Disclaimer: I don’t work for Chevy, but I bought a used 2013 Volt in January, 2017.

I had test driven a Corvette at Wesley Chapel Chevrolet a few months previous. Sales pro Tim Autore had helped me out, and I got to know him a bit.

Tim had managed rock bands back in the day, he had even partied with AC/DC, Stevie Nicks, Nick Nolte and many other wild and crazy folks from that era.

Tim is one of those guys who is laidback, professional, and he makes his success look effortless. One gets the sense that he could put anyone at ease, especially when they are making a large decision like the purchase of a vehicle.

When I took the Corvette to triple digit speeds on the test drive Tim didn’t even blink. I guess after you hang with the 1980’s version of Nick Nolte nothing is shocking anymore.

I didn’t buy the Corvette at that time, but I went back to see Tim when I decided to buy a used Chevy Volt. They had 2 on the lot, and the prices were right. I bought the red one with 15,000 miles on it. The car was perfect, it looked brand-new.

If you just bought a Prius DON’T test drive the Volt, you’ll be mad at yourself for choosing the wrong car. My wife owns a 2010 Prius, I drive it all the time, the Volt beats it hands down, no contest.

I love my 2013 Chevy Volt.

As a business owner who drives 30,000 miles per year this car is perfect.

In normal driving I use full electric about 70% of the time. Driving around Tampa Bay I’m averaging over 75 miles per gallon. I charge my Volt every night, it takes 2 seconds to plug it in, just like a cell phone.

I’m spending less than $10 a week on gas, even though I drive a ton.

On full electric mode I get about 36 miles of range before the gas generator kicks on. You can hear the gas engine if you are going through town, not so much at highway speeds.

In full electric mode the Volt is quieter than any gas powered car.

The Volt is the most underrated car out there. GM built the Volt to be sold globally, so the  engineering is top notch.

In Europe the Volt sells under the Ampera brand name.

The Volt and the Ampera are directly competing against the plug in hybrid cars sold by Toyota, BMW and Nissan. For this reason GM spared no expense, the Volt was designed to compete against the best.

My Volt has the basic trim with a cloth interior and standard wheels. You can get a Volt with leather and chromed out rims, if you’re fancy like that. I prefer cloth seats in humid Florida.

The interior is very nice, it does NOT feel cheap or plastic like you might find in some smaller cars. The stereo is excellent, plenty of bass and high end response.

The sound system in the Volt matches the Alpine I had in my Lexus a few years ago.

The Volt rides like a $35,000 vehicle, accelerates like a BMW with a V-6, and sips less gas than a Prius. It’s tight as a drum. The lithium ion battery gives this car a very low center of gravity. In extreme cornering the Volt feels solid and stable.

My electric bill went up $20 for the month, but my gas costs went DOWN from $50 per week to about $15.

There are days when I use ZERO dead dinosaur juice.

The back seat is small, but in my first 5,000 miles I’ve only had 4 people in the car for less than 25 miles. This is not a car for a family with a bunch of little kids.

For 2 passengers the Volt is perfectly comfortable. 99% of the time I’m the only person in the car. In August both of my daughters will be in college, my backseat will remain empty.

If you are in the market for a stellar high-mileage commuter vehicle take a minute to visit Tim at the Wesley Chapel Chevy store to check out a Volt.

Ben Alexander

February 7 . 2017