| 2011 Chevrolet Volt vs 2010 Toyota Prius | January 8, 2010 | AUTORIVALS.NET |
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| 2011 Chevrolet Volt | vs | 2010 Toyota Prius | |||||||
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| The Volt gets a sharper look than the Prius with more edgy design elements. The thin headlights, sharp edges, and LED fog lights are more masculine than the soft, rounded Prius. The Volt's front end looks more like a sedan than hatchback hybrids like the Prius and Honda Insight. The closed front grille and rounded corners add in aerodynamic efficiency with a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.28. That's less than the Prius' Cd of 0.25 although GM refutes Toyota's drag coefficient claim. | |||||||||
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| The Volt's flat hood is what keeps the front end from resembling other hybrid hatchbacks too much. The sideview mirrors extend unusually far from the body but are at least attached to the door like the Prius rather than the A-pillar which looks better. The black trim it rests on that goes across the window beltline is stays black and can't come painted in different colors. | |||||||||
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| The Volt definitely looks better in black to blend the black window trim and hide some of the Volt's unusual proportions. The Prius looks good in blue but can pull off most colors unlike the Volt's pale lime green. | |||||||||
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| There's no question that Chevy was designing a Prius competitor by styling the Volt as a five-door hatchback but Chevy did a pretty good job hiding the jelly bean shape of the Prius. The sharper profile looks more masculine than the Prius. Unfortunately, it's also a tad disproportioned with a low hood and high rear deck. The front overhang is also much longer than the rear overhang whereas the Prius is better balanced. The Prius' hood and roofline that flow smoother looks better even if it does look like a jelly bean. | |||||||||
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| The Volt's about the size of the Chevy Cobalt or upcoming Chevy Cruze but the taller rear matches the Prius' hatchback form. The corners are squared off like the Prius which directs airflow and makes for a more aerodynamic design. The Volt's taillights get a futuristic treatment but are placed very high on the rear and imposes on the tinted slit window which Chevy decided to include copying the Prius. The reflectors seem to be usually long going the width of the bumper but they needed to fill the void left by the high taillights. The backup light is placed at the ground which might make it prone to being damaged. | |||||||||
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| The Volt's interior showcases the new E-REV technology. An LCD screen is used for the instruments and gauges while another shows vehicle information. The center stack is well-laid out with a clean design and an integrated shifter. It's attractive and futuristic but still tasteful as if Apple designed it. The Prius' interior looks contemporary but not futuristic like the Volt but some might prefer that. The Volt might take some getting used to for the technologically challenged. | |||||||||
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PROS +It's new, it's fresh, it's an E-REV +Apple interior +Looks good in black +More aggressive exterior +If you drive less than 40 miles everyday, you'll never need gas again CONS -Costs nearly 20 grand more -Disproportioned side profile -Doesn't look good in all colors -Have to plug it in everyday to benefit from the fuel economy gains -If you don't have a garage (e.g. townhouses, apartments), it's going to be difficult/impossible to charge |
PROS +Benchmark for hybrids +Better profile +Looks good in most colors +No changes to your daily driving habits CONS -Dopey looking front -Center gauges |
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| Video Source: CarDataVideo via YouTube | Video Source: Cars.com via YouTube |
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