I own (purchased) a 2019 Chevy Bolt Premier and a 2021 Tesla Model 3 long range. I do videos about both of them on my channel. The reality is that the Bolt does not compare at all vs the Tesla, but it’s also not really meant to. People tend to fixate on the MSRP of both cars and claim that the Bolt is nearly the same price as a mid trim Model 3. In the real world, nobody pays full price for a Bolt. Not a single soul. In fact, my fully loaded Bolt cost $20,000 less out the door than my Model 3, and that was with zero negotiation or one-off deals. My Bolt cost nearly $10,000 less than the absolute cheapest Model 3 available in the US. There are current lease deals in my area for $99/month for a Premier model, I think with $1500 down. At that price, the Bolt is a much better value than the Tesla for a daily driver. The Bolt is also better in some ways, like build quality and ride comfort. Of course the Tesla blows away the Bolt in acceleration and charging speeds, but the Bolt accelerates faster than many cars on the road, especially eco-focused cars or small SUVs, and charging speeds only come into play during road trips, which the Bolt is still fully capable of. I really like both cars, but the Bolt is arguably a better value whereas the Tesla is more of a splurge.
If you have a competitor current lease and you qualify for supplier code (student, teachers, first responder, or work perk) you can get the car for 3 year lease 10k/yr miles for $4600 one pay. There are multiple incentives that stack including the costco 3k discount. If you qualify, you are also eligible for CA $2k rebate. That's net cost of 2600$. As of March 13 2021
I have a 2020 and it is remarkable roomy and an improvement in that regard over the Bolt. Very easy to get in and out of too both front and back seats.
Let me start off by saying that I'm a huge fan of the Bolt. With that said, I don't think I have EVER heard anyone describe the seats as "comfortable." lol. Great review! Can't wait to check out the 2022 EUV.
I can’t believe I just spent all that time watching a Chevy volt video, Ben you got me good this time 😂! You’re an influential and entertaining educational positive character! Thank you I rather watch your videos than MSM and TV
As a former TV guy, I’d say you have a bright future in television. Just 2 comments. Slow down a bit. And add more humor. Loved the little clip from under the car.
After comparing the Bolt to the Kia Nero I purchased the Nero for the increased interior room (I am 6’5”) and the longer range. It also looks like a regular car, not a spaceship like many EV’s. I could not be happier.
I lease a 2020 Bolt Premiere which I have had for about 15 months. I can't see any difference from the inside of this one and mine. There are some changes on the outside, mostly the front grill and black bow tie. I like mine a lot. It is rated at 259 miles per charge but that is mostly weather related with how you drive and terrain also factors.. I am in Michigan and during the bitter cold this February, range on a full charge was closer to 175 miles, but, of course I didn't drive much. In warm months I push 300 miles when not using the air conditioner. I have a "Level 2" charger in my garage and can fully charge overnight. Long trips could be problematic depending on where you go and availability of fast charging stations but that should improve over time. I don't know if I would buy one due to rapid depreciation and newer technology (500 miles per charge is coming very soon) but there are very attractive lease deals on the Bolt. I like mine and, assuming you have a reliable place to charge yours, there is a good chance you will like it.
Once you don’t have to deal so much less car maintenance and never have to fill gas, you would’nt want to buy gas cars anymore. But only for daily used in the city for now. 5 years from now EV will make a huge impact.
You missed a bunch. The center console tray pulls out. The center cluster screen has multiple views, you were on the one with the least information. --You didn't mention that L is one pedal driving mode.-- Edit: You got around to it once you started driving. I love one pedal mode, coming from an old Subaru it's heaven when there's traffic. You didn't mention the paddles on the steering wheel for regen braking and stereo control. That infotainment animation is the same as the one on my 2017 Bolt. You didn't show off the 360 camera. There's a light-strip along the interior that turns on when it's dark, it's neat. You left the infotainment system on the home screen, seems kinda pointless to critique that if you don't mess with it. I leave it in radio or energy modes most of the time unless I need Android auto or the parking cameras. I've had a 2017 Bolt since October. I had to drive my mom's Sorento to the shop today, it was hugely different. With the Sorento there's this huge lurch when it shifts from 1st to second, there's no instant torque, you have to wait for the engine, I forgot how loud ICEs were... I've never driven a car with a CVT but I want to try it. 0-60 in the Bolt is ~6 seconds. 60-100 is ~4 seconds. Don't ask me how I know that >.> Overall your opinions are perfectly valid and appreciated, you just missed a few things.
