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Spurred by commentary here on Torque News in comments left on an article by Keith Griffin (see it here), I had a conversation with a Volt owner in California about her car. At the time of this writing, I have a 2012 VW Passat TDI SE Premium in my driveway as a loaned test vehicle from the manufacturer. Together, we compared notes and furthered the conversation that started in Torque News comments.
The Passat TDI SE is similar to the Volt in fittings and extras, though it does have some things that are of higher quality than the Volt such as the premium Fender sound system and powered seating. Downgrading some of those options to equalize the cars in that regard puts the MSRP for the Passat TDI at about $29,000. MSRP for the Volt is about $42,000 in comparable trim. Doing a sticker-to-sticker comparison, the Passat is obviously cheaper, but after taking in the federal tax rebate of $7,500, the Volt's price tag gets closer at $35,000. Some states have further incentives for purchasing a car like the Volt, but for this comparison, we're assuming a national average which means no state-level rebates or incentives.
Assuming a road trip, the range per vehicle on the highway is 796 miles in the VW and 379 miles for the Volt. For daily driving, numbers are more variable, but most Volt owners claim around 900 miles per tank of gasoline while my use of the Passat and a survey of Volkswagen forums shows that most TDI drivers are getting 820 miles per tank of fuel. Diesel fuel and the premium grade gasoline required for the Volt cost about the same, but tank capacities are different. So in today's fuel costs (roughly $4/gallon for diesel or premium gasoline), including a national average of $0.12 per kWh for electricity, the $60 fill up on the Passat is compared to a $42 fill-up on the Volt. For reference, I'm assuming two recharges per week from empty (80%) on the Volt's batteries, which seems fair even if it is not being depleted completely, but is being plugged in nightly.
Finally, we look at the cars themselves in terms of practicality and everyday use. The Passat is a larger car physically, with seating for five (comfortably) inside (compared to the Volt's 4), more trunk volume, etc. In safety, both cars rank about the same in IIHS tests. The VW has better handling and performance, however, with a slightly faster 0-60mph rating and a higher top speed. Riding in either car shows the Passat to have a more comfortable drive.
Warranties are the same at 36k/3 years basic. Where the Chevy Volt wins out is efficiency. It's miles per gallon combined is over 90 while the Passat TDI gets 31mpg in the city and 43mpg on the highway.
A dollar-for-dollar comparison, however, gives the Passat TDI the edge. At $6,000 cheaper off the lot and with a fuel cost of $0.07/mile (versus the Volt's $0.05), the Passat is an obvious choice. This narrows after factoring in maintenance costs - oil changes are about the same price for both vehicles, but the VW requires after-treatment be added every 10,000 miles (two oil changes) at an additional cost of about $40. The Passat TDI, however, has no spark plugs. For the Volt, this would be about $8 per plug ($32), plus another $25 for wires, all being replaced every 100,000 miles. We're assuming here that costs are for parts/fluids only.
Using these numbers and assuming a 150,000 life span before trade-in or sale, we have a cost breakdown of: $0.03 per mile ($10,500 in fuel, $600 in after-treatment, minus $6,000 price difference) for the Passat TDI versus $0.05 per mile ($7,500 in fuel, $85 in maintenance) for the Volt.
These numbers have a big caveat: subjectivity. Those who live in the city and drive in congested urban traffic and/or heavy commuter traffic are more likely to see cost savings with the Volt than they are with a TDI. On the other hand, those who do not drive under those conditions regularly will likely find the Passat TDI a better choice for their needs. Finally, if you are one of the few who live in an area that further incentivizes the purchase of the Volt (and you can take advantage of those incentives), then the numbers will also change more towards the Volt's favor.
The numbers above, though generalized (the cost per mile is actually higher, since I did not include other vehicle service requirements, such as the cost of oil changes, tire replacement, etc.), they illustrate the cost difference in terms of operation for the two vehicles.
Update 5/23/2012: Information I did not have about the Volt not requiring oil changes per mileage (see commentary below) changes the metrics somewhat. This would raise the cost/mile of the Passat TDI by about a penny, putting the two closer together in terms of cost.
Update 5/25/2012: I have been informed by General Motors, after a VP I have spoken with previously read this article, that I will be receiving a Volt for a week long test (the same as my time with the Passat) next week. This will give me a chance to re-asses the Volt under the same conditions I tested the Passat TDI. I will write a follow up after that. My goal will be to re-asses the Volt based on the new, longer period of testing as up to this point, the longest I've spent driving one was less than an hour. This should make those of you whose only argument with my assessment here is that I "haven't driven one" happy.
