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 31 through 40 of 65.00

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  Great commuter, fun - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By Dave Vollmer - February 5 - 3:41 am

  Great commuter, constant 50 mile summer range, 35 miles in winter, best 59.3 miles. Bought with 48k miles, now 64k, still less than 80 gallons of gas used, 200 mpg o/a. Overnight charging runs $0.75 per completely discharged battery (35-50 miles), gas ICE backup, 35 to 40 mpg. Nice looking, quick acceleration, low maintenance. No repair issues. Quiet.

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  Its a VOLT - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By gardwi - April 15 - 7:22 am

  Its electric

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  Amazing technology in a small package - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By Derek C. - December 26 - 4:11 pm

  The 2013 Chevy Volt is a small car with a big package! The interior is well made with many features. The drivetrain is the best in its class (PHEV). Its the only PHEV that can use full acceleration without the gas engine coming on until the battery is used up (avg 40 miles). Battery range is less in cold weather. Driving it is still enjoyable after 5 years of ownership and 70K miles. This is the most flexible EV on the road - 30-40 miles of all-electric range with a fully capable gas backup for unlimited travel without waiting for a charge - just fill up with gas in 3 minutes like everybody else and keep on driving!

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  Great technology all electric with gas back up - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By Kenneth Champlin - February 26 - 8:26 am

  Car is great runs on electric only but if you run out of juice it has a gas engine as back up The back seat is a little tight for tall people but other than that. I have no complaints

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  Im a Believer - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By KM - April 21 - 10:23 pm

  I bought my Volt used with 50,000 miles on it. (Look at the Lifetime mileage-- that will tell you how often the engine has been used by MPG.) My car only had 40mpg in its lifetime so the engine has lots of hours on it. I didnt really care though as I have a 120 mile commute every day. The resale value sucks on them but that means I bought a great used car for cheap! The first thing that struck me test driving it was how solid it feels. It really feels like a tank but it handles super tight. Interior materials feel to be of good quality (leather is thick, covers the whole seat unlike some other companies *coughdodgecough*, and dash panels are solid and fit together tightly). It is also of course silent when in Normal mode and the generator is relatively quiet when it runs (I only use it on the highway which drowns out engine noise with road noise anyway); its still quieter and smoother than a 4-cylinder. I get about 55mpg in my daily commute and use electric only on weekends when I dont drive far. The increase in my electric bill has been about $10/month. The back seat is cramped but I dont have passengers much. The car also came with the Bose sound system and it sounds fantastic (unlike the POS stock speakers GM insists on using). Ill never know why they opt for a $2 speaker when they could easily eat the cost of a $20 one. Anyway, my biggest gripe is the user interface on the center stack and dash. Its an absolute mess, the biggest clusterf of UX/UI design I have ever seen. Its super dated looking and just vomits information at the driver. The graphics look straight out of 2002. I love access to tons of info on how my car is running, but sheesh. Otherwise, the Volt has been great, super reliable, and a blast to drive especially in Sport mode. My mother in law drove mine and bought one for herself. Be like my mother in law. Drive a Volt.

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  My review after 3 years of ownership - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By Jason - August 6 - 2:49 am

  I purchased my 2013 Volt Premium off lease with 14k miles. Then drove it 85% of the time in electric mode for over 3 years to 65k miles. During this time, the ONLY issue was a passenger seat airbag. This car was super reliable and from reading on GM volt forums was “over built”. Meaning GM could not afford to let this car fail. I have since sold the volt and thinking of purchasing a newer generation or Bolt. I feel confident in GM battery technology and from what I have researched these cars are designed to handle 100,000 charge cycles. At 38-40 miles per charge = 380-400k miles on these batteries. Love the comfort of this car, could be quicker. Tight handling and smooth driving car.

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  20 year Toyota/Lexus buyer converted by the VOLT. - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By Ben Alexander - March 30 - 1:34 am

  This car is the future, and the future is pretty great.

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  There is nothing to not like - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By R ivey - February 14 - 2:30 am

  Every fellow Volt owner I have ever talked to loves their car. Additionally I drive for several months without stopping for gas

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  Really happy we went for the Volt - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By Yolanda - October 21 - 5:03 pm

  I bought a used 2013 Volt 3 months ago and drive it every day for errands, running the kids around, etc. Im super happy with how it works as far as the electric charging, hybrid engine etc. The way it charges is just as advertised. The time to charge is spot-on for the different amperages. At a full charge it shows a 38 mile range on electric (EDIT: that was in the winter; in summer its 48-50 miles). When its cold out (30s) it shows about 33 miles. It also runs the engine for about the first 5 minutes "due to temperature," so it does use a little gas when its cold out (< a gallon). Also when its cold I have to run the heater to be comfortable, which decreases the electric range even more. Thats no big deal though, just sharing my experiences with cold weather in case anyones curious. As far as driving it, I test-drove a Prius and a Leaf to compare, and enjoyed driving the Volt the most. The visibility is fine. The pickup is totally sufficient. The switchover from electric to gas is unnoticeable. The only thing that bugs me about this car is the design of the center stack, which has the climate, music, and other controls. I find it to be unnecessarily involved and not intuitive. After 3 months I still have to look kind of closely in order to do what I want, and it seems to take too many button presses to accomplish what I need, which is too bad when youre also driving the car. The only problem Ive had with it so far is on one drive, the screen wouldnt turn on (so no climate or music). Looking online, I see this is an occasional problem with the Volt, and can often be solved by turning the car off and on again, though thats the one and only time it has happened to me so far (Edit: after 10 months, this has never happened again). Anyway, in summary, Id highly recommend the car for someone who wants to use electricity to power their car but also wants the flexibility of having a backup engine, and a compact car. EDIT Aug 2017: Weve now owned the car for 10 months. Still love using/driving it. We had to take it in to the shop because of a brake fluid leak, to the tune of $1,600, which was annoying. According to the internet its something that happens to Volts here and there. Id owned Hondas for years before the Volt and almost never had to take them in to be repaired. I was expecting/dreading something like this with an American car. Anyway, hopefully we dont get repair bills like this too often.

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  Smoooth - 2013 Chevrolet Volt
  By BurritoJ - January 25 - 2:52 am

  Best car Ive ever owned. First electric vehicle and I will not go back to a gas engine. Smooth linear acceleration and barely a whisper of noise. Good torque makes it peppy to drive and fairly agile for its weight. Saves me $150 on gas every month during a 30 mile commute. Saves me $100 a year in oil changes. More importantly saves me the time and hassle of going to the gas station or oil change shop. Better than a lot of cars in its class in the snow because of its weight. Leather suede interior is luxury and durable, not like my wifes junk Prius with the plastic falling off the doors. Not to mention the sound insulation on the volt is waaay better than the prius (like the difference in driving with your windows down or up on the highway). Only trouble in 3 years of owning it was covered under a recall for bubbles in the battery coolant, and cost me nothing.