RobbW said:
Congrats, David, on your iMiEV purchase! And a hardy "Welcome!" to a fellow Chicagoland iMiEV owner! Are you in Chicago proper, or the suburbs? I'm out in Elgin. During the entire time I've owned my "Meepster" (will be 2 years exactly on July 11), I have only seen as many other iMiEVs on the street as can be counted on one hand. Surprisingly, one of those sightings was an exact duplicate of my own!
My Meepster is in the Biggers Mitsu service department today to have a couple recalls taken care of. Other than that, I have not taken in it or been contacted for any sort of regular maintenance or checkup. In fact, when I dropped it off at the dealership last night, I specifically asked if there was any sort of recommended or warranty-required maintenance I need to bring the i in for. They told me "None" as far as they're aware of since basically the only regular maintenance it needs is refilling the washer fluid and checking the tire pressure. I'll see what they have to say when they call me later today with an update.
Thanks and its nice to hear from you RobbW! I remember reading some of your posts here in regards to your i-MiEV in the winter/cold weather and being from Elgin, where Biggers Mitsubishi is. I actually visited Biggers Mitsubishi in Elgin, IL prior to the purchase of my i-MiEV and had a chance to drive their white 2014 ES and sit in the blue 2014 ES. That test drive solidified my decision in buying the EV. I was really impressed with the ride, handling and acceleration. However, I was thoroughly disappointed with the salesman there. He wanted to sell me a Mirage, which I really like, but I was much more interested in the i-MiEV. This was also the reason I decided to go the USED route, as trying to buy NEW seemed futile in a few aspects. The price was sort of bait-and-switch so that turned me off and I found the Lamber Buick GMC used i-MiEVs.
I live in Cicero, which borders Chicago just to the west. I do take cruises through downtown Chicago, in the loop and lower Wacker, on Lake Shore Drive, towards the Northside, Chinatown and even far west as Oakbrook and I work in Westmont. Just recently I went on a 40 miles cruise and still had plenty of battery left to get home. I am also fortunate enough to be surrounded by various charging stations and a few that are completely free! I would say range anxiety for me is almost non-existent. Except for recently when I got my first "Turtle!" That was scary! I was glad i didn't have to call roadside assistance for a tow home.
I've seen quite a few i-MiEVs here but certainly not as many as LEAFs, Volts, or Model Ss. I'm still glad to know there's a few of us i-MiEV owners around though, its always fun to spot another one. I cannot help but get excited and smile. I've met one actual owner in real life and another through the PlugShare app.
I'm happy to hear that the i-MiEV is known as a low-maintenance form of transportation. So far, it has proven itself and I still do not regret my purchase or choice. Best EV ever lol
mentaluproar said:
I am looking at selling my 2003 Toyoa Echo to get an imiev at Lambert, so this is a funny post for me to find. I want a leaf or a volt more, but at this price, if it passes my range test tomorrow, I would be insane to pass it up.
I only have to drive 4 miles to get to lambert, so I've been kicking tires for a bit now, much to the annoyance of salesmen. Still, of all the dealerships I've been to, Lambert is at the top of my list. Respectful, professional, and priced well.
They seem to be somewhat aware of their online following and are quite happy with it.
How does that miev handle on the highway? I'm hearing mixed things about that.
Hi! That's so funny and coincidental lol
I would recommend keeping the Echo honestly. I like having an ICE as a backup car or for traveling very long distances and Echo's are kind of like diamonds in the rough. Just solid, reliable, well-built and low-maintenance ICE car. Not to mention pretty good on gas (timing chain, 45 MPGs, 2000 lbs, made in Japan). I plan on keeping mine for the harsh Chicago winters of the Midwest. Our city uses a lot of salt for the roads so I don't want my North Carolina i-MiEV to become even the slightest bit of rusty. I've had a lot of rusty cars in the past and I'm SICK OF RUST! I hate rusty cars, rusty parts, rusty bolts, rusty nuts... sorry I just needed to get that off my chest. You get the point. I didn't consider a LEAF until after the purchase of my i-MiEV but it does has a slight better range albeit as a FWD and heavier curb weight. I didn't even consider the Volt as I wanted a pure EV, not a hybrid.
My experience buying my i-MiEV from Lambert was much much better than trying to buy it locally. What shame for the local Mitsubishi dealerships and quite refreshing to get such a great experience from a Buick GMC dealership. It surprised me but all-in-all I am still happy with my purchase and no-hassles buying experience. Larry Johnson was my salesman and he did a great job of working with me and having the car shipped to me. Everything went really smooth, I got an interest rate I liked and manageable payments. I do believe they're aware of potential i-MiEV buyers based on what Larry told me and the rotating stock of used i-MiEVs they maintain. Buying used versus new was more beneficial to me. I managed to find a low milage warranted i-MiEV that had its main battery replaced and was in fantastic condition. Knock on wood, I feel I got a good deal on a reliable and solid EV. Best of all, I went for the 2012 SE premium package with all the bells and whistles I wanted.
As for handling, the i-MiEV handles a bit weird (relative to what I've experienced). The skinny wheels and tires makes it feel like its going to flip or roll over and it leans a lot. There's just not a lot of traction when cornering really hard and really fast and the Low Rolling Resistance tires play a key role in that. Its a little scary because I keep thinking the tires are going to roll or the suspension is going to break. lol. Compared to my old 1992 Nissan 240SX (205/55/R15), the i-MiEV feels like a narrow mini-van. I still like it though, i realize its not a cornering on-rails-machine id like it to be. I'm sure with a different suspension, tires and wheels setup it can handle much better but the way it ships from the factory its simply a point-A to point-B economical EV. Hate to say it but it has its purpose, its just not a handling cornering sports car. On straights its fast, gets up to 80 mph quickly and keeps up with traffic if and when you need it to. Weighing in at 2500 lbs and being RWD as well as rear-drivetrain makes it fun to drive and its funny seeing this thing pass up much heavier and faster ICE cars. :mrgreen: On the highway it handles fine, i try to just keep it straight and not give it as much steering input anyways. The electric power steering is bit numb as is the drive-by-wire throttle input but nothing out of the ordinary in comparison to other modern cars in my opinion. I don't feel unsafe even at 80 MPH, which I rarely do as it depletes the main battery quickly. If and when I do have to get on the highway, I travel at about 50-65 MPH at most.
After
two months of owning it, daily 25 mile round-trip commutes and over
2,500 electric miles traveled, I could not be any happier with my EV. I say go for it, but keep an ICE just in case. My ideal ICE is actually the 1.2L 3-cylinder Mirage from Mitsubishi too! But for now, my Echo will have to do the job. I think you're really going to like owning an i-MiEV if it fits your commutes and you have a way to charge it at home say over night.
Also, its nice to have a local i-MiEV Mitsubishi dealership near by for service.
