Another excellent analysis from Carl! He not only knows the intricacies of manufacturing but does a stellar job of explaining them in a way that's both interesting and understandable.
2017 Bolt Premier owner here with about 79,000 miles and new battery. Absolutely love my Bolt. Hate that in 2017 they dropped a 55 kW charger in it, but then again we have a Santa Fe for road trips. Couldn't praise this car enough. Edit/Added: I got mine when people were hating on Bolts a year ago because of battery replacement issue. Out the door price was $16,500 with new battery and 49,000 miles. Since we have taken this vehicle on about 4,000 miles worth of road trips, I would say as much as I love it I will never buy another EV with less than 100 kW charger. 55 kW isn't horrible, but remember that's the MAX and it's only in ideal conditions. In hot Texas summers I max out at 47 kW at the fastest due to the battery conditioning.
Even if the battery tech is older, a decent hatchback EV with 200+ miles of range for low $20K that isn't a total POS could be a game changer. This reminds me of 80-90s Chrysler...after a model had been in production for several years and the cost of development/tooling had all been recovered they'd offer a low priced "America" model of the car and generate volume sales. Seems like GM is doing the same thing with the Bolt
But unless he misspoke he said bar price is around $34,500 and at that point you are getting close to a used model 3(at least within the next 2 or so years as more leases end) the current price point probably isn't low enough and it's already too low to make a profit. We will see if they figured out a battery management system that doesn't spontaneously start this generation of bolt on fire. The only thing GM has going for them is that Biden is in their pocket.
The problem with the Bolt is really that it is a dead-end battery technology. GM is moving on to Ultium with half a dozen cars coming out next year on that platform. The price drop on the Bolt (when everyone else is raising prices) is because its a firesale for a soon to be discontinued vehicle with soon to be discontinued technology. We have also already seen how GM has treated Bolt customers and Im honestly shocked that customers arent banding together to sue GM for selling a lemon and then treating them like crap. If you are a own it for 3 years and then sell it kind of buyer it makes sense... But I would say most people on the lower end of the market tend to buy cars and drive them till the wheels fall off and the Bolt just seems like it will be a nightmare to keep running once GM puts all of their eggs in the Ultium basket.
@@patreekotime4578 you nailed it. I would never park a GM POUCH BATTERY in my garage. Period. Mary Barra is selling this as a loss leader, but clearly dropping the price to show they can sell more than 26 cars in a quarter. GM is so far behind that they need a spark and that spark comes in the form of giving cars away at a loss in hopes of unloading them on naive first time EV owners who are not paying attention. At all.
The Chevy Bolt now starts at $26,000. LT2 is $29,000. With the feds bringing back the tax credit, now you are talking 19-22k. The biggest limitation of the Bolt is it’s DC fast charging rate. It tops out at 55 kWh. This is due to its 2016 design and 2017 introduction. I do travel in my Bolt 4-5 times a year. I typically travel about 300 miles and plan my charging stop over lunch to mitigate the longer charging time. Edit: Great, honest take on the Bolt interior.
IMHO the tax credit seems to be designed to help GM sell these. I know GM is losing money on each Bolt sold. But they need to sell numbers or their CEO has egg on her face. $7K is not going to matter much on the price of a Tesla Not a big fan of GM, but the Volt appears to be a decent low cost EV. What is the word on production numbers for the Volt?
The dealerships will no doubt balance it out with their $10k-$20k dealership markup. At $45k out the door price they will seal the deal with “It’s still cheaper the cheapest Tesla and you’ll be buying from the EV leader in the world. It’s the best deal on earth!”
@@FlipBoxStudio I have a deposit on a Bolt and I made the decision that I won't buy from a dealer trying to sell over MSRP. Everyone should do the same IMO....pure greed.
For customer reviews I would go to a customer's view channel. The knowledge and experience in design gives a technical perspective on what can be improved. That's why I watch your channel.
Carl, I appreciate your review based on the price point. I read too many reviews of cars and there are always comparisons to luxury cars. I remember reading a review on a Prius that compared the ride quality to a BMW and the interior to a Lexus.
Watching your review right now. I will say I purchased a Bolt EUV 1 month ago (launch edition with everything). For the price (given recent reduction), I think it’s a bargain when shopping EV’s. Perfect commuter car for me…YMMV. I am 6’2 240lbs for reference and have driven 3k miles in 1 month. I find the driver seat comfortable.
Thanks, Carl, for a very insightful look at the car. That kind of overview is very useful to a potential buyer. I hope you do more of these "how is it manufactured" videos in the future. Cheers and drive safely.
This helped me think about what is important to me in an EV. I really appreciate your insight and honesty about the quality of each vehicle you review.
Eh, this is exactly what we love about Munro Live!! The channel got famous by destroying Model 3 and look at where tesla fans are now!! Criticisme is important! Farley said it too on the channel. It's uncomfortable but it's important!! no need to feel sorry!! Thanks for your honnesty
I remember Sandy criticizing the 90 separate pieces to the chassis front subframe all needing to Turing and welding together. If one thinks about it Sandy, started the ball rolling on the Gigapress. Good job. Great vid.
