Ampera (Volt) Eu Car Of The Year 2012 - How ?

[johalareewi]

Not sure how this happened ;)

http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/european-car-of-the-year-vauxhall-ampera-2012-03-05

[Grumpy Cabbie]

What do you mean?

My money is on the loss of thousands of GM jobs in Europe without this sweetener - giving their horrifically expensive hybrid COTY2012.

Vauxhalls don't sell as well because they're not reliable, uninspiring designs and p*ss poor dealers whose last customer training seems to have been in 1973 when you could get away with being inept and rude.

[johalareewi]

Although it may be voted EU COTY, over the pond the Volt is not a big success, and the UK price for the Ampera makes a plug in Prius look reasonable. I don't think it will be COTY 2012 in sales.

[cuius]

Given the news that the US Chevrolet Volt factory has suspended production due to oversupply of cars sitting in the showrooms, it looks that the COTY jury have chosen another loser to follow last year's Nissan Leaf

[kithmo]

Let's face it, all plug-in electric cars are way over priced. As for the ampera, who wants to pay double the price for what is effectively an Astra with additional electric bits. If sales are poor now with government grants thrown in, what are they going to be like when the grants stop, stagnant methinks. The only way these idoitic companies are going to get some of their R&D money back is to sell the cars at realistic prices.

[Chris Dance]

My neighbour has a Chevrolet and he has had loads of hassle with the Vauxhall dealer. They could not even get the date of his servicing correct. He turned up and they said his service was not due. I would never buy a Vauxhall.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

I would never buy a Vauxhall - ever, even with that 100,000 lifetime warranty.

I won't buy an overly expensive electric car including the Plug In Prius, which is crazy overpriced. The Renault Fluence though is priced to sell at £17,800 even taking into account the monthly Battery fee. If Renault can sell one for £18k, then why is the Volt going for £32k? Sure, the Fluence is a pig to look at but for the money it's worth a punt, but £32k for a glorified Astra (Volt/Ampera)? You'd have to do 2million miles to make any money back.

[don21]

Buying new is always expensive.

Just bought a 58 plate Gen 2 T spirit with 69k full service history for £6800. Bet it was over £22K new.

[timberwolf]

Buying new is always expensive.

Just bought a 58 plate Gen 2 T spirit with 69k full service history for £6800. Bet it was over £22K new.

When I bought mine the "Autumn" list price for a T-Spirit was £21,115. Metallic paint was £350 extra.

[acetip]

Always thought charging extra for metallic paint is a rip off.

[johalareewi]

I can remember when they charged extra for black paint.

[wass]

One possible reason for this happening is apparent when you look at the panel of judges who are mostly motoring journos who espond very favourably to junkets/ lavish entertainments in settings like Monte Carlo etc.

Not many motoring journos seem to have any real concern about their subject matter and seem to concentrate on where the next freebe is going to come from. So if one were to give a GM car a right slating today, they wouldnt be invited to the next junket. In short the manufacturer with the biggest PR budget normally gets a good write up ven if the car flops. This is what makes the likes of JD power so enlightening.