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Leaf drivers still have to think about how they drive and how they use their electric car. drivers don't exceed 40 miles a day, overnight recharges for a Volt mean it could effectively run months at a time as a purely electric car-never switching on its gasoline engine, for gas mileage close to infinity. But based on data from the previous Volt, Chevy projects that nine out of every 10 trips in the new Volt can be conducted entirely on electricity-at a cost half that of gasoline, or less. With exactly half the electric range of the Leaf, the Volt's 53 miles may sound minimal. But for handling and roadholding, the Volt is the more rewarding of the two, with a sportier feel than the Leaf. The new Volt is remarkably smooth and quiet even when its range-extending engine has switched on-significantly more so than the previous generation, which was still very good compared to hybrids like the Toyota Prius. Behind the wheel, everything works smoothly, quietly, and as predicted, but there's little feedback, leading some to call it "appliance-like"-not as much of an insult in our eyes as to others.
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On the road, is hushed inside until about 40 mph, when wind and tire noise start to filter in. The new Volt is much sleeker and appears lower than the Leaf (and than its predecessor), with a steeply raked windshield, angled accents lines, and a hatch that's almost horizontal, ending in a high tail that's well integrated into its fastback shape. It's an upright car with a drooping and curvaceous nose, swept-back headlights, and high vertical taillights. The design of the Leaf has always been polarizing, with some saying it's distinctive and futuristic while others deem it ugly, sometimes vociferously. Then it switches seamlessly over to run as a hybrid for another 300-plus miles, at a fuel economy of 42 mpg combined. The Volt runs entirely on battery power for about half the Leaf's range. It's a "pure" electric car, powered only by its battery, while the Chevy requires more context-which its maker has notably failed to provide to the mass market so far. The Nissan Leaf is a simpler and more straightforward proposition that's far easier to explain than the Volt. It's fine for a short trip with a lithe teenager, but you wouldn't want to try to put a larger adult back there. The Leaf can seat five adults in a pinch, while the Volt has four seats and a fifth "seating position" that's really only a padded hump on the battery pack, with a seat belt but no headrest. Each has an onboard charger, so owners can plug the cars into charging stations or wall sockets to recharge their lithium-ion battery packs.īoth are five-door hatchbacks with compact-car footprints, though the Leaf has more interior volume than its size might indicate-and the Volt has less. Each powers its front wheels mostly or entirely with an electric motor. The two cars take different approaches to driving on electricity from the power grid, but there are many similarities. The new Volt, meanwhile, is sleeker, better-equipped, faster, quieter, and more powerful. Leaf sales have flagged over the past 18 months, and the added range is expected to boost them to some degree. MORE: Read our latest 2017 Nissan Leaf and 2017 Chevrolet Volt reviews (A note: we've changed our vehicle ratings and rankings system.)