The interior seems about the same size as the 2016 Chevy Spark I used to own. I now drive a 2018 Chevy Cruze hatchback and it seems to be much more spacious all around
"I built the assembly line in my head" 😊. Good video and I really liked the side by side comparison with the BMW. Fascinating to look at interior design of cars through your eyes Carl.
The Chevy Bolt is indeed a "My First EV". It's a $10k hot hatch with a $15k battery. I drive one, and I get to say that. But keep in mind that it was an open Beta project for GM and LG to figure out "How to EV", and the line is scheduled to be sunset in 2024. Oddly, I bought my used 2017 launch edition Sunburst Orange Bolt for a discount precisely because it was orange. Orange Bolt is Best Bolt.
Just revisiting all the interior videos Carl. Amazing details and insights and I am thankful for you posting what the buyers should and should not be looking for. Cheers mate
I still can’t figure it out: I’m well,over six ft. tall and large. I find the first generation Bolt seats are plenty comfortable, but a lot of other people complain. The rear seat, I’d say, is almost cavernous, especially for a car of Bolt’s wheel base. The rear storage is not large, but with the seats folded down, there is a lot of room. You might be able to fit a medium size desk in the back. The designers did a great job optimizing space. There’s no “frunk” but you’ve got a deep hidden well in the back because inverter and drive components are all up front.
The kids complain about the rear room in our CTS vs the Bolt. The CTS is a much larger car, but feels small. The kids obviously don't care about the much nicer door trim in the CTS, and they can only do so much damage to hard plastic.
Great Video Carl! I can see the thought process you go through when you are talk about these cars. You now make me look at my own car and understand it a lot more. On a side note, that skin tag on your right eyelid. Get someone to tie a piece own sowing thread on it and tie a knot. 4 days time it will drop off never to be seen again. no pain, no blood and you won't ever know it was even there. I have had a few and this is what I did. They never returned 🙂
I think this is a fair review. We own the Bolt, our second one on lease and wouldn't hesitate to get another one. It's a remarkably good, dependable car. Since it's just two of us and we are not large people we don't mind the seats or the plastic rear panels. It comes down to what you want in a car. As for color, we specifically picked white. It's cooler in the summer so the air is on less, doesn't show blemishes as readily as a dark car and, since it's not a metallic paint it's easy to repaint dents if we do get them. A white car also makes the car look larger and it's easier to see on the road. I know cars, color isn't an indicator of how well you take care of one in my view.
I really enjoy your videos. As a photographic judge I appreciate your effort in explaining the educational aspect of assessing something and delivering that assessment to an audience that might be highly knowledgeable but usually not. The assessment is important but equally so is the way it is delivered and the educational quality of it. You want the knowledge level of the audience to be improved and to benefit from your expertise and experience. Well done.
The better comparable Kia in terms of price is not the EV6, but the E-Niro that starts at $39,990 and is slightly bigger. The EV6 distinguishes itself mostly on tech, bigger battery size, performance. Anyway, these walkthroughs and assessments are really interesting.
This will be $26K next year as base model, and the bigger EUV $28K. The fact that Carl fits at all behind himself is impressive.. car is big on the inside, and small on the outside.. perfect for many people. Getting into the back seat seemed easy enough also.. try getting into a Model 3 like that... you havbe to fold yourself up to duck under the low roof line.
I get a little annoyed at some of this analysis. Because as a customer, what I am interested in is durability. The only time I am EVER going to touch the tophat is to clean it. Ive owned cars with the old vinyl wrap that is cracked or tears easily, Ive owned cars with leather up there... why? Its just going to age in the sun and look like crap! I currently own a car with the rubber surface that is senstitive to cleaning chemicals. What I want to know from the experts its NOT how it feels, I want to know which of these processes leads to a surface that wont age prematurely, wont crack or rip, and wont react with common automotive cleaning chemicals. And my suspicion is that some of these "cheap" solutions are more durable than the ones you guys praise. You know what I hear when someone says a door panel has 5 different materials including leather and uphostries? That its going to be a pain in the butt to maintain and clean. How many different cleaners do I need for just the door?? My current car it is impossible to tell which is real leather and which is simulation leather even on just one panel... I. NEVER want real leather next to simulation leather. How am I supposed to clean that? Id rather have the old 90s hard plastic everywhere than the crazy materials mix I see in cars today. What an absolute nightmare. And you know what I hear when someone says Fisher Price? DURABILITY. CLEANABILITY. FUNCTIONALITY. Those all white, all soft touch interiors that have become popular are for people who hire out a cleaning service, dont have kids, dont have pets, dont have friends with kids or pets, and have never done a Lowes run a day in their lives.
I think that the title of that video does not do justice to either the presenter nor the product. But don't judge the book by its cover. I learned a lot about what drives Carl's comments, what the processes are and the decisions taken behind the making of the vehicle. To me, the title suggests a harsh judgement from Carl. Having watched the whole video, I appreciated and understood the thought process. I also learned that the conclusion is quite different. Thanks Carl !
