Toyota, on the other hand have been getting worse. 70s and 80s Toyota are some of the BEST Cars ever built. But ever since the late 90s, Toyota has been getting worse while it is trying to unseat GM as the #1 car maker in the world. Most of my co-workers’s Toyota has been rated great at new by CR, but end up with problems after problems. They all eventually migrated to Honda and Acura. Even the Lexus brands have seen some problems as well.

I don’t know where you get your numbers. If Prius gets 50mpg and a Volt doesn’t use any gas at all. Volt would quickly cover the difference in cost. A similar equiped Prius cost about $25k as a $40K Volt. After tax incentives, ($7,500 for Federal, $1,500 for CA, $6,000 for CO, $800 for MD…etc), the difference is ONLY $7,000. @$1,000 per year. That is ONLY 7 years of breaking even. Volt currently has a 0% 72 month deal. Volt battery comes with 10yr/150k miles warranty (which in CA also get you a free access to HOV lane that is something money can’t really buy). During those 7 years, Volt will provide you with WAY BETTER driving experience. Volt is more comfortable, quieter, faster, better handling and safer to due better performance (so you can merge onto hwy properly). Look around, Most Prius drivers drive like a grandma… If you use Prius Plug in as example, the saving is even more significant in the favor of Volt since the Prius Pip is a scam and its cost will push it closer to the Volt.

Also, If Volt is mostly in EV mode like you said, then why would it be in Junkyard? Electric motors are known to last virtually for ever. Beside bearings there are NO moving parts that will EVER wear out. Li-ion battery will outlast the crappy Ni-MH battery in the Prius by years if NOT decades.

Apparently, you haven’t driven the Volt. Do me a favor, drive it before you bad mouth it again. You have NO clue on what you are talking about….

The Chevy Volt will spank ANY Prius in performance anyday… Bring it on, Grandma mobile. Take a look around you. Most Prius drivers are over the age of 50. That is why Toyota is worried and it has to bring out a “younger” version Prius C and a “younger” brand Scion…

One is the dismal record of past GM products. Many of us, and our friends, have paid our dues and will need a bit more time to buy something from a company that gave us so many problems in the past. If you want one, go for it and hope you have better luck. I hope you can understand and forgive us for our skepticism.

Second is economics. A car that gets 50 mpg will save about $1000/year over a car that uses no gas at all (even assuming electricity is free, subsidies are justified, taxes and licensing are the same as for a lower-priced car, gas is $5/gallon, and you drive about 10K per year). Add another $250 for one that gets 40 mpg, if you don’t like hybrids. This is hardly enough to justify the extra expense of the Volt, and it will probably be more than offset by the rather hefty depreciation you can expect from the Volt. And when the Volt is probably sent off to a junkyard (minus its recyclable batteries, of course), a car like the Prius will probably be motoring on.

—My 2nd gen Toyota Prius has 295 ft-lbs of instant torque with no engine noise. Just sayin’…

The 40 mile range is in all electric mode, the car has a much further range by using the small gas engine to recharge the battery while the car is in operation.

The big expense and weight in EVs /PHEVs is in the batteries. Until there is a lighter, more powerful battery, these cars are designed with weight, limitations and higher costs that make sense to those who are financially conservative and hope to limit future expenses, by having a stable cost expectation. With the EVs, the current estimate is $1.50/recharge at home. If one has a net zero solar or wind energy system the cost is less.

I’m still exploring options, and marking up my budget sheets. Gas costs more in CA. Maybe that is why the EV and PHEV look like long term investments with gas savings cutting the cost to be similar to that of a cheaper car…..only with the ability to refuel at home, or at any place you shop, eat, or visit that will allow you to plug in.

The Volt is about the same price as the Prius PHEV. There is also the Tesla and the Karma at twice the price (but shorter range), if you want to complain.

Hopefully the recession turns around at some point and thanks to first generation buyers later generations of the Volt will be much more affordable.

I disagree with the Volt having terrible range. As you know the majority of car trips in the US fit well within the 40 miles range of the Volt. On the rare occasions that you need to go further you can use your ice backup engine. Maybe I am lucky in Illinois but there are so many charging stations here that I rarely have to use my ICE on longer trips. My lifetime fuel usage is 388 MPG.

I am glad to know that “dutchinchicago”, loves this car. I just took my first test drive, and was very impressed with the handling, braking, turn radius and connectivity. It is comfortable. The only noticeable trade down is no “power seats” because of weight. The premium package includes heated seats, so dutch can stay comfortable in the winter.

A month ago I was in Colorado, and saw a couple of young guys, driving the Volt in the hills of the mile high city. They were having a blast: first car away from a stop and up the hills the fastest….not my style of driving, but on LA freeways the ability to accelerate when necessary is important. I found out there is also a mountain mode, in the power options. Californians have hills and mountains too. I guess that is what motivated me to try the Volt. During the test drive, I used an average of 71 mpg.

This isn’t just that this is a cleaner, greener car. The Volt is fun and it appears to be a very good car. It is my understanding that there are full-sized EV tractors on the horizon, and there are EV busses operating in Europe. It is also, my understanding that the University of Missouri had some interesting breakthroughs in battery technology. Even if you can’t afford the Volt, and you don’t have hypersensitivity to hydrocarbons, I would suggest you introduce yourself to the EV/PHEV technologies.

As for the $7500 tax credit off, on leased cars, that rebate goes to the financial institution that leases the car, which in our area is US Bank (reference ad in LA Times).