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Comments
Chevrolet recommendations on
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In reply to Those of you claiming 2 years by Aaron Turpen
Chevrolet recommendations on oil change DO take into account whether miles were driven using gas or electricity.
I own a volt, have 7500 miles on it, have never changed the oil, and the car says I still have 85% of my oil life left.
Chevrolet recommends oil changes for the Volt at least every two years or sooner if the oil life indicator says to.
The dealer said that if I wanted to be extra safe, I could change the oil yearly. That would, however, seem wasteful to me.
With my current driving habits, when the car has 200,000 miles on it, the gasoline motor will only have 50,000 and is unlikely ever to wear out.
The Passat TDI and Volt are
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The Passat TDI and Volt are very different cars for different purposes.
The Passat TDI is a family sedan (great for hauling kids and their sports gear to a soccer match) while the Volt is a compact commuter car (great efficiency in stop-and-go city traffic).
Obviously the Passat TDI is nowhere near as good a commuter car as the Volt, while the Volt will never be a competent family car due to its limited 2-rear seating and tiny trunk.
Comparing the two would be apple to oranges IMHO.
Obviously, but that doesn't
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In reply to The Passat TDI and Volt are by Chief Mechanic (not verified)
Obviously, but that doesn't stop Volt fanatics from claiming it's the end-all, be-all of cars either. I've been told that I should own one despite living where it's least suitable (rural Wyoming) and for thousands of reasons. Hence this side-by-side comparison and my last few paragraphs of caveats.
Yah, exactly what I thought
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In reply to The Passat TDI and Volt are by Chief Mechanic (not verified)
Yah, exactly what I thought above :)
It's like comparing the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt...still not a good comparison...just because they both use batteries...they're still completely different cars. Leaf is more econo-golf cart for running around town...whereas the Volt is a notch up in luxury and ride/handling...not to mention having the ability to continue on after the battery is depleted.
My Volt is at the dealer being prepped as we speak! I'm like a kid on Christmas Eve waiting for Santa to drop the gifts and let me at em.
As a very satisfied Volt
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As a very satisfied Volt owner, I completely agree with the comments at the end of the article that what kind of fuel efficient car you buy depends on your driving habits. For me, with a 26 mile/d round trip to work and electricity to recharge at night costing only 6 cents/kwh, the Volt is the clear winner. I never use gas except for the occassional road trip.
For people who regularly make longer trips, a plain hybrid or the VW make more sense.
For people who never make longer trips, a pure electric car, like the Leaf or Ford Focus is the choice to go gasoline free.
BTW, my daily 26 mile trip to
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In reply to As a very satisfied Volt by waldo (not verified)
BTW, my daily 26 mile trip to work costs 45-60cents/d in electricity.
Where I live, electricity is
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In reply to BTW, my daily 26 mile trip to by waldo (not verified)
Where I live, electricity is roughly .03/kWh (it varies as we're on a coop and pay cost). However, to get into Cheyenne (the nearest city) is 45 miles each way and that's all freeway/highway driving. In those conditions (plus the extreme cold in winter), the Volt would do poorly.
Were I to live in downtown Denver, LA, Seattle, etc., I would view the Volt differently.
It's impossible to compare
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It's impossible to compare just about any internal combustion car to an electric. The electrics just have vastly less NVH. My Volt is much smoother and quieter than either our BMW 535 or our Acura RL. Plus an electric is just way more responsive because there is no lag as the car finds the right gear. FYI MPG isn't 90 for me, more like 350 MPG. In fact in the last year I bought gas once.
If you like the gas station shopping experience and paying 10X more to drive a car which is noisier and rougher and slower off the line and less responsive then by all means buy the Passat. But if you can afford it and don't need the fifth seat the Volt is a much more appealing purchase.
It's impossible to compare
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It's impossible to compare just about any internal combustion car to an electric. The electrics just have vastly less NVH. My Volt is much smoother and quieter than either our BMW 535 or our Acura RL. Plus an electric is just way more responsive because there is no lag as the car finds the right gear. FYI MPG isn't 90 for me, more like 350 MPG. In fact in the last year I bought gas once.
If you like the gas station shopping experience and paying 10X more to drive a car which is noisier and rougher and slower off the line and less responsive then by all means buy the Passat. But if you can afford it and don't need the fifth seat the Volt is a much more appealing purchase.
