My Bolt review, after 3 months ownership.

[yaric]

I am proud Bolt owner. Car is great, I enjoying driving it every day, and there is no regrets jumping electric. I consider it better then Tesla 3.
I LOVE MY CAR!

Pros:

1. Range
2. Hatchback body type
3. Power and Torque.
4. Smart system logic, it sets and unsets parking brake for you, lock doors, switches camera and so on and on. This includes very sophisticated settings menu where you can setup a lot of stuff without going to dealer to reprogram computer as other cars.
5. Stiff suspension and low center gravity allows aggressive driving.
6. Included charger compatible with 220V
7. Charging port at the front is more convenient than classical location at the back
8. Android carplay. Its instant navigation and google music.
9. Small car size but spacious interior.
10. Rear camera instead of rear view mirror is great: wider view, less blind spots.
11. A lot of buttons to press. I hate touch screens.
12. Regenerative brake button on the steering wheel, its genius!
13. Easy and convenient switch between L and D, I use both for driving depending on conditions.
14. 4 usb power outlets for everyone. Finally I dont need to install 12V outlet splitters!
15. Range estimator learns driving style and conditions and deadly accurate.

Issues:

1. Traction control does not work on dry asphalt. Seriously.
2. Inability to see precise battery charge level. 5% steps is all what available. (Fixed with Torque)
3. Luck of small pockets, including sunglasses storage. For example at both sides of trunk there are unusable two niches. Why did not they designed it as a convenient pockets?
Same about the space in front between front seats, I bet that space can be designed more useful.
4. OEM tires sucks. And double sucks in Canada on snow. Replaced by Nokian WRT.
5. Included charger does not support more then 12A. Still on 240V it gives 4% per hour, can live this that.
6. Trunk size is extremely small, I wish it be few inches longer.
7. Seat can be little wider and softer, still not much complain for me here.
8. Android mobile application often does not work. Fire a part time student who wrote that junk.
9. No windshield fluid sensor.
10. Massive door handles with buttons are more appropriate for limousine. Something smaller will be just fine.
11. Only 16 FAV channels? Why there is a such limit? I think proper way should be a setup where you can have A and B FAV list, same as it done for FM1/2 on most cars. Besides secondary car driver will appreciate it.
12. No power seat option. Cannot explain this overlook also.
13. Funky heater. I have been driving and had temperature set for 21C, then I felt too hot, so I decrease to 20C. Suddenly it started to blow a cold air in my face, I felt cold right away and put 22C to warm myself up. That happened more then one time.
14. Inability to have 'Range KM reserve after you have reached your destination' indication. Tesla has this and it is very convenient to trace battery usage in the trip. I was able to create 'synthetic' one using some formulas and Torque, but it is not as good as original can be.
15. Luck of L3 charging infrastructure in Ontario. Some L3 chargers are limited to 25kw/h. Well, with such small trunk Bolt is not designed for long trips anyway.
16. Winter mileage is brutal. Expect 220km left from 360 then temperature is lower than -12C. I understand there is nothing car designers can do here, it's chemistry.
17. Cold battery cannot effectively be charged on L3. Expect 25kw/h and spend 1.5h to re-charge.

 

[PackardV8]

I am proud Bolt owner. Car is great, I enjoying driving it every day, and there is no regrets jumping electric. I consider it better then Tesla 3.
I LOVE MY CAR! Agree completely!

Pros:
1. Range Adequate for our needs
2. Hatchback body type We prefer hatches. So effin' weird, US buyers won't buy hatchback sedans but throw money at less efficient SUVs, which all have a rear hatch.
3. Power and Torque. The decider for me!
4. Smart system logic, it sets and unsets parking brake for you, lock doors, switches camera and so on and on. This includes very sophisticated settings menu where you can setup a lot of stuff without going to dealer to reprogram computer as other cars. Yes, most are flexible and intuitive.
5. Stiff suspension and low center gravity allows aggressive driving. Agree; I consider being in a car is to get somewhere soonest/easiest. If anything, the EV torque will get us somewhere quicker than lumbering ICE drivers expect. Watch for oncoming-left-on-dead-red-bandits, as well as the big honker who changes lanes because no car was there when he looked in the right mirror several seconds ago.
7. Charging port at the front is more convenient than classical location at the back Debatable. Two of the four walls in a garage, a rear port is more convenient than the left front.
8. Android carplay. Its instant navigation and google music. Our son, who has an i3, says ApplePlay is the single feature he envies on our Bolt.
9. Small car size but spacious interior. Other than the driver's seat!
10. Rear camera instead of rear view mirror is great: wider view, less blind spots. Good, but some Hondas are better
12. Regenerative brake button on the steering wheel, its genius! Seldom use it, as L is our preferred mode.