We have a 2017 and a 2018. They are our only cars. They are great cars and we won’t go back to a gas car. My 2018 is the same color and has the same interior as the car the author was showing.
I enjoy the Bolt, but you must admit that for interstate driving a car with a longer wheelbase is more stable and gets longer range. But for the price, its hard to beat the Bolt.
One pedal driving is not "weird." I'm old enough to remember (and learned to drive on a) "sticik shift" (manual transmission). With one of those, one gets engine braking when one lifts off the THROTTLE. "Accelerator" is a term that evolved with the automatic transmission. Befrore that we called it the "gas pedal" or the "throttle." The regenerative braking, and in the old days, engine braking with manual transmissions, meant that brake pads/linings lasted a LOT longer. Most Bolt's have gone over 100,000 miles with the original brake pads. With "stick shift" cars, brake linings usually lasted twice as long as cars with automatics. I LOVE my Bolt. It's fine on long trips too for one or two people.
The Costco lease expires in April. How about $185 a month with $1712 down. 36 months, 10k per year. Then the rebates and credits come. You cannot beat this deal!
Bought a 2020 instead of a Tesla M-Y as the lack of controls is dangerous! I saw lots of Teslas with front end damage as the shift is not positive! I get the gear I want without looking, up left is R, down is D and again is Regen which is awesome and comes to a full stop! The only problem is at full stop the brake lights go out which was fixed for 2021 and better come with a software update! Overhead camera amazes my Tesla friends as does AppleCarPlay and they are jealous of WAZE! I am making M-S payments of $2K/mo and will have it payed of very soon!
I test drove one yesterday after watching your video the other day. I have been inquiring for sometime, but all this changed when my Jeep renegade 4x4 got stuck in my alley in Chicago last week during the snowstorm and I asked myself, how often do you use the snow feature anyways, and why did I attempt to be the first one to drive into 2 feet of snow in my alley. All of these gas vehicles with the 4x4 options aren’t necessary. I like this car because the size and I don’t feel like I’m hiding behind a gas vehicle that is way to big for just one person.
@@Matt-el5iv I also watched some of the 2022 videos just posted and the brake lights seem a little weird, also I noticed they have the softer interior, and electronic screen is similar to many gm cars. I like the quirky plastic, lighter screen and the front end better in the 2021 premier than the 2022.
I’m buying one soon. My Tesla s 2012 electric battery died, it’s out of warranty. I took it to the dealership and the cost to install a refurbished battery is $21,000 with only one year warranty. The market price for my car is $28,000. I’m not fixing it, doesn’t worth it.
holy shit that’s expensive as fuck. i’ve been wanting a tesla but if that’s gonna be a common issue, it’s definitely not worth it. i hope you were just unlucky because it’s unacceptable for a car to mess up after 9 years and for the repair to be almost the same price as the entire cars worth.
@@BenHardyCars Alrighty. Well, I thought it would be a neat suggestion, even though like you said in the video, you don't like CVT's that much, lol Hope your doing good by the way!
@@Cosminox54 Volt drivetrain in electric mode drives nearly identical to the Bolt, just with less overall power. ;) Volt uses the same type of reduction gear transmission.
I know the vehicle in the review is a 2021, but I’ll choose the 2022 Bolt EV, it has an updated interior and styling changes. I’m not a fan of Tesla’s interior & exterior design, I’ll even choose Ford over Tesla. Great review Ben!
