Used 2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2017 i-MiEV, so we've included reviews for other years of the i-MiEV since its last redesign.
The EV technology is ready
stan_cz, 08/21/2012
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
18 of 18 people found this review helpful
I have this car for a half year with 2800 miles on it and it became the primary car in our family. Our 2 kids love it, too. The car completely changed my way of thinking as EV owner and driver. Going to a gas station is now hassle to me. Range anxiety is non existent as I learned that I need to think just a little before going for a trip. If the expected distance is above 75-80 miles, I take our Jetta TDI, that simple. Very recently, I have taken my iMiEV for a long trip to test its range when driving up to 40 MPH w/o A/C. I was able to get 93.4 miles with 1 mile remaining. No need to reach for the hidden reserves. It is really fun to drive.
FANTASTIC Car
stuartdanoff, 08/05/2012
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
13 of 13 people found this review helpful
This car is just GREAT. I wanted a "town" car because I don't drive more than @ 65 miles at a time. This is the car. First day was a scorcher (94 degrees) I put on the AC full blast and drove just about 65 miles in total comfort. Smooth ride. Perky pick up, adequate radio and roomy front seat...I am 5 foot 11. Then I returned home, plugged it in to my 240v charger, had lunch, read the mail and drove out again on the partial charge. NO GAS !!!!!! I am very satisfied. Love this car.
Not the only one in town anymore
mitsulover, 08/17/2014
updated 10/01/2019
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
Lack of back seat leg room and basic seat design meant I could only give the car a "3" for comfort (but it's not advertised as a family hauler anyway). I already had two Mitsus, so, I had to pick the I-MiEV over the Leaf. But if you have a family of 4, buy the Leaf. As with my other Mitsus, the Japanese built or designed models (think Lancer vs. Galant) seem to have a better build quality and design (this one has the "J" VIN). Like my Buell, this thing is still rare enough to get lots of people coming by with questions, so be prepared. At $0.15 per KWhr, I pay a little over $3 for a full (22 hrs @ 110V) charge which gives me a little over 60-miles on the freeway or 80+ in the city. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2017 update: got rear-ended by a Chinese student on a Visa driving a Maserati (and yep, had no insurance-forgot to ask mom and dad for insurance?), anyway, big heavy car just flicked the lil' Mitsu forward 20 or so feet. Bent two brackets holding the bumper on and my bumper inherited a couple of dimples from his bumper, but otherwise I had to give it a high marks for safety. Instead of 60 miles between charges, getting around 57 or 58 (ya, I notice because I drive pretty much the exact same route everyday-this is my work car). I guess the battery has dropped-off a little. Wow, didn't realize the resale value for electric cars was so bad. Noticing 2 or 3 year old Leafs, 500's, MiEVSs, etc. selling for less than half of MSRP. Not sure same is true for Teslas, but, if you are going to get an electric car, you would be crazy to buy one new. Still liking it. Spunky torque off the line, skinny enough to fit in any spot and not get door dings. After an ordeal to get my front windshield replaced, I discovered that these cars are still really rare and if something needs to be replaced, it is a special order and a couple of weeks wait for just about any part. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2019 update. Well, this may be the end of the line for my 7 year old miev. At 45,000, I don't think it was use that killed the battery pack, but just age (total range now 37 miles if I take city streets, a little over 20 on the freeway). If I can't get the dealership to give my a new or refurbished battery pack under the existing warranty, it will not be worth the 10K to buy a new one. California is all about getting you into an electric car, but, they seem to have no problem with sending them to the landfill after 7 or 8 years since no one (maybe Tesla owners excluded) is going to pay 2X what their 500, Leaf, or I-car is worth to buy a new battery pack. I have been looking a the Eclipse Cross....
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Compare: what do you want?
