2/12/2013
Picked up the 2013 Volt at the local Chevy dealer on the 12th of February. Sadly, it was a fairly typical delivery experience. Even though all the numbers were agreed to before I set foot in the dealership it still took over 2 hours to take possession of the car. And, as is typical, I had to listen to the usual pitch for add on products that do nothing but add to the dealership’s bottom line.
Right now the hot product is “hydrophobic glass” protection systems; apparently it makes the windshield scared of water. The concept is the water rolls off the windshield so fast you hardly need to use your wipers. Make no mistake, these products exist because dealerships make a small fortune on them The mark-up is very high which helps make up for the fact that dealerships don’t make the kind of money they used to selling new cars.
Still, I managed to get out of the dealership with my wallet still in-ttact and made an uneventful drive home. The Volt was everything I expected; I can’t still can’t get over the lack of engine noise.
So far gas mileage has been just okay. Because of the cold weather – Its been averaging under 30 degrees – the gas engine occasionally starts to to warm the car. Because of this it is only getting 88 miles per gallon. With warmer weather coming the mpg should improve.
While the back of the Volt is covered in dirt, the rear window is perfectly clean. Not at all what I expected.
A pleasant surprise with the Volt is the rear window. I figured with all the slush on the streets I would really miss having a rear windshield wiper. It turns out the Volt doesn’t need it, the glass is staying clear with out it. The lower portion of the rear windshield is a different story however, thankfully I don’t really need it because of the back-up camera and sensors.
So far the Volt is doing well, no problems of any sort.