In general, almost all the current EVs aren't what anyone would call "gorgeous." But, yeah, if the Bolt was better looking, Chevy would've probably sold a lot more. The main difference between the two is that Volt is a hybrid (with a gas engine) and the Bolt is a pure electric vehicle.
Good review, very thorough. If buying an electric car in a hydroelectric area and you commute less than 50 miles a day, then yeah, I can understand buying one of these. The discounts are huge incentives. The government wants the population to give up internal combustion cars, so the government is doing all it can to get you out of that F150 and into a practical Bolt. If you are a rural worker, an electric car is definitely not your vehicle. We taxpayers are helping to pay for Chevy Bolts, but don't worry, Chevy is being paid and making money. If you live in an area that does not have hydroelectric, then, what is the advantage other than the huge incentive discounts?
Tire pressures are way below spec - they should be 38, all around. The reading on the car for the four tires is 33, 32, 32, 34. The will affect performance, and the lives of the tires.
That's what Chevy Bolt is. Unconditional love of your lifetime. I would never voluntarily go back to any fossil stinker again. Once you happen to get your hands on something wonderful, you just don't go back.
Didn’t hear the word Tesla in this review which makes this click bait. But the answer to the question? I bought a 2017 Bolt because it was cheap for a capable EV. > But waiting for a Tesla.
I don't see the bolts exploding like the Teslas seem to be doing. That's a big incentive for me to buy a Bolt. I have a family I need to keep safe and I can't see me putting them into a Tesla for that reason.
The 2017-19 batteries catch fire when charging. They worked on a software patch for 6mo and it’s still happening so they are going to look into replacing faulty units.... 😬
I just feel that all of the Chevy interiors lack style. Big ugly buttons, hard plastic all over the place, just very stale overall. This seems to go for any trim level truck or car in the Chevy line up. I think they need a shake up in their design department and leave the 90's and early 2000's behind.
Its by far better than a tesla because it has a gauge cluster and everyone complains about having to look at the middle screen for their speed on teslas. But manual seats? lol and tesla is way faster
Let's see, you can buy an American made Tesla for under $40k that will last you the rest of your life (and maybe more) or you can buy a Korean pocket-rocket with a Chevy brand and keep it a while. How long do these last? Anybody know? (Tesla Model 3's in fleet service regularly go over half a million miles on the original battery and drivetrain)
@@It-b-Blair Sorry but i don't understand your answer.....how does lone find the charging stations for the Volt...do they come up on navigations screenOR do you have to Google on one's phone?
No, the most basic Tesla model 3 is not worth $7k over the Bolt. If you get AWD, range extended, or the self driving then it'd be worth it probably. It's the difference of 0-60 in 6 seconds vs 3. Or AWD. Or nearly full self driving. Or parking lot summon. The Bolt is a car for people who just need a good car. The Tesla is an expensive toy, that happens to be a good car too. But why buy new when the used ones are so cheap? I saw a 2017 Bolt for $11k on Cars.com a little bit ago. The 2018/19 ones are going to be getting cheap too with the refresh and the Bolt EUV coming out.
I plug it in at home 95% of the time, so it takes me 10 seconds to charge*. When I take trips up to the mountains even the tiny towns usually have a place to charge. Grand Lake has one at their marina that's $1 per hour and you can get back down the mountain with tons of charge to spare with just that dollar. The Bolt is amazing on switchbacks, and coming down the mountain thanks to the regen braking I got over 200mpge :) Check out "A better route planner". It lets you enter the EV you want/have, then you set a destination and starting point and it'll show you an estimate of how long it'll take and list everywhere you would need to charge. If you're just driving it around town Walmarts often have chargers, or you can use Electrify America's network, or SemaConnect... there are lots of options for charging if you can't charge enough at home. I was lucky that for the first few months I owned my Bolt I could charge at work for free. I've since been laid off, but that just means I'm driving less :X *That 10 seconds is how long it takes to run the cord out to where I park and plug in the car. Then when I go out in the morning it's charged and ready for the next day's drive.
