New family vehicle-2022 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

[beespeckled]

It was time to replace the gas guzzling, but tried and true comfortable 2005 Chevy Tahoe LT. It had 135,000 miles when purchased used in 2014, it towed our small camper with no problem, was a sturdy hauler and comfortable ride, our daughter loved the drop down entertainment system, but my husband was constantly had everything, even cosmetic stuff repaired. We have had circumstances change, and didn't need to tow the camper any longer. I finally convinced the husband that all the nitpicky repairs, plus major normal maintenance on the 215,000 mileage Tahoe, that it was time to replace.

First choice had been a 2022 Bolt EUV-well, as we know now, that isn't going to happen. Had put my name on one ordered from the factory, then that afternoon, it was announced that all models thru 2022's would be affected.

We test drove a 2022 Kia Niro. The 2nd row area had plenty of space, fit and finish of interior seemed nice, good cargo area but the front passenger/driver area felt off. We felt too close together and I thought the vision thru the rearview mirror wasn't optimal. At one point accelerating from a stop there was a slight double hesitation, which was unexpected. It just wasn't for us.

I had wanted to test drive an Outlander PHEV, just to see what the experience would be, despite the fact that I had poopooed the Outlander PHEV when it first became available in our area due to the wimpy EV range of 22 miles. I had driven the regular Outlander in spring of 2019 as a rental during a trip and liked how it handled. With the chip shortage and overall lack of variety on the car lots right now, I didn't have much hope of test driving one anytime soon, but It was OK, I had let the dealer know we were interested in test driving should they ever get any in stock. I figured it would be 2021's because I knew there was supposed to be updates in the body to reflect the regular Outlander body style in 2022. Sorry, if I'm droning on and on.

Long story short, we test drove the 2022 PHEV SEL liked it, did some more research, found that they had upped the EV battery to a slightly longer range. We took delivery last Sunday. Yesterday, after unplugging, the average EV range from the day before was 46 miles We have put over 300 miles on the OD now, estimated remaining range 246 miles, and still had a little over a half tank of gas. We have been driving a lot more than usual not only due to new car excitement but also to get an idea of real world expectations as well as getting to know the vehicle and how to get the best performance from it. So far so good. Good compromise for the family vehicle.

 

[Don]

Congrats! Great choice and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. We had a 2017 Chevy Volt hybrid for the past 3 years and we found that faster speeds really ate up the battery range, so we got to where we ran the engine for all high speed trips and saved the battery range for the stop and go around town trips - It didn't hurt at all that the Volt got 40+ mpg on the freeway at 70. I was just never completely comfortable with the ergonomics of the car though, so it didn't get driven all that much

We replaced the Volt and bought just the second brand new car of our lives last week - A 2021 VW ID.4. After 9 years of driving his and hers iMiEV's, getting a new EV with a 260 miles range is a whole new ballgame for us. I'm sure we'll drive it lots more than we did the Volt

Don

 

[beespeckled]

Thank you, Don.
Congratulations on the ID4! I attempted to test drive or gather info at the nearest dealer, but entering the showroom, looking at the model on display didn't seem to show that I was interested enough for any salesperson to approach me. :evil:

Was rewarded with 5 leafs on the dash readout 2x on the drive home today.

We are juggling charging, my MiEV needs to be charged about every 2 days now, and the Outlander pretty much every day that it is used since we are trying to keep our local trips on EV.

Ease of entering and exiting the vehicle was on the top of our criteria. I was driving an 08 Subaru Outback for most of last winter, it was the most uncomfortable car for me to get in and out of. The Outlander is definitely so much more comfy to get in and out of and will still be a good option when the snow is blowing here.

 

[Don]

Ease of entering and exiting the vehicle was on the top of our criteria. I was driving an 08 Subaru Outback for most of last winter, it was the most uncomfortable car for me to get in and out of. The Outlander is definitely so much more comfy to get in and out of and will still be a good option when the snow is blowing here.

Same here, and the Volt sure didn't have it! After 20 years of owning a Miata, I needed a hip replacement for my left leg. The iMiEV has spoiled us for life with how easy it is to get into and out of - Very hard for any other vehicle to measure up to that.

You should be able to recharge both cars overnight just using L1 EVSE's, but that might mean you'd need a second 120 volt outlet in the garage on a separate breaker so you could run them both at once. If you'd have to have a new one installed, might as well make it a 240 outlet so you have an option for a faster recharge if and when that becomes necessary. We bought our first 'real' EVSE for the ID.4 - A GoPlug Pro 32 amp with WiFi, adjustable current, scheduled and timed charging should we ever end up with TOU metering here, which I'm sure is still ages away. When the other 49 states have it, Mississippi will get it 4 or 5 years later, like everything else

Don