The Chevy Bolt Is the Ugly Car of the (Very Near) Future

[phil0909]

It's also not an economy car, though it does have some cheap features.

It is an economy car, the fact that it's expensive doesn't change the fact it has a low-rent interior full of hard-touch plastic and cheap seats.

I get what you're trying to say, and I largely agree with it. But regardless of how you'd like to define it, an economy car is an inexpensive car. And the Bolt just is not inexpensive. You are entitled to say it has economy seats or economy doors or an economy dash, but it is not an economy car. Because it costs a lot more money than an economy car. That's all there is to it.

 

[oilerlord]

Fair enough, Phil. Perhaps economy "trim" fits better. We could also call it an affordable car that isn't all that affordable.

 

[powersurge]

Why argue about such a simple term. The Bolt IS an" econobox". The body is on the level of a Civic, or Sentra, BUT at more than twice the price.

Whatever you wish to call it, the Bolt IS NOT a good car value if it was gas powered. The people who want it is because they want the electric part, and are willing to pay a premium for it....

 

[phil0909]

Why argue about such a simple term.

Because it is wrong. Erroneous usage of a simple term is even more egregious than misusing a complex or difficult word. The Bolt is neither economical nor boxy. It is therefore NOT an econobox.

I wish I could let you slide on this one, I really do. But where would it end? Next thing you know, people would be saying things like "I could care less" and "That baserunner was literally out by a mile." Nobody wants to live in a world like that.

 

[SeanNelson]

I wish I could let you slide on this one, I really do. But where would it end? Next thing you know, people would be saying things like "I could care less" and "That baserunner was literally out by a mile." Nobody wants to live in a world like that.

Prepare to be disappointed...

 

[ScooterCT]

Edmunds just took a Bolt for a long term test vehicle, and they posted their first few video reviews. I thought they fairly and evenhandedly addressed this issue of "what is the Bolt". Kind of touches on where this thread is going. I won't repeat their findings here, but I recommend watching the videos. They seem to have been following this and other forums, by the way. They were alert to a lot of the things said over the last six months, good and bad.

I really thought they were fair and evenhanded. No hyperbole in either direction.

 

[mikegrb]

Why argue about such a simple term.

Because it is wrong. Erroneous usage of a simple term is even more egregious than misusing a complex or difficult word. The Bolt is neither economical nor boxy. It is therefore NOT an econobox.

I wish I could let you slide on this one, I really do. But where would it end? Next thing you know, people would be saying things like "I could care less" and "That baserunner was literally out by a mile." Nobody wants to live in a world like that.

Unfortunately, that last case regarding usage of literally is now considered correct. I believe Merriam-Webster added it last year or the year before. The main issue there is that the English language is a living, growing being and the lexicon is continuously updated as new words are birthed, and usage of existing words evolves. See https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally. The Oxford English Dictionary agrees and lists this as a correct informal usage of the word.

I've never taken the 'box' portion of econobox to refer to an actual box shape. Both of these dictionaries agree on the definition as "a small economical car". OED takes it a bit further saying "A car that is small and economical rather than luxurious or stylish." While the Bolt is not an economical, or cheap, car in price, it's interior certainly is. The car essentially brings much of the technology of luxury sedans, couples it with an electric drive train and inserts it in the standard econobox hatchback.

 

[powersurge]

Wow... I guess the Bolt attracts certain kinds of people....

 

[phil0909]

I've never taken the 'box' portion of econobox to refer to an actual box shape.

Hello Mike - Yes, many people don't take it that way, especially younger people. But that is in fact the origin of the term econobox, which became common in the 1970s. I know, because I was there. Boxiness is the distinction between an "econobox" and an "econocar". Better dictionaries do still document this, as does Wikipedia.

This excellent video clip illustrates the process by which most dictionaries are updated these days:
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/common-knowledge/n9612?snl=1

I agree we're all saying the same thing about the Bolt - it is a moderately expensive car with a number of cheap and cheap-looking features.

 

[oilerlord]

Wow... I guess the Bolt attracts certain kinds of people....

And so it continues...

Internet forums attract certain kinds of people, including the word police.

We've all used hyperbole to emphasize our points. Haven't we all watched a baseball game and at some point said "he was out by a mile". Technically, he wasn't out by a mile since the bases are only 90 feet apart. Personally, I don't want to "live in a world" where some guy is in the room proclaiming: YOU"RE WRONG!...he was out by 10.62 inches, then another debating it was only 9.55 inches, then yet another insisting EVERYONE'S wrong because he was out by 0.02 seconds. Who cares? He's out.

I think it's important to respect that people simply express their opinions based on their own personal experience. For anyone upgrading from a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Bolt is a luxury car. For others accustomed to driving a Lexus or Mercedes, they might call the Bolt an econobox. It's fine to disagree but we should be able to appreciate all points of view without chasing semantics.

 

[mikegrb]

Just to clarify my point a bit. I'm happy with a loose usage of English. It was more of a fight fire with fire rant, after all. Sure econobox originally was a combination of economy and box, but the Chevy Bolt absolutely fits even the most pedantic definition of the word today.

 

[phil0909]

We've all used hyperbole to emphasize our points. Haven't we all watched a baseball game and at some point said "he was out by a mile". Technically, he wasn't out by a mile since the bases are only 90 feet apart. Personally, I don't want to "live in a world" where some guy is in the room proclaiming: YOU"RE WRONG!...he was out by 10.62 inches, then another debating it was only 9.55 inches, then yet another insisting EVERYONE'S wrong because he was out by 0.02 seconds. Who cares? He's out.

You missed the point entirely. 'Out by a mile' is fine. 'Literally out by a mile' is not, because the runner was figuratively out by a mile.

 

[phil0909]

Just to clarify my point a bit. I'm happy with a loose usage of English. It was more of a fight fire with fire rant, after all. Sure econobox originally was a combination of economy and box, but the Chevy Bolt absolutely fits even the most pedantic definition of the word today.

Yes, I got that. And I enjoy a good rant as much as the next guy. But the Bolt does not fit any definition of the word today, because it is not an economy car. It is too expensive to be an econobox, econocar, or economy car.

 

[SparkE]

But it's just fine to say "FEELS like an econocar" or "accessorized like an econocar" or "with econocar seats and dash" ...

 

[SeanNelson]

But it's just fine to say "FEELS like an econocar" or "accessorized like an econocar" or "with econocar seats and dash" ...

Exactly. It may not be an "econobox" per se, but it is appointed like one. Albeit with some nice high tech features.

 

[oilerlord]

We're still doing this? Geezus, guys.

 

[SparkE]

We're still doing this? Geezus, guys.

Now, the correct spelling isn't Geezus - and if you do use the *******ised form (as you did) it should NOT be capitalized!


(Sorry, couldn't resist. :mrgreen: )

 

[oilerlord]

LOL!

 

[GetOffYourGas]

Wow, this has gotten way off topic, guys. Can't we get back to talking about how ugly the Bolt is?

 

[dDF]

What the Bloomberg pen-pusher (along with many others) overlooked is that the Bolt ushered in the era of pragmatic, affordable long-range EV's. Not everybody invests money into a car to salivate over its (supposedly) "sexy" shape. I need my car to carry my work gear, for which I need a hatch rather than a narrowly opening trunk. High driving position is an additional bonus.