i heart mi MiEV, 09/22/2016
2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
What do you want an electric car to do? Better question--what do you want YOUR electric car to do? Zip around and make you look cool? There's a Tesla for that. Practical wagon / hatchback that you can use for slightly longer range trips? VW e-Golf, Nissan Leaf, or Kia Soul EV. Small, practical, extremely economical run-around car for errands with the kids and groceries that's also pretty fun to drive? This Mitsubishi i MiEV, Spark EV, and Fiat 500e. For a cost-effective answer in this last category, I don't think you can beat the i MiEV, depending on the price you can pick one up for. A few weeks ago, we bought a '16 after trying and crunching numbers on several of the other cars listed above. Was it the best? Depends. Was it the most acceleration and range and best handling? Clearly not. Was it the most economical EV option we could find? Definitely. We got ours for what we think was a screaming deal (especially including the up-to-$7500 tax credit: check your own tax situation before you assume a $7500 rebate on the price of the car...) and it fits precisely what we need / want it for. We have an amazing charging network around us and, yes, we wish our iMiEV would go farther and charge faster, but we weren't even considering roughly double the net price (after the tax rebate) for things that for us are pretty marginal considerations. I'm risk tolerant and have already pushed the limits of range and proximity to a charging network when I've traveled solo (without family). If you're using this to bop around town or for a reasonable-length daily commute as a second "utility" family car, I simply don't think you can beat the economics of the i MiEV it if you get it at the right price. Charing overnight at home via the included charger isn't elegant, but it works fine and this car isn't really about elegant. The included CHAdeMO fast charger is a boon for the unlikely / rare occasions when you'll want to go beyond its range (for me, driving it back home from the dealer many times farther away than the car's range--adventure!). For what *we* need it for, the reduced range affects us not at all. Although it's pretty darn fun to drive, it's not a Tesla roadster or even anything that imitates a sportscar. It's not meant for a cross-country road trip (though as I've mentioned, I've already dabbled a little in that) as it's pretty obviously only a second car unless you live in an urban area and don't intend to venture far from it with the iMiEV. If it's about $/kWh and the associated $/electrical mile traveled (including cost of vehicle...), this would seem to win hands down. If you want a sporty car that makes heads turn and goes 200+ miles on a charge, get a Tesla...or wait and pay whatever they're going to fetch for the upcoming 200-ish mile range cars (range ~= battery capacity ~= cost...), but that's the tradeoff--it's unlikely there's going to be a free lunch (i.e. a 200-mile range car priced similarly to a current 80-mile range car). The i MiEV is shockingly cheap to own and operate (again, depending on the net price you pay). Pun intended. $xx,xxx cost - up to $7,500 in federal tax credit - possibly $y,yyyy in state tax rebate = $z,zzz. What, really? A new EV car for a net of $z,zzz? I'll take one, please...
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I'm in LOVE!
believe, 08/06/2013
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
I can hardly believe how well this vehicle handles! My wife and I made the purchase in Virginia and drove it to Eastern Pennsylvania (our home). We drove through some wicked storms and a ton of traffic around DC and Baltimore and all I can say is this car is a dream to drive. We were able to stop at dealers (Nissan) for FREE charges on the way home. Our cost $0!! 169 miles for free!!! I'll be using it for work and our average cost will be around $2.51 per 100 miles or $12.55 for 500 miles of driving. You can't beat that! If I fill it up over night, the cost goes even lower.
1500 Kilometers and loving every minute of it
mlucas1, 08/14/2012
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
I have had this car over six weeks now and use it for my daily commute of 45 kilometers (27 miles) each way, putting on sometimes well over 100 kilometers with a few bars in the power gauge to spare. This car is very comfortable and has all the features of a modern vehicle. Don't believe the spin that this car is lacking in anything, this car is truly reaching greater masses as the affordable alternative to the high priced electric cars now being offered by other manufacturers. This car is well designed and has plenty of power with a lot of range. This is the one that scares the oil companies and the car repair shops.
The perfect every day car… fun to drive!
Michael in Bellingham WA, 03/13/2017
updated 09/14/2018
2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
I don't know what car The Edmunds reviewers drove, however, I have owned this car for 35 months and it is one of the best cars I have owned! It has a lot better acceleration than my 1988 Honda CRX and yet has 20 cu ft more storage area than a Nissan Leaf (50 cu ft with the back seats down). You sit high and the center of gravity is low so driving this vehicle is a delight! My wife an I found that 98% of our driving each day requires less than the 64 mile range limit of this vehicle. From great visibility to its heated front seats this can be the car for most people. It has high safety ratings and has been sold world wide since 2012... this is not a test... this is the real thing! In WA State there is no sales tax on an electric vehicle of this price and we were able to take advantage of the federal tax rebate of $7500 making this car $15,000. It has three drive modes. Most of the reviews must have been in the Eco mode whereas I drive almost exclusively in the B (for Blast) mode that gives me acceleration when I want it and is the most aggressive in recharging the batter when I let up on the accelerator or hit the brakes. You have to try this car for yourself, I know you'll love it.
