Chevy Volt & Chevy Cruze Sneak Peek!

Alright, I admit it… I’m a tree hugger at heart. You’d never know it from a first impression, but I grew up in a very eco-friendly area of the country yet I still drive the large SUV and live in Orange County, CA. Secretly the guilt of driving that SUV has gnawed at me. I love driving and these days, those driving hours are mostly spent with my entourage (my two sons!). When I first heard about the new advances Chevrolet was making with their cars and gas mileage I honestly thought, “Good for them, but it will be years until I can get one of those!”

I had the privilege of a sneak peek prior to the LA Auto Show at the new Chevy Volt and Chevy Cruze last night. It didn’t take me long to see that I am their target demographic. And now it just makes perfect sense!

The Chevy Cruze (pictured above) is designed with families in mind (from price point to safety to aesthetics). Keep in mind that I’m not an auto expert – I’m a busy Mom to two wonderful boys, so what you are getting is simply my opinion. I might as well just admit it - I’m also a car snob. The thought had never crossed my mind of looking at a Chevy for anything other than the Tahoe… and when it comes to a family sedan I’ve never really thought outside the BMW, Lexus or Mercedes realm. I’ve been eyeing all the new Hybrid vehicles on the market and wondering if I was ready to make the jump back to a family sedan instead of the gas guzzling SUV. (To me the Hybrid SUV’s like the Yukon &Tahoe don’t improve the MPG enough to warrant the price tag yet). It looks like the Cruze will come in around the $20,000 mark. Talk about affordable!

The Chevy Volt (pictured above) is a car of the future that is about to go on sale today! On the outside it is reminiscent of the Toyota Prius, but it takes fuel efficiency to an entirely different level! It’s designed for the average person who drives less than 40 miles a day (although you can drive it more, you just won’t have the same insanely awesome gas mileage). I’ve got to say it is one REALLY cute car. Perfect for a second car if you’re a family or as a primary car if you aren’t hauling kids around (the demo I saw only had 4 seats because there is a console in the middle back row)! I’ve heard lots of numbers thrown around in regards to cost of the Volt, but I can tell you it will definitely be way less than $50,000 and will have environmental rebates. My bet is the cost will end up being $40,000 or less after those rebates. That is competitive.

I walked away from the night being proud of Chevy (still surprising myself with that…). I’ll save it for another post, but as a working Mom, I also walked away with a newfound respect for Chevy as a company. Their embrace of women and mothers in their workforce is impressive and I can’t wait to tell you more specifics about how real that is, not in theory – but in practice!

For more specific information about the vehicle check out this YouTube Video they have created: