I've had mine eighteen months now and with intelligent use of the regeneration, the save button and the charge button I got 97mpg over a twelve months the period. It has become a hobby.
I don’t have easy access to home plug in but might get away with it (corner parking near my flat, wire wouldn’t be in anyone’s way… preferably overnight charging ) And was considering rapid charge more often. Would that effect the battery life as I understand it needs both to be healthy ?
I live in Slovakia and I am always astonished by the "EVs and SUVs are useless" people. Slovakia has a lot of SUVs, even through the typical wage is 1/5 that of USA, and that is because the road quality is often horrible, so driving a 4x4 SUV is often genuinely needed, even if you do not go "off road", because even roads in towns are often full of bumps and potholes, especially in rural areas. So it is not really a soccer mom thing here, it is more of a "if you can afford it, you will probably buy one, because it will make your driving a lot easier" thing. My parents recently bought a PHEV Outlander, we had it for 2 weeks now, and I have nothing but praise for it. A big car is easy to get into (I have a disability that limits my mobility a bit), and the price of gasoline in Slovakia in my area is 1.205 euro per litre or more than 5 USD a gallon in US terms, even through people in general earn much less than in the US. It bugs me that in some countries, driving a fuel efficient vehicle or a hybrid is considered "making a political statement", it is, as long as you are drowning in pools of cheap gas. Many people around here drive efficient diesel vehicles (and almost all SUVs are crossovers and have diesel engines, so they are not really "gas guzzlers" here, almost nobody could afford a "gas guzzling" car anyways) and many would drive hybrids IF there was not such FUD about them and if the price was reduced. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is an amazing car and we have been getting 4-6 liters per 100 km with LOTS of driving and charging every night and the occasional fast charge in a station. There is a quick charging station in my sleepy hometown of 25000 people, so there is quite a bit of infrastructure built for it. However, this Outlander is still an expensive vehicle for most and our goverment does not care about supporting hybrids or EVs, so it gets a fat price premium over the diesel model. I think if goverment was to support something else than their own pockets for once, hybrid prices can get low enough for people to start buying them like hotcakes - electricity is MUCH cheaper in Slovakia than gas, and we have a tradition for using non-gasoline fuels to improve fuel efficiency (mostly diesel and LPG), not out of some "eco-smugness", but simple necessity of driving in a country where gas is costly and incomes lower than in Western Europe/USA. No matter what their politics are, I think our people would welcome any chance to drive at a lesser cost. The electricity source is not a problem - only 13 percent of Slovakia's electricity comes from fossil fuels, so electric cars and plug in hybrids driven here are definitely not "running on coal". You can say they are mostly fission and water powered, as most of our electricity comes from 2 nuclear plants and several hydroelectric stations (and I live 1 km from a hydroelectic power plant, so our car is most likely being recharged from near 100 percent renewable power).
Robert this is by far the best Phev review on the net, it gives a realistic view of what living with the car is like, Thanks. I am waiting for Delivery of an Outlander Phev in May, as this will be my fist Hybrid / Phev vehicle I found it really useful. Keep up the good work.
@@MattHawkinsUK To be honest It was an excellent car, had it for 3 years and had zero problens other than a faulty charger changed under warranty. Cheapest motoring ever, my record was 4 months without a visit to a petrol station. My only negative was the low rent interior so I replaced it with a BMW 730d, I'm waiting for X5 40e's to depreciate and I'll definitely have one.
I have used 2013 model currently with 144.000 km on clock (bought it with 128.000) so far I'm very happy as it can drive up to 35 km in EV mode. My current consumption is 4.8l/100km as I drove also some trips about 1000km in hybrid mode. So far I'm very happy with the car.
As I recall, the success of the Outlander PHEV has taken Mitsubishi quite by surprise. In many markets, the only EV that sells more is the Leaf and they've sold a whole bunch of them here in the UK. It helped that they gave it a big marketing push on release, as BMW did with it's i series. It's a massive shame that companies such as Ford and Toyota, while having pretty good EVs of their own, are virtually ignoring the entire segment and selling them as compliance vehicles. Nissan, Tesla, BMW (who are on an 8 Month waiting list for an i3 and an 18 month waiting list for an i8 here in the UK) and Mitsubishi are all showing that it IS possible to make money from selling EVs.
