2015 SEL total loss...get another eGolf or Bolt?

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Apr 29, 2015
Messages
43
My 2015 SEL was rear ended and is a total loss. I was on month 23 of my 36 month lease. I made out ok due to low mileage, condition, etc. and will get about $1000 from the insurance company.

Thinking of going to the Bolt or stay with eGolf. I know 2018s are coming but not until late this year so I can't wait that long.

My dealer offered this:
2016 SE with DCFC
30 months
$2500 drive off
$194/mo for 12K miles (taxes/fees inclusive)

Seems pretty good. Thoughts?
Bolt deals have been slowly popping up not sure if I should wait.
 
oftheseven said:
My 2015 SEL was rear ended and is a total loss. I was on month 23 of my 36 month lease. I made out ok due to low mileage, condition, etc. and will get about $1000 from the insurance company.

Thinking of going to the Bolt or stay with eGolf. I know 2018s are coming but not until late this year so I can't wait that long.

My dealer offered this:
2016 SE with DCFC
30 months
$2500 drive off
$194/mo for 12K miles (taxes/fees inclusive)

That deal really stinks...sorry but it does.

Seems pretty good. Thoughts?
Bolt deals have been slowly popping up not sure if I should wait.

Can you afford the $399/month for the Bolt?
 
forbin404 said:
oftheseven said:
My 2015 SEL was rear ended and is a total loss. I was on month 23 of my 36 month lease. I made out ok due to low mileage, condition, etc. and will get about $1000 from the insurance company.

Thinking of going to the Bolt or stay with eGolf. I know 2018s are coming but not until late this year so I can't wait that long.

My dealer offered this:
2016 SE with DCFC
30 months
$2500 drive off
$194/mo for 12K miles (taxes/fees inclusive)

That deal really stinks...sorry but it does.

Seems pretty good. Thoughts?
Bolt deals have been slowly popping up not sure if I should wait.

Can you afford the $399/month for the Bolt?


Wait, who typed "That deal really stinks..."? It's embedded in my quote, haha.

Chevy introduced some Bolt incentives for April. Sub $300/mo deals seem pretty common now.
 
So figure in the drive-off and you're at $277/month including tax. That's a good $50/month less than what I was quoted last summer for only 10k miles and no CA state rebate, but it's hard to rank the deal without seeing the sale price. The 2016 SELs should be down to ~$29k now. Anything over 30 would be an immediate no-go for me.

If the e-Golf's 80-90 mile range meets your needs for the next 30 months, I say stick with it. The reviews on the Bolt have been mixed. Largest pain point seems to be its narrow body and seats.
 
oftheseven said:
My 2015 SEL was rear ended and is a total loss. I was on month 23 of my 36 month lease. I made out ok due to low mileage, condition, etc. and will get about $1000 from the insurance company.

Thinking of going to the Bolt or stay with eGolf. I know 2018s are coming but not until late this year so I can't wait that long.

My dealer offered this:
2016 SE with DCFC
30 months
$2500 drive off
$194/mo for 12K miles (taxes/fees inclusive)

Seems pretty good. Thoughts?
Bolt deals have been slowly popping up not sure if I should wait.

Make sure you are comfortable in the Bolt's narrow seats. They were designed for slim people. Many find them uncomfortable.
 
oftheseven said:
forbin404 said:
oftheseven said:
My 2015 SEL was rear ended and is a total loss. I was on month 23 of my 36 month lease. I made out ok due to low mileage, condition, etc. and will get about $1000 from the insurance company.

Thinking of going to the Bolt or stay with eGolf. I know 2018s are coming but not until late this year so I can't wait that long.

My dealer offered this:
2016 SE with DCFC
30 months
$2500 drive off
$194/mo for 12K miles (taxes/fees inclusive)

That deal really stinks...sorry but it does.

Seems pretty good. Thoughts?
Bolt deals have been slowly popping up not sure if I should wait.

Can you afford the $399/month for the Bolt?


Wait, who typed "That deal really stinks..."? It's embedded in my quote, haha.

Chevy introduced some Bolt incentives for April. Sub $300/mo deals seem pretty common now.

I have seen the Bolt on the road (some company has them pimped-out with tons of sensors cruising around - they're all white cars, and I see them almost every morning off of McDowell Rd in Phoenix/Scottsdale) and I know I'd appreciate the mileage boost. I think they look 'ok', not great, but not terribly ugly either, but...