Chevy took $6k off the price so it is under $30k now. These cars are a blast to drive. I got a Niro for the extra room, but f didn't need it, I'd be all over this thing like wrinkles on cheap. The KIA EV6 price you reference sounds like the highest level AWD - the base is about $41k with RWD and eligible for rebates. KIA's problem with the EV6 base VS the Niro, which are about the same price, will really exemplify the quality evaluation you speak about. Wonder how that will shake out.
You can make an expensive interior look cheap. I was in an event where Bob Lutz was speaking, and he said the Gen 1 CTS was not a cheap interior, but looked it. He also ragged on the Saturn L series as well as the G6, but called a Mazda 6 his favorite midsize car to drive.
“I would have paid for a new battery while still in the loan period. Glad I didn’t get a Bolt.” - ahh you’re forgetting about that brand new battery they gave every bolt owner for free, with a new battery warranty! They’re sooooo generous! ;)
we're still waiting for, as chevy calls it "a final solution" and have NOT received any battery work or changes as of yet. If another EV comes along at suitable price/function we'll likely sell this 2nd Bolt back to GM and get something with a newer drivetrain design and battery.
At half the price the Bolt does a fairly good job...and FYI, I bought one of those Henson shavers a year ago and LOVE that thing. Takes a little getting used to taking the blade in and out, but the low cost of blades make the initial cost worth the money over time, and it really gives a superior shave.
Honestly makes me wonder if tesla did a model 2 or compact 25-30k segment car. Would it be a lot like the bolt? Yes it would likely still have 150+kwh charging, have a heat pump, have battery pre conditioning, 250+miles of range etc. But I wonder if materials and cost savings to get down that far in pricing. Would also mean a much cheaper looking car overall. 🤔
@@4literv6 I see tesla producing low cost model by cutting it to the bone, bye bye interieor and all the screens, it would have to be a much simpler in all directions, but the most advantageous part such as durability unmached to all concurrent models. In any case a car with 200-250 miles dont need really much, i mean they just can drop all the screens and make us use our proper phone for the rest, why not.
@@richardalexander5758 I think so to, but only with an lfp or lfmp catl pack from their U.S. factory not yet built of about 50kwhs useable capacity. It will also still likely take another 2-3 year's of tesla scaling up alongside the supply chains issues&inflation easing down. Even then I bet it would be at that price only after including any new tax incentives tesla will qualify for under the about to be passed ira. Right now it costs them over 40k per car made per the latest 10k filing released. So it went up over 4k per car since just 2021 for cogs. 🤔
The base price for this vehicle is now $26,595--including destination charge. That is the price for the 2022 base Bolt after the cash allowance and is the base price of the 2023 basic bolt.
2 years ago, cross-shopped used Bolt with used i3 REx. REx won with its enormous, German-beer-bloke space for the front seat occupants, the eucalyptus dash, fine detailing and mostly for the "recharges" that take only 2 minutes on occasional long trips.☺️
Make a small pickup truck like the early ford rangers. Super simple. All these car companies trying to fit everything in. Don't need that. Radio, ac/heat, backup camera. 15k/20k idk if that is possible.
Carl, Well done... enjoyed the opening commentary. Really learning a lot about interiors from your videos. Of course, I'm personally waiting on a Cybertruck... think about it all the time!! Can't wait for Munro and team to tear that one down!!! Actually, I'll probably cry... Lol, SoCalFreddy
Thanks for your honest review. Dude, you are a large human being... above average, in all directions (no disrespect). In no shape or form would that car be good for you, even if they used the most expensive materials and the very best manufacturing methods. I could fit my family of four in that car, comfortably. BTW, I love the videos you provide to us, the average consumer.
🤗👍😎 THANKS CARL FOR EXPLAINING THIS ….being honest 👏👏👏 We want to be educated 🧐 To learn from your experience …which is a BIG REASON why we watch MUNRO 🤗😍😍😍
Great explanations. But, as Sandy said, this is an entry level car starting at 26K. So, no surprises. Many more expensive vehicles also have this kind of cheap materials, and that's where the problem is.
Flaws are flaws. Your job is to find ways they can improve - your job is to be honest, not to SELL us. You did your job. However, you didn't say much about fit and finish.
Great video. Not sure if you ever sat in the first gen Bolt but I think you would notice a big improvement in the front seats. I had a brief test of the 2017 Bolt and the driver seat was as uncomfortable as was described in the media at the time.
Carl I do enjoy your detailed explainations of how the surfaces are manufactured. I can see how explaining it to an audience might seem like criticism. Every individual has a baseline as to what they expect of materials in a vehicle and one man's fisher-price may be another's acceptable design.
Wait until you see the charge time. Some on my feed I got some bolt reviews and trips and one guy drove to Az from Indiana. And each charge was a hour. Or close to it and some time more . That's not good.. My longest charge has been 42 min so far and I charge from 9 to 87 percent but an hour each time for a trip is rough.
Good, intellectually honest discussion. Re "Piano Black": please, all manufacturers, lose the P.B!!! By the time the car is off the lot, it looks like h-e-double hockey sticks! Fingerprints are only the beginning. In my state, they spray a corn-based de-icer on the roads in the winter. The residue from that effort comes in through the HVAC system as a dust and settles on the black shiny interior surfaces. That, plus winter dead skin particles doing the same thing, has sold more Florida condos than Coldwell Banker!
