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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2013 Chevrolet Volt

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Overview

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2013 Chevrolet Volt Review

By KBB.com Editors

KBB Expert Rating: 6.5

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt electric plug-in hybrid represents a unique twist on the hybrid-car theme. Unlike the Toyota Prius Hybrid, which uses its gasoline engine to power the car and the electric drive as a supplement, the Volt runs purely on electric current. Once its battery pack is depleted (after 25 to 50 miles), the Volt's gasoline engine kicks on to run a generator, powering the electric motors and helping recharge the batteries. This extends the Volt's range an additional 300 miles or more. With its cool and elegant styling, and even more cool and elegant interior, the 2013 Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid not only makes a statement about your environmental consciousness, it also says something about your good taste and appreciation for style.

You'll Like This Car If...

If you're worried a pure electric car won't be able to satisfy your distance requirements before needing to be recharged, the 2013 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid electric sedan is the answer: It carries a charging station around with it, in the form of its 1.4-liter gasoline engine.

You May Not Like This Car If...

Buying a 2013 Chevy Volt is an expensive proposition, even with the federal and state tax breaks. If you just want long range, good fuel economy and low emissions, a VW Golf TDI or Toyota Prius is cheaper.

KBB Expert Ratings

Overall Rating

6.5
Driving Dynamics

5.9
Comfort & Convenience

5.7
Design: Interior & Exterior

6.5
Value

6.1
Safety

7.8

How It Ranks

#4

out of 30

MPG

#27

out of 27

Horsepower

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Consumer Rating

9.0 out of 10

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consumer ratings

2013 Chevrolet Volt Low/wide front photo

What's New for 2013

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt gets a new Hold mode in its drive selection to conserve battery charge, and a new no-cost-option low-emissions package qualifies the Volt for single-occupancy HOV lanes in California and New York. New features include lane-departure and collision-warning systems, and GPS-enabled navigation.

Driving the Volt

2013 Chevrolet Volt Front angle view photo

Driving Impressions The 2013 Chevy Volt's electric motor delivers a big dose of torque right from the get-go, letting the car sprint away quickly from a standing start. The absence of engine...

noise is a bit disconcerting at first, and when it does kick in, the way the engine's revs don't track road speed can seem odd, but you'll soon get used to the quirks. We can't call the Volt's driving dynamics "spirited," but the Cruz-based platform works well. The electric power steering is quite well-weighted and responsive, though the regenerative braking feels a bit unnatural through the pedal. This year, the EPA raised its estimate of the Volt's electric-only range from 35 to 38 miles, but obviously, actual range varies hugely depending on circumstances. The new Hold mode is useful, for example, when driving on a freeway heading into the city, where you'll want the full electric charge available.

Favorite Features

DELAYED START AND DEPARTURE TIME MODE
Using information supplied by your local electricity provider, you can program the Volt to start recharging its battery pack when rates are at their lowest. And if you tell it when you plan to leave in the morning, the car will automatically schedule the charging process to ensure it's ready.

VOLT SMARTPHONE APP
The OnStar MyLink app lets you check your Volt's battery level, tire pressure, available electric range, lock/unlock the doors and start the A/C system to pre-cool the interior, all from your smartphone. You can control charging rate and get a text or e-mail alert when the battery is "full."

2013 Chevrolet Volt Details

2013 Chevrolet Volt Dashboard, center console, gear shifter view photo

Interior

Taking a page from the Apple computer school of design, the 2013 Chevy Volt's interior is covered in bright white and dark accented plastics and touch-sensitive controls for the audio and climate-control functions. Two 7-inch LCD screens replace the traditional analog gauges, with one serving as the instrument cluster (speedometer, fuel and range gauges) and the other in the center stack displaying the electric motor/battery operation as well as the available navigation screen. The cool-looking touch-sensitive buttons are a little tricky to identify and operate. The rear seat takes only two occupants and their head- and legroom are snug.