Tim Austin Very good assessment of the situation. I really hope VW push the e-Golf next year, it's a fantastic electric car and they're sworn it's not a compliance vehicle. We shall see.
I think that the success of the Outlander PHEV will concentrate the minds of its competitors remarkably. 'Nothing succeeds like success', and every Outlander sold is one less sale for the others, so expect to see a rash of Outlander clones over the next couple of years.
I've had this car now for just over a month. I have driven 1,098 miles and have filled it up with petrol just once (only £45 to fill the rather small tank for such a big car). Someone else can do the maths for me, I think most months I'll be 100% electric and so I know my own mpg is going to be much better than others are saying here. For me it's an electric vehicle that I know won't ever run out of power and that I can use on the very odd occasions when I need to travel more than 35 miles in a day. So my point is that mpg is entirely dependent on the profile of your driving / vehicle use; it won't be for everyone, but I'm very pleased with it.
I have owned a PHEV for 3 months (also own a i-MiEV for around town). I am very surprised how much I like the PHEV. A great car. Another great review by Kryten! :-)
Traded my Ampera in for one of these a month ago as needed ground clearance and 4wd for work, good decision. Drives well, worst MPG was mid 30s without charge and on motorway. Most trips between 50-100MPG.
"It's so American and . . . stupid!" Love that British attitude! Deep down, they adore us. I drive a C-MAX Energi that gets about 22 miles on the battery. It's fine for driving around town, and I've even taken it on long trips upstate and down. However, I think that the Outlander PHEV might be a good choice for an active younger man like my son, who needs to haul lumber and other materials for home maintenance or who packs lugggage and camping equipment for trips out of town. A four-wheel drive SUV is not a stupid choice for those who enjoy visiting the various parks and wilderness areas of California. For a person who wants an EV for his commute to work and for day-to-day chores but who, at the same time, needs a vehicle that can haul stuff, the Outlander PHEV seems like a good option.
+Gill Doyle "Deep down, they adore us." Yes.. we do.. you're right. Some of us just get a bit jealous :-) In particular those of us that have never been there and therefore don't have a clue!
I don't think Robert Llwewellyn meant that in a Clarkson sense. They are just stupid vehicles for British purposes. The name, SUV is also irritating for some more unaccountable reasons. I think it's to do with American culture being foisted on the rest of us. It's a sort of cultural swamping where our individual quirks and needs are ignored. It may seem a small deal but it's annoying that colour appears as color on Windows applications for example. But on the whole, America - we like you. The best bits of your culture from novels to films to music are fabulous.
A very positive review, thanks for that Robert. I can see the point of the thing and, using it in the way do did, makes sense - charging it when you are barrelling up and down the motorway network is something I had not thought about! Excellent!
I have one of these on a lease. We have been very happy with it. We are considering either a new one again or maybe a KIA Optima when the lease runs out at the end of the year.
in the netherlands it is super popular. you can see it often on the road and parked chargin in the city. as it can tow a decent caravan it is no surpsrise. but I am all for it. if you can do most trips on ev power and still go for a quick trip through the country. and not to forget it can fast charge. even it you run for petron for some miles, a pissing while and a short break is enough to put 80% back in the battery.
It is good to see some hybrid reviews, thankyou. I am from Australia and unless one stays near home, there is no scope for recharging. I am afraid electric cars will not work far outside urban zones and highly trafficked roads here. cheers
Looks good. I think the majority of SUV owners would get away with electric only use with a range like that. Hopefully we'll see more hybrids like this without a huge loading to the price.
I love that you can audibly hear the disdain in Roberts voice at 07:32, to be fair he's just saying how we regular motorists all feel about Range Rover moms!
I don't want a car this big (not exact quote), says the past Defender and present Model S owning Robert. I want an EV, but cannot charge it at home and my only fast charger is at a hotel 3 miles away from work. I want a Golf GTE, or an Audi A3 E-Tron, but they can only charge at 3.6kw. This car is too big for me too, but it's the only chance I have to go electric at the moment. It's the 50kw Chademo that is the game changer here. I can save so much on fuel alone!
