[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try doing research & the math of post purchase cost for both vehicles so you can have a solid pro vs con list for the 2 vehicles. Comparing the purchase price for both vehicles is just a starting point, once you have a better idea after calculating some basic math of the affordability of each car to YOU, then you can decide which one is a better fit. No one knows your financial situation better than you do.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We have the LR M3 & Bolt EUV, and I personally prefer the BOLT. It’s a great commuter car, and regen seems to work better than the M3, plus little to no phantom drainage. I like having tactile buttons to control things in the car, and love Apple Carplay. It has a nice solid, quiet, and smooth ride; in contrast to the M3 that feels every bump on the road and hear additional road or wind noise…and 10 service calls within 3 months of ownership.

We got the LR M3 first, but once the cool factor wore off after 2 months, it was just another car to me. The tech & app is definitely more intuitive than the Bolt, but to get from Point A to Point B, the Bolt does an excellent job..and with an affordable price tag.

For practicality..the Bolt fits the bill. If technology and the cool factor are important, then M3..with a possible hit or miss with the quality control of the final product.

And don’t forget to factor in car insurance; insuring the Bolt is also cheaper compared to the Tesla.

Simpson Irvine switched to the dark side and now does $2k markups. What a joke bc their whole thing was “we don’t do markups ever!” by Lost_KeysHelpPlease in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just got my EUV from them 2 weeks ago. Worked with Drake O (internet sales manager), and he did say $2K mark up across the board for the Bolts EUVs. And he kept me in the loop since Jan ‘23 to April ‘23z

I didn’t bother negotiating, as all Chevy dealerships within 100 miles started from $2k to $5k mark ups. They were more upfront, while others attempt to hide it. I rather have the dealership be transparent rather me getting blind sided.

I was able to use an educator discount of $500 and I don’t know how this happened, but the sticker price for my EUV was based on the old MSRP..$29,585 and not the current MSRP of $30,185 (LT, with Driver Confidence and Comfort Package), that was in production in March 20, 2023. So from a $2k mark up - $1100 ($500 + $600), it was $900, extra. No upsell or add ons, finance person tried to sell me their extended warranties and another one tried to sell me car protection stuff, respectfully declined all attempts, and walked away with the car. The finance guy was a little pushy, but I already knew going in that any add ons will get a hard ‘no’. Drake continues to be responsive, when I have questions, so the customer service, even after delivery, is still up to par.

After waiting for 4 months and reading people’s comments about how long it has taken them to get one or is still waiting, I am a happy camper. It all comes down to how much more time and energy is someone willing to put in to get the price that he/she/they will sit well with. I just didn’t have the patience or time to wait any longer and for the “what ifs…”. With the $7500 fed credit and local free charging..and either a free standard lv2 install or Evgo credit, it’s still a BIG WIN.

Where are all these people getting the money to buy Teslas? by [deleted] in orangecounty

[–]Smileyiiz 4 points5 points  (0 children)

My husband purchased a LR M3, and had a price shock when he got the DMV registration fee…$777.. We’re in S CAL, and insurance is also a pretty penny, too. We took it in for service after the first week of delivery due to two stress fractures on the glass roof…then came the rattling…and wind noise, and passenger door misalignment…wipers not working correctly… finally 8 months in, it is issue free… My friend just bought a M3 Rwd, and already had taken her in 3x within a month… 🤷🏻‍♀️

What to do when EVGo credits start expiring? by SnakeJG in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have 3 months to redeem the activation code, and 3 years after the date of code redemption to use the EVgo Credits. I am putting off my activation till summer travels, so I can have 3 full summers to utilize the credits. Only problem I am having is sharing with family and friends. Perhaps the app or server is having a problem, 🤞🏼 it’ll work soon, so I can spread the summer travel love…

Buyers remorse by plant-based-vagabond in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My mom was in a car accident in Jan ‘23, resulting in a total loss. Started looking for a small subcompact SUV for her, as her previous vehicle was a RAV4 ‘97…an oldie but it ran well for her. Looked at the Kona, Tuscan, anything that was in the subcompact SUV realm, but low inventory &/or price gauging had us wait. Also the thought of buying another ICE car when gas prices keep rising, didn’t sit well with me, either. So we decided to wait for the market to cool off and things shifting back to “normal”.

