I may not know much, but I’m pretty sure of this: When head-shot selectors are looking for somebody who embodies the essence of cool, and a guy who is all about the “next big thing,” I’m not going to be the one whose 8x10-inch glossy photo makes the cut. I’m OK with that. And that’s where the Chevrolet Volt comes in.

Having just spent most of the Thanksgiving week in our Chevrolet Volt test car, enjoying both quality holiday time with relatives way cooler than me, and opportunities for some quiet reflection and digestion on my own, I thought I’d collect some observations from these turkeys. It’s sometimes interesting to get impressions from people outside the automotive space; it can often help calibrate those of us who live and breathe cars.

The greenie sister-in-law from Vermont, who drives a Mini Clubman as her daily transportation, thinks the Volt is pretty cool. Her husband, my brother and an engineer by trade, was impressed by the Volt’s gas mileage and how smoothly it eases from electric power to gasoline.

Their daughter didn’t have much to say. No surprise--teenagers often don’t. But she did a really good job not complaining about the lousy rear seat legroom, which is pretty much nonexistent once a tallish driver like me settles in.

And speaking of me, I’d have to say that the Volt is right up there with other trendy things I’ve passed on. It no doubt appeals to the early adopters, and hats off to them. Our satisfaction survey bears that out. But if you’re a car enthusiast, the Volt probably won’t do it for you. The mpg, or more specifically the mpg-equivalent and resulting discount operating costs, is quite appealing, but the driving experience is not so much. Maybe it’s just me, but the Volt just doesn’t seem as well put together as other recent offerings from General Motors. The Cruze comes to mind, as something similar in size, with a tighter feel and a lighter-on-its feet feel. The Volt is kind of noisy, echoing road noise through the cargo space with a somewhat wheezy sounding engine/generator, and handling doesn’t exactly make it a hoot to drive.

But the early adopters apparently don’t care. In fact, its owner satisfaction ranks right up there with a Dodge Challenger and Porsche 911. And that’s OK, too.

On the other hand, my wife has been more interested in the Volt than she usually is in the cars I bring home. She asked a lot of questions about how it works, and how it magically goes in and out of electric drive.

Like most of my relatives, she’s cooler than me. Me, I’m just along for the ride.