I just can't imagine going from a MK7 Golf to a Chevy anything. It doesn't even register in my consciousness as a possibility. The Bolt may be faster, have longer range, and have some other superior specs on paper, but c'mon, ughh! Call me a car snob, but I just couldn't do it.

IF I were in your shoes, I'd explore the possibility of renting something cheap month to month until you could get your hands on a 2018 eGolf. It may be more expensive in the short term, but at least you'd get what you want and not be saddled with something you didn't enjoy for the next 3 years.
 
johnnylingo said:
So figure in the drive-off and you're at $277/month including tax. That's a good $50/month less than what I was quoted last summer for only 10k miles and no CA state rebate, but it's hard to rank the deal without seeing the sale price. The 2016 SELs should be down to ~$29k now. Anything over 30 would be an immediate no-go for me.

If the e-Golf's 80-90 mile range meets your needs for the next 30 months, I say stick with it. The reviews on the Bolt have been mixed. Largest pain point seems to be its narrow body and seats.

The price was for 12k miles and includes taxes/fees for 30 months.
Why no CA state rebate? Wouldn't it qualify since it's 30 months.
 
oftheseven said:
johnnylingo said:
So figure in the drive-off and you're at $277/month including tax. That's a good $50/month less than what I was quoted last summer for only 10k miles and no CA state rebate, but it's hard to rank the deal without seeing the sale price. The 2016 SELs should be down to ~$29k now. Anything over 30 would be an immediate no-go for me.

If the e-Golf's 80-90 mile range meets your needs for the next 30 months, I say stick with it. The reviews on the Bolt have been mixed. Largest pain point seems to be its narrow body and seats.

The price was for 12k miles and includes taxes/fees for 30 months.
Why no CA state rebate? Wouldn't it qualify since it's 30 months.


I see this on the CVRP site for eligibility:

Except for rental, public and car share fleets, no single entity is eligible to receive more than two CVRP rebates either via direct purchase and/or lease as of January 1, 2015. All rebates issued prior to this date do not count toward the two rebate limit...

I leased a CMax Energi in August of 2014, so I'm OK.
Leased the eGolf April, 2015 - so that's 1
Will lease another EV now, so that's 2.

Might get at Model 3 or eGolf when my Cmax lease ends in the fall. Maybe i'll put this one under my wife's name.
 
oftheseven said:
forbin404 said:
oftheseven said:
My dealer offered this:
2016 SE with DCFC
30 months
$2500 drive off
$194/mo for 12K miles (taxes/fees inclusive)

That deal really stinks...sorry but it does.

Seems pretty good. Thoughts?
Bolt deals have been slowly popping up not sure if I should wait.

Can you afford the $399/month for the Bolt?


Wait, who typed "That deal really stinks..."? It's embedded in my quote, haha.

Chevy introduced some Bolt incentives for April. Sub $300/mo deals seem pretty common now.
Whoops, sorry the mouse must've moved and I didn't notice it.

Sub $300 deals for the Bolt? I see (1) and I meant to type $299 instead of $399, it was $399 in Feb, and it's $299 in April.
And SE 2017 Golf with DCFC is $155 per month plus whatever to make it your 12k. That $2500 drive off is too much IMHO.
 
oftheseven said:
Why no CA state rebate? Wouldn't it qualify since it's 30 months.

I meant on the offer I got last summer, which was zero drive-off, $340/mo including tax, 24 months, 20k miles total.

Sunnyvale and Hayward were doing 24 month leases back in July because at the time, the state funds pool was exhausted. It was renewed in September, but then of course they lowered the income cap in November so some of us aren't eligible anyway. :|
 
Spektre said:
I have seen the Bolt on the road (some company has them pimped-out with tons of sensors cruising around - they're all white cars, and I see them almost every morning off of McDowell Rd in Phoenix/Scottsdale) and I know I'd appreciate the mileage boost. I think they look 'ok', not great, but not terribly ugly either, but...

I just can't imagine going from a MK7 Golf to a Chevy anything. It doesn't even register in my consciousness as a possibility. The Bolt may be faster, have longer range, and have some other superior specs on paper, but c'mon, ughh! Call me a car snob, but I just couldn't do it.

IF I were in your shoes, I'd explore the possibility of renting something cheap month to month until you could get your hands on a 2018 eGolf. It may be more expensive in the short term, but at least you'd get what you want and not be saddled with something you didn't enjoy for the next 3 years.

