Vehicles Comparable to Bolt EV

[Zoomit]

At this point we know all the major details about the Bolt EV. I think GM has pretty much accomplished their goal of making an EV that can be shopped against "normal" cars. My question is which cars should those interested in a Bolt EV use for that due diligence comparison? Certainly the Bolt EV is the first is a class of one, but which ICE cars are most similar? To help focus the question, I'm interested to hear which cars come close to the following criteria:

• Available new in early 2017 in the US
  MSRP less than $34,000
  5-door, 5 seat hatchback
  Passenger volume greater than 90 cu ft
  Cargo volume greater than 15 cu ft
  EPA combined fuel efficiency above 30 mpg
  Rolling Start (5-60mph) less than 8 sec
  Range greater than 200 mi

Now this is a relatively specific list, so its likely most similar cars won't meet all these criteria. Do any other cars meet all these criteria? If not, which get the closest?

 

[Schnort]

I think any of the 5 door models from any manufacturer out there meet your specs, though maybe 5-60 time might be failing (though who knows, 5-60mph isn't something that's measured or reported.)

 

[Zoomit]

I think any of the 5 door models from any manufacturer out there meet your specs, though maybe 5-60 time might be failing (though who knows, 5-60mph isn't something that's measured or reported.)

Rolling start (5-60 mph) times are measured and reported by Car & Driver. They are definitely worth paying attend to when comparing ICE to BEV performance for normal driving. Read this for more details and why: http://insideevs.com/the-rolling-start-a-better-ev-performance-metric/

 

[Zoomit]

There are quite a few cars that meet many of these criteria. Let's consider each category separately as compared to the Bolt EV.

Compact Crossovers
Mazda CX-5
Ford Escape
Honda CR-V
Hyundai Tuscon
Jeep Cherokee
Kia Sportage
Subaru Forester
Toyota RAV4
VW Tiguan
Nissan Rogue
Chevrolet Equinox
GMC Terrain

This very popular category is quite different than the Bolt EV. They all have larger passenger and cargo interior volumes, available AWD, light towing, higher seating and more ground clearance. Larger engine variants of these can meet the acceleration criteria as well; specifically the CX-5, Escape 2.0L, Forester 2.0XT, Cherokee Trailhawk and CR-V. But none that do the acceleration break out of the 20's for combined EPA mileage.

Subcompact Crossovers
Chevrolet Trax
Honda HR-V
Kia Soul
Mazda CX-3
Fiat 500X
Jeep Renegade

These has smaller interior volume as compared to the Bolt EV but have available AWD, higher seating and ground clearance. They do have combined EPA ratings above 30 mpg but none hit the acceleration criteria.

Compact Hatchbacks
Mazda 3 5-door
VW Golf
Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback
Ford Focus 5-door
Hyundai Elantra GT
Kia Forte5
Subaru Impreza 5-door
Ford C-Max
Toyota Prius
Mini Cooper Clubman

Most of these meet the interior volume and fuel efficiency criteria. A few performance versions also beat the 8 sec for 5-60mph acceleration ; specifically Golf GTI (6.5 sec), 3s (7.1 sec), Focus ST (7.1 sec), Cooper S Clubman (7.1 sec) and Golf (7.7 sec). Of these quicker versions, the only one that also gets 30 mph combined efficiency is the Mazda 3s 5-door; but the others are close and in the high 20's.

Subcompact Hatchbacks
Ford Fiesta
Honda Fit
Chevrolet Sonic
Hyundai Accent
Kia Rio
Nissan Versa Note

These generally have smaller interiors than the Bolt EV, the exception being the Fit. The only one that hits the acceleration criteria is the Fiesta ST (5-60: 7.5 sec). Notably, these are significantly cheaper than the Bolt EV.

If you consider my strict criteria, the only vehicle that meets them all is the Mazda 3s 5-door. It is $26k-$31k has a 96+22 cu ft interior, 30 mpg combined EPA, 5-60 in 7.1 sec. If you back off a few mpg on efficiency, the Golf, Golf GTI, Focus ST, Cooper S Clubman, or even the CX-5 are close. If you allow another 1-2 sec for acceleration, many of the compact hatchbacks are comparable.

So I've reaffirmed that the Bolt EV really is hard to categorize. It's more expensive and faster responding than most Compact Hatchbacks, but it doesn't quite fit the subcategory of Sport Compacts like the GTI or Focus ST. While it is close on acceleration, I'm not sure it's "fun-to-drive" factor is comparable. For this, we'll need more driving reviews and our own test drives.

Here's my summary. If you're looking for space and lean more CUV, compare it to the Mazda CX-5, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, etc. If you don't need the responsiveness or are looking for lower price, there's a plethora of compact hatches, but the Mazda 3s 5-door, VW Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST are worth a look. A few outliers that may also be of interest are the Mini Cooper S Clubman or VW Golf Sportwagen.

 

[Breezy]

That's a good list. I can't think of any other vehicles you haven't mentioned.

I think of the Bolt as an upscale/premium subcompact crossover. No AWD, but it does have an elevated seating position. The EV powertrain and skateboard configuration should make the Bolt substantially quicker, with better ride and handling, as well as quieter and more refined than a mainstream subcompact CUV.

On the other hand, with certain features missing like a sunroof or power seats, it's easy to get into a debate about how premium the Bolt actually is.

 

[Zoomit]

Here's another way to look at it. These are Bolt EV attributes matched with the closest category

Purchase Price: Compact CUV
Exterior Size: Subcompact CUV
Appearance: Subcompact CUV
Interior Size: Compact Hatchback
Utility: Compact Hatchback
Features & Technology: Compact Hatchback
Acceleration: Sport Compact

Other Bolt EV attributes that don't clearly match a category are:
Handling: Probably better than a Compact Hatchback, but not the same as Sport Compact
Efficiency: Off the charts (vs ICE)
Maintenance: Likely much easier & cheaper (vs ICE)
Range: Much lower (vs ICE)

So again, it's pretty hard to pigeon-hole. It looks like a small CUV, has the utility and tech of a compact hatchback, responds better than all but the hot hatches, and finally costs more like a compact CUV.