Issues:
4. OEM tires sucks. And double sucks in Canada on snow. Replaced by Nokian WRT. Tires are tradeoffs. I have no problem with the OEMs until snow/below freezing, then the Nokians go on. All-season labels are a fraud.
6. Trunk size is extremely small, I wish it be few inches longer.Agree
7. Seat can be little wider and softer, still not much complain for me here. Single worst feature of the car. How did the newest car get the worst seats?
10. Massive door handles with buttons are more appropriate for limousine. Something smaller will be just fine. Agree -
again, the newest car with the worst door handles I can remember using.
12. No power seat option. Cannot explain this overlook also.Tradeoff of weight and cost, but yes, we do miss the memory seats and mirrors of similar priced cars.
13. Funky heater. I have been driving and had temperature set for 21C, then I felt too hot, so I decrease to 20C. Suddenly it started to blow a cold air in my face, I felt cold right away and put 22C to warm myself up. That happened more then one time. Yes, the heater isn't linear.
15. Luck of L3 charging infrastructure in Ontario. Some L3 chargers are limited to 25kw/h. Well, with such small trunk Bolt is not designed for long trips anyway. Agree - making long trips in an EV is not my thing.
16. Winter mileage is brutal. Expect 220km left from 360 then temperature is lower than -12C. I understand there is nothing car designers can do here, it's chemistry. Again, adequate for our use.

Our next buy will be an all-wheel-drive EV.

jack vines

 

[JerryBob]

Hey GM, if you really cared about safety, which the owners manual explains as the reason for you doing a lot of things, you wouldn't charge extra for Automatic Crash Response, it would be standard.
I have already gotten this screen that is distracting me and I have had to take my eyes off the road to acknowledge it a few times already.
I have been yelled at by a prerecorded OnStar voice over my muted to '0' radio telling me I have to renew my subscription. I had to pull over and turn off the car to get it to shut up.
Is this why I can't turn my radio off?
I thought I had a problem with the brakes due to a grinding noise at low speed that turned out to be a low speed pedestrian alarm that is louder in the car than outside.
The drivers side window switch is to sensitive causing me to have to roll the window up and down a few times if I just want to crack it open a little bit.
All cars have their strengths and weaknesses and overall the Bolt is well engineered but it is the little things that endear or drive you crazy.

 

[gpsman]

I’ve had mine for over a year and I still have trouble with the power windows - Auto.

I want AUTO (all the way up or down) about 1 time out of 100. 99% of the time I want the windows down just a crack.

Yes it is a two position switch, but in mine, the two different positions are hardly discernible.

I almost alway get auto when I want just a crack down.

HATE HATE HATE this “feature”.

 

[Anonymous]

Great review! I've only had my Bolt for about 5 days so I am still learning. So far, loving it.

However, even with this small amount of time I have learned that the mychevrolet app on Android is very unstable. It hangs on updating, gives errors on update attempt, and shows data that is inconsistent with what the car shows. I've called OnStar twice and they basically have me reload the app, turn the car on/off, press the OnStar button. They never fix anything. They just run you thru a few reset steps and say it should be working now. Later I find out the problem is still present. My belief is that the comms between the car/host/app are unreliable.

Today I went to the dealership for a floor mat they had to order. Picked it up just fine. While there I asked one of the service managers if others complained much about the app. He said there were others that complained too. He then said he understood they were working to improve it. I imagine that is the stock answer. He clearly didn't see the app as an item he had any responsibility to service.

 

[user 1485]

I pretty much agree with all the positive comments in these reviews, while the negative comments cause some ambivalence in my mind. The winter range in Connecticut depends entirely on the amount of heater use, and pretty much nothing else. My car is garaged at about 48 F, and I keep it plugged in when not in use, which appears to keep the battery maintained - the car uses a couple of KWh every eight hours or so to maintain the battery. I have no problems with the tires so far either in summer or winter. Traction and handling seems pretty normal to me. I do find the car beeps too much at times when I don't need it to beep.

I have done 3000 miles of summer long distance driving, using EVgo chargers mostly, and had no problems between ME and OH via NYC and NJ. In winter this would be harder as a result of reduced range caused mainly by heater use, I suspect. As more charging stations come on line this should be less of an issue.

I never had serious problems with the seats.