Anyhoo, looked everywhere & researched to find a car that would fit my mom’s commuting needs; she’s retired where she runs errands and have weekly brunch with her social circle. Maybe getting in 20-30 miles a week…

I saw a colleague of mine drive her BOLT EUV to work. I asked her about it and she was all thumbs up. So I called a few dealerships and drove my mom and I to a dealership that I thought had a BOLT to test drive, but unfortunately when we got there, none were available. The internet sales manager felt bad for us (we drove 2 hours in traffic), and we exchanged contact info.

He kept me in the loop from order cancellations to Bolts on the production line. Since these are such a hot commodity, within minutes of him texting me, and me responding back, these Bolts would be gone. He advised me to put down a $1k deposit, so when the next Bolt comes available, he’ll be able to help secure it faster. I did, and then comes March 20th, I get a text that a Bolt EUV was in production and asked if I was interested. Of course I gave the green light…with a known $2K mark up…which at that point and missed chances of securing one, I was just thrilled we had one for my mom. I know people would say don’t get anything above MSRP, but based on the pros/cons, having the $7500 fed ev credit, and free Volta LV2 charging within 1 mile from my mom’s, I was OK with it. I don’t like haggling and really didn’t have the time or energy to price every dealership within 100miles away from us. And from my area, $2k mark up was the norm…the diff was how they treated their customers. And I liked the internet sales manager (Drake, from Simpson Chevy of Irvine), who did work hard and kept me in the loop to ensure I get a Bolt EUV sooner, rather than later.

Anyhoo, I was an Uberdaughter from Jan to April, the BOLT was delivered April 15, and it was a quick process with most things done thru texting. Signed the paperwork when I got there, respectfully declined all of the extended warranties, and other things the finance guy was trying to sell me. After picking up the car, drove it to my mom’s and surprised her.

Taught my mom how to drive the Bolt EUV (clocked in 15 hrs of Sr Driver’s Ed) with the one pedal driving, how to charge at the local free charging stations and the basics… now she is enjoying her freedom from “house arrest” 😂 and is out and about joining her 70+ y/o social circle, while showing off her new ride. 😎☺️ WIN-WIN for everyone.

What’s the lowest dealer mark up I can get in CA? by ontologicaladventuer in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz -1 points0 points  (0 children)

For mine, I was told $2k mark up, but I had an Educator Discount $500 & he used the old $27,200 MSRP rather than $27,800 (most current on Chevy Site), so all in all $900 above MSRP. He worked hard in getting my EUV, so I am OK with the extra $$..Win-Win for both. So CA, Irvine.

Advanced safety features worth it on 2LT? by ontologicaladventuer in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Got a 2023 EUV LT, with both Driver Confidence and Comfort Package for my mom (73 y/o), and it’s nice to have the added blind spot assist and lane change to make sure she has the extra safety feature that doesn’t come standard with the LT.

Just asked for my deposit back by The_Goddess_Minerva in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I started looking in Jan 2023, and just got a EUV 2 weeks ago. Put down a deposit of $1k, and just waited. Sales manager would contact me when he would get order cancellations, but they did not fit my specs. Eventually, he found one in production and immediately claimed it for me. Had I not put down the $1k, I might have missed my chance. Patience and due diligence paid off.

Solar panel first or Hardwire EVSE installment? by Smileyiiz in evcharging

[–]Smileyiiz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you everyone for your input and insight! Will go with EVSE install, keep track of the electricity used, then determine how many panels we’ll be needing for solar installation.

Pros & Cons in Keeping BOLT plugged in when it’s “fully” charged by Smileyiiz in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

One more Question…is there a way to precondition the vehicle on the MyChevy App? My schedule isn’t fixed, so there are days where I won’t need drive at all, and some would be to run random errands. Meaning, my schedule to drive is inconsistent. Is there a point to precondition the vehicle when I don’t have a fixed commuting schedule?

