Overview & Reviews

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt gets a number of worthwhile upgrades. A new "Hold" mode makes it possible to save all-electric operation for times when it's most efficient to do so. A new Low Emissions package grants the Volt access to HOV lanes in California and New York. New options include a center rear armrest and forward collision and lane departure warning systems.

• Appealing standard features
• Useful 300-mile maximum range
• Excellent crash test scores.
• Low monthly fuel cost in normal driving

• Questionable value
• No power front seats.
• Cramped two-person backseat
• Touchy brakes

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 65.00

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  Just reached 12K miles and so far so good.. - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By peterlc63 - October 29 - 2:41 pm

  So far, the car has been great. It drives so smooth and the instant torque I get from a dead stop is a delight after dealing the turbo lag on my Outback XT for 8 years. The EV range covers my work and weekend commutes so I can go months without having to buy gas. Getting the HOV lane stickers is great along with the $1,500 rebate from the state. I also got a time-of-use meter from my local utility (Pasadena) so I get cheaper electricity rates during mid and off peak times. They also gave me $300 of LED lightbulbs! The car is sluggish in ER mode while driving in the city but, has been fine on long trips. I average 37 to 43 miles MPG depending on how fast Im going. No issues ... yet.

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  Frequent Visitor to Dealership - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By frustratedvolt - January 21 - 8:12 am

  First of all, the Volt is a blast to drive. As my first GM vehicle in 20 years, I was impressed. I was very happy. Then charge light warning came on and it was back to dealership, then the charge door and again the charge door. The bearing in front drivers side went, had it replaced and then replaced again. A lot of trips to the dealership and missing work. Live in Michigan and charger was plugged into an external outlet.Well with the nasty weather we are having moisture must have got in the connection and fried my charging cord. GM is saying it is 100% fault of plug and will not cover. $475.00 to get new charger.There goes my gas savings and my GM loyalty I am done after this lease.

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  From Prius to Volt: mixed feelings - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By djpdx - October 12 - 6:45 pm

  I decided to give the 2013 Volt a try after my 10 Prius hit 90K. My car is loaded with almost every option and I paid 34K before tax credit. I drive 36 miles r/t to work and usually make it on electric. Pros: Tight, drives like a vault, quiet, smooth. Technology Int and ext styling. Fantastic economy Buying an american car Cons: Price even after $9000 dealer discount Craftmanship--lots of problems Poor ergonomics The center stack has buttons scattered about, seat heater turns on by itself, electric charger door fell off, 110v charger stopped working, trim pieces fell off, ipod stopped working, poor craftsmanship.

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  6 months in with the Volt - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By chris_v - August 8 - 3:14 pm

  6000 miles and I love the car. Have driven it from February and temps under 20 degrees F to August and temps over 100 degrees F. Full charge shows 44-45 miles available on electric, but I rarely go over 30 miles. Hold mode is great for 2013, as it adds the ability to drive to the highway on electric, then switch to hold mode to maintain the charge and get upwards of 50+ mpg with the gas generator running, then switch back to electric when you get off the highway. Sport mode is fun, and I leave it in L all the time, even on the highway, to take advantage of the aggressive regen to gain back range. So far I havent put gas in it in almost 5 months of daily driving.

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  Great car! just needs a few minor tweaks. - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By 62235volt - May 14 - 2:16 pm

  1) Driving in D utilizes slightly more kW than when driving in L. [upshift into D and see the increase on the battery draw display then shift back to L]. Use D when you want to coast instead of regen braking. 2) Needs separate SPORT MODE button. 3) OnStar needs faster data acquisition and more data viewing options. 30/60/90 day & 6 month mileage display. Yes..many of the cons are relatively minor. Yet, overall, the car functions very well to what the MAIN purpose of the intent was…to be an efficient commuter car. ..a home run in that respect. But when you add in the cons and other notes against the price of the car, I give it a strong triple.

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  Volt problem - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By wligon - April 28 - 5:58 pm

  My wife drove our Volt to a friends house. When she parked and turned off the car, she realized that she had parked someone in She quickly pushed the power button and shifted to reverse. Nothing happened! The power button was lit on the console but there was no power. Pushing the power button again gave the message: "initializing--wait to shift" This continued for about an hour until the car sensed the battery was running down and shut itself off . After the shutdown, it restarted and operated normally but for an hour it was dead! Chevy told us they had never seen this. We conclude you absolutely must wait for everything to come up before shifting! Software needs a fix.

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  Enjoying the first 1000 miles - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By gwtx - April 26 - 4:08 pm

  Ive had the car for a month and put on about 1,000 miles. Ive yet to put gas in the car, so from the EV perspective it works exactly as advertised. I bought it with all the bells and whistles. The interior isnt bad. Its a bit cramped and there isnt a lot of space in the back seat. The lack of electric seat adjustments is a major negative. My wife literally has to get out of the car to adjust the seat. We trade back and forth driving the car, so were constantly pumping the lever to raise or lower the seat. Its very inconvenient. The other complaint is that the voice recognition and navigation system is a complete train wreck. Simple instructions like "Drive Home" or "Destination Home" are impossible. If you dont know the exact… command name in the list, the voice recognition is completely useless. I dont understand why I can tell my phone to "drive to bass hall" and it gives me directions to the door, but the Chevy nav system completely freaks out. Then, when it tries to send you to something ridiculous, like Baskeall, TX, (I dont think such a place exists), canceling the instructions takes several minutes. You have to wait for it to calculate the results and then talk your way through several menus before you can tell it delete the waypoint. Then it asks you which waypoint to delete (of the one available). Chevy could fix this with a software download. Lets hope they do. On the plus side, the car drives very well. It doesnt have power in the traditional sense, but it really takes off. Its very smooth, nimble handling, and--of course--extremely quiet. Im glad I bought the car and will consider the ELR when it comes out. In the meantime, though, Chevy needs to do some work on the voice commands and nav system.

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  Well, done - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By jwarmuth - April 17 - 9:47 am

  This is a commuter vehicle, not a sports car, not a truck, not a travel vehicle... For what this car is designed for, the execution is near perfect. I drive less than 20 miles a day, dont live in SoCal and it does get pretty cold here in the winter. The technology is ahead of the competition. The vehicles instant torque is pretty fun off the line, it is quite, it has all sort of electronic gizmos, a appealing exterior and interior design. The vehicle is smaller, but is not a lightweight, meaning the car is pretty heavy, but if you have to pack batteries, an electic motor and an engine, this adds up. Driving in the snow could be cured with winter/snow tires

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  Nice Car - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By racer0608 - February 26 - 8:39 pm

  The more I drive it the more I like it in spite of its quirks. This car handles like its on rails. It has very good acceleration and rides like a BMW. I am 6ft 230lbs. My size is pushing the limits on this car. I dont find the seats to be very comfortable. The generator is loud especially when it first turns on and is trying to build a buffer in the battery. Once settled down after a minute or two it really drives like a dream. I like this car.

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  Volt rocks! - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By tdj1 - January 18 - 7:53 pm

  I have driven my Chevy Volt about 2000 miles so far. Ive used about 2 gallons of gas. The car handles well and has very good acceleration. This is my first American car. Previously Honda/Acura guy. I can honestly say that Im very happy with the car.