I had no problems loading a full suite of camping gear in the summer (two people rear seats down). The cargo space is great. For a big camping load its good to take out the false rear load floor. We did not have to use the roof-rack but that is a possibility too.

The MyChevrolet app works fine for me on several iPads and on a Mac. OnStar turn-by-turn navigation works great. I am annoyed that Apple Carplay won't work with an iPad. There needs to be better integration between the car's GPS and an iPad so google maps can be used, instead of having to peer at a small iPhone screen. I tried to use Bad-elf GPS with my iPad, but its hopeless as it drops the GPS signal for long periods of time, even on a highway with no mountains, buildings, trees or clouds in sight.

I do find the center console and other storage areas to be a bit cramped or poorly designed for things I want to store such as sunglasses, cups and numerous other things.

The only thing I miss is adaptive cruise control. In such an expensive car, I would have expected it to be there.

 

[desiv]

My turn. ;-) Had mine since late October..

I am proud Bolt owner. Car is great, I enjoying driving it every day, and there is no regrets jumping electric. I consider it better then Tesla 3.
I LOVE MY CAR!

I don't know if I'd say better, but better for me, definitely!! ;-)

Pros:
1. Range
-Yep, pretty much the reason I bought it. I had a Leaf before and would have considered the new Leaf (another decent car IMHO), but the range sold me. (I have 120 mile daily commute; I QCd the Leaf a LOT. )
2. Hatchback body type
-Yep, I much prefer this style. I agree that the Teslas are beautiful cars, but not my style. ;-)
3. Power and Torque.
-Nice, but I'm a fairly mellow driver. That said, I'm not saying I've never used it when the light turns green. Maybe that could be a negative? ;-) ;-)
4. Smart system logic, it sets and unsets parking brake for you, lock doors, switches camera and so on and on. This includes very sophisticated settings menu where you can setup a lot of stuff without going to dealer to reprogram computer as other cars.
-I do love these. My wife isn't a fan of the car locking her in, but I love that. Maybe because I grew up in East Los Angeles? ;-)
5. Stiff suspension and low center gravity allows aggressive driving.
-I don't usually drive too aggressively, but I also like the suspension or at least I don't have any complaints. Seems good to me. ;-)
6. Included charger compatible with 220V
-Yep, I made an plug adapter for this. Although I have a 30amp L2 EVSE at home, but made the adapter in case mine dies, I can use the included to get me through until I get a replacement.
7. Charging port at the front is more convenient than classical location at the back
-Not sure why all EV plugs aren't on the front of the cars. That said, it is on the opposite side of the car from where my EVSE at home is. Luckily my charge cord it plenty long enough.
8. Android carplay. Its instant navigation and google music.
-I do love this feature. I could have updated the Nav system in my old Leaf, for $300!! ;-( Nav thru my phone just makes sense to me.
9. Small car size but spacious interior.
-Yeah, I am still a bit surprised how "small" the Bolt is, because it feels larger on the inside. I should change it's name to Tardis maybe? ;-)
10. Rear camera instead of rear view mirror is great: wider view, less blind spots.
-N/A, I have an LT.
11. A lot of buttons to press. I hate touch screens.
-I think it has a decent balance of buttons to touch, except the bottow row on the touch screen, which should probably be buttons...
12. Regenerative brake button on the steering wheel, its genius!
-That is nice, although I don't use it often.
13. Easy and convenient switch between L and D, I use both for driving depending on conditions.
-Yep. Funny, there was a review early on on youtube and the person was having trouble with it, but she was trying to push the side button to change. I was like... er.. you were doing it wrong!! ;-)
14. 4 usb power outlets for everyone. Finally I dont need to install 12V outlet splitters!
-LT has 2, but that's enough for me.. ;-)
15. Range estimator learns driving style and conditions and deadly accurate.
-It does seem more accurate than the Leaf, but I'm not sure how much that depends on the fact that there is so much more range on the Bolt. ;-)

Issues:

