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We bought an iMiEV for our second car

Discussion in 'Mitsubishi Hybrids and EVs' started by plug-it-in, Nov 11, 2014.

  1. plug-it-in

    plug-it-in Active Member

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    In May we bought a 2012 iMiEV to accompany our 2008 Prius. We absolutely love this little car. It is a super second car for any family. In terms of size and overall functionality it beats the Smart electric any time. It costs us about C$2.40 per 100km. We charge it on a 240V "dryer plug" at night. It costs about $24 Ontario dollars per month on our hydro bill. I figure we save close to $75/mo compared to buying gas for our old Corolla.

    We are just trying to work out the best way to maximize the distance per charge while the heat is on. It looks that if you are smart, heat only as much as you need, you can go a long way even in the winter. Mind you we did not get real cold days as of yet.

    If I have any beef the operation of the fob, controlling the pre-heat function, is very poorly explained in the manual. Inside it is really 'plasticky' - looks and feels very basic. Still, with AC, heated seat and freezing road alert (just discovered a couple of days ago!) it is a good package for the price. Most of your money is spent on the battery!
     
    #1 plug-it-in, Nov 11, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 11, 2014
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  2. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Cold weather tips: pre-heat the car before leaving while still plugged in. Garage the car overnight to keep it as warm as possible. Use delay charge to have it finish charging right before you leave to warm up the battery (pre-heating does this too). Bundle up and use the electric seat warmers (steering wheel?) as much as possible.
     
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    congrats! what's the average range in summer and winter and how long to recharge from empty?
     
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  4. plug-it-in

    plug-it-in Active Member

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    Thanks for the notes and thoughts.

    Yes, we keep the "i" in the garage where the charger is. Even though it is kind of obvious, I never thought about 'pre-heating' the battery. Smart idea. Thanks for shaking me up! I still have trouble to figure out exactly how the stupid FOB works for preheating.

    As the winter will get stuck here for the next few months we will garage our "i" as the roads get snow covered or sloshy. I have no snows for this car and I don't intend to get any. BUT if I would I would consider putting Nokian WRG3 "all weather" tires on all wheels. I read about these and went out on a limb and had them installed in my 2008 Prius. So far, after our first snow fall last week I am very happy with these tires.

    As for range. Summer it is safely 100km, even with some parts of our daily drive at 100km/h AND with AC used as required. After fully charged the trip computer figures between 115 and 130(!) km range.

    As for this time of the year well, I was playing around with the settings. MAX HEAT (at full blower speed) can get the trip computer estimate down to 55 km. But using the seat heater AND being smart I am quite certain that one can manage around 70 km per charge at 80% of the time - lol. Keep telling my wife to keep her eye on the trip wizard instead on the outside temp reading. The trip wizard adjusts the estimated distance left as you change the heating parameters, almost instantly.

    Charging time using the 240V 30A charger is around 3-4 hours to full from 1/2 to slightly below 3/4. I think the estimates Mitsubishi gives for charge times from 'empty' are pretty accurate; 7 hrs at 240V. Look seriously, when was the last time you drove into a gas station on fumes?

    So far we are quite taken by this little car.
     
    #4 plug-it-in, Nov 25, 2014
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2014
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  5. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    sounds like a blast, enjoy!(y)
     
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  6. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Sorry, but the MiEV could use a beauty makeover big time. :D

    SCH-I535
     
  7. plug-it-in

    plug-it-in Active Member

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    Makeover and a new name. ;)
    In the meantime love it or leave it. For us it does the job we bought it for.
     
  8. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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    Bundle up!:D Right! talking about compromises!
     
  9. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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  10. mmmodem

    mmmodem Senior Taste Tester

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    Nice! I've been scanning Craigslist regularly for a used model. Nothing has come up so far. Its range is short and it is so ugly, I figured it would be an incredible bargain if I found one. As long as it gets me to work and back, I don't really care.
     
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  11. GrumpyCabbie

    GrumpyCabbie Senior Member

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    Mrs Cabbie and I looked at the Peugeot Ion (i-miev clone) the other week as they're now really cheap to buy second hand. Granted it'll never win any beauty contests but inside they're surprisingly roomy for what is a very small car. Don't be put off one just because of the outside looks.

    It's an idea city/shopping car - I said car not cart! ;).
     
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  12. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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    2012 Mitsubishi I-miev Es AC SYNCHRONOUS ELECTRIC MOTOR there you go
     
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  13. Vike

    Vike Active Member

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    This is an excellent and good-natured review (a couple of creepy jokes aside); I just saw it this week myself and was surprised to see a new review for the poor little thing. I've been driving an i-MiEV for over 2 years, and I think this is a well-balanced assessment if you're trying to figure out whether this would be a good fit for your household. The Autobytel reviewer doesn't ignore the car's shortcomings, but unlike most reviewers I've seen, he understands and appreciates it for what it is. Thanks Sergiospl!

    So yeah, I love the car, puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. The 2016 is a great value, though they might be hard to come by. There were very few '12s and even fewer '14s sold (and yes it's true, no '13 or '15 models were produced for the U.S.), and the folks who have 'em tend to love 'em (it's not a car you can buy without really, really meaning to), so finding a used one can be a bit of a crap shoot. I'd definitely make sure you have a certified dealer in your area (i.e., within 50 miles - don't forget range limitations) for any service issues; though it's certainly simpler than an ICEV, I wouldn't advise putting it in the hands of a mechanic not specifically trained to work on EVs. Mitsu dealers are unevenly distributed, and not all are i-MiEV certified (though that's likely to improve if/when the Outlander PHEV ever launches stateside). The good news is that, like the LEAF, the i-MiEV is not restricted to sales in CARB-following states, so you may well have a dealer around even if you're out in flyover country (like me).
     
    #13 Vike, Apr 13, 2015
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2015
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  14. plug-it-in

    plug-it-in Active Member

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    Our "i" does exactly what it was designed to do. It is an excellent runabout. She carried home for me a small fridge and a new BBQ. You could never do that with an electric Smart. We get lots of smiles on the road and on parking lots. Excellent little toy - we love it. The fact that we kept her in the garage between Xmas and the end of March helped with the winter/cold weather issues. And not everyone can afford to do that. However, by experimenting with cold weather driving before Xmas we found that if the car is preheated and by setting the heat only a couple of notches up one can push the 50km winter range to around 70. The seat heater helps a lot.

    Everyone, who has a chance should take one for a spin. The "i" is surprisingly fun to drive. But regardless, if it does not meet your needs it is not a car for you.
     
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  15. Sergiospl

    Sergiospl Senior Member

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  16. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    Will contemplate buying a used one for $8-10k in another year or so.
     
  17. cyclopathic

    cyclopathic Senior Member

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    Exactly my thoughts.

    to OP: how is working out long term?
     
  18. markabele

    markabele owner of PiP, then Leaf, then Model 3

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    What are some of these used prices down to?
     
  19. sdtundra

    sdtundra Senior Member

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  20. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    seems like a great deal!(y)