After having owned the Bolt for 3 days now I've come to see what you mean regarding Bolt vs. Golf. I'll probably write up something more comprehensive after more time but for now:

-Bolt is faster and has longer range. Love being able to drive around all day and not worry about range but it's not as fun to drive as the eGolf.
-Bolt charge scheduling works well. Set for 10PM-8AM for TOU and it does exactly as programmed. Can also be easily overridden as needed.
-MyChevy app is OK, a few less features than the VW but not horrible.
-Bolt doesn't have the fake engine noise but the electric motor and regen system is noisier and more prominent than the eGolf.
-Bolt doesn't have a coast feature unless I use neutral; so that was a little annoying. I assume it's similar to LEAF and i3?
-Bolt infotainment system is nice with the huge screen and information. Doesn't come with navi but Apple CarPlay takes care of that.
-Bolt sound system is inferior to eGolf but passable.
-Bolt road noise is louder than eGolf; part wind noise, part tire noise.
-Bolt doesn't have some small convenience items: sunglass holder, grab handles over doors other than driver's side, light in visors, rear seat vents, pouch behind driver's seat, can't scroll through just favorites for radio/XM stations.
-Insurance (through Mercury) was more expensive than eGolf; $140 more per year!

Those are my observations after a few days. Let me know if you have any questions.
 
oftheseven said:
After having owned the Bolt for 3 days [...] Let me know if you have any questions.
What do you think about the interior space (headroom and windshield height) between the two vehicles? How about the feel of the seats?
 
gvblake22 said:
oftheseven said:
After having owned the Bolt for 3 days [...] Let me know if you have any questions.
What do you think about the interior space (headroom and windshield height) between the two vehicles? How about the feel of the seats?

Interior space is good with plenty of headroom. Larger windshield than the eGolf.
Seats are firm but comfortable on the LT model and slightly narrow. We're not that tall (5'7") and skinny so it's not an issue but I can see it being a problem if you need/want wider seats and that has been a major issue on the Bolt forums.
The seats are also setup higher than the eGolf, especially the rear seat. Some prefer that some don't.
 
oftheseven said:
gvblake22 said:
oftheseven said:
After having owned the Bolt for 3 days [...] Let me know if you have any questions.
What do you think about the interior space (headroom and windshield height) between the two vehicles? How about the feel of the seats?

Interior space is good with plenty of headroom. Larger windshield than the eGolf.
Seats are firm but comfortable on the LT model and slightly narrow. We're not that tall (5'7") and skinny so it's not an issue but I can see it being a problem if you need/want wider seats and that has been a major issue on the Bolt forums.
The seats are also setup higher than the eGolf, especially the rear seat. Some prefer that some don't.
I'm 6'3" and skinny so narrow seats isn't an issue for me either; primarily concerned with headroom. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
 
forbin404 said:
May I ask what did it run you in price?

MRSP: $39,295
Sale Price: $35,925
GM incentive: $3500
36months
12,000 miles/yr
$1000 down (this was from insurance payment for my eGolf total loss).

$326/mo including taxes

Premier Chevrolet in Buena Park. Tried to match Rydell $4100 discount off MSRP but they wouldn't since Rydell doesn't have the cars in stock.
 
miimura said:
oftheseven said:
GM incentive: $3500
Does this mean GM is only passing through $3,500 of the $7,500 tax credit in the lease?

That seems to be the case for now. I tried to get them to discount $4100, which would have brought my payments under $300/mo.

I would anticipate the good deals will be here by summer or Labor Day at the latest.
 
Look at your paperwork, specifically the "Capitalized Cost Reduction" line. Subtract any money you actually put in, along with the first month's payment. The remainder is a combination of the Federal tax credit as passed onto you the consumer, and any incentives added on by GM and/or the dealer. If this remainder is over $11k, the full tax credit was passed to you.

On a 36 month lease, the $7500 credit drops the payments by over $208/month. On a $36k car, that's the only way to get your payment down to $326/month with just $1k down.
 
RonDawg said:
Look at your paperwork, specifically the "Capitalized Cost Reduction" line. Subtract any money you actually put in, along with the first month's payment. The remainder is a combination of the Federal tax credit as passed onto you the consumer, and any incentives added on by GM and/or the dealer. If this remainder is over $11k, the full tax credit was passed to you.

On a 36 month lease, the $7500 credit drops the payments by over $208/month. On a $36k car, that's the only way to get your payment down to $326/month with just $1k down.

Here's my lease info
 
Back
Top