I believe the author of this
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I believe the author of this article was a bit biase, the results may have been different had chevy given the author a car to borrow instead they received second hand information.
The Passat is built in the
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The Passat is built in the South, but not Carolina. It's made in Chattanooga, TN. And I'm a little confused about the discussion on oil change cost, as I think it's included for the first few years, so $0.
Basic math seems to fail this
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Basic math seems to fail this writer and reality seems to absent. Full charge 2 times a week? What? The Average american drives 40 miles a day which equals 7 charges a week. Btw thats all on Electric.
Driving patern matters, the volt would suck if you A. never plug it in second run it on gas engine everyday which requires you to change oil as often.
Thats so far away from reality on how the 99% of the drivers of a Volt drives the car.
70% of the miles are electric and the rest is on Gas, Oil changes are every 2 years and no Belts at 100.000 miles.
The passat rides better dont get me started I have a Passat and the Real one made in Germany not the cheap american version. And it DOES not even get close to the ride of the Volt or the driving caracteristics. This guy must be smoking Volkswagen pipes.
Try reading the article.
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In reply to Basic math seems to fail this by Matt (not verified)
Try reading the article. Last two paragraphs. Your entire argument until you mention your Passat is already covered. After that, my time in a Volt told me it was nowhere near the drive of the VW. Maybe your old model Passat wasn't that great, but the 2012 is one of the best drives in that class I've been in.. ever.
CAP AND ROTOR? Are you
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CAP AND ROTOR?
Are you serious? Do you seriously call yourself an automotive journalist?
The ONLY cap and rotor in my volt are a baseball hat and the four thingies on the inside of the wheels that the brake calipers grip on.
We're in the 21st century now. You better look into the design and maintenance of modern internal combustion engines as currently manufactured by GM and, oh, every other automaker on this planet.
You may now return to doing the tune up on your '74 Pinto.
I'm definitely biased for the
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I'm definitely biased for the Volt as I have owned one for 14 months now and I am getting over 330 MPG. It's a very nice experience to literally have a smile on your face everytime you get in to your car and the Volt is the only car that has ever done that for me. That is worth quite a bit and it is a very common occurence with Volt owners.
With that said, perhaps the Passat is a better car for some people. I haven't driven one so I can't really say but I did find this statement rather curious. "Riding in either car shows the Passat to have a more comfortable drive." What I do know is that the Volt is extremely comfortable. And if you go to the US World News Report Car rankings site you can see that the Volt gets a 9.0 for Performance and the Passat (they don't mention TDI) only get an 8.2 for Performance. Comfort, handling, acceleration, etc. are all part of the Performance category (I believe) and so it would seem to indicate that most reviewers give higher marks to the Volt in this area.
Where the Passat hopefully surpasses the Volt is in visibility when driving and rear seat leg room. Both aren't great in the Volt but those are small prices to pay for such an incredible car. Be well.
The TDI has much more power
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In reply to I'm definitely biased for the by Baby Koop (not verified)
The TDI has much more power output than the standard Passat gasoline with the exception of the higher-end engine option, though I haven't driven that one. The gasoline Passat is a far cry from the TDI in terms of performance and acceleration, at least with the lower-tier gasoline motor I've driven. Nevermind the horrible fuel mileage in comparison. The difference is mainly torque, which diesel has in abundance.
I'm currently driving a 2012 Subaru Impreza Premium PZEV, which has good and bad points, but is a very different class of car to the Passat and Volt - though it does compare to the Volt's chassis-mate, the Cruze.
Cap and rotor on the Volt?
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Cap and rotor on the Volt? Open up the hood and let us know when you find these items under the hood of one. I haven't seen a cap and rotor in ANY new car manufactured over the last several years. Something else not mentioned in this article is Volkswagen's LONG reputation for quality problems. Also not mentioned is the ~$1200 cost of replacing the timing belt at 120,000 miles on the VW. Since the goal posts for the life of the car were set at 150,000 miles, this expense MUST be added to the VW. I used to own a diesel vehicle. Oil changes are most certainly NOT the same price between the VW and Chevy. Diesel grade oil is more expensive, and the engine requires more of it, adding roughly a third to the cost of the oil change. On top of this there is a fuel filter in the TDI that must also be replaced at regular intervals that does not exist in the Volt. I hate to burst your bubble for your obvious bias towards the Volkswagen, but the vehicle is actually MUCH more expensive to own and maintain than the Volt.
