Rate Chevy Bolt

[SeanNelson]

So, having driven my Bolt from South Surrey British Columbia to Toronto Ontario

Now that's a trip I'd like to hear a little about...

 

[tr1cky1]

7....

Seats are terrible. Model 3 has power seats (not sure if it's standard or an option but they offer them) and the Bolt seats are extremely uncomfortable.

Lack of equipment I'd consider standard for any modern car in this price range:

Telescoping visors
Integrated garage door opener

Pluses:

Roomy for size
Good acceleration and handling
Infotainment system - screen size is awesome

 

[swamplife]

want to state for record

my rating is 9.5/10 - nothing wrong

 

[AyeJay]

8.5 to 9 .. I really like Android Auto navigation but it would be nice to have some mapping native in the car when I'm not targeting a destination. ..
(loaded via a Micro SD card like my 2015 KIA Soul EV had) ..

The seats are adequate for me but could be improved.

Other than the above points I would say the Bolt is one of the best cars I've ever driven.



AJ

 

[mchapmon]

I'm going with an 8. The Bolt has me completely satisfied in every aspect except the front seats. I'm under six feet tall, not overweight, but still find the seats almost pinch me into position in the absolute center of the seat. Besides the seats, it is much quicker than most people expect, handles competently and has more features than I really want. I would prefer a more basic car, so the lack of power seats doesn't bother me.

IMHO, it is a failing that GM is very used to. Our 1990 Buick Century coupe {bought new, still have it} has extra soft, no back support seats that were great for around town, very short drives. 45 minutes in and your back is screaming for relief. The Chevy Colorado came out to replace the S10 and my boss bought 5 of them for company fleet trucks. Flat seat bottoms and straight backrests made them much less comfortable than the outgoing S10. GM still "cheaps out" on seats when they bring a new vehicle to the market. Clearly, they know how to do it right and I've never understood why they repeat this behaviour so often.

 

[DaveT]

Just got my Bolt Premier 2 weeks ago. What a car. I'm 65 and have owned a few nice cars in my time..... 240 Z, Firebird, GTI and a host of family haulers. Have to say the Bolt EV beats them all. With regen braking and all that torque this car is just plain fun to drive. The technology and the Bose sound system are also great. Once you by an EV you probably wont want to go back to gas. 9 out of 10 for what you pay.

 

[jimbo62]

I'll give my 2019 LT a 9; everything is wonderful except for the seats. PLEASE Chevy do something about the seats!!

 

[willk58]

Really like my 2019 LT. I would give it a 7 or 8. Only things I don't like:
~Lack of audible warning for blind spot warning
~Lane keep is really weak. Other vehicles I have had could steer the car around curves with "lane keep".
~No adaptive cruise control.

 

[RichCapeCod]

My wife and I have owned/driven our 2019 Premier for about two weeks. Really enjoying the car (we have five, including the Bolt, as we live in two states ~"snowbirds"). Much prefer driving the Bolt to any of the other vehicles we have (in MA, at the moment; Jeep Wrangler Sahara, RAV4, and the Bolt. The RAV is "on the way out").

I'd rate the Bolt at around an 8.5. I can't get my smartphone (Android 8.0) to connect up to the Bolt for Android Auto. The lane change warning/assist is very weak.

The seat is no issue, for either my wife or myself, and I'm a big guy. Apparently a very subjective matter!

Looking at the rationally prices EVs out there now, even including what I might consider the unicorns of EVs (from the other KIA and Hyundai offerings, which don't seem to be available in any real numbers), I'd still pick the Bolt as the sweet-spot of the current EV crop.

Decent interior space, mostly well thought out controls, and it has a cooling and heating system for battery temperature management (a requirement for EVs I consider mandatory). I also like how the car looks (again, beauty being in the eye of the beholder).

Rich

 

[SayWatt]

I'd give it a 10 but I do miss the 'Check Engine Light"...Ha! Seriously I would give it a 10 but for range drop when using heater or AC. Other than that it's the best and most enjoyable car I've ever driven.

 

[bobo]

My biggest complaint is harsh ride. Must be a combination of very stiff suspension/ low profile tires?
Plus maybe weight of batteries. Might even be the worst car I have ever had for "ride".
But all in all I really like the car. Lots of pluses.
And yes the seats could be better.

 

[marspilgrim]

I give it a 9/10. The only thing I actually want is better sun visor coverage and extension. I've heard the 2019 extends, maybe the dealer can swap them? Another inch of seat cushion padding would be welcome. Give those in back an inch less leg room since 98% of the time I'm the only one in the car. Also I can see auto cruise control as a huge plus since the car has the range to travel. We have it in our Forester and it's awesome on road trips.

I don't need power seats. I've had those and I set it once and never touch it again so what's the point? Although my wife and I are close enough in size that changing vehicles doesn't require adjusting the seats. Range covers all my needs as does storage space. I've had sunroof's but can easily live without one. Integrated garage door opener is nice but I've lived with the clicker for decades so no big deal. I also laugh at car reviews that tsk-tsk as they scratch hard plastic on the dash. Everyone does that once during the test drive and then they never touch those areas again unless they're dusting.

And tires, but I can't deduct points for that. The industry I'm sure is working on better tires for EV's. Something sticky enough to handle the torque and curves but doesn't hurt mileage. I'm hoping the new generation of all weather tires are decent for Chicago seasons with less than a 15% hit on range would be nice. I'd like to avoid a set of winter tires if possible. I'll need new tires for this winter, if anyone has recommendations?

 

[SeanNelson]

I give it a 9/10. The only thing I actually want is better sun visor coverage and extension. I've heard the 2019 extends, maybe the dealer can swap them?

Yeah, you should be able to swap them with visors from a newer Bolt. I swapped the visors in my 2017 Bolt with extending ones from a Volt and I couldn't be happier.