Wanted an LT but opted for an LTZ with D1 & D2 - Glad I upgraded - 1st impressions
This week has been really crazy for me but now that I have time and a couple days of driving time with my new car, I thought I’d share some of my first impressions about my new 2016 Chevy Volt (pics below).
Originally I wanted an LT with upgraded rims but later opted for a Blue LTZ with D1 & D2 pkg. After driving a few days, I have to say that I made the right choice by bumping up in trim level. Here are some of my impressions.
Styling: I have to say I really love the looks of the Gen2. The metallic blue looks phenomenal; pictures just don’t do it justice. All the smooth curves help make this look refined. The rear is probably my favorite, the blue vs the black trim and the taillight styling with a little wrap around to the side. At my work, I’ve had people give lots of great feedback on the looks. Words like gorgeous, beautiful, nice.
Inside Dash Layout: The layout of the dash and buttons on the wheel are very intuitive. Everything seems well laid out and I like the fact that I can navigate many of the frequently used features on the steering wheel instead of having to use only the 8inch screen. That way it does keep my hand on the wheel 95% of the time. The Favorites buttons on the right side steering wheel for skipping radio stations are not in great spot for me and work only about 90% of the time for me because you have to do a firm long push to get 100% success.
Driving Comfort: The leather seats and padding are great. I drive about 30-45 minutes each direction for my commute and I have not felt any fatigue or discomfort. You can raise or lower the seats with the pumping handle to make slight adjustment. The telescoping steering wheel found a nice comfortable position from my 5’10” frame. Armrest is not too high for me, and I can comfortably put my elbow down on it and comfortably drive my commute.
Driving: This my first EV and the words that come to mind is silky smooth. It is truly a quiet cocoon allowing for a peaceful, comfortable driving experience. The suspension is smooth and can handle the slightly bumpy roads where I live with little feedback in the car. I live in the foothills of Sacramento where there are numerous windy roads, and it handles corners very nicely. The car can accelerate quickly and immediately. Where I live, I have a one left turn I have to make onto 45 mph traffic and this car has not hesitation and gets me safely in the flow of traffic.
Driving Safety Features: When I bought this car I didn’t think I would like or need the D1 & D2 confidence packages, but I was mistaken. These safety features, I have grown to appreciate. The Lane Assist alerted of a few drifts that I was not aware were happening and the front collision alert might have already helped me avoid a close call in bumper to bumper traffic. The blind side alert is helpful on straight freeways but on gradual curves it seems to miss some traffic completely, so I’ll still be looking over my shoulder and obviously using the mirrors. Although, I will never let the car park itself for me. If you’re on the fence between an LT or LTZ with these features, then I’d spend the extra cash and if you buy before Nov. 2 in California, then you get the $2k off (see rebates and incentives thread).
EV mileage: So far I’ve got about 58 miles of range from my foothills home. Every morning, I drive 30 miles while dropping about 1300 ft in elevation. My first day of driving to work, I found that after driving 30 miles, I still had 70% of my battery available. I thought to myself I’m in great shape to make it home the other 30 miles. We’ll on my drive back home I made it about 2 miles short of home, so the elevation climb used a lot more than I thought but above the 53 EV miles stated on the sticker by the EPA. This will be a game that I will be playing on a daily basis, can I make it home on one charge?
Battery Charging: Overnight charging on a standard 110/120 outlet is not practical if you plan on depleting the battery every day. My first night I charged for about 13.5 hours and was only at 80%, so if someone plans on depleting the battery everyday then you’ll need probably ~16 hours to charge or you’ll have to bump up to an L2 charger unless you can charge at work.
Coolness Factor: I have had LOTS of great comment at work about how they love the look of the car and how they need something like this. I’ve got a few nods from Gen1 people passing by on the freeway (until I get my stickers). But this story is the best. I have two sons, 15 and 13 years old. My oldest is infatuated with super cars and sports cars (typical teenager), when he heasr I might me getting a new Volt he thought I was getting the old styling. For the last month or two, he’d say "look Dad a Mustang for $25k" or "look dad Tesla is coming out with a model 3 version" (anything but a Volt). When he saw the color and styling and all the cool tech not to mention the blue accent lighting, now he can’t stop talking about it. Yesterday, I had to drive both boys to school and I asked which car you want me to drive. The Volt! And can you drop me off in front of the high school instead of on the side =). Gotta enjoy these days when you can.
Overall, I’m very satisfied with every aspect of my purchase. The last two items I need to do is upgrade to an L2 charger (probably this weekend) and will be doing the 3M ceramic window tint in the next week or two.
