM and I have to do multiple button presses to get my phone to correctly stream.

Yeah, the one thing that I, as a computer tech, flinch about is a built-in, non-modular, entertainment system head since I'm painfully aware of how fast that technology ages. The Gen 1 Volt doesn't bother me too much since my comparison is either my 1997 Jeep Cherokee [with a circa 2011 radio head in it] or my wife's 2003 Mazda.

Altima seats are the worst. There's absolutely no lumbar support, little padding, and I'm going to need back surgery following this trip.

Amen, it seems like those seats were build for a 5'9" 150lb person.

 

[bnseaside]

I drive a Gen 1 2014 Volt and my music is on a memory stick which I leave plugged in all the time. The car starts the music right where it left off the last time I was in the car. Really love that I can play my own music and have it on random play. Cancelled XM and don't miss a thing. Great sound system.

 

[llninja]

Yeah, the one thing that I, as a computer tech, flinch about is a built-in, non-modular, entertainment system head since I'm painfully aware of how fast that technology ages. The Gen 1 Volt doesn't bother me too much since my comparison is either my 1997 Jeep Cherokee [with a circa 2011 radio head in it] or my wife's 2003 Mazda.

Amen, it seems like those seats were build for a 5'9" 150lb person.

My wife is 5'9" and she was the first to complain about how painful the seats were.

As for sound systems, the volt is by far the most technological that I own. The other cars have CD players and some even have cassette, but no aux plug, so FM transmitters were the norm

 

[llninja]

I drive a Gen 1 2014 Volt and my music is on a memory stick which I leave plugged in all the time. The car starts the music right where it left off the last time I was in the car. Really love that I can play my own music and have it on random play. Cancelled XM and don't miss a thing. Great sound system.

I listen to podcasts, Spotify, and Pandora as I really don't like the user interface that the USB drive has (i cant figure out how to shuffle just a genre or just an artist). Plus if you put everything you own on a USB stick it takes forever to index. Even a 30GB iPod doesn't work very well with the volt's infotainment system when plugged into USB. I find it's better to use a cigarette adapter for power and plug in the aux cable.

 

[Fyodor]

Just wondering: Why didn't you drive the Volt to Boston?

 

[saghost]

I actually expected this thread to be about the lack of power/acceleration, the annoying gear shifting, and that weird noise and vibration that seems to happen while the car is sitting waiting to move on the Nissan...

 

[llninja]

Just wondering: Why didn't you drive the Volt to Boston?

The same reason we dont drive the volt anywhere out of town, we needed space for 3 plus luggage, and a bunch of Christmas gifts. We filled the trunk and half of the back seat with extra stuff. There was no way to squeeze all this into the volt. If only they put the Voltec into an Impala or didn't overprice the CT6 PHEV....

 

[Fyodor]

The same reason we dont drive the volt anywhere out of town, we needed space for 3 plus luggage, and a bunch of Christmas gifts. We filled the trunk and half of the back seat with extra stuff. There was no way to squeeze all this into the volt. If only they put the Voltec into an Impala or didn't overprice the CT6 PHEV....

Now that's a Volt rant I can understand.

Enjoy your Christmas with the family - I think it is your daughter you are visiting? - and the East Coast. I'd be out walking on a beach somewhere if I was home.

 

[llninja]

Now that's a Volt rant I can understand.

Enjoy your Christmas with the family - I think it is your daughter you are visiting? - and the East Coast. I'd be out walking on a beach somewhere if I was home.

Yes, we are visiting the middle daughter. The plans are to head north for snow tubing and skiing, and maybe some ice skating. A new rant is that it's cheaper to rent a car for 2 weeks than it is to rent a car for 2 days, drop it off, pick up another car, and take it back. The car rental companies really shaft it to you for 2 one-way rentals. So the car sits parked for most of the vacation while we drive her Subaru around.

 

[llninja]

I actually expected this thread to be about the lack of power/acceleration, the annoying gear shifting, and that weird noise and vibration that seems to happen while the car is sitting waiting to move on the Nissan...

Well, with the volt, I get noise and vibration after the first 38 miles, so over two thousand miles of ICE if I took it on this trip. the suburban would have been more spacious, but a killer on the fuel costs. The CTS probably would have fit everything, but I figured a rental would be better, especially to avoid putting all those miles on the old car.

 

[linkim]

This may be a dumb question, but can you rent a car in the winter that has snow tires? Have never rented a car in the winter.

 

[llninja]

This may be a dumb question, but can you rent a car in the winter that has snow tires? Have never rented a car in the winter.

I'm pretty sure nearly all car rentals have the all-season radials that come standard with the car. If course if you rent a Jeep or a pickup, you might more aggressive tires. But maybe in Canada or Michigan/Wisconsin/Minnesota...

 

[Fyodor]

This may be a dumb question, but can you rent a car in the winter that has snow tires? Have never rented a car in the winter.

You can here, for an extra charge. I believe in Quebec it's the only way you can get a car in the winter.

 

[llninja]

You can here, for an extra charge. I believe in Quebec it's the only way you can get a car in the winter.

Luckily, the weather is relatively warm in Boston with no snow forecasted for the next few weeks, so no snow tires needed.