1. Traction control does not work on dry asphalt. Seriously.
-I haven't noticed personally.
2. Inability to see precise battery charge level. 5% steps is all what available. (Fixed with Torque)
-I've been meaning to check out Torque.. I miss LeafSpy Pro for my Leaf.. ;-)
3. Luck of small pockets, including sunglasses storage. For example at both sides of trunk there are unusable two niches. Why did not they designed it as a convenient pockets?
-There is a perfect spot for my sunglasses by the 12v (cigarette lighter for us old folks) plug. Haven't had a need for more yet..
4. OEM tires sucks. And double sucks in Canada on snow. Replaced by Nokian WRT.
-Not a lot of snow here, so the OEMs have been fine for me so far.
5. Included charger does not support more then 12A. Still on 240V it gives 4% per hour, can live this that.
-Yeah, not a huge deal for me, but.. After I made my adapter, I was thinking I could use it at RV parks if needed (I haven't needed), but then I did the math on how long that would take to get enough to get me somewhere. I do wish I could set the EVSE to 12amps 120v all the time tho. I know about the location based, but where I plug in at work every day with it, it is underground and no GPS so not setting it for home to use location based.
6. Trunk size is extremely small, I wish it be few inches longer.
-Could be probably, but I really like the small size of the car, especially when I pull into my garage. ;-)
7. Seat can be little wider and softer, still not much complain for me here.
-Yeah, I did add some padding and it is great now, but not sure why GM didn't do this by default.
8. Android mobile application often does not work. Fire a part time student who wrote that junk.
-I haven't had much problem with AA so far. Mostly only use Waze, Pandora, and Overdrive (audiobooks).
9. No windshield fluid sensor.
-Never had a car with that (that I am aware of), so not sure what I am missing. ;-)
10. Massive door handles with buttons are more appropriate for limousine. Something smaller will be just fine.
-Hadn't noticed..
11. Only 16 FAV channels? Why there is a such limit? I think proper way should be a setup where you can have A and B FAV list, same as it done for FM1/2 on most cars. Besides secondary car driver will appreciate it.
-I only have 2 channels currently in my favs, so 16 is plenty. ;-)
12. No power seat option. Cannot explain this overlook also.
-I don't miss this, but there should be an option, for those who want it; I agree.
13. Funky heater. I have been driving and had temperature set for 21C, then I felt too hot, so I decrease to 20C. Suddenly it started to blow a cold air in my face, I felt cold right away and put 22C to warm myself up. That happened more then one time.
-Yeah, I still have issues (not major) with the heater. Just not that consistent. Agree.
14. Inability to have 'Range KM reserve after you have reached your destination' indication. Tesla has this and it is very convenient to trace battery usage in the trip. I was able to create 'synthetic' one using some formulas and Torque, but it is not as good as original can be.
-Interesting. With the current range, I've yet to get low enough to worry about that, but could see how it would be nice.
15. Lack of L3 charging infrastructure in Ontario. Some L3 chargers are limited to 25kw/h. Well, with such small trunk Bolt is not designed for long trips anyway.
-Yeah, in time. Where I work has some CCS Combos, but nothing where I live.
16. Winter mileage is brutal. Expect 220km left from 360 then temperature is lower than -12C. I understand there is nothing car designers can do here, it's chemistry.
-Luckily, it has enough range that it hasn't been an issue for me. I think a heat pump would have been nice for those of us in moderate climates tho.
17. Cold battery cannot effectively be charged on L3. Expect 25kw/h and spend 1.5h to re-charge.
-Hasn't been cold enough here (and I actually have yet to need to QC) to need that.



desiv

 

[sgt1372]

I've had my Bolt (leased) for 13 months so far and have absolutely no complaints. It does what I need it to do w/o any problems whatsoever.

After some experimentation I mostly only use it for local travel around town w/in 5 miles of my house. I try to avoid driving it on the freeway anymore because of how the way I drive sucks the power out of the battery.

The only time I drive the Bolt into the City (SF) is if I have to drive there during rush hour when I can use the HOV lane and flyover to by-pass the toll gates on the Bay Bridge, which (as cool as that is) is something I try to avoid doing whenever possible.

Also, since my mileage/use is so limited (only about 400/mo and 5k/year), I'm using free local chargers instead of my L2 at home. Just have to plan to spend 2-3 hours near where the chargers are located which isn't a problem since one is located near the library and the other is located in a shopping center.

Took a look at the Tesla M3 a month or so ago when it 1st appeared at the Tesla dealer in Walnut Creek. Nice car but after you add accessories, it's no longer a $35k car. Something like $55-60k fully loaded and $at least 42-45k (as Musk earlier predicted) with basic upgrades. Already have a BMW 4 door sedan (which I prefer to the M3) and prefer the Bolt (as an EV over the M3) based on the lower price and my specific use for it. So, I'm glad I canceled my M3 reservation when I got the Bolt.

That said, I probably will not get another Bolt (or EV) after my Bolt lease expires. Nothing wrong w/the car but it's a 5th car and I don't need 5 cars. I can just drive my MB ML350 as my daily driver instead.

