Used 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Consumer Reviews
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Comfortable, capable, affordable, electric SUV!
We’ve had our Outlander PHEV for a month now and here’s my first impressions. There really isn’t anything else like it available in the United States... I guess it has been sold in Europe for several years (top selling SUV in the UK, Netherlands and Norway) but they sent them to Europe as fast as they could build them (and sold them for more $) so we just had to wait. There are several outstanding features to consider now that it is here: 1) Price: The well-equipped 2018 SEL model can be found in the US for $30K (perhaps less as the end of the year gets closer). With a $5,836 federal tax credit, I’ll end up paying ~$24K after tax returns are filed. Anything else on the market that can give you similar dedicated electric range, 4x4, and towing capability cost over twice as much. 2) Range: I’m seeing close to 30 miles of dedicated electric range, plus another 270 miles on unleaded. I’ve taken it on two long trips now where the battery is mostly depleted and it’s using the gasoline engine to keep a basic charge level on the battery and move us down the highway. I live in Utah, where there are long stretches of 80 MPH speed limit freeway. Driving from Salt Lake to St. George (~300 miles) with the cruise control set at 85 for the majority of the trip, we averaged 24.7 MPG. Granted, the 11 gallon fuel tank is on the small side for long trips like this, but that’s not really the car’s strong point (although 25 MPG is almost 10 MPG better than my last SUV). The dedicated electric option on shorter trips is where this thing shines though. My daily commute is 28 miles round trip, so I’m usually able to do it all on electric. (Your electric range does drop a bit if you run the heater.) I recharge it each night at home, so my first tank of gas lasted a little over 800 miles. It has become our go-to vehicle for the quick trips around town. We pay .11 a Kw and the on-board recharge cost calculator tells me it’s taking a about 80 cents each night to charge up. 3) 4x4: All wheel drive for winter driving, with a 4x4 lock button if you need to break snow drifts. I’ve only had it out in one storm so far this year, and just running errands around town, but it seemed sure footed. I’ll update this as we get further into the winter months. 4) Passenger/Cargo Capacity: Seats 5 comfortably, with plenty of cargo space left in the back. The standard Outlander has two small folding seats in the rear for a 7 passenger capacity, but they are omitted in the PHEV. This leaves you with lots of cargo space in the back, but it would be nice if they could find a way to put back in even one of those small rear jump seats. The seats you do have are comfortable enough. Front seats are both heated and fully adjustable via electric switches... these seats are standard even on the lower level SE model (which we own) and leather is standard as well. Fold down the rear seats and you have a little over six feet of flat floor cargo space back there. Automatic tailgate is also standard on the base SE model. 5) Towing Capability: The Outlander PHEV is rated to tow 1500 lbs in the US, but 3300 lbs in Europe. Same vehicle is sold on both continents, so I suspect the lower US rating has more to do with the number of lawyers here, rather than any actual engineering issue. I had the factory Class 3 receiver hitch added to our SE. That costs about $700, but well worth it to me to have the towing option. We have towed with it and found it stable and capable for the short, 20 mile trip we made with it. 6) Warranty: Mitsubishi backs up the drive train and battery with a 10 year, 100,000 mile warranty. Mercedes GLC 350e gives you 4 years/50K miles on the drive train, 6 years, 62K on the battery. Volvo XC90 4 yr/50K miles on both. Tesla Model X has 4 yr/50K basic, 8 year/unlimited mile powertrain. All considerably more expensive vehicles, each with their own range limitations. The exterior of the Outlander may be a little dated, but considering how most manufactures over-design the body on electric vehicles (looking at you Nissan) I don’t mind the unassuming nature of Mitsubishi’s offering... just another Outlander from the outside. From an engineering standpoint however, Mitsubishi has produced a unique vehicle here and perhaps it’s understated looks are part of the reason it has received so little attention here in the USA. It may also be that Mitsubishi isn’t a big brand here, being one of the smaller manufactures by sales in the US. I don’t work for Mitsubishi (or any other automotive company). I’m just a happy owner, who lives in an area that often has dirty air, and wish more folks new about this machine. One year later we are still very happy with it. No issues to report. Highly recommend the car. Update: Sold after three years to upgrade to a Toyota Rav4 Prime... same concept, more battery/capability. Never had an issue with the Outlander and still highly recommend it, just needed to tow more.
