Bye Bye Chevy Volt

[copyright1997reloaded]

I'm now on Truck #2. No intention to go back to cars. I have a locking hinged cover on mine so no issues with leaving things in the back (with the possible exception that it is unheated/non air-conditioned space). Plenty of space for my ski's and other toys. In the winter months I pretty much just leave the ski's (multiple sets) in the back (under cover and locked up.

I'm getting over 20 MPG so far (3 years now) on a Ecoboost F150 that has tons of power for towing and a 2000# payload rating. That includes having snows on in the winter and occasionally pulling a 6000# tractor+trailer.

 

[gerntz]

You practically need a SUV if you are going to carry more than 5 passengers. Years ago, we packed 4 adults and 5 kids in a CJ-7. We'd probably be arrested if we tried something like that today.

If you have 4-5 kids under say 8, how do meet safety regs when transporting them?

 

[Bestwifeever]

It is kind of funny in a way. Recently we were at a museum that had a lot of cars from the 20s through 70s. The oldest cars were on frames and rode pretty high. As time went on, they were able to drop the frame down for that sleek look that became so popular in the 60s. Low and fast.

It reached peak in the early 90s when the Explorer turned the world to the future we see now. Yes, I know SUVs and utility vehicles were around all this time, but the Explorer started something big.


Pretty soon we may be sitting up in periscopes to "see above everyone."

I take it back to the Dodge Caravan, of which we had two--SUVs (and we have a 2004 MDX still going to strong) are just a fancy version of the now spurned minivan imo.

 

[brett]

Bottom line for us is that we would not even bother shopping in a GM, Ford, or Chrysler store.

Last time we only shopped Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura. No doubt we will do the same next time.

 

[timo2]

My only Volt memory is that I was going to buy one once, but every dealer I contacted had a $1000 add on dealer fee over the list price. So I didn't get on and got a VW diesel golf instead.

 

[RunningBum]

Bottom line for us is that we would not even bother shopping in a GM, Ford, or Chrysler store.

Last time we only shopped Toyota/Lexus and Honda/Acura. No doubt we will do the same next time.

I always consider all brands initially. You never know when one will come up with something good and change my outlook. I used to not think so much of Subaru. People seemed to really like theirs, but when I'd ride in their 7 year old Subaru it seemed noisy, and falling apart inside. The newer ones seem a lot better to me. Of course I haven't had mine 7 years yet, but my son's is 6 and still seems fine.

I don't know that I'd make it to a GM/Ford/Chrysler dealer to replace the Subaru, but I'd research them.

I kick around getting Mustang, Charger, or Camaro if I got rid of my old Miata, for a second, fun car. I don't know that I'd get a second car though.

 

[Andre1969]

The whole concept of sitting up higher again really started taking off with downsizing in the mid-70s. Once they started making cars shorter, they had to start making them taller, and boxier, to maintain interior volume. It really kicked off in a major way with GM's downsized big cars of 1977, but I think the Aspen/Volare of 1976 actually deserve some credit. While marketed as compacts, the 4-door and wagon models actually compared pretty favorably to later intermediates that followed and, to be honest, most of what they try to pass off as a "full size" today.

With downsizing though, the cars became less capable in many ways. They couldn't tow as much. Wagons lost their cargo volume, and until they started going with FWD, many of them lost their third row seat. No downsized car was as good with 6-passenger, 3-across seating as their mastodon forebears. Even if they had the published shoulder room, other things like larger transmission/driveshaft humps, rear wheel well intrusion, the center stack of the dash, etc, would get in the way. And that's when people started migrating to truck-based vehicles.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

GM is great at making colossal mistakes. Anyone remember the Saturn? Not a terrible car, but not great either. The cost to launch was in the billions.... On a car that would never turn a profit. But it would cannibalize sales from its plethora of existing, overlapping and in some cases, struggling divisions.

And then along came the next game changer. The Volt. Sigh.