Exterior

With the goal of total operating efficiency, the Chevrolet Volt's design team crafted a body shape that could cheat the wind while delighting the eyes. Up front are a rounded nose, closed grille opening and steeply raked windshield. Sharp edges along the Volt's rear fenders help slice through the wind, as does the functional rear hatch spoiler. This is one of the most aerodynamic cars in GM's long and storied history. Even the Volt's wheels and tires are designed for maximum efficiency; the ultra-lightweight wheels (17.8 pounds) mount Goodyear Fuel Max low-rolling-resistance tires.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The base 2013 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid comes with a more comprehensive feature set than just about any other Chevy on the market. It's also the recipient of all of Chevy's latest and greatest technology and features, including touch-sensitive climate, audio and drive controls, and an 8-year/100,000-mile warranty on its battery pack and associated electrics. Other standard features include air conditioning, keyless access, power mirror/locks/windows, 110-volt charge cord, color-touch AM/FM/CD radio and 17-inch wheels. Standard safety features include electronic traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes and eight airbags. You also get USB connectivity and five years of OnStar.

Optional Equipment

For 2013, most Chevy Volt options are grouped into a few packages, including Comfort (heated front seats and leather-wrapped steering wheel), Premium Trim (adds leather seat trim and a rear center armrest), and two Enhanced Safety packages, one including rear park assist and rearview camera and the other adding front park assist and the new lane-departure and collision-warning systems. Stand-alone options include an energy-saving Bose sound system (it's 40 percent lighter and uses 50 percent less energy than a conventional sound system), MyLink, and a navigation system with 30 GB hard-drive music storage and Sirius NavTraffic.

Under the Hood

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt's propulsion system consists of an electric drive unit that makes 149 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, a 16kWh lithium-ion battery pack and a 1.4-liter/84-horsepower 4-cylinder "range-extender." That engine takes over when battery charge is depleted – normally after 25-50 miles of driving – and generates on-the-fly electricity for another 300-340 miles. Recharging takes 10-16 hours using a standard 110V outlet or about four hours on a 240V dedicated unit. The Volt has four operating modes. Normal is the most efficient, Sport provides more direct accelerator response, Mountain helps the battery cope with extended steep grades and Hold runs only on the gas engine/generator, conserving battery charge for when it may be wanted (in town, for instance).

AC synchronous electric motor/generator
16kWh lithium-ion battery pack
1.4-liter inline-4 (drives generator only)
111kW/149 horsepower @ 4,800 rpm
273 lb-ft of torque @ 0-4,800 rpm
EPA projected full-charge range: 38 miles (all-electric), 344 miles (gasoline range-extender only)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 93 MPGe (all-electric, mpg equivalent), 37 mpg (on gasoline engine/generator)

Pricing Notes

The 2013 Chevrolet Volt's Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starts right at $40,000 and loading one with leather, navigation, Bose audio, and the rearview camera and park-assist package will bump that figure to $45,000. Even when you factor in the potential $7,500 federal tax credit, that pricing limits the Volt's appeal. Leasing may be one way to make the payments manageable. Although Chevrolet projects a full recharge will run only about $1.50 per day, the cost of a dedicated 240V home charger to replace the standard 110V cable will run $490 plus installation. As with the Nissan Leaf EV, it's difficult to assess how well the Volt will retain its value over time, although we expect the 2013 Chevrolet Volt to remain on par with the Leaf, but far below the values for the Toyota Prius and VW Golf TDI.

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2013 Chevrolet Volt Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

9.0

Out of 10

Based on 105 Ratings for the 2011 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

8.6/10

Quality

9.1/10
Reliability

9.0/10

Performance

9.1/10
Comfort

8.8/10

Styling

9.0/10

Great one

By Austin (CA) on Monday, July 22, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 24,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 8/10

Cons: "Four seater"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Great driver, quick in traffic, 122 mpg to date, fine stable road car on 1000 mile trip on gas, gets 38 mpg on gas, 34 to 42 miles on battery charge. Absolutely trouble free for 24,000 miles to date. Best car I've had includes BMW, Porsche, Honda, VW, Volvo"

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I love this car - but..

