Official Mitsubishi i-MiEV Thread

[RonDawg]

Would you buy the car if it looked different ? (really ?).

I might consider it, especially if it is priced less than the Leaf (assuming specs for the iMiEV are otherwise the same as before).

As a Leaf driver who sometimes has to put up with "EWWW" comments (like from my brother just the other day), I am not necessarily averse to "unusual" styling if the car has other positive attributes. But I think the iMiEV is pushing it.

 

[LEAFfan]

I guess we'll see if the new official pricing (which undercuts the Smart ED) will motivate more people.

But does it really undercut the Smart ED?

The $3000 discount promotion on the Smart has been running for quite a while now, which puts the Smart ED at $23500, pretty close to the i-MiEV after adding the mandatory destination fees and such...

I got another $1000 off for "loyalty", which is available for those who have an existing Mercedes or Smart product.

Where did you find your Smart ED? According to the dealers here, none will be available until Fall.

 

[LEAFfan]

Has anyone found any lease deals on the 2014 iMiev?

 

[DanCar]

...I think the biggest reason the iMiEV hadn't been selling so well is the styling, ...

The dinky range is what is holding it back. If it had longer range than the leaf it would be selling more than the leaf considering the lower price. They would have to solve the lack of inventory problem also.

 

[RonDawg]

...I think the biggest reason the iMiEV hadn't been selling so well is the styling, ...

The dinky range is what is holding it back. If it had longer range than the leaf it would be selling more than the leaf considering the lower price. They would have to solve the lack of inventory problem also.

The Toyota Prius Plug-in has even less EV range and a higher price and yet managed to sell more units.

Smart doesn't seem to have trouble moving Electric Drives even though it's range is only a few miles more than that of the iMiEV.

The reason there was no 2013 model is because it, like the Galant, had an excess of 2012 inventory.

 

[LeftieBiker]

There was also a lack of good lease offers, which ruined it as a candidate for me and I assume for many others. I was quoted a price of $400+ per month to lease one. Hah!

 

[Anonymous]

Where did you find your Smart ED? According to the dealers here, none will be available until Fall.

Toronto. The two dealers I was negotiating with had taken 100 downpayment/reservations before I put down my $1000 deposit in March 2013. The dealer offered no discount, and it took till November 2013 for delivery.

But when I picked it up, the sales person offered the discounts, which was a great surprise!

 

[LeftieBiker]

But when I picked it up, the sales person offered the discounts, which was a great surprise!

Sounds like a lot of those deposits were canceled...

 

[Anonymous]

But when I picked it up, the sales person offered the discounts, which was a great surprise!

Sounds like a lot of those deposits were canceled...

Not likely. The Smart ED sales in Canada for Q4 2013 was more than the number of reservations...
Smart Canada aligned with US discounts later in 2013, and I benefited.

Meanwhile, a Mitsubishi dealer I drove by north of Toronto still has a $34K sticker on their 2012 i-MiEV ... Why do they bother? You can get a Volt for that...

 

[LeftieBiker]

No new posts? Well, I drove a Miev (around the parking lot, alas) at the local Plug-In event today, and was pleasantly surprised by two things: the car is very roomy and comfortable inside, despite its smaller size, and...you can now buy one outright for about $14k after incentives. The Smart ED is still less, but if you want a back seat and real storage, the Mitsubishi is the cheap EV to look at.

 

[GRA]

No new posts? Well, I drove a Miev (around the parking lot, alas) at the local Plug-In event today, and was pleasantly surprised by two things: the car is very roomy and comfortable inside, despite its smaller size, and...you can now buy one outright for about $14k after incentives. The Smart ED is still less, but if you want a back seat and real storage, the Mitsubishi is the cheap EV to look at.

If it meets your range needs, it's the obvious (BEV) way to go for inexpensive commuting/errands while still being able to haul some stuff or 4 people.