IMO the seats are the most important part of the interior. This would we where i would spend the most money. The best cars I have owned had the best seats too.
Great preface, is set the tone for the whole review! Many people are clueless about interior, obsess over a dashboard top that there is no reason to touch. I don't think people realize that Chrome is usually chromed plastic, that's why we keep seeing Chrome on cars. They want plastic that doesn't look like plastic cuz people are smart.
Good stuff... but I despise the click-bait "Fisher Price" in the headline. It was the briefest mention about a relatively insignificant part of the car, and obviously had not business in the headline. So it is clearly just click-bait. You should be ashamed.
I remember when the Nokia N95 was released, and when I opened the packet, the first thing I thought was 'looks like Fisher Price made it'. The iPhone was released soon after, and the rest is history.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this review. One point I would add, and if at all possible do for future reviews, is use the entry price point and equivalent models for a comparison models if at all possible. For example, Kia has 2 electric models, Niro EV and EV6 and as per their website their starting MSRP are $39,990 and $41,400. Bolt EV's starting price is $25,600 which I think makes it a very compelling product and sort of justifies the compromises.
It would seem that Carl is referencing the price point of the actual cars he looked at. Often interior trim changes between a base model and higher trim, thus it is less relevant to compare base prices. I think you have a point, but I also see the other perspective.
@@runstudysleep2975 I just wanted to highlight that comparisons of items that may not be at "similar" price points that could be targeted at the "same" type of consumer are indeed difficult. In an ideal world it would help hearing about quality in car model comparisons from people like Carl than many reviewers that mainly think about mainly appearance. In fact, for many of us durability if far more important just like his comment regarding battery warranty given his daily mileage.
Good work Carl. I'm glad to see a size big & tall is doing interior reviews for Munro Live. I hope you get to do them from now on. I would like to see a chart/matrix of measurable (although sometimes subjective) vehicle quality categories and in comparison to other vehicles that are already available to purchase and be delivered, not an advanced release vehcile. Something like Consumer Reports and Consumer Reviews does, but better.
Both the 22 and 23 2LT can be had for $29k not $35k. Comparing to a $75k luxury car (2.5x the price) is one heck of a compliment on value but good review of the manufacturing details. I learned something despite having more plastic tolerance..:) (Apparently I don't squeeze or pet my cars enough) I'm impressed by the value regardless especially with the likely $7500 coming Jan 1.
Another excellent analysis from Carl! He not only knows the intricacies of manufacturing but does a stellar job of explaining them in a way that's both interesting and understandable.
Not much use for deciding if you want the vehicle though.
@@andrewholdaway813 They stated off by saying they don't want to come across as endorsing the Chevy Bolt. God forbid. ;)
10:16 Exactly how tall are you, Carl? "I'm fairly tall" 🤔
It's always easy to criticize an existing design and miss the problems solved - kudos for pointing that out. Good, honest review!
I like the way how Carl explained everything. Calmly analytical and factual.
Carl does a nice job with his reviews. Thank you.
Very good intro explaining your process
2017 Bolt Premier owner here with about 79,000 miles and new battery. Absolutely love my Bolt. Hate that in 2017 they dropped a 55 kW charger in it, but then again we have a Santa Fe for road trips. Couldn't praise this car enough.
Edit/Added: I got mine when people were hating on Bolts a year ago because of battery replacement issue. Out the door price was $16,500 with new battery and 49,000 miles. Since we have taken this vehicle on about 4,000 miles worth of road trips, I would say as much as I love it I will never buy another EV with less than 100 kW charger. 55 kW isn't horrible, but remember that's the MAX and it's only in ideal conditions. In hot Texas summers I max out at 47 kW at the fastest due to the battery conditioning.
A 55kW charger... ermmm? I think you mean support/capability for DC charging. The charger is the AC-DC part that in the Bolt is probably like 7kW
I love your reviews Carl! Hope you see this!
Excellent analysis of the analysis!
Fisher-Price design isn't the worst idea, people take car appearance and status way too seriously
This was a great perspective, and I learnt a lot. Thank you Carl!
Even if the battery tech is older, a decent hatchback EV with 200+ miles of range for low $20K that isn't a total POS could be a game changer. This reminds me of 80-90s Chrysler...after a model had been in production for several years and the cost of development/tooling had all been recovered they'd offer a low priced "America" model of the car and generate volume sales. Seems like GM is doing the same thing with the Bolt
🎓
But unless he misspoke he said bar price is around $34,500 and at that point you are getting close to a used model 3(at least within the next 2 or so years as more leases end) the current price point probably isn't low enough and it's already too low to make a profit. We will see if they figured out a battery management system that doesn't spontaneously start this generation of bolt on fire. The only thing GM has going for them is that Biden is in their pocket.