Things you want vs things you need If you want an electric car you want the most popular AKA Tesla (mostly Elon musk fanboys) If you need an electric car a bolt will do, this thing is on par with most Tesla cars in the sense that it can go 250 miles maybe 275 if you behave yourself and while it may be lacking on the interior in terms of comfort I think a lot of us here can sacrifice comfort for reliability
Yes. Bolts are probably at the moment the best value for money, features, and tech. If you have the money Tesla is the best but bolts are a great alternative.
@@Model3P No I haven't as of yet or a Tesla. I have been on Tesla site and priced a few examples. The Lucid does look very impressive though. Think I'm sticking with petrol for just a bit longer.
I’m considering purchase a Bolt but I have been told that it has some battery issues and some cars was burned because such a problem is it right or the car is safe ?
There have been 5 Bolts that caught fire while charging. Out of tens of thousands that sold. Chevy has updated software available that solves the problem. It was only for the 2017 models.
But what's that noise at 10:03?!... Hear that? So it's not completely like being in a monastery. Sounds like a Transformer trying to talk to you... Might wanna put a hidden camera on it; it might take itself for a walk one night (lol)!
As he did mention, there’s massive incentives going on right now. Two weeks ago, I bought a 2021 Bolt EV Premier fully loaded including tinted windows all around, weather guard floor mats, ... out the door, including all taxes, transport, fees, for less than $29k in Austin, TX. The sticker on the door shows $44,235. My friend also bought a 2020 left over Bolt EV LT, the week before, out the door $22k. So the $44k MSRP is in dead crazy.
A transmission that has a belt drive, frequently used in snowmobiles for decades, they recently came to automobiles. It’s smoother because there are no specific gears and cvt’s are infinitely variable. Of course a direct drive is smoothest, but cvt’s are really close.
I got mine in October. For me while it was warm I was getting 285 max, now that it's cold it's around 200 even. It really depends on how you drive it, how much you use the ac/heater, etc. I put some Crossclimate 2's on it for the snow, that probably cost me a few miles per charge, but it's worth it for the better handling. The range doesn't really matter unless you work quite far from home or take a lot of road trips. Just plug it in when you get home, or at work, and it's ready for the next day when you wake up.
The refreshed 2022 Bolt EV comes with an updated interior and styling changes. If you want something bigger, then you’ll have to get the Bolt EUV. Chevy also lowered the started price of the Bolt EV for 2022.
@@justinsmith2598 I wasn't talking about minor changes. Bolt still has the design of taking an ICE car and installing a battery and motor in the front, instead they need to design the car around the internals which Chevy has been criticized for in the past
@@Jcewazhere there aren't any EV charging stations nearby where I live. Meaning that I would have to charge at home and that would mean I would have to track down an EV charging station when I am on a road trip. My point is, I should be able to have an EV range that is the equivalent to a 4 cylinder ICE engine. I know there are EVs out there with a longer than 259 mile range on them and that is what I am after. I'm not trying to sound like a snob or anything it's just that i would prefer a longer range on a full charge.
Dear followers!! Don't let the beautiful pictures confuse you . Anyone who buys a new car from GENERAL Motors the chance you threw your money into the trash is very large. In this company there is no customer service, the company's management does not care at all, if you have a problem or a malfunction, you can only pray to God there is a chance that the help will come faster. GM is a very dangerous company, be careful and keep your money safe.!!!👎👎👎👎👎😬👎😬👎👎Share so more people don't get screwed.GM is a big bluff
unused buttons in the front and center console is absolute cringe. This is such a half ass retrofit based on the engine compartment and it still has a 12v lead acid on along with the high voltage battery. Anyway thanks this saved me a trip to the dealer for a test drive. Looks like a 2010 car with 2015 electronics.
That’s what I said but I got one for basically free and it turned out to be best car I ever have driven. Nuts I know. Not a great lookin car tho that is for sure