65 to 75 mpg is impressive that rounds out to about 30 kilometers a litre and its got a 45 litre tank....1350m kilometer range on full tank full charge for such a large vehicle that is astounding.
INteresting to compare this review to others. Some have delighted in telling us the car will only realistically do 33mpg, whereas Kryten got 68. It's quite clear that driving styles play a BIG part in the fuel consumption equation. Steady drivers will do well with this car
Kryten charges up 3 times on electric and aparentley that doesn't count. When the power runs out this thing is a 2 tonne heavy pig with a very dated loud 2ltr petrol engine
Got one and it's great. It's midsize SUV though. Parked behind a Range Rover, it looks small. For me it's almost 99% electric. Only time it's unrefined is on steep hills with low battery. That ICE does rev hard then.
@1:40 "A petrol car that uses less petrol" I have a friend who has one. His daily commute uses 3/4 of a charge for the return trip. Since March, he's used 160litres of petrol in total, due to a number of long trips to visit family and friends. Admittedly, I've only used a similar amount in that time by seldom driving my car. ( I have a small, petrol-engined city car, and a slightly larger micro-hybrid petrol car which has a smaller engine than the city car).
I agree that the PHEV is a very good halfway introduction to the future EV. My neighbour owns this very car and at 6.00 am all I hear is a faint "milk float" whirr when she drives out. But I do have to challenge your opinion of the SUV. I have a few physical disabilities which makes using a normal salon a bit dangerous, the additional headroom of a SUV is a bonus, (I drive a Range Rover Evoke, but now would really like a Jag I Pace if I had the loot).
Dear Robert, thanks a lot for this very nice and practically informative review. I especially like the charging-on-the-road aspect of it. BTW, although I find the name SUV unappealing too (actually, Sport and Utility are mutually contradicting terms; unless, perhaps, one thinks of sport as a utilitarian way to health; but here we talk about cars; although if such a car can take you to a forest without polluting the forest ...), saying that it's "American and stupid" will probably not sound quite charming to Americans (even I - and I'm not an American - find it somewhat rough, to say the least), despite the fact that the AND conjunction does not implicate implication. Cheers. PS You might consider upgrading your equipment. The sound is a bit metallic, compared to that in other reviews, and the picture reveals lots of chromatic aberrations in the high-contrast sunny scenes.
The £5K plug-in car grant is becoming more effective as the base cost comes down. This is a grant that normal Hybrids don't get and may cause some strange pricing as the cost gap narrows. In the near future I can see the Prius Plug-in under cutting the actuate Prius. What an age we live in.
Costing the same as the diesel is a game changer. Normally electrics are priced so they are only attractive to the hardcore environmentalists which is quite a small group of people. It's a pity with the small battery but I guess that is the compromise you have to accept. You still made 95 mpg though so I guess if you're careful you can really crank up the mpg's. A 20+ kWh option might be beneficial to getting 100+ mpg consistently.
I just test drove one of these here in the US yesterday. It was nice but decidedly sluggish in EV mode and the range of 20-30 miles is just not enough by today's standards. The car has been out for some time now, yet they have not upgraded the battery density. I would consider this car if got more like 50-60 miles on a charge and had more torque in EV mode.
I consider plugin hybrids with moderate range like 50km fairly legit because unlike an original Prius which is a gasoline car, you can run it purely as an electric car if your daily driving is relatively short. I don't care for the SUV part though. But once it's a plugin it's in serious territory as far as I'm concerned and I no longer look at it in terms of mileage.
Robert, any word on how the petrol engine is used? Does it only charge the battery (serial hybrid) or does it also (partially?) drive the wheels? Does the various steps of regen include a free wheel coasting? Like the VW's do?
The engine can drive the (front) wheels directly, in parallel hybrid mode, but only above 45mph as its a fixed ratio gear. The engine has to be used above about 75 mph as thats the limit of the electric motors.
Thanks for the info Rob! I need an SUV to tow my sailing boat, so a sturdy vehicle is a must! Currently I'm using a VW Tiguan with a 2 litre diesel and 6 speed manual box! However, I'm not that impressed with using it on the slipway, launching and recovering my boat! It could really do with a crawler gear! I'd be interested to see how the Outlander PHEV copes with that job. When you took it 'off road' how did you find it for low speed torque? Cheers mate...