The problem with the Bolt is really that it is a dead-end battery technology. GM is moving on to Ultium with half a dozen cars coming out next year on that platform. The price drop on the Bolt (when everyone else is raising prices) is because its a firesale for a soon to be discontinued vehicle with soon to be discontinued technology. We have also already seen how GM has treated Bolt customers and Im honestly shocked that customers arent banding together to sue GM for selling a lemon and then treating them like crap. If you are a own it for 3 years and then sell it kind of buyer it makes sense... But I would say most people on the lower end of the market tend to buy cars and drive them till the wheels fall off and the Bolt just seems like it will be a nightmare to keep running once GM puts all of their eggs in the Ultium basket.
This gets 250miles and can be had for about $25 - 27K off the lot. (If they are on the lot.)
@@patreekotime4578 you nailed it. I would never park a GM POUCH BATTERY in my garage. Period. Mary Barra is selling this as a loss leader, but clearly dropping the price to show they can sell more than 26 cars in a quarter. GM is so far behind that they need a spark and that spark comes in the form of giving cars away at a loss in hopes of unloading them on naive first time EV owners who are not paying attention. At all.
The Chevy Bolt now starts at $26,000. LT2 is $29,000. With the feds bringing back the tax credit, now you are talking 19-22k. The biggest limitation of the Bolt is it’s DC fast charging rate. It tops out at 55 kWh. This is due to its 2016 design and 2017 introduction. I do travel in my Bolt 4-5 times a year. I typically travel about 300 miles and plan my charging stop over lunch to mitigate the longer charging time.
Edit: Great, honest take on the Bolt interior.
Expect GM to raise the price on Jan 3 to take some of that $7500 for themselves.
IMHO the tax credit seems to be designed to help GM sell these. I know GM is losing money on each Bolt sold. But they need to sell numbers or their CEO has egg on her face.
$7K is not going to matter much on the price of a Tesla
Not a big fan of GM, but the Volt appears to be a decent low cost EV. What is the word on production numbers for the Volt?
@@shannonwoodcock1035 The rear wheel drive Texas built Model 3 is $48k. That $7.5k discount means a lot.
The dealerships will no doubt balance it out with their $10k-$20k dealership markup. At $45k out the door price they will seal the deal with “It’s still cheaper the cheapest Tesla and you’ll be buying from
the EV leader in the world. It’s the best deal on earth!”
@@FlipBoxStudio I have a deposit on a Bolt and I made the decision that I won't buy from a dealer trying to sell over MSRP. Everyone should do the same IMO....pure greed.
For customer reviews I would go to a customer's view channel. The knowledge and experience in design gives a technical perspective on what can be improved. That's why I watch your channel.
I'm 6'5" and regularly ride in the back of bolt, behind a tall driver, and yeah it's actually pretty comfortable.
my dad had a similar razor in the 50s using Wilkinson sword blades
This is the type of in-depth content I love. I like hearing the thought process and parts/manufacturing knowledge.
Carl, I appreciate your review based on the price point. I read too many reviews of cars and there are always comparisons to luxury cars. I remember reading a review on a Prius that compared the ride quality to a BMW and the interior to a Lexus.
Watching your review right now. I will say I purchased a Bolt EUV 1 month ago (launch edition with everything). For the price (given recent reduction), I think it’s a bargain when shopping EV’s. Perfect commuter car for me…YMMV. I am 6’2 240lbs for reference and have driven 3k miles in 1 month. I find the driver seat comfortable.
Thanks, Carl, for a very insightful look at the car. That kind of overview is very useful to a potential buyer. I hope you do more of these "how is it manufactured" videos in the future. Cheers and drive safely.
This helped me think about what is important to me in an EV. I really appreciate your insight and honesty about the quality of each vehicle you review.
TBH the sound quality for me is the most important element of a TH-cam video as I mainly listen to them and from time look at the screen.
Eh, this is exactly what we love about Munro Live!! The channel got famous by destroying Model 3 and look at where tesla fans are now!! Criticisme is important! Farley said it too on the channel. It's uncomfortable but it's important!!
no need to feel sorry!! Thanks for your honnesty
🎓
I remember Sandy criticizing the 90 separate pieces to the chassis front subframe all needing to Turing and welding together. If one thinks about it Sandy, started the ball rolling on the Gigapress. Good job. Great vid.
The interior seems about the same size as the 2016 Chevy Spark I used to own. I now drive a 2018 Chevy Cruze hatchback and it seems to be much more spacious all around
"I built the assembly line in my head" 😊. Good video and I really liked the side by side comparison with the BMW. Fascinating to look at interior design of cars through your eyes Carl.
Great review and really appreciate your thought and approach to what is behind your analysis.
Glad you enjoyed it, Doug!
The Chevy Bolt is indeed a "My First EV". It's a $10k hot hatch with a $15k battery.
I drive one, and I get to say that.
But keep in mind that it was an open Beta project for GM and LG to figure out "How to EV", and the line is scheduled to be sunset in 2024.
Oddly, I bought my used 2017 launch edition Sunburst Orange Bolt for a discount precisely because it was orange.
Orange Bolt is Best Bolt.
