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Owners Love Their Volts, but $40K Is Still Too Much

It's a 'marvel,' but it will take years to recoup investment: Joann Muller

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 30, 2012 11:55 AM CST

(Newser) – Owners of Chevy Volts love their cars, as a new Consumer Reports survey makes clear. It's No. 1 in terms of owner satisfaction for the second straight year, with 92% saying they would buy one again, reports NBC News. "The Volt is indeed an engineering marvel," writes Joann Muller at Forbes, and some common knocks against it—that it was "dictated" by the Obama White House or that GM loses about $50,000 a car—are just flat-out wrong.

Still, the Volt has problems, writes Muller: The back seats are cramped because of the battery, the controls are poorly laid out, and it takes way too long (16 hours) to charge on the typical household current. Upgrading to shorten that time is expensive. The big drawback, though, remains the $40,000 price for a compact car. Government tax credits and incentives help, "but it will still take years to break even on the investment." Read her full post here.

A 2012 Chevrolet Volt at a dealership in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo.
A 2012 Chevrolet Volt at a dealership in the south Denver suburb of Englewood, Colo.   (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 15 comments
Supertom
Dec 2, 2012 8:22 PM CST
Amazing!  The Volt was built with money STOLEN from GM's American investors ($27B from Bond & Stock holders ).  Then got a Govt. loan for another $50B.  Anyone buying a GM product is supporting the worst example of American Corporate Greed.  This is not the same company that built the GTO, 409 SS,  442 and other classics.  Nor is it the heart-beat of America.  Instead it's the heart-ache of America.
Naked_Emperor
Nov 30, 2012 6:26 PM CST
I want a Tessla!!!
RAD45
Nov 30, 2012 5:15 PM CST
Mmm, Volt, NO!  Tesla model S, YES!  Four door sedan holds 4-5 adults and rwo kids in rear jump seats. 26 cf of trunk without passengers,  265-mile range. 0-60 in 4.3 seconds. Top speed governed to 125mph. Outruns a BMW M5 to 100mph.  $78.500 before wild options.  Waiting line is 13,000 people who've paid $5k upfront. I don't recall any other electric - hybrid or whatever - with that kind of enthusiasm.  Oh, designed and made in America!
 

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