A lot of people forget about GM's first electric car, the EV1. The company only leased them in limited markets, but many of the the people who drove them during the three years they were available became fanatic loyalists. Eventually GM took the cars back and scrapped them ... a documentary followed called "Who Killed the Electric Car?" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1

 

[mountainsoft]

I'm getting over 20 MPG so far (3 years now) on a Ecoboost F150 that has tons of power for towing and a 2000# payload rating. That includes having snows on in the winter and occasionally pulling a 6000# tractor+trailer.

Yeah, well I get over 30mpg in my VW Jetta, with four passengers, a trunk full of groceries and pulling my utility trailer with over 1000 pounds of cargo (full sheets of plywood).

I've never owned a truck. I much prefer a small passenger car. Much more nimble, better gas mileage, easier to park, parallel park, etc. With my utility trailer there's very few things I can't can't haul. The few exceptions I just have delivered.

My daughter owned a Ford Taurus a few years ago and it just felt too big to me. And the Taurus wasn't exactly a big car.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We like German build quality and reliability, closely followed by Japanese then Korean cars. Way better than any US made car we have owned or driven, IMHO of course (As an Engineer). We always buy new, and even though the replacement parts cost a lot more than US cars, we have never needed them. Owned German and Japanese cars for the last 20 years. Friends with US made cars of equal caliber are not so lucky. The last US made car we purchased was a costly mistake, never again. Then there is re-sale, US vehicles, especially the more luxury versions that we would like, are no comparison to German & Japanese equivalents. My Neighbor's Hyundai Genesis is an engineering piece of art, I must admit it beats my last Mercedes by leaps and bounds.

Shame diesels are going out of favor as I do prefer those too.

 

[travelover]

..........Shame diesels are going out of favor as I do prefer those too.

Ironically, GM gave diesels a bad name for decades, then VW worked their magic.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I wonder how this story would be different if gas was $4 or $5 a gallon? As long as gas is a cheap as it is, a lot of folks are going to enjoy the larger SUVs/trucks.

I drove a smaller sedan for about 5 years. It was a fun car, but it lacked the utility that comes with a truck. Accordingly, we recently sold the car and bought a full size truck. The features/safety/ride quality is so much better than the last truck I owned (a 2006 model)...it is really surprising to me how nice the ride is. Since we average less than 5,000 miles a year on our cars, I am not sweating gas prices if/when they go up.

 

[easysurfer]

I was a sedan lover until 5 years ago and got my first SUV. I won't go back.

I'm used to smaller cars. Don't see I'll ever switch from driving a hatchback anytime soon.

 

[misanman]

VW worked their magic

Didn't they cheat?

 

[travelover]

Didn't they cheat?

Allegedly.

 

[Midpack]

Sedans will soon be a thing of the past. People want SUV’s and trucks. My niece had a Hyundai Sonata. She’s a hockey mom now pregnant with her third kid. She needed more room, so her and her husband traded in the sonata on a new suburban.

Until the next oil crisis and then buyers will shift on a dime to small fuel efficient cars (made for foreign automakers) like they have in the past. And when gasoline seems relatively cheap again, they'll buy gas guzzlers again. Most buyers have short memories.

I am not knocking GM, Ford and FCA for dropping sedans that don't sell, but they'll get creamed again in the next oil crisis and/or recession - they can't win. Stay tuned for the next round of US automakers bankruptcy bailouts one day.

 

[Walt34]

SUVs are fine, I have one, but doesn’t anyone appreciate a trunk? A place to put something like your golf clubs out of sight.

Some people do, and that's one reason I have a pickup truck with a fiberglass cap over the bed. That's one HUGE trunk! I can put three fully assembled R/C model airplanes in there.

A while back I watched a segment of "Jay Leno's Garage" on youtube about a ~1967 Lincoln Continental and his comment about the trunk was that it was "big enough to house a family of four".

Some of us do appreciate a trunk.

 

[ERD50]

Until the next oil crisis and then buyers will shift on a dime to small fuel efficient cars (made for foreign automakers) like they have in the past. And when gasoline seems relatively cheap again, they'll buy gas guzzlers again. Most buyers have short memories.