Just revisiting all the interior videos Carl. Amazing details and insights and I am thankful for you posting what the buyers should and should not be looking for. Cheers mate
I still can’t figure it out: I’m well,over six ft. tall and large. I find the first generation Bolt seats are plenty comfortable, but a lot of other people complain. The rear seat, I’d say, is almost cavernous, especially for a car of Bolt’s wheel base. The rear storage is not large, but with the seats folded down, there is a lot of room. You might be able to fit a medium size desk in the back. The designers did a great job optimizing space. There’s no “frunk” but you’ve got a deep hidden well in the back because inverter and drive components are all up front.
The kids complain about the rear room in our CTS vs the Bolt. The CTS is a much larger car, but feels small. The kids obviously don't care about the much nicer door trim in the CTS, and they can only do so much damage to hard plastic.
Let's see the rest of the Munro gang shave in a video!
Great work Karl! Always makes me feel smarter and more grossed out by my current interior
Thanks Carl, as always. BTW, getting all mic'd up makes great sound. But, that was one of the best endings ever!
Really interesting insight!
Great assessment, very well explained.
Thanks for watching, Marc!
Educational and exactly why I visit your channel, kudos Carl!
Thanks
Love this guy! We need to see him more often!
I notice the microphone, I am glad you have proper audio!
Great Video Carl! I can see the thought process you go through when you are talk about these cars. You now make me look at my own car and understand it a lot more. On a side note, that skin tag on your right eyelid. Get someone to tie a piece own sowing thread on it and tie a knot. 4 days time it will drop off never to be seen again. no pain, no blood and you won't ever know it was even there. I have had a few and this is what I did. They never returned 🙂
I think this is a fair review. We own the Bolt, our second one on lease and wouldn't hesitate to get another one. It's a remarkably good, dependable car. Since it's just two of us and we are not large people we don't mind the seats or the plastic rear panels. It comes down to what you want in a car. As for color, we specifically picked white. It's cooler in the summer so the air is on less, doesn't show blemishes as readily as a dark car and, since it's not a metallic paint it's easy to repaint dents if we do get them. A white car also makes the car look larger and it's easier to see on the road. I know cars, color isn't an indicator of how well you take care of one in my view.
Hey Sandy: Carl is great! Very knowledgeable and very interesting to listen to. Nice (balanced) video!
Thanks
Fantastic, loved watching this. Thank you for the comprehensive and honest analysis.
I really enjoy your videos. As a photographic judge I appreciate your effort in explaining the educational aspect of assessing something and delivering that assessment to an audience that might be highly knowledgeable but usually not. The assessment is important but equally so is the way it is delivered and the educational quality of it. You want the knowledge level of the audience to be improved and to benefit from your expertise and experience. Well done.
Great presentation. Loved your explained production vs preferences. Well, done. Hope Sandy lets you present more. :)
Great intro remarks, helpful for the interested layperson to hear, much appreciated
The better comparable Kia in terms of price is not the EV6, but the E-Niro that starts at $39,990 and is slightly bigger. The EV6 distinguishes itself mostly on tech, bigger battery size, performance. Anyway, these walkthroughs and assessments are really interesting.
We have 2020 Bolt. Love it. Period........
Wow! Excellent video. Sandy has a world class team. Very informative.
SUPER cool insight! Thanks for sharing
This will be $26K next year as base model, and the bigger EUV $28K. The fact that Carl fits at all behind himself is impressive.. car is big on the inside, and small on the outside.. perfect for many people.
Getting into the back seat seemed easy enough also.. try getting into a Model 3 like that... you havbe to fold yourself up to duck under the low roof line.
Appreciation for these videos. Good to know what to look at or for when looking at current or potential future vehicles.
Well, Carl is very good at presentations! Maybe the best at Munro's. Thanks!
A great and informative video ! Thanks Munro..
I get a little annoyed at some of this analysis. Because as a customer, what I am interested in is durability. The only time I am EVER going to touch the tophat is to clean it. Ive owned cars with the old vinyl wrap that is cracked or tears easily, Ive owned cars with leather up there... why? Its just going to age in the sun and look like crap! I currently own a car with the rubber surface that is senstitive to cleaning chemicals. What I want to know from the experts its NOT how it feels, I want to know which of these processes leads to a surface that wont age prematurely, wont crack or rip, and wont react with common automotive cleaning chemicals. And my suspicion is that some of these "cheap" solutions are more durable than the ones you guys praise. You know what I hear when someone says a door panel has 5 different materials including leather and uphostries? That its going to be a pain in the butt to maintain and clean. How many different cleaners do I need for just the door??
My current car it is impossible to tell which is real leather and which is simulation leather even on just one panel... I. NEVER want real leather next to simulation leather. How am I supposed to clean that? Id rather have the old 90s hard plastic everywhere than the crazy materials mix I see in cars today. What an absolute nightmare. And you know what I hear when someone says Fisher Price? DURABILITY. CLEANABILITY. FUNCTIONALITY. Those all white, all soft touch interiors that have become popular are for people who hire out a cleaning service, dont have kids, dont have pets, dont have friends with kids or pets, and have never done a Lowes run a day in their lives.
Excellent show!!!