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Can you tell I like my car?
ev_owner, 09/18/2012
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
So far I've only had one month of ownership. No regrets. My other vehicle has been used just a few times since buying this one. There is enough torque/acceleration to pull away from the crowd at traffic lights if one wanted to. The comfort is not perfect for all day driving, but for the hour max that the car would be driven, it's adequate. The initial cost may be higher compared to other compact cars, but the eventual total cost of ownership is calculated to be lower. (Pay a little more up front for greater benefits down the road.) The vehicle is very stable since the wheels are located at the corners.
2-1/2 years into owning a 2016 Mitusubishi iMiEV
Barry L, 08/12/2016
updated 02/14/2019
2016 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
iMiEV is a basic modest simple vehicle - which is what we're used to (we also own a Toyota Yaris). Good for local travel, not long distance, although it does also have the 30 min. fast-charge port, if one wants to try for longer distances using public charging stations. But be aware that frequent fast charges age the battery faster - this is true for all lithium-battery EV's. Range: During warmer weather, actual range on local roads is about 70 miles. Range gauge after a local road trip and then recharge will show as much as 85 miles. But I haven't gone this far - my longest trips are about 60 mi, and the gauge shows about 10 mi. left when I get home. Plus there's about another 5 miles of driving "on the turtle", maybe a bit more. The battery seems to holding up, no obvious loss of charge-holding capacity yet. The range-remaining gauge seems accurate, although its calculation is based on the last 15 min. of driving. In hot weather, using the A/C may lop about 10 miles off the range, but often it can be run intermitttently. In colder weather, the range drops; after a recharge range drops to as low as 60 miles (after off-highway driving). Using the heater would knock this down further. Instead of the heater, I use a 12V heated travel blanket on my lap for winter driving, plus a warm pair of heavy wool socks and looser shoes. This winter also got some 12V heated gloves, very helpful. But I'm can see why some folks install one of those little kerosene or alcohol burning heaters. In very cold weather, the window defroster seems a bit underpowered. Under some circumstances, defrost is inadequate unless one runs heat plus AC. More range loss. When the range remaining drops to about 10 miles, the gauge starts to blink as a warning that a battery recharge will be needed soon. Driving the car into a very low battery state triggers a turtle-shaped dash light, and results in somewhat reduced performance to save power. I drove about 5 miles "on the turtle" just one time and got home without a problem - able to drive up to 35 mph, didn't try for more in any case. As for drivability, highways feel fine at 65-70 mph, but it's a small car, and you'll feel it on a windy day or when a big rig zooms past. 60 mph feels more stable. On local roads, it handles a bit like a go-cart, and is fun to drive. It has good pickup: the motor is directly coupled to the wheels, and the car feels quite zippy. Another plus: the car is QUIET. Stability on snowy roads isn't bad, I think in part because the regenerative braking puts a drag on the rear wheels that helps keep the car straight. In this way, rather like driving a rear-wheel drive car with a clutch, in snow or ice. We charge it overnight at 120VAC household, 12A, and this suffices for about 2 hrs of driving per day, my usual use. The car can also be charged at 240VAC (twice as fast) but you need a 240V line and a special charger unit that runs about $500. (Price is steep, and there isn't that much inside these, they are just over-priced. In fact, the 120V chargers can be converted to 240V - people show how on youtube.) I have no 240V line to the outside of my house, and haven't needed faster charging anyway. I find the front seats comfortable. They are heated, although it's a mild warmth, not hot. Front side mirrors also have a heating option for winter. Seating and windshield are a bit higher than in the Yaris, and I like the better visibility. Biggest negative to my mind is the poor safety rating of the rear seats. Also, the defroster could be more powerful. Lastly, for cold-weather driving, a bigger battery would have been a plus to compensate for range loss by use of heat. As a city car, the imiev is perfect. I have some commutes totaling around 60 miles. In very cold weather, I've avoided them by carpooling or taking the Yaris. The rear seats can be lowered flat, and the car can then used to move fairly good sized objects. For us, that's included a dishwasher and a set of tall Ikea shelf kits. Very handy.
