Anything you would've LIKED to have known BEFORE purchasing?

As my two other posts suggest,
wife and I seriously considering buying an MiEV.

Wondering what I can learn from those of you who went before us:

For example --
Anyone wish you DIDN'T get it and got a Leaf instead?

Anyone wish you got a higher level of trim package?
Sorry you spent the extra money for extra options?

Wish you got the option to be able to charge on level 3 chargers?


Anything you learned about driving or milage and charging?

Pre-heating or cooling before driving?

Wish you waited for the 2013's?

Or?

Might not apply to US model, but when I bought my Citroen Czero (Citroen and Peugeot rebadge the iMiev in EU) I was clearly told that the charger was a 16A and Battery 16KW.

Delivered car had 8A charger and 14.5KW Battery. I insisted to get an extra EVSEto allow faster charge and got a a partially satisfactory response.

Car was delivered right on the first days of a harsh winter and heating was a bit of a bad surprise given how much it was draining on a reduced size Battery. However with about 4 months of ownership, we have driven 4000 km and enjoy the car everytime.

I calculated that in about seven years it would have paid for itself through fuel savings. Hopefully by that time either the battery will still be satisfactory or powerful upgrades will be available for two or three thousand USD. Then adding onto it another 7 years would make the purchase an absolute no brainier.

In summary as a fourth car, no regrets given price paid (20k with no rebate and no AC!). If you need a little more range or comfort (heating...) I would today look at any offers from Volvo who include an ethanol heater.

Regarding range, it is finally not so bad because if you have a longer range, you will have a much larger Battery which beside the cost will also complicate charging infrastructure. Cost is not an issue.

The iMiev is an excellent compromise for a family runner, lots of room for all those little trips one has to make for children, the house etc...

Hope these points help.

I considered both the Leaf and the i-Miev as well last summer when I purchased the i-MiEV. You have to really think about your own personal situation. Your location is not shown, if I knew what part of the world you are posting from that would help out a great deal.

I would start by thinking about your daily commute. How far is it? Will the smaller battery and range of the i-MiEV suit your daily use. The EPA is about 62 miles and that I feel is fair. You can stretch it farther as many of us have learned to do but that comes with some sacrifices in speed and HVAC use.

Then think about what do you like in a car. If you are into the gee-whiz factor and like a lot of electronic screens and information, the i-MiEV is probably not for you. We have basic EV instrumentation using analog gauges and some LCD (black & white) displays that have to be flipped through by using a tiny button on the instrument display.

The i-MiEV has lots of room inside and fits four adults comfortably and has a flat floor. The Leaf, Focus and Volt do not have this flat floor. If hauling things is something you need to do, you may like the i-MiEV a lot.

There is a lot to love in the i-MiEV and in the year that I have spent on this forum (which is record for me, I usually get bored after a few months) I don't see many complaints about the car or anyone wishing they had bought something else. There have been very few in this year that have gotten rid of their i-MiEV for something else, I don't recall anyone posting a 'Good-Bye' post as the other forums have.

EVs are a very personal choice and since there are only a handful available right now, you have to really think about what you want out of the car and whether it will suit your needs or not. Then at that point you can get emotional and decide if you like the way the i-MiEV looks and you feel okay driving one.

I drove the Leaf and it felt heavy and complicated. The instrumentation was cool but I wasn't willing to pay the huge differences (at that time) for a gee-whiz factor when the i-MiEV felt so much more fun to drive and the simple instrumentation was all I really needed. I also have a very small garage and the Leaf would have been too big to fit inside where the i-MiEV fits in perfectly with plenty of room to spare. I wasn't happy about the 2011-2012 hump between the cargo area and the passenger area. I brings things from Home Depot now and then. Nissan has improved it a bit but its still not flat like the i-MiEV. The range is just fin for my 60 mile daily commute and for running around on weekends. It's the sweet spot for me and I don't want to pay more for batteries - last summer the price difference between the Leaf and the i was quite a bit.

I've been very happy with my i-MiEV. I have the base model and the only thing I like on the premium model was the alloy wheels but I can live without those - its an esthetic thing mostly. Feel free to ask any questions and let us know where you are posting from.

We researched the car from a realistic point of view , studied our needs looking at our driving habits, charging locations in our driving circle with in 100km (60 mile) Radius, and accepted that sometimes when we might be waiting to charge up if we venture out to those extreme limits.

Today we are very pleased and have NO Regrets

We have driven 22,000km ( 13,670 miles) in 9 Months, for extended range, in extreme cold weather, snow, rain, freezing rain & ice, and the Miev has performed beyond our expectations.

Don't buy all those bogus negative reviews , Borrow or go try one for yourself.

Just read this forum Members experiences with real life applications & experiences, if you want real feed back.

My answer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFtGfyruroU

Because of the price, we were a bit 'on the fence' and it took a leap of faith to spend so much for such a small car . . . . and we really prefer small cars

What do I wish I had known 8500 miles ago? That the car would turn out to be all we hoped for and so much more - We would have LEAPED into this purchase if we had only known

We bought the SE package (but not the one with the nav, back-up camera and Bluetooth) because we wanted the alloy wheels and especially the driving/fog lights. The interior trim enhancements (leather trim and 8 speaker stereo) are pretty nice too. If we had it to do over again, we would buy the same exact set-up

We *thought* it would maybe do 75% or so of all our driving needs, but as it turns out, it's closer to 95% - We need gas treatment and trickle chargers for our other cars because they get driven so little - After not being driven for about 10 or 12 weeks, our little Mazda wagon wouldn't start the one time we needed it (to pull a trailer to Lowes)

Like the others, I don't think I've read anything here about anyone who regrets their purchase - For most, the only question was . . . . an iMiEV or a Leaf - For us, it was no question - We wouldn't have bought the Leaf even if it was $5K cheaper

Don

Somehow I did not know insurance was that expensive. If I had known we would have sold our ancient ICE car earlier. I guess that is a german problem only.

Changing a 98 ROZ station wagon for an iMiEV gets me 5 times the kilometers for the same price. I guess that is a german problem again because electricity costs 35 cents per kilowatt hour.

It is cold out there and I am missing our good old central heating plant on 4 wheels - in winter at least. Imagine 105 horsepowers blow 150 kilowatts of heat through the heat exchanger in front of the car. That is double as much as the central heater of a little house. The rest of the year I am glad the car stays cool and I dont need the AC.

Driving an electric car is a bit like breaking a wall with your head but statistics of the survivors has proven heads are always stronger than walls.

Well, test driving the little "i", our dealer whispered in my ear how much it would cost us if we bought it right now. I was shocked and I could not explain to Karin we should buy it. He must have whispered into Karin's ears as well because in the evening Karin explained to me why we need an electric car.

Almost 8 month later we have not regretted it.

Comparing other electric cars it looks like the i-MiEV was the only mature electric car on the market.

I just leased the i two weeks ago, and I have absolutely no regrets. I guess I would have liked to have known is the fact on how much freeway driving zaps the batteries; I would get around 50+ miles on the freeway driving 55 mph, and around 70+ on city streets for an average of 60+, right in line with the EPA estimates. Driving any faster than 55 mph (like 65 mph) and I doubt I would get 50 mile range. This car is very tall, so driving fast on the freeway encounters much resistance. Too bad the car's CD is not the greatest, i.e. .35 for the i, .28 for the Leaf, .24 for the Tesla S, and a mere .195 for GM's EV1. All in all, I'm very happy with the car. I wanted a subcompact car, and the i fits the bill.