Overview & Reviews

For 2012, the Chevrolet Volt gets a slightly lower price tag, but its formerly standard navigation system and Bose audio system are now on the options list. New standard features include updated keyless ignition/entry and the new MyLink system. The latter provides Bluetooth streaming audio as well as voice control over the audio system and your cell phone.

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

• Questionable value
• Home charger is a necessity
• Small backseat for two people only
• Touchy brakes
• No power front seats

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 79.00

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  Overall one big giant shrug: "meh" - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By Maggie B. - August 12 - 12:41 pm

  Having previously owned a second gen Prius, a 2006 Ford Fusion, I got to feel very different rides and experience very different levels of sorrow at the gas station. On the one hand, the Volt will get most folks super far on the just electric mode, but on the other the ride is still hybrid and numb. The efficiency drops when Im in standard city or suburban stop and go traffic, accelerating to 45 on most roads is fine until I have to stop and do it again literally 2 miles later and the electric range just plummets. There is almost no way to recoup ones range by barking or cruising so dont have your hopes up if you previously owned a Prius or other hybrid. Then in dense city areas the efficiency goes up marginally until the city driving is over and then the range just drops as soon as youre back on the highway. That point is especially true for most N Americans outside of largely dense cities. Then there is the technology. Hybrids are the vehicle equivalent of smartphones. The Insight and Prius were the smart phones before Apple iPhone and Volt, Tesla and Leaf are the equivalent of those that came after. Having owned the 2nd Gen Prius it was like having one of the rock solid 3g phones before the iPhone: I thought it would be cooler to upgrade and now I regret it. Sometimes we are too set in our ways to upgrade our hardware, I say this as a millennial btw. The Volt is more like a shiny iPhone 4. One in which you cannot in fact turn off most notifications during meetings. One in which the phone (car) will tell you that you put your phone in your purse or took it out of your pocket or that its about to turn off due to low battery and so on. And these alerts are not mute-able! Imagine that. Its insane the amount of bells, bongs and rings this Volt makes. I remember the backup signal on the Prius, that was the only alert, and it was bothersome but I would appreciate having only that over all the other alerts on the Volt. And to think I havent brought up the entertainment system. You have a smart phone or iPod and plug it in and select your favorite band and then ... wheres the album list... so you select a song. Now that great song is playing and the next song is whichever song is alphabetically later in the song list. So think you can remember that bands best album you loved? No, sorry, scroll through the millions of albums and now the songs will play in Alpha order from the album you just selected. If that sounds "smart" then you my friend belong in a VOLT. The touch controls are sometimes responsive and sometimes require a little extra prodding below the touch screen. So memorizing the touch buttons by feel is now impossible. And if you once had a Prius in the always hot SW, you probably got used to adjusting the climate on the steering wheel, and now you get to shift your eyes away from the road, onto the center console, over the the split climate section and adjust every two seconds since eco mode on the climate control is as effective as having a golden retriever pant on your for cooling. Yay, Volt! Now youre turning left, trying to see past the giant six inch pillars which are still in the way no matter whether you lean left or right and then check your rear view mirror which now is misaligned due to slightly shifting your seat and the rear window couldnt possibly get any higher/narrower/less effective now could it? Sure the Fusion has absolute crap rear-view and so do most chunky-reared sedans, but this here Volt is a purported Hatch! So surely you have more window and a better view.. sorry no, this a Volt and even worse, a Chevy. In summary, SUV drivers may love the fuel efficiency and Prius owners may love to up their smugness with this green-hov-sticker qualifying car but the vast majority hate the numb steering, the dead until youve hit something braking and the lack of visibility due to crash test standards where we absolutely must be able to flip five times into a moving train and live. But honestly, give me a plug-in Golf and lets call it a day. This is still a Chevy after all.

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  Good car - Lousy people - 2012 Chevrolet Volt
  By woodybap - January 22 - 11:23 pm

  I am so [non-permissible content removed]! First the damn Volt is dead in my own driveway. Four months old and it goes feet up. No prob, I think, we have Onstar. Onstar tries about 3 times and then tells me that the car has apparently shut down due to some security glitch. The car needs to be towed to a dealership. Numerous calls between me and Roadside Assistance. They tell me that they can provide me with the number of their outfit that arranges loaner vehicles. Turns out that number is to a service that apparently does nothing more than provide the names of local rental car agencies. A glorified phone book, if you will. Heck, I could do better with Google. So the tow truck guy shows up. Has no clue