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Superb Mileage and Performance for Daily Commute.
I went to dealer on 30 december and trade in my Prius immediately. I was totally happy with the purchase and it has 5 braking modes which can stop the car by itself. It has three driving mode and if you are confused then dont select anything and the computer will do its job way better. The instant pickup is great (not like sports car). The mileage is good and it has better isulation and you dont see any road noise inside the cabin. I handles better in the corner and i am driving daily i am liking more and more. Keep in mind it is regular SUV and for daily commute. I go 20 miles one way daily.
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Once you do electric you will never go back!!!!!!!
Ok, just test drive one. Once you slide into those leather seats and grab the shifting knob and roll your hands over her firm steering wheel then slowly ride her as she quietly drives with that electric drive....mmmmmm so nice. Have driven 3K miles in 2 months. A quiet ride and smooth. Easy to charge but takes getting used to hitting a button and nothing happens until you shift and give her a little on the pedal. I achieve 25 miles on electric only and forget about that 300 mile range. If it is city driving I have surpassed 500 miles on a single tank on hybrid mode. Regeneration is the key. Let her slurp it back up when she is going down....hill. Quick off the line but a little slow when you want her to run. I bought her to help me lower my carbon footprint and Protect our Winters. My hope is that many find electrics our the way to go and abandon gasoline powered cars. My last car was a 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid. Now I have a 2018 Mitsu PHEV baby steps to full electric. I have driven the future and I like it. Ride is a little heavy but blasting through a snowstorm of heavy rains? This car is a car on rails. It never felt out of control through a 18inch storm. My problem was getting past the idiots doing 25. I was doing 50 and it was letting me run her. Its a SUV. Lots of cargo space and fun to drive. I really like her. Update.... I have had her for over two years now. The mileage is now 34,712 miles. Mostly driven under electric but I take longer drives to go Skiing in Wisconsin and drove last September to Nashville. Can't wait to go back to Nashville. It is one cool city to have fun in but it has city issues with homelessness and drug abuse problems that it needs help with. If I ever get to retire I wish to go back to help. I go tangent, the PHEV outlander is still fun to drive. Gas mileage for me on long trips is 32-35 mpg. I need all the space for my gear and luggage. I have no gradation of the battery after two years. I charge 2 times a day. That is over 1300 charge and discharge cycles. I basically travel the same 24 mile route each way everyday. I get to work with 1 mile of e juice left and get home on 0. I charge at night and then they let me charge for free at work. When I went to Nashville they let me charge for free at the Hotel. Also in Wisconsin I can sometimes find an outlet. On a 220V home charger, It is 2Hrs to charge. When I get home I plug in. Eat some dinner walk the dog and then unplug. By this time I have 20 miles stored to run errands on. Works for me. At work it takes 7-8 hrs to charge on the 110VAC charger that comes with the car. I pull in and plug in. After my shift it is fully charged and I unplug, wrap up and drive home. I reduced my commute cost from 6 bucks a day (with the gasoline car replaced) to 1 dollar a day (with the Mitsu PHEV). They say it can go 22 miles but I have consistently get 24-25 only on electric drive. Once in a great while, when the outside temperature is just right, I may get 27. That is rare. I don't believe these stories about degrading batteries on this. I drive the same route everyday for two years and the same amount of battery use has been seen. Still fun, still quiet and still loving it. In 20 years, the car will pay for itself in gas savings. No mechanical or electrical problems for the 2 years 2 months owned. Will keep you posted. Update: 9/30/2021. I have the Mitsu PHEV Outlander for 3 years 9 months, Just over 53,000 miles and still no issues. Did much trailer towing this year. Pulling firewood and stuff. If you wish to tow you will have to get the OEM trailer hitch. There is no aftermarket that fits the PHEV. Still loving it... still getting great mileage both on electric and gas.... to reiterate, Still fun, still quiet and still loving it. In 20 years, the car will pay for itself in gas savings. No mechanical or electrical problems for the 3 years 9 months owned. Will keep you posted. Update: 3/30/2022. I have the Mitsu PHEV Outlander for 4 years 3 months, Just over 57,000 miles and still no issues. Made some trips to go Skiing in Wisconsin and since Gas Prices are high, it was nice to average 42 