By Z (MT) on Sunday, July 14, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 13,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Fun to drive, Forget Gas, Stylish"

Cons: "Low Profile, Poor Heating, Expensive"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"I've been driving the volt now for about a year, and since I live in Montana I thought I'd answer questions I constantly get about the battery in cold weather. I've driven the Volt in temperatures as cold as -20 F and as warm as 99 F. You do lose battery range in the cold weather, but the company is pretty up front about this. On a normal day 50-80 degrees, I get a range of about 36 miles off of the battery before switching to gas. On the coldest days, that range went down to about 20. On the days where the temp is hitting around 100 I see a reduction down to around 32-30. The cooling system is great, but the heating leaves much to be desired. Also, the car is VERY low to the ground. Which is fine for city driving, but here in Montucky the roads tend to be less than perfect and no matter how carefully I drive the plastic panel they put on the front end is always scrapping. It turns heads and makes me feel like a teen again when people stare. This car is EXPENSIVE; but I'm saving around 100 bucks a month on gas, and that more or less evens out my payments after you consider the tax breaks. Those facts/complains aside: I love the Volt, and I'm not sure how I'll ever go back to driving any other car. I never got to the gas station anymore unless I'm traveling long distance, and even then the gas mileage is pretty good. It handles very well, and the interior makes me feel like I'm driving around an Ipod."

4 people out of 4 found this review helpful

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Awesome car

By 12Volt (NY) on Sunday, July 14, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 10,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "almost never have to stop for gas!"

Cons: "lower range in the winter"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"car is comfortable, drives really well, handles well, accelerates well. also, cost is not that high when factoring in gas savings and the high residual values that GM assumes."

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Switched back to Chevy for the VOLT

By Greg G (OH) on Thursday, July 11, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 30,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "sound system, gas savings, sporty,"

Cons: "NONE"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I had a lot of Chevy's over the years from a 69 Camaro to a 2000 Silverado 4x4 and then had a few Hondas more recently a 2008 civic, and then a 2010 Honda CRV. I was now big into saving gas with gas prices continuing to go up,up,up. Civic was good but Volt is 10 times better. The CRV had all wheel drive but Volt had no problem at all in the snow it handled very well. I usually put 15,000 miles a year on a vehicle. The volt has proven itself in how it handles from it stopping on a dime to the sporty setting that gives it that excellent acceleration when you need it. I can go to work and return home each day on just the battery alone- "0 gas". I have taken several road trips over 200 miles and based on how it is driven can get 44-45 miles per gallon on average. It also has the hatch back that comes in handy when taking those trips. I also love the Bose sound system, the hard drive that can load all my CD's and or play them from a thumb drive connection."

2 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Good vehicle

By BobSF (NM) on Thursday, July 04, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 14,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 6/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 8/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "sips gas, nice acceleration"

Cons: "220 charger costs $900, poor dealer service"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 6

"I like my Volt because it doesn't use gas. A full charge usually lasts for a day of driving around town. On the highway, once it switches to gas, it gets around 44 mpg. I have read the other reviews so I won't dwell too much. My two biggest complaints are: the value has dropped 25% in less than 2 years and it took months and many trips to the dealer to fix a remote sensing switch. It appears the dealer has no training in the Volt, hopefully that has changed. The rear seat is only for small children, very, very small."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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Absolutely the finest car that I have ever owned!

By Chuck (TX) on Sunday, June 30, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 10,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "MPG, Reliable, Eco-friendly, Sound System = A+++++"

Cons: "For this size and type of car ... no "cons"."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"This car is outstanding! Nicest car I have ever owned (and I've owned a Prius, Corvettes, Volvo convertible sport car, Alpha Romero, etc.). When I purchased the Volt, I received five years of free "On-Star", regular maintenance (with loaner car), and emergency road service. With the $7,500 tax credit, it was totally worth the price! I have 10K miles on the car and am getting 145+ miles per gallon. I've used 68 gallons of gas since I bought the car new. I am a left-leg amputee and this car has more leg room for me than some large sedans. Wonderful craftsmanship and attention to detail. The concert quality sound system will blow you away!"

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