I am not knocking GM, Ford and FCA for dropping sedans that don't sell, but they'll get creamed again in the next oil crisis and/or recession - they can't win. Stay tuned for the next round of US automakers bankruptcy bailouts one day.

At 39 MPG (41 city), I'm not sure that's a problem.

https://www.cheatsheet.com/automobi...eaks-through-with-39-mpg-219-horsepower.html/

-ERD50

 

[skipro33]

Within another 10 years, self driving cars, electric most likely and for California mandatory, will be the standard. I imagine within 20 years all new cars will be electric and self driving. The gas powered car is on it's way to extinction.

 

[CardsFan]

I'm used to smaller cars. Don't see I'll ever switch from driving a hatchback anytime soon.

This reminds me of the 70's - 80's style hatchbacks. In the past I have owned a 1979 Toyota Celica hatchback, and a 1985 Chrysler LeBaron hatchback. Both bought new (I was single when I bought the Celica). It was amazing how much cr@p you could pack into one of those. When I bought the LeBaron, I told my then 4yo son, it would be his when he got his license, and it was.

 

[Walt34]

I imagine within 20 years all new cars will be electric and self driving. The gas powered car is on it's way to extinction.

Hmmm... I'll believe it when I see it. "They" have been promising that, and flying cars, for the last 60 years. I remember reading about that stuff in my Weekly Reader in elementary school but we haven't seen them yet. When electric cars have a 500 mile range and can be recharged in ten minutes they'll be serious competition to gasoline power, but not until then.

To be sure, remarkable progress has been made. But I think that last 10% of progress that is going to make them practical for everyday continuous use is going to take quite a while to perfect.

I'd be thrilled to have a self driving practical electric car but I'm doubtful that I'll see one in my lifetime.

 

[CardsFan]

Hmmm... I'll believe it when I see it. "They" have been promising that, and flying cars, for the last 60 years. I remember reading about that stuff in my Weekly Reader in elementary school but we haven't seen them yet. When electric cars have a 500 mile range and can be recharged in ten minutes they'll be serious competition to gasoline power, but not until then.

To be sure, remarkable progress has been made. But I think that last 10% of progress that is going to make them practical for everyday continuous use is going to take quite a while to perfect.

I'd be thrilled to have a self driving practical electric car but I'm doubtful that I'll see one in my lifetime.

Bold by me.

I think these are two hurdles that must be jumped before electric cars can become mainstream as the family trip vehicle. I don't see fossil fuel being phased out in my lifetime (but, hey, that is, at the most 30 years).

 

[RAE]

Bottom line for us is that we would not even bother shopping in a GM, Ford, or Chrysler store.

Yeah, same here (with GM and Ford products, anyway). My last experience with owning a GM product was not good at all. Have had 3 Toyota vehicles over the years, and they were all good.......reliable, minimal repair expenses. I drove Ford trucks when I was working, and based on that experience, I would not own a Ford either. I know that others have had very good experiences with GM/Ford products, but not me.

 

[skipro33]

A bill introduced this month in the California Legislature calls for every new passenger vehicle sold in the Golden State to emit zero exhaust emissions by 2040. If passed, it would effectively ban the sale of new cars with internal combustion engines.

Other countries have already committed to banning fossil fuel-powered cars in upcoming years. China, France, Norway, India and the U.K. have passed similar measures and are counting on automakers to move toward affordable electric options as quickly as possible.


Newsweek

 

[Chuckanut]

I've owned one GM car (85 Pontiac 6000). It cured me of any desire to own another GM vehicle. Once it hit 60K it was in the shop every three or four months for a significant repair - power steering rack (3!), generator, water pump (2) , radiators (2), front suspension problems, leaky sealed carburetor that could not be serviced, several broken engine mounts, and, on and on and on and on. Finally, one day the engine started heaving and bellowing while I was driving it. I managed to get it home, parked it and immediately shopped for another car.

Never again, GM. Never again. And I did not let any of my children buy a GM car either.

The Volt and now the Bolt may be excellent vehicles, but I would never take the chance especially given today's prices.