In 2023 for a second hand outlander phev which year would you suggest more? For Price/performans aspect. Budget is limited, can not afford for a new one.
It's an interesting question, "are hybrid vehicles holding back the development of electric cars?" Hybrid manufacturers are working with PHEV conversion companies to use PHEV kits in brand new Hybrids as well as old hybrids. So that's another option emerging in the market.
Too bad the PHEV version is only a five seater. I'm currently looking for a city ev and a 7 seater and this would fit in like a charm instead of having to buy 2 cars (as i will probably will have to do). Maybe Mitsubishi will think of that in the upcoming years. Btw, nice review Robert :)
***** yeah, that would be a great replacement, but unfortunatly it is way out of my league :) this one is priced, in Portugal, around 42.000€ and by my math the Model X will probably double that...
To be totally fair, the comparison to Petrol V8 "full sized" SUVs (Range Rover Sport etc) which do get 15 to 20mpg is erroneous! Most medium sized SUVs, with say 2 to 2.5L diesel engines return mid to high 30mpg's when used in the UK (freelander, XC60, X3 etc). As such, if you use the "P" bit of the PHEV in this car, then you effectively half your fuel economy. Of course, where it is brilliant is for people with a short commute of sub 15miles (like the school run as mentioned), and if you do this this car is a winner!
Max Torque I was basing my estimate of fuel economy on owners forums, not advertised mpg. I never found anyone who owned a VW Tiguan / Tuareg, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X3, Audi Q3 or 7 etc who claimed anything over 25 mpg real world fuel consumption. I would suggest that the difference between a real world 25 mpg and 70 mpg is substantial, and a perfectly realistic 100 mpg is a massive step. When the other manufacturers introduce PHEV's into their range of big heavy SUV's I'll start to be interested.
fullychargedshow I have a peugout expert van, which is another 2 tonne massive thing, but it does do a reliable 39 mpg, despite being 16years old. The post-2000 ones with HDi engines are a good 25% better. I'm surprised that modern SUVs are worse than this, but then they no doubt go a lot faster. I'd love an EV but as I almost never drive less than 200 miles, and often 800 miles, and to the middle of nowhere, I'm not an ideal EV cutomer yet.
I neede the space of a large SUV and am getting 112miles to one gallon of fuel over my first two thousand miles with a nominal rise in electricity cost. I love it and think you are distorting the facts of PHEV ownership.
Surprising MPG for a tank. Except it's not really one now, more like an elephant with tippy toe ballerina feet, on a well oiled skateboard, down an icy hill, with the wind behind it :)
Why couldn’t Mitsubishi bring this to market sooner in the USA? They just started selling them and I needed a new vehicle last June. From what I have read, this SUV has been available in Europe for a while. I had to settle for a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which is not bad but lacks a plug. The way I drive, I get almost 40 MPG with it. But with this Outlander, I bet I could beat 60 MPGs easy. Perhaps on my next car purchase.
How much are you paying in the UK for electricity per Kwh? In Australia we are up to around $0.29c/kwh. How is your electricity generated? All these figures sound green but if your burning coal the emissions are still there and polluting someone else's town. I find it funny when people show off their expensive hybrid like they are saving the world and then go home and have every piece of electrical equipment on, use clothes dries instead of clothes line, have the heater up with a T shirt on instead of a jumper and then brag about how often they fly overseas....but hey their hybrid or electric car now makes them an environmental warrior. I love the technology, just not the many hypocrites that use them.
Jimbob the balance of electricity generation in the UK is such that an electric vehicle will be greener than an ICE one. If you charge your electric car on a windy sunny day almost 50% of the power may be coming from solar and wind. The rest/most of the time we get a sizeable proportion from gas, which is greener than ICE.
Would a car like this be practical when street parking only with no home charge available, and what happens when charge completely drained are you driving completely under petrol conditions ?
I saw one of those in the wild here in Tasmania in Australia, think it was a dealer car as it was all painted up advertising it. Have heard bad things though about Mitsubishi and reliability, servicing costs, etc. This may not be but it may take some researching owner forums on this vehicle.
