patrick.net

I hear they can haul a load of gold bars, no problem!

If you like the Volt, then buy it. Having said that, I don't see the point of owning any electric vehicle if you don't have a place to plug it in (how did that happen?).

zzyzzx says

If you like the Volt, then buy it. Having said that, I don't see the point of owning any electric vehicle if you don't have a place to plug it in (how did that happen?).

You probably won't believe it (or agree with) all, but I didn't mind paying a little extra. I get the toll discount so that saves me a hundo each month, get the HOV lane from E'ville to SOMA and vote with my dollars a bit. With all the incentives, it was mostly a wash but I had hoped I'd get some charging on either side of the bridge. If I had, I'd probably get 1000 miles or more per gallon.

I also tend to hit free SF street parking, and with the limited charging capabilities I'd have to drop 20-25 bucks per day to get in a garage in SF, plus pay like $5.00 for charging the equivalent of $3.00 worth of gas. Extended range is great, but that part of the economics doesn't exactly work.

I like the new Volts though, and considered just getting a 2017 but we relocated my office from SOMA to the other side of Fidi, and now the commute is much more likely than before to result in me wishing I'd have taken the bus. One car is an option I'm considering too, but the hand-me-down to my wife seemed to hit a few spots for us (mostly with the age of the Toyota she drives)

I mostly kind of figured if consumers like me didn't choose EV, then the next "Who killed the Electric Car?" would feature we consumers in the starring role! :)

CL says

Really, anything like you've offered up. General satisfaction, reliability, comfort. Anything!

Do you prefer the Hardtops? Convertible? How do so many have so many different patterns in the paint jobs?

Mini's are surprisingly comfortable considering how small they are. Their interiors feel quality and do not feel cheap like some cars feel inside. Again, my car has been completely reliable. I've never experienced any engine issues and I've put plenty of miles on the car. We even drove from the Bay Area to Vegas with three adults and a baby and everything fit. Barely.

I prefer hardtops but that is from years of living in SF and seeing knifed up convertibles. With the mini, you can either buy what they have at the dealer on hand, or you can order a custom designed mini at extra cost that takes 6 weeks or so to arrive. There are a ton of style features -- racing stripes, union jack flag on top, various colors on body and hard top, chrome, wheels, etc. There are also all the limited edition styles available.

I love my mini. If you love driving, then you will appreciate the mini. I am not talking about loving a long commute or a drive to the store, but the actual Art of Driving. Each time I've test drove a car in the past 10 years I couldn't bear to leave my mini. We now need a bigger vehicle and I am starting to look at SUV's right now, but I know none of them will compare to driving a mini.

zzyzzx says

Having said that, I don't see the point of owning any electric vehicle if you don't have a place to plug it in (how did that happen?).

One word: HOV.

Indiana Jones says

If you love driving, then you will appreciate the mini. I am not talking about loving a long commute or a drive to the store, but the actual Art of Driving.

He'll appreciate a Miata even more then.

Ironman says

I second the Honda. can't go wrong there

Sometimes you can: their track record with auto transmissions paired to V6's was less than stellar.

There's a pretty good $89/month lease ($190/month effective including driveoff) on the new 2017 Volt at Fremont Chevrolet. Does not include tax, license and doc frees.

CL says

Anybody have a strong feeling about them?

I do! It was my first toy car - a well-made model in Great Britain. With all the details, small and heavy (metallic). Blue. I can still picture it clearly in my head.