I think that the title of that video does not do justice to either the presenter nor the product. But don't judge the book by its cover. I learned a lot about what drives Carl's comments, what the processes are and the decisions taken behind the making of the vehicle. To me, the title suggests a harsh judgement from Carl. Having watched the whole video, I appreciated and understood the thought process. I also learned that the conclusion is quite different. Thanks Carl !
Very informative.
Wow, what a review. Deep down. Excellent 👏👏👏
Thanks for watching!
Carl it is your job to point out the things that could be done better!
Chevy took $6k off the price so it is under $30k now. These cars are a blast to drive. I got a Niro for the extra room, but f didn't need it, I'd be all over this thing like wrinkles on cheap. The KIA EV6 price you reference sounds like the highest level AWD - the base is about $41k with RWD and eligible for rebates. KIA's problem with the EV6 base VS the Niro, which are about the same price, will really exemplify the quality evaluation you speak about. Wonder how that will shake out.
I enjoyed the detailed explanation of why and how.
You can make an expensive interior look cheap. I was in an event where Bob Lutz was speaking, and he said the Gen 1 CTS was not a cheap interior, but looked it. He also ragged on the Saturn L series as well as the G6, but called a Mazda 6 his favorite midsize car to drive.
U crack me up! wow! U hit the nail on the head, with that opening! yup! super break-down! now I know a little more! thanks!!👍🤓
“I would have paid for a new battery while still in the loan period. Glad I didn’t get a Bolt.” - ahh you’re forgetting about that brand new battery they gave every bolt owner for free, with a new battery warranty! They’re sooooo generous! ;)
Generous? Haha. It was to shield themselves from law suits. GM is a joke!
we're still waiting for, as chevy calls it "a final solution" and have NOT received any battery work or changes as of yet. If another EV comes along at suitable price/function we'll likely sell this 2nd Bolt back to GM and get something with a newer drivetrain design and battery.
LG paid for the recall.
Makes me feel a lot better about considering an EUV for next year.
At half the price the Bolt does a fairly good job...and FYI, I bought one of those Henson shavers a year ago and LOVE that thing. Takes a little getting used to taking the blade in and out, but the low cost of blades make the initial cost worth the money over time, and it really gives a superior shave.
Honestly makes me wonder if tesla did a model 2 or compact 25-30k segment car. Would it be a lot like the bolt?
Yes it would likely still have 150+kwh charging, have a heat pump, have battery pre conditioning, 250+miles of range etc.
But I wonder if materials and cost savings to get down that far in pricing. Would also mean a much cheaper looking car overall. 🤔
@@4literv6 I see tesla producing low cost model by cutting it to the bone, bye bye interieor and all the screens, it would have to be a much simpler in all directions, but the most advantageous part such as durability unmached to all concurrent models. In any case a car with 200-250 miles dont need really much, i mean they just can drop all the screens and make us use our proper phone for the rest, why not.
@@4literv6 I agree. I'm thinking a stripped down model 3 using cast undercarriage parts could be sold for about this price...
@@richardalexander5758 I think so to, but only with an lfp or lfmp catl pack from their U.S. factory not yet built of about 50kwhs useable capacity. It will also still likely take another 2-3 year's of tesla scaling up alongside the supply chains issues&inflation easing down.
Even then I bet it would be at that price only after including any new tax incentives tesla will qualify for under the about to be passed ira.
Right now it costs them over 40k per car made per the latest 10k filing released. So it went up over 4k per car since just 2021 for cogs. 🤔
@@4literv6 they wouldn’t have to necessarily need to cheapen interior since there savings would be in the giga castings and speed to manufacture
The base price for this vehicle is now $26,595--including destination charge. That is the price for the 2022 base Bolt after the cash allowance and is the base price of the 2023 basic bolt.
2 years ago, cross-shopped used Bolt with used i3 REx.
REx won with its enormous, German-beer-bloke space for the front seat occupants, the eucalyptus dash, fine detailing and mostly for the "recharges" that take only 2 minutes on occasional long trips.☺️
This is great, I would have liked to see the EUV as many people are more interested in that option.
Of course you have to mic up, it's the only way to get good consistent audio quality. Thanks production/sound team!
Make a small pickup truck like the early ford rangers. Super simple. All these car companies trying to fit everything in. Don't need that. Radio, ac/heat, backup camera. 15k/20k idk if that is possible.
Munro picks the best , what a good presenter .
Good work you all! Another 5-Star Quality Production. I would like to see Munro Live be 2 channels: Munro Live EV and Muro Live ICE Vehicles.
Love the passion.
Carl, Well done... enjoyed the opening commentary. Really learning a lot about interiors from your videos. Of course, I'm personally waiting on a Cybertruck... think about it all the time!! Can't wait for Munro and team to tear that one down!!! Actually, I'll probably cry... Lol,
SoCalFreddy
Cheaper interior for the back is great if you have little kids, they'll mark it up regardless if it's leather or plastic.
Great lecture, Carl. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Thanks, Marlon!
Thanks for your honest review. Dude, you are a large human being... above average, in all directions (no disrespect). In no shape or form would that car be good for you, even if they used the most expensive materials and the very best manufacturing methods. I could fit my family of four in that car, comfortably. BTW, I love the videos you provide to us, the average consumer.
