Drove a Volt yesterday
#11
08-12-2011, 09:59 AM
Re: Drove a Volt yesterday
No, you can buy or lease, IF you can find one and keep the dealer from playing games, some bump the price up $5,000, some will let you "have" one for full price...right now for the most part you are buying one of a couple allocations for future delivery...when they introduced the lease program, I got excited, but, all they have here are allocations and for the lease you have to take delivery by 9/6....hard to do for a car that wont be delivered till November or so.....
...we were good on the lease price BUT...they would not give me any trade in value on my car offering $1,500 less than book trade in value for a car in fair condition, ($3,000+ less than average condition) in other words a car needing lots of reconditioning....my car is not in fair condtition, there are no dings, dents, scratches, dirty interior...there are new tires and tinted windows..oh yeah it has 33K miles (it is a 2007) they would not budge, neither would I....so, no deal...too bad.
I am now convinced that the Volt is being produced to allow GM to continue to sell gas guzzlers, Corvettes, Camaros and trucks...when the epa look at their coparate mileage and points at these cars they say yea but we have a pulg in hybrid/electric whatever....anyway, for now, I have given up my quest for the elusive Volt, I refuse to buy one and tie up that much cash, I refuse to pay $600-700 a month to save another $20-30 a month in gas so, GM, keep it, thanks, no thanks....it is a VERY nice car, it really is, but, until you make them less precious, sorry, not me.
...we were good on the lease price BUT...they would not give me any trade in value on my car offering $1,500 less than book trade in value for a car in fair condition, ($3,000+ less than average condition) in other words a car needing lots of reconditioning....my car is not in fair condtition, there are no dings, dents, scratches, dirty interior...there are new tires and tinted windows..oh yeah it has 33K miles (it is a 2007) they would not budge, neither would I....so, no deal...too bad.
I am now convinced that the Volt is being produced to allow GM to continue to sell gas guzzlers, Corvettes, Camaros and trucks...when the epa look at their coparate mileage and points at these cars they say yea but we have a pulg in hybrid/electric whatever....anyway, for now, I have given up my quest for the elusive Volt, I refuse to buy one and tie up that much cash, I refuse to pay $600-700 a month to save another $20-30 a month in gas so, GM, keep it, thanks, no thanks....it is a VERY nice car, it really is, but, until you make them less precious, sorry, not me.
As for the green text, were it only that simple. GM couldn't make enough Volts to balance CAFE for the entire truck fleet. Like all other automakers, GM is looking to offer a balanced portfolio. Volt is an important part of it because it is a product that a lot of people want (thus the sometimes ridiculous dealer behaviour). So is Camaro. So is Cruze. The trick for any automaker is providing every customer with the product they want and still meeting CAFE. Notice that GM just awarded a big battery contract to A123. The Volt does not use A123 produced batteries. Must mean there is a desire on GM's part to apply EV, EREV, or HEV technology to another product.
Peace,
James
#12
08-12-2011, 02:36 PM
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Spokane, Wa.
Posts: 397
Re: Drove a Volt yesterday
I don't disagree with you Martin, the bottom line is...no sale, not good for GM, not good for the dealer, economy etc, etc, etc....greed is a bad thing, (oh I know, free market) it is not limited to one partarcilar item or brand, Toyota dealers were very guilty of it when the Prius came out, some to this day.
I realize, GM & Chevy dealers have a hot comodity on their hands (today), but, how hot depends on the publics willingness to pay, this member is not willing to pay that much..even if it doesn't look like that much, fair lease price, no money out of my pocket, I should jump at the deal right...not me.
Granted, this partarcliar issue is the Dealer, but, the allocations and rationing of the car in the first place is what creates this feeling by the dealer they can make as much money as they can. By the way, the car I was trying to buy is still listed in their inventory, getting older and costing them overhead by the day.
I am not saying the Volt isn't a nice car, I love it, I want one very badly, I was willing to take average trade in value or even a little less for my car, but, not willing to get....well you know.
I realize, GM & Chevy dealers have a hot comodity on their hands (today), but, how hot depends on the publics willingness to pay, this member is not willing to pay that much..even if it doesn't look like that much, fair lease price, no money out of my pocket, I should jump at the deal right...not me.
Granted, this partarcliar issue is the Dealer, but, the allocations and rationing of the car in the first place is what creates this feeling by the dealer they can make as much money as they can. By the way, the car I was trying to buy is still listed in their inventory, getting older and costing them overhead by the day.
I am not saying the Volt isn't a nice car, I love it, I want one very badly, I was willing to take average trade in value or even a little less for my car, but, not willing to get....well you know.
#14
08-15-2011, 06:22 PM
Re: Drove a Volt yesterday
I test drove a Volt last week. It was a very quiet ride with some cool features on the dashboard. You don't even start it with a key. You hold down on the brake pedal and push a button and it's started. The dealer only had one and it was a loaner. People had to sign up to drive it for 24 hours then return it. I think the nationwide rollout schedule for November 2011 will be good for GM. This limited test-marketing rollout for GM may have been smart but it's left a lot of people frustrated that they can't simply go down to their neighborhood dealer and test drive the thing.
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