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Great little car
sandange, 09/04/2012
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
10 of 11 people found this review helpful
We have had the car now for over 2 months & put over 5000 km on it. The car has performed better than we had hoped for, & it is our only car. Comfortable, great visibility, and quiet. We plan to swap for or rent a gas car should we need to go on any long trips. We are 2 drivers sharing this one electric car and it has already saved us a whole lot of money from fuel bills. There was an adjustment period to get comfortable with the range limits, no prob driving our regular routes, Work commute, Shopping, Family visits. Once we got familiar with the charging station locations, we started enjoying taking longer trips, venturing further and further. A great all round car
My experiment with the electric car just that
DocJr., 07/22/2017
updated 07/30/2018
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
If San Diego Gas and Electric is your utility, then this review applies. I was one of the first adopters in my S. O'side neighborhood. As I am a huge Mitsubishi fan (I have two others), and, since an electric car was an experiment, and no used ones available yet in my local area, I took a plunge on the $12K (you can get a $7,500 Fed tax rebate and a $2,500 California credit) 2012 Mitsu (Leaf was at least 5K more) I got from out-of-state. But even with the special SDG&E EV rates (which require you to charge only at night or pay a penalty), I am averaging 20 miles/$. The (albeit ugly) Mitsu Mirage gets 50 mpg which at the current (temporarily low?) price of $3/gallon, works out to 16 miles/$. But here's the deal breaker. At around 30K miles, my range is down about 10%. I figure by 40K miles (next year sometime), the car will be not worth keeping unless Mitsu honors the battery warranty. Since a replacement battery is $10K (or so), and the car is worth around $4K on Craigs List now, my car has depreciated around (I bought it in 2013) $2K/year. I figure I am saving $195 (difference between a years gas at today's prices in the Mirage vs. the i-MiEV electricity cost). I looked at used Mirages, and they depreciate less, and, are able to get you to work and back after 40K miles. I wonder what California will do with all of the 4 and 5 year old electric cars that are just now trickling into junk yards (Leaf battery exchange is ONLY $5,500-parts only). Will I buy another electric? Heck ya, but let's see how the 200-mile latest and greatest (Chevy Bolt or Tesla Model 3) holds-up first. Sometime in 2018, I'll have to switch to driving my Mitsu SUV to work. One last thing, there are so many electric cars in S. Calif. now that the carpool isn't any faster when traffic is at it's worst. Jan 2018 update: Just hit 30K and my range is down 20%. I am just able to make it to work and back. Car still looks great. Too bad some third party doesn't make battery replacements. July 2018 update: have not noticed any further drop in range. Maybe it's because it is warmer and the car does seem to go father in warmer temps. My plant manager won't let me plug my car in at work anymore (was using an outlet on side of building since we have no dedicated EV charger). Now I have to drive my other car whenever I need to go somewhere at lunch or afterwork since my range has been reduced to getting my to work and back and not much else. FYI: a lot of early Leafs are hitting the junk yard because CA hasn't grasped the fact that owners need help funding battery replacements, but, this means I can pick-up spare chargers pretty cheap now.
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Best kept secret in the USA electric car market
carefulbuyer4, 09/18/2014
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Had this car for nearly two years 10,000 miles. Better than expected. At the price, if Mitsubishi and its dealers had a clue how to sell these it should be the best selling EV in the USA. Worldwide there are more of these on the road (and have been on the road years longer) than any other commercial serious electric car. In my opinion, if you're shopping for an electric car in the under $33K range if you're lucky enough to be able to find one of these you'd do well to grab it. The demand is low because of lack of public knowledge of this car, but so is supply.
Excellent city car/second car or first Electric Ca
A J, 09/11/2017
updated 09/12/2019
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
I owned the car for more than 3 years and driven over 20,000 miles. Bought it used and got a great deal on it. After a couple issues that were resolved under warranty (long time at dealership due to parts availability). However, they gave me something else to drive for free so no major complaints. It is a basic car which serves it purpose well, for around town car and for small drives. I do not take it on the highway or long trips. Charge it overnight with the OEM charger and lasts me couple days due to short commute and occasional trips to the grocery store. Using the heat in winter causes about 30% dip in the weather, including defrosting the car while plugged in with the remote. The car has a good getup and go from stop, however not the best handling in slightly bad weather. I installed winter tires and survived just fine. The heated driver seat is extremely hot and I rarely use it. The car gets a lot of attention and comments. It is our primary car and have saves us a lot of trips to the gas station. Seats are very basic and not comfortable for long rides or bumpy roads, the storage space is very minimal; however rear seats fold flat. I have driven 72 miles with 6 miles left on the guess-o-meter. Update** The car does surprisingly well in Chicago winter also with some snow tires. There is surprising amount of room in the car if you ever have to carry some cargo. I can fit a 7 ft Christmas tree or 15+ bags of mulch and 30+ folding chairs in the car. Excellent car for city use or for a work car.
