iMiEV 2016 YouTube Review

[FrostyCanada]

Hello all, stumbled upon this yesterday.

Not very flattering to say the least.

I would categorize this review as a classic misinformation piece, a the expense of a great little car.

But despite of all these negative review our little family is super happy with the addition of a new super economical 2016 iMiEV.

The only problem we have with the car is who's going to be driving it.

Brian

http://youtu.be/Wyry_t_ILLc

 

[sandange]

Saw the Review

Ignorance at its best
I prepared this rebuttal but judging by the quality (or lack of) the followers comments....
I decided to share it here and not fuel this misleading short sighted video hits count.

Miev Review Rebutal

I have owned 2 i Mievs and driven over 75,000 miles / 120,000 km total.
I looked at other EVs but could not justify the extra costs.
This is my second i Miev first one was a 2012 ES, I drove 41,500 miles / 67,000 km in 2 years, traded up when there was a new model and a price drop too..
I now own a 2014 ES , for 17 months and have driven
it 34,800 miles / 56,000 km.
If I spent as much time charging it as you have stated this would not be humanly possible.
Obviously you have missed the whole reason of design and purpose of the I Miev,
It's quite clear the shape and looks of the i Miev does not appeal to you.
You've presented all the negative aspects of this EV because you are trying to compare it to a vehicle , gas or otherwise, designed for a different application.

You have made some valid observations, the interior is of basic finish
the location of some of the switches are poorly placed. the cargo space is impressive.
Yes raise the bridge or lower the river- The drivers seat goes up or down , - not the steering wheel.

This car is designed to be an economical daily local runabout, not a Luxury highway runner. It is well designed for it's purpose . It accelerates very well from zero to about 30mph / 50 kmphr where most people do most of their local driving speeds, and is very capable of speeds up to 80 mph/ 130 kmph

Yes it has a 60 mile /100km range -
Fact: 90 % of the people only drive 40 miles on their every day routines. Yes you do have to do a little more planning.

Not mentioned
Fact ] - Interior has large windows & visibility is very good
Fact - getting in and out of the car is easy at an easy access height. Not at all what you portrayed in your video. Place the seat fully forward and try and get in or out of any car.

Fact - Most i Mievs are equipped with a fast charge port that can charge you to
80% in 15 - 20 minutes.
Fact : where I live $ 1.60 of electricity at home charging gets me a full charge -
60 miles / 100 km.
Fact : Most people who own one, charge at home on a 220v outlet over night and have a
full battery every morning 60 miles/100 km
Fact : Should you have need to go further, a 20 minute stop or lunch break at a fast charge station will top you up to 80%.
Fact: the battery is guaranteed for 8 years or up to 100,00 miles/160,000km.
Fact: the North American model is approximately 4" wider and 10" longer than the original European models, & was introduced in fall 2011 to North America.

One other point neither of the 2 i Mievs I owned lost their range capability to travel 60 miles on a full charge.


In my opinion, even though your video presentation looks professional and sounds convincing it seems to be a LITTLE misleading, and does the car injustice.

Sandy (Sandman)

 

[JoeS]

I'm saddened that we're all going to click and view this pathetic video, thus enhancing the originator's rating.

Unbelievable that something like this gets posted as an allegedly 'professional' review, and by someone who professes to favor electric vehicles. Not only i-MiEV, but Mitsubishi bashing.

Sadly, the young lady who is evidently the owner of the vehicle and loves it did not present a case for it.

I'm preserving my blood pressure and am refraining from formulating a detailed rebuttal.

Makes me think that each of us should make our own videos (based on personal experience which would thus carry some weight) and publish them and swamp YouTube with objective i-MiEV reviews.

 

[PV1]

Joe, couldn't agree more. I've actually done some en route video reviews, but they are quite dated now. I'll refrain from watching it as it will only aggravate me :twisted: .

Even if we do post real reviews of our favorite jellybean, will it make a difference? It seems corporate has condemned the future of the i-MiEV, so would some truthful videos make a difference in sales? How would people wanting the i-MiEV even get a new one? If it's not sitting in a dealer's lot ready to go, very few people will take the chance of ordering a car sight unseen.

It's amazing to see the difference in perspective between the JDM demo cars and the US production cars. Early reviews are mostly positive, but once they are sold here, they are the worst cars ever.

I still think this is one of the best pieces for EVs:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/08/automobiles/08JAPAN.html?_r=2&emc=eta1

 

[DonDakin]

Hey all,

I also saw this review.

If you watch it a couple of times you realize that he says a lot of good things about the car. But the things he doesn't like he deems completely unacceptable. He is under enthusiastic about the great points of the car (and he misses a few) and over enthusiastic about the things he doesn't like.

I think he came up with a clever "lost in translation" idea and then wrote a review to support this story.

Anyways I wrote a comment and he answered it (but I forgot about it and this thread reminded me) so I just answered.

His review is a bit all over the place, when you know as much about the car as we do it's kind of hard to take seriously.

But it is really well photographed and I appreciate that.

Don......

 

[ed5000]

The video quality is great. I love the video of the i'miev's underside and some of his explanation of the suspension. I'm sure funding for this video was provided by a deep pocket from somewhere.