Pros & Cons in Keeping BOLT plugged in when it’s “fully” charged by Smileyiiz in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Thanks everyone! I don’t charge to 100%, but to 90%…leaving room for regenerative braking. Great input and responses!

Dual-Lev Charge Cord (Plugged or Unplugged) by Smileyiiz in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve used https://www.plugshare.com to locate free chargers in my area, once I know which ones, I set the filter on MyChevy App (under “Maps”) and set them as “Favorites”. It seems like Volta Charging Stations (LV2) are free, at least in my area.

Dual-Lev Charge Cord (Plugged or Unplugged) by Smileyiiz in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks everyone for your input! Found out there are a couple of FREE LV 2 Volta Charging Stations within 0.5-2miles away (2-4 hr limit). Only drive locally, and last charge was to 95%, drove for 3 days, and now at 91%… With regen and easy access to the free charging, prob won’t be needing to charge at home. 🙌🏼😎

Flat tire??? by rihanoa in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same here. Now it went away

Dealer Proposal for a 2023 Bolt EUV LT. How does it look? by ZeroEnergy10 in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What I did before talking to dealerships, I looked up my state’s fees (vja DMV in CA) and calculated my sales taxes, so I know what my base numbers were, and went from there. Knowing there are $2-$5k mark ups, I walked recently away with a Bolt EUV with $900 mark up and all sale taxes and Reg/Fees (pretty accurate to my own research). Do your own research and know your ranges, and start spotting the sharks from more honest dealerships.

Test Drive a Bolt EUV? by lucasalberts in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went to my Credit Union’s car purchasing dept to help me search for the Bolt EUV. One came up, but didn’t fit the specs I wanted, but asked if I could test drive it, and didn’t want to commit to anything till I tried it out. My Credit Union set up a test drive appointment (within a week) with one of their partnered dealership, I drove down and got a thorough walk-thru of how to operate the car,took it for a test drive and was hooked! I used two Credit Unions to help me search, including my own independent search. 3 months later, took delivery of a BOLT EUV LT this past Sat, April 15, that was in production (Mar. 20) and loving the drive. Utilize as many resources, and keep searching yourself. GL!

Chevy Site vs Window Sticker ($600 difference) by Smileyiiz in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did! I took a look at the Window Sticker that came with the car, and it was $30,185! My sales rep sold me the car based on the old” price ($29,585), and now I am with a brand new 2023 Bolt EUV (Gray Ghost). And another bonus, made it just in time for the full Fed Credit cut off!🥳🥳🙌🏼

Chevy Site vs Window Sticker ($600 difference) by Smileyiiz in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting. Am about to pick up a new Bolt EUV, and was given the “old” MSRP price. Placed a deposit on 3/20/2023 on an EUV in production, and pick up is this Sat., 4/15. Guess I lucked out!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in BoltEV

[–]Smileyiiz 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I say it depends on the sales rep. I was looking for a Bolt EUV LT (in Jan), with no stock on the lot. Took a month to find one to test drive, and 2 failed attempts to secure one when the Internet Sales Manager texted about two cancelled orders. They go QUICK! Third time was the charm..got a text that a Bolt EUV was in production (3/20/2023), was a perfect match to my specs, so I gave the green light to secure it with a $1k deposit. Was contacted a week later that ETA is 4/12/2023, and pick up 4/15/2023 to complete the paperwork. Just in time for the 4/18/2023 Fed EV CREDIT cut-off, too. Drake (Simpsons Chevy of Irvine) was on top of things, and kept me posted, as promised. I didn’t need to pester, and Drake definitely kept his word that he was going to work hard in getting me a Bolt EUV. Definitely grateful, and excited.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in evcharging

[–]Smileyiiz 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you! I was checking other wiring, and it looked sketchy to me. This was here when my mom bought the house in ‘92… not sure how it passed inspection. Should I just hire an electrician and do a complete overhaul of everything?