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After 2 weeks and 140 miles
newb_i, 04/20/2012
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV SE 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
9 of 14 people found this review helpful
After 2 weeks of daily driving still as satisfied as the first day I got it. Easy to park, confortable for its size, and the best... NO GAS. My recommended improvements for the i-MiEV Engineers: need to improve the noise isolation from outside, when in traffic, one can hear outside noise, with the windows closed as they were open. Thee suspension/stability maybe improved to make freeway commuting more smooth and minimize suceptibility to strong winds. Overall, I am very satisfy with the i-MiEV. I recommend it if your rutinary commute is within 50-60 miles in between charges.
A used one is the greatest secret in cars.
genec, 11/30/2015
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
5 of 7 people found this review helpful
Mitsubishi just upped their warranty on the battery to 10 years, 100,000 miles. If you can score a used Miev for under $10k and under 10k miles, you will have achieved something really valuable. All-electric cars have many less parts than a gas engine care counterpart, so expect much less in terms of repairs/maintenance. That's a dirty little secret about electric cars and the reason that car dealers don't push them, dealerships make 3 times the money in maintenance than they do in car sales. So, beat the system and get an electric. And if you get a solar array on your house or in your backyard you will be transporting yourself using sunlight as your fuel source. How cool is that? Oh yeah, there is no sales tax on used electrics. I saved another $700 that way.
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Great urban car or 2nd car, fun to drive.
Barry Levine, 11/20/2018
2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I've had my iMiev for over 2 yrs. First off, EPA range of 64 mi. refers to highway driving. On city or suburban roads, the range is as high as 80 miles, although in very cold weather this will drop to about 60 miles. "Range Anxiety" will dissipate once you're familiar with the car. Battery status and range-remaining gauges are useful. Planning your trips with Google maps is worth doing, if you're approaching the range limits. BTW, back roads are usually shorter, more pleasant, with less traffic. The car is responsive with good pickup, although this is more noticeable when moving than from a dead stop. But I leave plenty of folks in the dust when a light changes, if I need to. Pretty quiet but typical small car road noise at higher speeds. Not bad on the highway, but you'll be much happier at 70 than 80. Charging time (for completely discharged battery) is 14 hrs at 110V and I just charge it overnight, no problem. I plan my trips (musician, traveling to local gigs) and have driven home on "the turtle" (low battery indicator on) just once. No more gas stations! Charging time only 7 hrs if you invest in a 220V charger. The car also has the fast-charge slot (80% in 30 min.) but I don't use it. On the con side, the rear seats are not rated as safe as the front seats. Using the electric heat will pull the range down 10 or more miles (but it has heated front seats, and with a 12V lap blanket, winter in New England is tolerable.) The AC works well, and pulls down the range 7 miles or so if run continuously. Back seats fold down, so the car can haul plenty of stuff if need be. "The little car that could."
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Winner for running errands in town!
Jamu Joe, 09/02/2018
2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
The MiEV is a winner for short range errands. We have a plush RAM 1500 Limited for long range trips, towing our Airstream and hauling stuff, but for errand trips to town (Durango, CO), I much prefer the MiEV. Adequate range, easy parking in tight spaces downtown, extremely economical and fun to drive. No, it's not a Tesla, it's plain and a bit funky, but so what. I love passing by the gas stations to recharge in my own garage. It even handles snow on our steep driveway amazingly well.
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great alternative to nissan leaf
Jack, 08/10/2016
2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
Does the same thing as Nissan's leaf but costs less and has more headroom
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MItsubishi will not honor battery warranty
Tony J, 11/18/2020
2017 Mitsubishi i-MiEV ES 4dr Hatchback (electric DD)
0 of 0 people found this review helpful
I bought a Mitsubishi Miev in 2013. While it is basic, it was well designed and has given me years of service. However, I counted on its 10 year battery warranty. The range has declined to 35 miles to 40 miles, inconsistently and unreliably. I only drive sporadically, so the car has been driven only about 28,000 miles. The annual average for American drivers is 12,000 miles per year. Despite the fact that the battery does not provide a useful range at this point, and the range is between 50% to 66% of the original expected range, and despite the fact that the battery has only been used approximately a third of what would have been expected by now, Mitsubishi has refused to honor its battery warranty. I recommend that you buy electric vehicles, but that you buy them from a company other than Mitsubishi.