I’m definitely interested in the Equinox and Bolt. I do wish GM didn’t lock people into their shitty infotainment platform though. I also wish they had a NACS charger instead.
Agreed, especially with a globalized supply chain. However, Hyundai/Kia had their violations right here in the US of A. Unionized companies (like GM) also tend to have much fewer labor violations since workers will shut production down. In the case of Hyundai/Kia, they simply blame it on the contractor and call it a day. Nevermind that it is Hyundai’s job to vet contractors and it’s not as if the kids were hidden away so that Hyundai managers couldn’t see. This is the same company that thought it would be a good idea to save a buck and not install immobilizers in their vehicles (only company to not do that) which has led to rampant theft.
I just wish GM and Ford were not run by a gaggle of dipshits constantly looking to push high margin items. The Bolt and the Equinox are proof that they do not need to.
I got a 2023 Bolt earlier this year. I just connect my phone wirelessly for maps and music and don’t touch most other things on the screen. I LOVE the heated steering wheel for winter and cooling seats for summer. That particular package is well worth getting.
Definitely DO NOT give OnStar your credit card info though. The dealership will sit you in the car and initiate the OnStar call before you know what’s happening. Just refuse to give credit card info, the extended trial whatever isn’t worth the hassle of OnStar charging you when they said they wouldn’t. I ended up having to do a chargeback because OnStar straight up lied to me about when charges would occur.
Twice now I’ve bought a car and had OnStar (and one time Sirius) call me a couple days later asking me to sign up, I gotta say I really enjoyed telling them no because their service doesn’t do anything my cell phone can’t already do.
Always confused me that the execs thought slapping the Mustang name on an EV wagon was a good choice. More proof that Ford is run by dipshits. While it looks good, the range and charging speed are not that great and it is quite a bit more expensive than the Equinox.
I mainly mentioned it in response to your complaints about the Equinox’s entertainment system. You’re right about range and charging speed, but it sure feels good to drive!
See, for me, this is the reason why I would never buy one despite the fact that I was a Mustang/Camaro guy for fifteen years. I understand that aerodynamics are important for mileage, but are any of these EV manufacturers capable of putting an electric motor and a battery in a body that actually looks good?
I get that it doesn’t look sporty so it won’t appeal to everyone. Its form factor is actually a plus for me though. I like the balance of sleek styling with useful cargo capacity.
The bolts look good. That’s what I’ll replace my truck with when the time comes. I don’t mind replacing the head unit because I used to do it in every vehicle I had until the latest one. I just have to see how it’s tied together and hope they didn’t do something stupid like tying it to a critical system.
The 2023 Bolt has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Once they switch over to the Optium platform (next year I think), they will be using the Optium infotainment system. That has had some notable issues like rebooting in the middle of driving to apply an update which means you don’t get to see things like how fast you are going for a minute or two. They had to recall the Blazer EV because failed updates caused the car to become a brick. Like the car became inoperable. That really makes me wonder if they are scraping the bottom of the barrel for software developers since version rollback is pretty fucking standard for most software these days.
You do get 8 years free of their infotainment package. Not sure what all that includes though nor how much the subscription is after the 8 years is up.
I still have use for my truck for the next few years (hauling stuff a couple of times a week) so I’m hoping that it’s a well documented replacement by the time I’m ready to get one.
I’m definitely interested in the Equinox and Bolt. I do wish GM didn’t lock people into their shitty infotainment platform though. I also wish they had a NACS charger instead.
I would never consider a Tesla.
I honestly think Kia has the best ev lineup at the moment.
I’d be more apt to look into term if Hyundai/Kia didn’t have several child labor violations.
It’s so hard to buy anything now-a-days without being tied to some kind of labor violation.
Agreed, especially with a globalized supply chain. However, Hyundai/Kia had their violations right here in the US of A. Unionized companies (like GM) also tend to have much fewer labor violations since workers will shut production down. In the case of Hyundai/Kia, they simply blame it on the contractor and call it a day. Nevermind that it is Hyundai’s job to vet contractors and it’s not as if the kids were hidden away so that Hyundai managers couldn’t see. This is the same company that thought it would be a good idea to save a buck and not install immobilizers in their vehicles (only company to not do that) which has led to rampant theft.
I just wish GM and Ford were not run by a gaggle of dipshits constantly looking to push high margin items. The Bolt and the Equinox are proof that they do not need to.
I got a Kia hybrid because no EV incentives in my state to make up the $10k difference. 500 miles per tank (10g) and is very nice.
Yeah but then you’re a target for teens to try to steal a car.
That only affects Kia models before 2015
I’m sure teens seeing a TikTok trend are being very careful to check the shape of the car matches the affected models before smashing a window.
And even then, only ones without a push-button start.
I got a 2023 Bolt earlier this year. I just connect my phone wirelessly for maps and music and don’t touch most other things on the screen. I LOVE the heated steering wheel for winter and cooling seats for summer. That particular package is well worth getting.
Definitely DO NOT give OnStar your credit card info though. The dealership will sit you in the car and initiate the OnStar call before you know what’s happening. Just refuse to give credit card info, the extended trial whatever isn’t worth the hassle of OnStar charging you when they said they wouldn’t. I ended up having to do a chargeback because OnStar straight up lied to me about when charges would occur.
Twice now I’ve bought a car and had OnStar (and one time Sirius) call me a couple days later asking me to sign up, I gotta say I really enjoyed telling them no because their service doesn’t do anything my cell phone can’t already do.
Take a look at the Ford Mustang Mach-e too. Despite the Mustang name, it’s closer to a wagon or small SUV. I just got one and love it so far.
Always confused me that the execs thought slapping the Mustang name on an EV wagon was a good choice. More proof that Ford is run by dipshits. While it looks good, the range and charging speed are not that great and it is quite a bit more expensive than the Equinox.
Glad you are happy with it though.
I mainly mentioned it in response to your complaints about the Equinox’s entertainment system. You’re right about range and charging speed, but it sure feels good to drive!
See, for me, this is the reason why I would never buy one despite the fact that I was a Mustang/Camaro guy for fifteen years. I understand that aerodynamics are important for mileage, but are any of these EV manufacturers capable of putting an electric motor and a battery in a body that actually looks good?
I get that it doesn’t look sporty so it won’t appeal to everyone. Its form factor is actually a plus for me though. I like the balance of sleek styling with useful cargo capacity.
The bolts look good. That’s what I’ll replace my truck with when the time comes. I don’t mind replacing the head unit because I used to do it in every vehicle I had until the latest one. I just have to see how it’s tied together and hope they didn’t do something stupid like tying it to a critical system.
The 2023 Bolt has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Once they switch over to the Optium platform (next year I think), they will be using the Optium infotainment system. That has had some notable issues like rebooting in the middle of driving to apply an update which means you don’t get to see things like how fast you are going for a minute or two. They had to recall the Blazer EV because failed updates caused the car to become a brick. Like the car became inoperable. That really makes me wonder if they are scraping the bottom of the barrel for software developers since version rollback is pretty fucking standard for most software these days.
You do get 8 years free of their infotainment package. Not sure what all that includes though nor how much the subscription is after the 8 years is up.
I still have use for my truck for the next few years (hauling stuff a couple of times a week) so I’m hoping that it’s a well documented replacement by the time I’m ready to get one.