Volt named KBB Electric/Hybrid Car Best Buy for 2015

The first-generation Chevy Volt may be on its way out, but adding to a long list of awards since the beginning of the four-year-old car, it just nabbed Kelly Blue Books’s 2015 Electric/Hybrid Car Best Buy Award.

In doing so it edged out the Nissan Leaf which was also launched 2011, as well as the also-aging Toyota Prius regular hybrid, and the relatively new BMW i3.

 

That the Chevy Volt stands atop our list of Electric/Hybrid Best Buy contenders after four years in the marketplace is a testament to its virtues. The Volt might not be the newest entry in a group that includes the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and Toyota Prius, but a clever powertrain and exceptional value helped Chevrolet’s gasoline/electric wondercar secure the win.

 
Helping it along is the full $7,500 federal tax credit, and fact that the Volt’s 38 miles EPA-rated range spans the gap between a pure battery electric car and hybrid better than any plug-in hybrid on the market.

The i3 may be trendy, but it’s about $11,000 pricier, says KBB, and if you want the range-extended car with small, short-range gas engine, add $4,000.

The Volt also comes in $1,600 less than the plug-in Prius when factoring a ZEV credit in California, its largest market, says KBB. The plug-in Prius is only rated for 11 miles range, and its top electric speed is less, and a firm accelerator push will kick the gas on. Not so with the Chevy which despite the haters still saying so, it is an extended-range electric vehicle.

Adding onto all the rest is KBB appreciates the driving dynamics of the Volt.

Mash the rightmost pedal, and the wonders of electric propulsion become clear. The Volt accelerates with silky effortlessness. Carry some of that speed through an unclogged onramp, and you might be surprised by the Volt’s willingness to play. No, this electrified Chevy isn’t a sports car, but there’s more fun here than the green veneer might suggest.

And as icing on the cake, the looks and style also got points.

Ok, we’ll admit it. Style counts. Especially among electric and hybrid cars, a compelling design tends to correlate with acceptance from the buying public. On that count the Volt strikes a smart balance between futurism and familiarity. Techy-looking energy usage readouts and sci-fi startup/shutdown sound effects co-exist with comfortable seats, a usable capacitive touch instrument panel, and a surprisingly accommodating cargo area. Provided you don’t need more than four seats, the Chevy Volt delivers a good mix of style and substance.

 
All told, not bad for the grandfather of thi type of vehicle that’s still teaching the whippersnappers a lesson.

And they’re going to retire it soon, and we’ll be seeing a new version believed to be better.

KBB