 

[ampitupco]

2016 i-MiEV coming.

http://insideevs.com/exclusive-look-whos-back-2016-mitsubishi-i-miev-arrives-for-us-in-march/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[RonDawg]

But there's no 2015 model, just like there was no 2013 model. Mitsubishi USA apparently only ships the car every other year. And they all appear to be unchanged, at least from the outside.

I wonder how they stay in business at all, given that and other things they've done lately. Or more accurately, NOT done lately, like have competitive vehicles to sell.

 

[caffeinekid]

2016 i-MiEV coming.

http://insideevs.com/exclusive-look-whos-back-2016-mitsubishi-i-miev-arrives-for-us-in-march/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

OK. I am thinking the i-Miev might have considerably larger general appeal if it actually resembled the concept vehicle shown in the photo.

 

[mwalsh]

OK. I am thinking the i-Miev might have considerably larger general appeal if it actually resembled the concept vehicle shown in the photo.

They should have gone with the iMiev Sport Air right from the get-go:

 

[DNAinaGoodWay]

+1, Sleek!

 

[redLEAF]

Wow, no new posts in quite awhile ... one of the writers at AW still owns one of these; nice long-term user perspective comments

iMiEV: We test the worst-selling car in America!

http://autoweek.com/article/drive-reviews/imiev-we-test-worst-selling-car-america#ixzz4GkgDkQkz

 

[edatoakrun]

Wow, no new posts in quite awhile ... one of the writers at AW still owns one of these; nice long-term user perspective comments

iMiEV: We test the worst-selling car in America!

http://autoweek.com/article/drive-reviews/imiev-we-test-worst-selling-car-america#ixzz4GkgDkQkz

I just read this review, after Marketwatch picked up this story.

I have many similar, and a few different observations RE my own LEAF experience.

...“What if I have to drive to Vegas all of a sudden,” they say. “What if there’s an emerrrrrgency?” “What if I’m attacked by giant squids?” Well, the fact of the matter is you’re not going to be attacked by giant squids ad when was the last time you faced an emergency in Vegas? Write down the number of miles you actually drive in a week. Unless you’re some ultra-commuter, chances are it’s less than 62 miles a day. And if it’s longer, and you can plug in at work, this could still be your car...

No giant squid problem for me either.

But my commute (the trip down to the valley floor I make ~ a dozen times a month) is 50 to 60 miles and ends with a ~1600 ft. ascent.

And it's considerably colder up here in Winter than it is in Southern California, which reduces my range quite a bit.

So if I still don't have a convenient and reliable DC charge site (or even a L2 in one of several locations I could plan to park for ~30 minutes) I may have a problem by next Winter, if not this one.

...the car is still perfectly fine...

It's almost scary how dependable the LEAF is.

...if you lose ten or 20 percent every five years and 40,000 miles, you don’t necessarily have to worry about the battery that much...

My pack had measured lose of available capacity of 15% to 16% (not to be confused with the LBC/Gid indicated capacity loss of >28%) after five years and 45,000 miles.

...Even when you decide to swap out the battery, one plan could be to use the old battery as a household battery, charged up by solar cells during the day and discharged when you get home at night....

Nissan's current trade-in requirement for replacement packs will need to be dealt with, if I decide I want to do this.

...So would I still buy the iMiEV now, knowing what I do after almost five years of ownership? Yes...

After over five years with the LEAF, definitely yes.

 

[sub3marathonman]

Wow, no new posts in quite awhile ...

OK, I'll say that tonight at about 7:30 p.m. I saw an i-MiEV from Sarasota county, or at least he had Sarasota county plates, at the Kohl's L2 charger in Lakeland, One weird thing is that the i-MiEV apparently has to back into the parking place, as the port is on the passenger rear corner.

He must be pushing the range or has another stop on the way home?

 

[LeftieBiker]

The iMiev now has the distinction of being the only EV I'll be able to afford new, if Trump kills the EV tax credit before I either lease a Leaf or a Bolt.