🤗👍😎 THANKS CARL
FOR EXPLAINING THIS ….being honest 👏👏👏
We want to be educated 🧐
To learn from your experience …which is a BIG REASON why we watch MUNRO 🤗😍😍😍
Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent preamble Carl, kudos for calling out the expert-bias!
Great explanations. But, as Sandy said, this is an entry level car starting at 26K. So, no surprises. Many more expensive vehicles also have this kind of cheap materials, and that's where the problem is.
Flaws are flaws. Your job is to find ways they can improve - your job is to be honest, not to SELL us. You did your job.
However, you didn't say much about fit and finish.
🎓
Now I am very curious to know what is Carl’s current car. Very well explained and thanks for the good work.
Great video. Not sure if you ever sat in the first gen Bolt but I think you would notice a big improvement in the front seats. I had a brief test of the 2017 Bolt and the driver seat was as uncomfortable as was described in the media at the time.
Carl I do enjoy your detailed explainations of how the surfaces are manufactured. I can see how explaining it to an audience might seem like criticism. Every individual has a baseline as to what they expect of materials in a vehicle and one man's fisher-price may be another's acceptable design.
I have test driven the Bolt EUV and I find it very comfortable for someone my size, I am a BIG guy at 6'4".
Drive it for 4 hours and then make a other comment t
Wait until you see the charge time. Some on my feed I got some bolt reviews and trips and one guy drove to Az from Indiana. And each charge was a hour. Or close to it and some time more . That's not good.. My longest charge has been 42 min so far and I charge from 9 to 87 percent but an hour each time for a trip is rough.
@@LaJuanHughes If you charge overnight then who cares?
Excellent video Carl.👍
I pray that I can never see all the flaws in a vehicle that you see.
This is a very good review of the vehicle.
Good, intellectually honest discussion. Re "Piano Black": please, all manufacturers, lose the P.B!!! By the time the car is off the lot, it looks like h-e-double hockey sticks! Fingerprints are only the beginning. In my state, they spray a corn-based de-icer on the roads in the winter. The residue from that effort comes in through the HVAC system as a dust and settles on the black shiny interior surfaces. That, plus winter dead skin particles doing the same thing, has sold more Florida condos than Coldwell Banker!
I like the floating commercial breaks by Sandy. Cool.
You all reviewed the Kia Niro EV. That is the Kia vehicle you should compare the Bolt to.
Great video
Thanks, Scott!
IMO the seats are the most important part of the interior. This would we where i would spend the most money. The best cars I have owned had the best seats too.
Carl should use Keeps for a few months and then do an ad for them haha. It worked for me.
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Great preface, is set the tone for the whole review!
Many people are clueless about interior, obsess over a dashboard top that there is no reason to touch. I don't think people realize that Chrome is usually chromed plastic, that's why we keep seeing Chrome on cars. They want plastic that doesn't look like plastic cuz people are smart.
Good stuff... but I despise the click-bait "Fisher Price" in the headline. It was the briefest mention about a relatively insignificant part of the car, and obviously had not business in the headline. So it is clearly just click-bait. You should be ashamed.
Very good value for the money if you are just looking for a commuter car!
I remember when the Nokia N95 was released, and when I opened the packet, the first thing I thought was 'looks like Fisher Price made it'. The iPhone was released soon after, and the rest is history.
I have thoroughly enjoyed this review. One point I would add, and if at all possible do for future reviews, is use the entry price point and equivalent models for a comparison models if at all possible. For example, Kia has 2 electric models, Niro EV and EV6 and as per their website their starting MSRP are $39,990 and $41,400. Bolt EV's starting price is $25,600 which I think makes it a very compelling product and sort of justifies the compromises.
It would seem that Carl is referencing the price point of the actual cars he looked at. Often interior trim changes between a base model and higher trim, thus it is less relevant to compare base prices. I think you have a point, but I also see the other perspective.
@@runstudysleep2975 I just wanted to highlight that comparisons of items that may not be at "similar" price points that could be targeted at the "same" type of consumer are indeed difficult. In an ideal world it would help hearing about quality in car model comparisons from people like Carl than many reviewers that mainly think about mainly appearance. In fact, for many of us durability if far more important just like his comment regarding battery warranty given his daily mileage.
Good work Carl. I'm glad to see a size big & tall is doing interior reviews for Munro Live. I hope you get to do them from now on. I would like to see a chart/matrix of measurable (although sometimes subjective) vehicle quality categories and in comparison to other vehicles that are already available to purchase and be delivered, not an advanced release vehcile. Something like Consumer Reports and Consumer Reviews does, but better.
Both the 22 and 23 2LT can be had for $29k not $35k. Comparing to a $75k luxury car (2.5x the price) is one heck of a compliment on value but good review of the manufacturing details. I learned something despite having more plastic tolerance..:) (Apparently I don't squeeze or pet my cars enough) I'm impressed by the value regardless especially with the likely $7500 coming Jan 1.
Here I thought Munro people were bright...and they bring a BOLT....INDOORS?!?
;-)>
From my point of view, there is no need to apologize for doing your job.