The story has been updated
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The story has been updated with the news that I will be receiving a Volt to test drive for a week under the same conditions which I received the Passat. I was called by a VP at GM and asked if I would give the Volt a second chance if I were given one to test. I will do so. I honestly want the Volt to be a great car, but my limited time with it has not given me that impression. In a week or so, I will write a follow up to this with my new thoughts and a re-assessment of the Volt vs. Passat TDI.
So when you get the use of
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In reply to The story has been updated by Aaron Turpen
So when you get the use of the volt. Enjoy the no sound of a noisy engine of your vw. Also enjoy all the gas stations you go by.Also the volt has a better ride on the road then any vw i have been in our have own. By the way where is vw hybrid our there electric car on the market. If you have commom sense the volt is the best car hands down.
Today marks my first whole
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In reply to So when you get the use of by Anonymous BOB (not verified)
Today marks my first whole week of ownership of my 2012 Volt. I had to drive 600 miles one way to pick up this car. That first 49.6 miles of pure EV driving was nothing short of heaven, and I still managed to average 45 mpg overall for the drive home despite pushing against a stiff headwind. My trip odometer now stands at 115 miles of in town driving with 0.0 gallons of gas used.
The VW's engine is very
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In reply to So when you get the use of by Anonymous BOB (not verified)
The VW's engine is very quiet, actually. I've driven more than a few electrics and enjoyed them, but where I live, they are impractical.
As for VW not having electrics or hybrids.. better do some Googling. The Beetle is going electric, they have the eGolf, the Jetta is coming out as a hybrid next year, and the Passat mentioned here will also have a hybrid for 2013-14. They currently have the Touareg hybrid and will also be producing the Up! electric in 2013.
That's.. count 'em.. 6 electrified vehicles, two of which are already on the road, one in mass production.
Hey Aaron, Congrats on
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In reply to The story has been updated by Aaron Turpen
Hey Aaron,
Congrats on getting a Volt loaner for a week. It should be a fun week but I'm curious how you'll go about your new, full review of the Volt. You already grasp that the Volt isn't for everybody but that is true of every single car out there. For those of us that don't need towing capacity, have a family of four or less, and average about 12,000 to 15,000 miles a year, the Volt is a fun drive and one that has the best of both worlds-- cheap electric driving most of the time and the ability to go as long as you need it to go when you are using gas. But are you going to review it from the point of a guy living in Wyoming that is 45 miles from the big city or are you taking some other approach?
Regardless of how you approach it I suggest playing around with driving in "D" and "L". Using SPORT mode when you have plenty of juice. Driving it like you would any other car and then driving it with an eye toward trying to achieve 100% driving efficiency (there is screen on the center stack to access this info if you don't recall or don't know). If you could also find a charging station in Cheyenne and then charge up to do a lot of city driving in EV mode or alternately, use mountain mode to keep at least 15 miles of charge when you enter the city, that would probably be a good fair way to test it.
PS The Volt might actually do pretty well in Wyoming in the winter as compared to other cars like BMW 3 series, Audi A4, etc. Yes, the engine will come on in temperatures under 26 degrees and so you don't get the full benefit of the EV as you would in other climes. And your EV range would probably go down to the mid to high 20's when it is in EV mode, but the final MPG for the winter months would still be very favorable compared to other cars. Plus you would have a lot of fun driving it. Not saying that the Volt is ideal for Wyoming but it might just surprise you. With that said, the one Wyoming Volt on Voltstats.net is hardly using his Volt in EV mode (only 23 percent). Be well.
Thanks, Baby. I'm not sure
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In reply to Hey Aaron, Congrats on by Baby Koop (not verified)
Thanks, Baby. I'm not sure what kind of approach I'll take. After I've driven it for a while (it arrives tomorrow), we'll see. I drove the Ford Focus Electric briefly today and was impressed - though honestly it's not a car I would own because of where I live and its size. Also drove the 2013 Escape EcoBoost, which is very nicely done. I'd consider that if I hadn't discovered the wonder that is sliding doors on a Mazda5 getting the same mileage. :)
I will definitely re-asses the numbers once I have hard data from the Volt under the same conditions.
Arron It sounds to me reading
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Arron It sounds to me reading your last couple of comments that your descision has been made. I like a vw I used to own a sciracco it was fun but the volt has truly awesome engineering. Think about it you drive on all electric for roughly 40 miles. In a leaf your screwed, own a volt and you have power in reserve should you need it. As far as the diesel versus the volt you are comparing a touring car to a commuter