I feel sorry for the girl who drives that car though. I hated to see her bright smile melt away after he insulted her and her car by calling the car's suspension "garbage". She probably thought she was being interviewed for driving a wonderful car but instead was dragged through some nasty politics. :evil:

 

[jsantala]

He was actually mostly correct on the limitiations of the vehicle, not counting the charging which was sadly mispresented. What he was completely wrong about was what people need from a commuter vehicle. For example, if you sit in traffic for hours every day it doesn't mean you've travelled hundreds of miles. You may have just travelled twenty. Having an ICE car sitting in traffic, now that's stupid.

And really, it's not like we actually have a choice. The Paris climate agreement just signed means we need to stop using fossil fuels. Not maybe stop, but really stop. Completely. Unpluggable vehicles would need to be banned within a couple of years. Otherwise we have no chance in keeping the temperature rise below two degrees. Over that and we're screwed. Oh, the planet doesn't care, but we sure will.

 

[Phximiev]

I copied the following quote from a previous iMiev forum post (Re: David Patteron Mitsubishi EV and PHEV, Parts 1&2 - from Inside EV - one of the comments):

Inside EV article comment:

http://insideevs.com/2016-mitsubishi-miev-review-video/

As an owner of a 2012 iMiev, I can say that its the perfect commuter car and suits us, and more than likely, most commuters of every walk of like. We put on 1,000+ miles per month with no oil changes, no gas, and no maintenance to speak of. Most commuters drive less than 50 miles per day and we are no different. Most of our driving is surface streets with speeds of 35 to 45 mph and rarely some freeway. The iMiev handles all of it well. When we need it, there are plenty of charging spots with Chademo if necessary. Thus, we have no range anxiety. As far as cost, it is the lowest cost EV on the market by a fair margin. We charge at night and have a full ‘tank’ in the morning. No sweat. As far as the looks, it is different, but we like it and receive positive comments from most everyone. At work and at home, its parked in the garage, which means that for 18 hours a day it sits and does nothing. That kind of commuter use does not justify a more expensive car. In sum, the car fits our commuting lifestyle and I am convinced that, as is, it would fit most commuters as well.

This basically says it all.

IMO, the video is crap.

PS Perhaps these topics should be consolidated.

 

[FrostyCanada]

Guys, I think it's important that we bring these type of silly reviews to light.

I see nothing wrong with making fun of our car, but it's the glaring mistakes or misrepresentation from the reviewer that gets me hot under collar.

As a brand new owner of a 2016 iMiEV, we found it extremely difficult to get a honest review of this great little car.

If it wasn't for the iMiEV forum (and the kind feedback from sandange + a close neighbour/ iMiEV owner) we might have given the iMiEV a pass.

Thank you all,
Brian

 

[offgridQLD]

Hey I own a Imiev an a can say 90% of what he mentioned in the video is true.

The ride is rubbish and the handling is rubbish to.

The interior is joke for what the car cost.

The acceleration is crap from 0 -30kmh is average for tiny city car from 30kph - 100kph.

The car has very little features and looks only a mother could love.

Well why did I buy one then you could ask. It was the only affordable EV in My country at the time. The leaf was 40k at the time and the Imiev was available new (clearance stock) for 25k.

The two things the Imiev has going for it. Overall its proven to be reliable and low maintenance (yet most small modern Ice cars are with very low km on the clock) It's efficient whr/km (important to me charging 100% off-grid)

It's 2016 soon. If this is the Imiev fo 2016 (basically just the same as the old one) It wont sell for any other reason but its the least expensive identifiable brand name OEM ev. If it sells at all.

I know that might get some hate on a Imiev forum but as a owner I'm saying it as it is.

Kurt

 

[PV1]

True, the i-MiEV is far from perfect, but the engineering is quite solid and well thought out.

It's the little things that make or break a car for me, and the i-MiEV checks nearly all of the little things (speed sensitive wipers, headlights that default to low-beams when turned on, a fully manual climate control system, and something else I thought of this morning but can't remember ), which makes me a very satisfied owner.

It looks goofy, tiny, even cute, but you can't find another car in the US that uses space as efficiently as the i-MiEV does. Don't believe me, trying finding space to install a subwoofer and amplifier, a carputer box for your head unit, or a Playstation 2 and a power inverter. The sub and amp had to be returned (had space for the sub, but wasn't satisfied with the sound), the computer is in the glove box, the power inverter is in a wood box covered in duct tape under the passenger seat (which looks like something home-made that will prevent my car from ever entering a secure area :lol: ), and the Playstation 2 is mounted in the secret rear compartment. Or better yet, try (rather don't) to see around a blind curve when coming from a road on the inside of the curve. Only a Smart Fortwo or motorcycle will allow you to get as close to the road as the i-MiEV and still be out of the way of cross-traffic. The lack of a front-end makes it easy to turn off of my road, at either end.

