Quote:
Originally Posted by W///
Wow that escalated quick, congrats. Can't really beat that price to experiment with. Look forward to your feedback as you use it. I think in your case, PHEV makes more sense since you have a long commute.
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Actually, I've been thinking about this for a while.
Before I decided to buy my Tahoe, gas was less then $2 a gallon. This is my 4th new Tahoe since 2000. I bought all of them with GM discount and when it came time to sell, they always held their value especially when fuel price was cheap. I either made money or break even after driving it for a couple of years. Then came the gas price hike and I couldn't give it away.
I still love the Tahoe but fuel price continues to climb and will likely reach $3 this summer. Now the vehicle will be used for weekends and vacation. Both of which it's well suited.
I did go into the dealer with an open mind and I was test driving a few vehicles they have on the lot.
The list included a Honda Clarity PHEV which to me felt like an old man's car. It was maroon metallic with tan Alcantra dash. It drove like an old Buick and the ICE sounded like it was a Harbor Freight generator. The Honda was much more expensive too but it looked much better in picture than in person.
The second car I drove was the Chevy Volt. I always like the look of the Volt especially the 1st gen concept car. But I was disappointed when it came to production. It wasn't near the looks of the prototype. Then come to find out the enormous price tag. When 2nd gen came around, it was still very expensive for the size and the technical spec. This car was never even on my radar for something to watch for. It didn't have a charge and the salesperson didn't explain much about the car. I press the accelerator while in park and absolutely nothing happened. Then after a while the ICE came to life and again I pressed the pedal --- still nothing. I actually push the start/stop button twice thinking it was still off. Which brought up the start up screen. There wasn't much of a sensation that it was even able to drive. But I put it in gear anyway and took off. By this time there was very little electric miles left so I only got to experience the EV driving while under 30 MPH. The ICE did kick in but didn't really make any sound like it was idling while going 60MPH. I was impressed with the handling and very impressed with the ride quality. It was a lot more isolated than my Hyundai Ioniq. The Volt was pretty laid back at 75MPH too. The interior was quite pleasant but very tight in the back. They should have just called it a 4 seater instead of trying to sneak in that 5th seat belt.
Lastly, I drove the Chevy Bolt. I like the airy feel of the interior but not too keen on the fit/finish and material choice. From the outside it looked like a car for the 20 year old crowd. The one I drove was bright blue metallic. The interior looks like it was designed for a 16 year old girl -- Pearly white sparkle dash with pearl white trim. Real fancy.
Then I hit the accelerator pedal and WOW!
The tires were spinning and chirping from the stop light. Then you hear that electric motor whirl and it throws you back in the seat. This pseudo crossover was a blast for driving through the neighborhood streets. There was about 150 miles charge on the gauge but my 15 minutes of spirited driving took it down to 100 miles range in 20 minutes and I know I didn't drive 50 miles in 20 minutes. After I drove until the gauge said 75 miles to empty, it was time to return to the dealership.
I was debating the range and charge port arrangement for quite some time. I ended up picking the volt based on looks and practicality alone. The all electric Bolt 200HP electric motor was intoxicating but the rest of the car was just too cutesy. It was roomy but there isn't an ounce of sporty feel to it.
I was able to get permission on charging at work, now I just have to make arrangement on where and how.
Sorry for the long winded post. But I hope this is helpful for someone in the same situation as me.