 

[PackardV8]

After some experimentation I mostly only use it for local travel around town w/in 5 miles of my house. I try to avoid driving it on the freeway anymore because of how the way I drive sucks the power out of the battery.

Your car, your decision, but I don't understand the logic.

Within the generous range, I drive it like I stole it, including keeping up with any freeway traffic anywhere. The fun-to-drive factor is what decided us on purchasing the Bolt. I've owned, rented, borrowed many cars, including the BayEmVay and M-Bs you own. For the cut-thrust, HOV lane, stop-and-go, instant EV torque requirement of urban driving, the Bolt beats them all.

Having said that, the inexcusable lack of follow-cruise keeps it from being the absolute go-to.

jack vines

 

[sgt1372]

After some experimentation I mostly only use it for local travel around town w/in 5 miles of my house. I try to avoid driving it on the freeway anymore because of how the way I drive sucks the power out of the battery.

Your car, your decision, but I don't understand the logic.

This decision of mine has been discussed at length previously.

I just find that the best use of the Bolt for me is for short local trips. I've got the MB for longer highway drives where range and comfort/load capacity are more important. I've got the BMW for speed and the MR2 for top down back road drives. And, I've got the F250 when I've got to carry a heavy/dirty load. That pretty much covers it.

That said, it's good to know that I can take the Bolt on longer drives, like when I have to drive into down during rush hour, but generally I don't need/want to do so.

 

[Arob216]

10 days in now, 2018 Premier model.

Pretty much agree with most of what others have said, for me the two biggest complaints are lack of adaptive cruise (grew accustomed to using that and often find myself creeping up on traffic till I remember). Also, internal storage is wonky, the center console leaves a lot of room for improvement.

The range is great so far, but weather has been pretty mild. My 120 mile commute (RT) leaves me with plenty of range to spare, but I wonder what the extreme winter days might bring. Along the way, CCS charging is limited to a few Walmart evGo sites. Plenty of L2 chargers, some free, but that is a time commitment. Oh well, if given the choice of an hour delay versus being stranded, I guess there is no comparison.

I really am impressed with the torque. Coming from a Fusion Hybrid which was pretty laborious to get up to speed, the Bolt feels effortless. Love the 1 pedal mode, wonder why they label the shifter L instead of 1? I have used the foot brake pedal once other than to signal to cars behind me when at a stop.

But, my greatest complaint or disappointment was the dealer. When I bought the car, I asked them to plug it in so I would have enough range to get home. They joked that they could not fill up the tank the way they do when folks buy ICE from them, but in the hour it took to do paperwork, it got maybe 3 miles of added range, and I hobbled home with about 10 miles of range to spare. I then plugged in to my 110 outlet and the car sat for 4 days until it had enough range to get to and from work, what a disappointment! Fortunately, I kept the Fusion for my son who was away at college, so I had an alternate for the interim.

The dealer has no L2 or CCS charging on site, and only an L1 in the service bay. Perhaps this was the first Bolt they sold???

Now that my garage is equipped with a 30A EVSE, range is no longer an issue, at least during "normal" weather. It is a fun car to drive, especially in 1 pedal mode. It is a little bit of a economy sized car feel on the road compared to the Fusion, but they smooth acceleration and great cornering are pleasant surprises. The Bose sound system is really nice.

I find myself avoiding HVAC for range purposes, but cracking the windows a bit to keep fogging and regulate temps is frustrating. Getting the right amount of crack in the windows is challenging, too much and the noise and buffeting are horrendous. A simple touch versus long hold shouldn't be difficult to build into the mechanism. Been searching for window deflectors, thinking leaving the windows cracked while parked in the sun (and rain) at work would be nice to keep interior temps normal, but there don't seem to be any deflectors available for the Bolt.

 

[max9952001]

I find myself avoiding HVAC for range purposes, but cracking the windows a bit to keep fogging and regulate temps is frustrating. Getting the right amount of crack in the windows is challenging, too much and the noise and buffeting are horrendous. A simple touch versus long hold shouldn't be difficult to build into the mechanism. Been searching for window deflectors, thinking leaving the windows cracked while parked in the sun (and rain) at work would be nice to keep interior temps normal, but there don't seem to be any deflectors available for the Bolt.

I have found you can run the defrost with the Heat & AC button turned off and it will defog just fine without really hitting your range. Also, once you select these options - when you press the defrost physical button again, it will remember the previous setting.

Congrats on the car - I'm 2 1/2 months in and love every minute!