Compare this (not so compact) compact car to other economy compacts, not the more up-scale Nissan LEAF. How does the i-MiEV compare to the likes of the Chevy Spark (gas or EV), Honda Fit, and Ford Fiesta? Honestly, I feel the ride is quite good except for the tendency to react to potholes like they are open manholes, the handling could use a bit less understeer (the Yokohama tires fix this), but overall I wouldn't change the car in these regards. It more than makes up for these issues once you drive the i-MiEV on snow/slush/icy roads. There were several times last winter where I was getting really annoyed with other drivers having trouble pulling away from stoplights, only to realize that's how well the i-MiEV handles bad roads. These were four wheel drive SUVs of all different sizes with good tires on them having more trouble than my rear wheel drive EV with half-worn, all-season, LRR tires on. You just can't beat the smooth, ultra-controlled torque of an electric motor. The i-MiEV seemed to ride on rails over the last two winters.

I've never been more pleased with a car.

 

[sandange]

Guys, I think it's important that we bring these type of silly reviews to light.

I see nothing wrong with making fun of our car, but it's the glaring mistakes or misrepresentation from the reviewer that gets me hot under collar.

As a brand new owner of a 2016 iMiEV, we found it extremely difficult to get a honest review of this great little car.

If it wasn't for the iMiEV forum (and the kind feedback from sandange + a close neighbour/ iMiEV owner) we might have given the iMiEV a pass.

Thank you all,
Brian

I agree with you..

This reviewer should do his homework, talk to some long term owners & get all the facts , & try comparing apples with apples (EV price point and class).

He harps on the price of 24,000 - with little or no mention of the government Tax break or subsidy.
He talks about poor resale value but is not aware of or fails to mention the many $ 99/ month leases they had as promotions to get people behind the wheel. Also is not aware that several lease end people waited to buy them back at auction prices.
He shows a clip of someone plugging in at a L2 and the dialogue talks about 22 hours of charging at 8 amps.
His choice of language when discussing the suspension while driving down a rough road, and in his final recap, is not flattering or professional.

We have to bring up this type of review and point out it's faults, misleading information and (purposely or other wise) omission of information.

Thanks you Frosty for your comment on my u tube videos, glad I was of some help in your decision making. Still trying to figure the YouTube settings.

 

[tigger19687]

I LURVE my little Jelly-Bean.

 

[FrostyCanada]

The ride is rubbish and the handling is rubbish to.

The interior is joke for what the car cost.

The acceleration is crap from 0 -30kmh is average for tiny city car from 30kph - 100kph.

Hello Kurt, I don't think you'll get hate messages here, and I welcome your comments, but I did say the same thing when driving a Chevy Cruise.

The car has a poor interior, with rubbishy handling and very meagre acceleration as compared to a Cadilac CTS.

Just putting things into perspective.

The iMiEV is an excellent "tiny" econobox that does the job extremely well.

Regards,
Brian

 

[offgridQLD]

I guess what I am getting at is while yes there is more to the Imiev design that is hard t market and just works well. Life is all about compromise and yes a small car at a price point has it's compromises.

Though we shouldn't make to many excuses for the Imiev were they could have done better. To compare the car to say my 1984 civic that I had for almost 20 years. The car was just 850kg with about 130hp from the factory in (Japanese spec twin cam efi form) The over all car was smaller than the Imiev though the feeling of space was more than the Imiev. It shared a simple (almost agricultural suspension) though suffered none of the Imiev's pore handling. The interior was basic (more so than the Imiev) But had a feeling of quality in the plastics, finish and design. Honda lost there way after the 80's though.

What I am getting at is we all could be a bit guilty of getting to emotionally attached to the car and perhaps gloss over the reality of what the Imiev is. Yes it has some good points and i like driving my Imiev to. Though there are many things that were mentioned in the video review that are true (while yes his words where insensitive. Particularly with the proud lady owner sitting next to him. I felt sorry for her.

Though I feel if we are honest about the car and did a fare comparison (as in a fare review of every other small car in the price bracket) I think we would have to agree. A better outcome can be achieved for the same price point.

Mitsubishi needs to stop flogging this old (ice based) design and come up with something new and improve all the shortcomings that can be addressed by a fresh design. Good design throughout the car . Mechanically aesthetically and functionality doesn't always cost more .

To sum up what I like about the Imiev is all the EV components. The simple RWD / direct drive motor reduction drive is perfect. The motor controller and charger have been reliable. The air conditioning system is quiet and efficient. The electric power steering is simple and works great. The DC fast charging is great. The batterys and management system have performed very well and I like the simple instrument cluster layout.

Just take it all the above out and put it into a more worthy chassis, interior and body. Hey I would even prefer the running gear from the Imiev in my old 84 civic hatch body :lol:

Ps, If they can unlock a extra 30hp or so and up the battery to 20kw that would be nice to ok now I'm just being unreasonable.

Kurt

 

[Phximiev]

Found this on U-Tube:

http://youtu.be/XrdK5Dvs07I

And this:

http://youtu.be/BkGiYEGqi_c

And this:

http://youtu.be/WuwGBdnHBdY

How could anyone dislike this car?

Happy New Year to all!

 

[FrostyCanada]

These are great videos.

I still find the original jananese or European models to be cuter as compare to the Americanized version.

Happy New Year,
Brian