miles/gallon on these trips.. Still loving it... still getting great mileage both on electric and gas.... to reiterate, No mechanical or electrical problems for the 4 years 3 months owned. Same tires with about 10K is tread left and same brake pads front and rear. The smooth ride still exists and quite. Why do people but large noisy mufflers on their cars. Wouldn't it be great if those idiots spent there money on making their machines ultra quiet and less polluting instead of deafening and super stinky? I guess it is in their nature to be irritating rather than harmonious. Here's a Mitsubishi car-mercial " The new 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. "Find some Harmony and test drive one at your Mitsubishi Dealer today" "You may find it to be most Harmonious machine on the planet Earth." I like to see the world today in perfect HArmony.........(just this part of the song playing lightly in the background during the last sentence....( ideal is trademarked by me). 9/30/2022. Lost my job due to Covid. Over 60 and being aged over for positions. At least I have one awesome Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV vehicle that sips money from my wallet. Almost to 60K miles and no issues. Looking forward to many more trouble free years. Back to LinkedIn to find something that an Old Man can do without annoying a teenager. Still loving it. Update 10/3/2023. 67K and still uneventful. Working part time and now 62 going on 63. Same tires, brakes. Just changing the oil every 7000 miles because I can't get an answer of when I should change it. It looks clean when I do. The engine oil basically sits idle since I drive 80% electric and 20% gas EV. Still love the car and will take it to my grave. Bought it in 2017 for 30K after rebate,and almost 5 years now. I see the new ones are almost 50K. Battery still good and auto runs great. Just love to drive it. Still towing and still living, in harmony.
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Great Test drives
Figured something is better than nothing... so I'll post the first review in case some of you have no nearby dealer. Test drove a silver GT and red SEL. Impressions: 1) Gorgeous exterior, nothing not to like. Nice to have 8.5 inch ground clearance, beats most other CUV's, except the CX9. Stock rims look great. 2) Interior is also nice. Seats very comfortable, good thigh support for a 5'11 guy... for what that is worth. Both driver and passenger seats are 8 way power adjustable, which is very rare for this class. Not having a third row is probably the deal breaker for my wife. Between the black and brown leather, I liked black with silver stitching, my wife liked brown with red stitching. 3) Performance. Good not great. Thought acceleration was a bit slow in the 30 to 60 range, although it was plenty zippy off the line. Really loved the paddle shifters, adjusting the engine resistance when foot was taken off gas (for accelerated charging). B5 for tight city driving or hills made one foot driving possible. B2 or 1 for highway driving. Love the amount of control you have over the electric, or combustion. I would recommend going combustion on the highway and electric in the city. A guy who bought one at the dealer was in to get a tow hitch installed and told me he was getting 125mpg so far using that technique. As far as sspension and braking, it was phenomenal. Ive never experienced regen brakes that tight and smooth... did not feel like hybrid brakes. Suspension was perfect.... firm but not crazy tight. Definitely minimized body roll, but could be considered a bit rough for those used to a boat like cadillac experience. Tech: I'm not a big fan of my car braking for me, so I could care less about that, but for SA, the GT trim has all this crazy safety, tech features plus the moonroof and Rockford sound system. Android auto, Apple car play standard both trims. Misc: Surprised about the 11.5 gallon gas tank... deal breaker for me. Unless you do all short trips, this is not the right car. 300ish mile range is no bueno if you have to do a cross country haul on occasion. Worse range than almost any hybrid vehicle. Still a five star vehicle... but I'd be traveling with a 5 gallon gas can in the rear. Overall great day driving Mitsubishi, and with a 2500 dollar rebate and fed tax refund this is a great deal.
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Not your average hybrid!
They gave me an amazing deal on a 2018 Outlander PHEV. This vehicle is a life-saver! I have had it for almost 2 months and still not needed to refill the gas. With my driving I am able to drive solely off the battery and that has been saving me a lot of money! We all know traffic is bad and with my HOV sticker, my commutes to work are cut in half. I don't spend hours in traffic on the 91 and when I go out somewhere that uses toll roads, I sure as hell take advantage of those toll discounts.
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