Interesting comments. I'm actually learning something here! Oh no!
Ah, for the record I read on one of the Car Sites that the Volt is a COMPACT size car, that was a question some of us have been asking I believe. I can find a quote and the link if it really matters as if it is a Sub-Compact, or a Compact. I know this, I have had my car right beside a Prius and the Prius seems to have more volume inside due to it's height, so it's a bigger car than a Cobalt (imho).
I also read that the Prius Plug-In model might come out in 2011, but the rumored stats do not sound as impressive as the Volt- so far. (for example, one site claimed the rumor was the plug-in Prius could go TEN miles on complete Electricity.... The Volt is said to go 40) . It's really hard to ignore the Prius when I read they are on target so far of reaching their goal of producing 400,000 - 2010 model cars! Next word has it Ford is due to have a plug-in Hybrid in the near future as well.
Oh, about a Trunk vrs a Hatchback: I don't know about other cars, but my car works as a trunk, and by folding down the back seats it works as a two seat hatch back- And it really can store a lot more stuff than I ever would of believed. I even won a bet about all of the stuff I managed to put in the car for a short vacation recently- 2 people and the entire back end from behind the front seats all the way to the rear deck was filled up 1/2 way up to the top. And I still had room to see out my rear view mirror and got the best gas mileage of any previous car I have drove the same trip under such conditions. I think about the previous sub-compacts I have owned, like an 87 Escort GT, and two mid 80's Pontiac Fieros and I can not but think how much more space the newer small cars have for storage. *sigh* I rather drive a hybrid but they are still too expensive for me.