1:05 The brake lights not coming on when you slow down with regenerative braking is crap. So someone plows into the back of you, but it's ok because technically you didn't use your brakes?
Hi. I am considering one of these as a company car. How much did it cost to charge at home and did you use a 13 amp or 16 amp socket and are you using economy 7 or similar? Thanks Robin
I *think* those silly names, like SUV, are a means of re-categorising vehicles in order to avoid government performance/environmental restrictions. My old caravan was technically a truck somehow, not a van, and ate gas like there was no tomorrow.
Nicely done. Thoughtful. The machine is probably a bit big for me but the company should be congratulated for breaking the mould (well, somewhat). Is the car green? Of course not, no car is. The greenest machine is a bicycle. If you also generate your own power (solar PV) then at least some of time you aren't powering the machine by burning coal. The reason for buying this machine is: you live in a city, have 5 people to transport, have easy access to recharging points (even better creating your own electric power) Otherwise, as I said, get a bike. So pleased to be in a discussion not led by an overpaid BBC right winger (you know who I mean)
Hi Robert, when you talk about your mpgs are you factoring in the electric recharging cost? I own the turbo diesel 2.25l awd version here in Australia which has a theoretical combined consumption of 5.8 litres per 100km which equates to about 45mpg and no electricity. Also I can drive it 1000km (600 miles+) without having to stop and refuel which would only take about 5 minutes and cost me $120 Australian or about 50 of your pounds. Your thoughts? Wayne
Cost to charge (obviously depending on tariffs) works out at about 27p at home (I can do it for free at work too thanks to my environmentally minded employers)
Great piece - I am working through your 'back catalogue now'. I am a fan of the Outlander PHEV. As I write, April 2016, 18 months on from your pice here, Mitsubishi have been found to be cheating by pumping the tyres to excessive rock-like pressures to falsify mpg figures. HOWEVER, this is a shame, not representative of the new urgency and competence with which this company has gone hybrid. BRAKE LIGHTS point - terrible design flaw! This car, is missed out of almost every 'face-off' or top 10 list of hybrids - the writers have something against it, some axe to grind, perhaps that it knocks the other 9 into a cocked hat. This is a PROPER decent hybrid vehicle, the market leader IMHO. Electric only, taking it off road, really cool. I like your pseudo Jeremy Clarkson impressions.
People always do this to a good Japanese car. They did the same to the rx400h. The rx400h was way better then a ranger rover sport, x5, ml 06 plate times.
I'm still waiting for and looking forward to, the cost of fully electric cars to come down to my level. I have, however just purchased a 2002 Fiat Doblo 1.9 diesel 7 seater and I am getting a real world 60mpg over my first 400 miles without using a motorway, only A roads and through town (30mile round trip commute) The vehicle is quite big so I don't think 65-75mpg real world for this Mitsubishi is not that impressive by comparison...
I wasted a full petrol tank until i realised the regenerative breaks are not automated. You only use them on breaking then you have to reset it to B0 otherwise it will double your consumption.
We bought one last July (England) and since Mid October have only been getting 17 or less in a full charge! Should it drop this much in cold weather? Love the car though and it tows our four-berth caravan easily.
@@A4ANT We really do love the car and replaced it with a newer one last year. A Slightly bigger engine now and getting 25 electric miles in the summer, sometimes more. At the moment, in cold weather, getting around 19/20 electric miles.
@@berylrippon912 - nice ! I won’t have easy access to home charging but can get away with it at night probably ( through flat window down to parking bay 😁) Will it harm the battery if I mostly use rapid chargers 🔌 ?
It might be a better fit for where I live (Canada), assuming it's available here. It's mostly short commutes (like everywhere else) with the occasional very long trip (by Euro standards), plus some camping.
The problem is, people buy these to get the £5000 grant but, apparently, over 75% of owners never charge them and so it simply makes them more affordable than the diesel option.
Where does that statistic come from? You would be mad to own one and not plug it in. It might be a struggle if you don't have your own parking space at home though.
Losing the rear pop up 3rd row seats? They need to figure out how to retain those AND add the battery. It is HUGE selling point for the Outlander. I am Bummed. Thought I found the perfect growing family car.