This week has been really crazy for me but now that I have time and a couple days of driving time with my new car, I thought I’d share some of my first impressions about my new 2016 Chevy Volt (pics below).
Originally I wanted an LT with upgraded rims but later opted for a Blue LTZ with D1 & D2 pkg. After driving a few days, I have to say that I made the right choice by bumping up in trim level. Here are some of my impressions.
Styling: I have to say I really love the looks of the Gen2. The metallic blue looks phenomenal; pictures just don’t do it justice. All the smooth curves help make this look refined. The rear is probably my favorite, the blue vs the black trim and the taillight styling with a little wrap around to the side. At my work, I’ve had people give lots of great feedback on the looks. Words like gorgeous, beautiful, nice.
Inside Dash Layout: The layout of the dash and buttons on the wheel are very intuitive. Everything seems well laid out and I like the fact that I can navigate many of the frequently used features on the steering wheel instead of having to use only the 8inch screen. That way it does keep my hand on the wheel 95% of the time. The Favorites buttons on the right side steering wheel for skipping radio stations are not in great spot for me and work only about 90% of the time for me because you have to do a firm long push to get 100% success.
Driving Comfort: The leather seats and padding are great. I drive about 30-45 minutes each direction for my commute and I have not felt any fatigue or discomfort. You can raise or lower the seats with the pumping handle to make slight adjustment. The telescoping steering wheel found a nice comfortable position from my 5’10” frame. Armrest is not too high for me, and I can comfortably put my elbow down on it and comfortably drive my commute.
Driving: This my first EV and the words that come to mind is silky smooth. It is truly a quiet cocoon allowing for a peaceful, comfortable driving experience. The suspension is smooth and can handle the slightly bumpy roads where I live with little feedback in the car. I live in the foothills of Sacramento where there are numerous windy roads, and it handles corners very nicely. The car can accelerate quickly and immediately. Where I live, I have a one left turn I have to make onto 45 mph traffic and this car has not hesitation and gets me safely in the flow of traffic.
Driving Safety Features: When I bought this car I didn’t think I would like or need the D1 & D2 confidence packages, but I was mistaken. These safety features, I have grown to appreciate. The Lane Assist alerted of a few drifts that I was not aware were happening and the front collision alert might have already helped me avoid a close call in bumper to bumper traffic. The blind side alert is helpful on straight freeways but on gradual curves it seems to miss some traffic completely, so I’ll still be looking over my shoulder and obviously using the mirrors. Although, I will never let the car park itself for me. If you’re on the fence between an LT or LTZ with these features, then I’d spend the extra cash and if you buy before Nov. 2 in California, then you get the $2k off (see rebates and incentives thread).
EV mileage: So far I’ve got about 58 miles of range from my foothills home. Every morning, I drive 30 miles while dropping about 1300 ft in elevation. My first day of driving to work, I found that after driving 30 miles, I still had 70% of my battery available. I thought to myself I’m in great shape to make it home the other 30 miles. We’ll on my drive back home I made it about 2 miles short of home, so the elevation climb used a lot more than I thought but above the 53 EV miles stated on the sticker by the EPA. This will be a game that I will be playing on a daily basis, can I make it home on one charge?
Battery Charging: Overnight charging on a standard 110/120 outlet is not practical if you plan on depleting the battery every day. My first night I charged for about 13.5 hours and was only at 80%, so if someone plans on depleting the battery everyday then you’ll need probably ~16 hours to charge or you’ll have to bump up to an L2 charger unless you can charge at work.
Coolness Factor: I have had LOTS of great comment at work about how they love the look of the car and how they need something like this. I’ve got a few nods from Gen1 people passing by on the freeway (until I get my stickers). But this story is the best. I have two sons, 15 and 13 years old. My oldest is infatuated with super cars and sports cars (typical teenager), when he heasr I might me getting a new Volt he thought I was getting the old styling. For the last month or two, he’d say "look Dad a Mustang for $25k" or "look dad Tesla is coming out with a model 3 version" (anything but a Volt). When he saw the color and styling and all the cool tech not to mention the blue accent lighting, now he can’t stop talking about it. Yesterday, I had to drive both boys to school and I asked which car you want me to drive. The Volt! And can you drop me off in front of the high school instead of on the side =). Gotta enjoy these days when you can.
Overall, I’m very satisfied with every aspect of my purchase. The last two items I need to do is upgrade to an L2 charger (probably this weekend) and will be doing the 3M ceramic window tint in the next week or two.