2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV Consumer Reviews

I'm a 52 year old dad of 3 and I've had a lot of cars in my life - Toyotas, Audis, Mercedes, Ford Trucks, etc. the Chevy Bolt is the best performing car by far. It's fast (really fast), handles great, good looking, very comfortable and lots of cargo space. The only had thing is the range anxiety for long trips - so this is a great 2nd car but I would not recommend as my only car if you go on long road trips on the weekends. Oh yeah last thing - maintenance? I don't know - I've had it for 3 years and I've done absolutely nothing. No oil changes, no alternator blah blah blah. Just plug it in and it works. You'll also drive by a lot of gas stations with this car.

I had test driven a few EVs before making the switch from a gas car and there was something about the Bolt that just captured me more than others. First, how it drives. The Bolt's driving characteristics are easy to learn, at least for me. Some other EVs drive different and they feel heavy. The Bolt somehow still feels nimble and small, which I prefer. I have a disdain for large cars and SUVs, personally. It still comfortably fits 4 adults over 6'. Myself being 6'6 this is one of the few cars where it is possible to have the seat too far back. The plus side of that is a friend who is 6'4 still had plenty of leg room behind me. Researching the car myself, I was concerned about the seats being uncomfortable but I have put nearly 4000 miles on it in the 3 months I have owned the car and have no complaints. If you have a place to charge, owning an EV is a no brainer. My apartment has chargers that are reasonably priced, so I end up paying about 1/3 - 1/4 the cost per mile compared to my former gas car. The only downside is the slow charging at fast chargers. All Bolts are limited to 55 kW at DC chargers, which means most stops on long road trips are going to be 40 mins. Newer EVs charge much quicker (usually a minimum of 150 kW nowadays, almost 3x faster than the Bolt), but if you rarely road trip I personally would save the cash and buy a used Bolt. It is otherwise a fantastic little car that personally brings a huge grin to my face. As far as quality overall, I will leave you with an anecdote from my grandmother the first time she sat in my Bolt with nearly 50k miles and closed the door: "This is a GM product? The door doesn't sound like tin can and the interior doesn't squeak!"

Ironically, I was always a snob you know I like V-8 engines Mustangs Corvette that type of a car and when my fiancé died, I inherited his Bolt and I thought I would just drive it for a while to save on gas because last year a gas is up to seven dollars a gallon.. I cannot believe how much I enjoy driving the car not just for the savings but just how fast he can go. You have to actually be careful and how it handles. Love it.

yes I would purchase another one but later model with electric seats. The interior is as my wife puts it sort of like an early Holiday interior, cheap. The seats are from hunger ( my back is not in the best condition so most vehicles hurt me), but that's about it. It's great around the area. The battery upgrade gives me approx 300 miles local. It can get out of its own way. I simply enjoy it. If we go on a trip and I know the hotel has a charging system I'll easily run 200 miles one way. A note, consider the short wheelbase. It's not a Cadi and a bit rough on some road surfaces. I am lucky too. The local dealer is pretty good. The infrastructure needs to be expanded but we all know that. I have a Tesla adapter on order from the Chevy dealer. That should allow a bit more flexibility. I added an OE full size spare and tools for repair in the trunk.

Of course, I love my Chevy Bolt. It's an EV. They are awesome. And the Bolt is fine, but Chevy has reached the end of my patience. Where is my replacement battery promised more than 2 years ago??!!!! Tired of short range and wondering about it starting a fire. Hey Chevy, stop blaming LG Chem and keep your word!!

GM decided to replace some batteries and not others so expect the car company to either support your purchase or not. It is a very small car. Even with DC fast charging it is painful to try to go over one charge on the road. You don't have enough time on earth left to try to go cross country unless you only go 200 miles a day and stay at hotel overnight. They seem to cost more to insure than a gas car. States are now putting on extra fees that may be more than a gas car. You can only recharge it cheaply if you have overnight home charging at low prices. You generally have to buy or have installed a charger. Can be expensive. Blind spot lights can't be seen at night for the most part. Car behind you had bright LED's and they overpower the mini yellow icons. Should have been placed inside the car. Charge port is plastic. Guess how long that stuff will last? You basically can't work on it unless you know how to be safe around 400V HV. Heard MB is locking customers out of hood for that reason. Almost no maintenance. You won't miss the gas station and laugh at their prices with folks in car. Might not laugh at the rising electricity rates but everything seems to have doubled in price except my wages. Batteries go bad. The range of the Bolt will keep it a working city car for a long time hopefully unless it catches fire. Hoping for next gen batteries to fix that. My skinny behind fits the seats and lets a 6'3" frame fit. It is quite. The OEM tires are about the only low rolling resistance tires you can use. They are expensive to replace and an EV can burn them up in a short time unless you are careful.

I got the basic Bolt, no frills. Car payment is low, no upkeep expense, never a moment it didn't work, tremendous range (300 miles on a summer day). No gas. No oil. Never stop at a gas station except to get a drink. Great power, easy to drive--almost never touch the brake with one-pedal driving. No unpleasant smell, no mess on the garage floor. NOTHING ever needed attention--oh, I did get a tire rotation a few times. They said there was a problem with the battery--but I never saw it--they gave me a new battery recently. No hassle.

FIRST and foremost DON'T buy one that has not yet had the older battery replaced. I expect it will be years (if ever) until the newest battery is replaced. I will upgrade rating if the battery is ever replaced. There are restrictions on where to park and charge if you dont have the battery replacement!!!!!!! You wont get the estimated mileage unless you dont run the AC or heater. Very spunky as it takes off quickly. Its very quiet and nearly completely gets rid of most traffic and things around you. Premium Bose speakers are excellent (if you listen to music from your cell phone) Does not feel like its a very small car. Traveling around the country is a total challenge due to charging times and finding charging compatible stations. If you have a newer one like mine a 2021, the battery is not yet replaced. The seats are like sitting on bricks. I didn't think it would be an issue but it is!!! In spite of the issues I like this car. With a new replacement battery and significantly more comfortable seats I would give it a 4.5 rating, I am considering going to an auto upholstery shop and get the front seats replaced its so uncomfortable.