Petrol engine because of rpm is 11000 upto which helps motor to spin alots to charge the battery the more Dynamo will spin if diesel then rpm is limited to 6000 rpm .
I've had mine eighteen months now and with intelligent use of the regeneration, the save button and the charge button I got 97mpg over a twelve months the period. It has become a hobby.
Do you know whats the mpg without charging?
Nice!
I don’t have easy access to home plug in but might get away with it (corner parking near my flat, wire wouldn’t be in anyone’s way… preferably overnight charging )
And was considering rapid charge more often. Would that effect the battery life as I understand it needs both to be healthy ?
@@mekj2008around 16 mpg , in winter conditions, winter tires, in zero to few minus c degrees
I live in Slovakia and I am always astonished by the "EVs and SUVs are useless" people. Slovakia has a lot of SUVs, even through the typical wage is 1/5 that of USA, and that is because the road quality is often horrible, so driving a 4x4 SUV is often genuinely needed, even if you do not go "off road", because even roads in towns are often full of bumps and potholes, especially in rural areas. So it is not really a soccer mom thing here, it is more of a "if you can afford it, you will probably buy one, because it will make your driving a lot easier" thing. My parents recently bought a PHEV Outlander, we had it for 2 weeks now, and I have nothing but praise for it. A big car is easy to get into (I have a disability that limits my mobility a bit), and the price of gasoline in Slovakia in my area is 1.205 euro per litre or more than 5 USD a gallon in US terms, even through people in general earn much less than in the US.
It bugs me that in some countries, driving a fuel efficient vehicle or a hybrid is considered "making a political statement", it is, as long as you are drowning in pools of cheap gas. Many people around here drive efficient diesel vehicles (and almost all SUVs are crossovers and have diesel engines, so they are not really "gas guzzlers" here, almost nobody could afford a "gas guzzling" car anyways) and many would drive hybrids IF there was not such FUD about them and if the price was reduced. The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is an amazing car and we have been getting 4-6 liters per 100 km with LOTS of driving and charging every night and the occasional fast charge in a station. There is a quick charging station in my sleepy hometown of 25000 people, so there is quite a bit of infrastructure built for it. However, this Outlander is still an expensive vehicle for most and our goverment does not care about supporting hybrids or EVs, so it gets a fat price premium over the diesel model. I think if goverment was to support something else than their own pockets for once, hybrid prices can get low enough for people to start buying them like hotcakes - electricity is MUCH cheaper in Slovakia than gas, and we have a tradition for using non-gasoline fuels to improve fuel efficiency (mostly diesel and LPG), not out of some "eco-smugness", but simple necessity of driving in a country where gas is costly and incomes lower than in Western Europe/USA. No matter what their politics are, I think our people would welcome any chance to drive at a lesser cost.
The electricity source is not a problem - only 13 percent of Slovakia's electricity comes from fossil fuels, so electric cars and plug in hybrids driven here are definitely not "running on coal". You can say they are mostly fission and water powered, as most of our electricity comes from 2 nuclear plants and several hydroelectric stations (and I live 1 km from a hydroelectic power plant, so our car is most likely being recharged from near 100 percent renewable power).
Robert this is by far the best Phev review on the net, it gives a realistic view of what living with the car is like, Thanks.
I am waiting for Delivery of an Outlander Phev in May, as this will be my fist Hybrid / Phev vehicle I found it really useful. Keep up the good work.
Did you get the old shape or the new shape model? What sort of MPG does it do when it's not been charged? Thanks
So 6 years later, how did you get on?
@@MattHawkinsUK To be honest It was an excellent car, had it for 3 years and had zero problens other than a faulty charger changed under warranty. Cheapest motoring ever, my record was 4 months without a visit to a petrol station.
My only negative was the low rent interior so I replaced it with a BMW 730d, I'm waiting for X5 40e's to depreciate and I'll definitely have one.
Test drove one of these last month - loved it.
Smooth, attractive, good value and a great big boot capacity.
What's not to like.
Love the honest review and especially when talking about the mpg other reviewers have skipped over this
I have used 2013 model currently with 144.000 km on clock (bought it with 128.000) so far I'm very happy as it can drive up to 35 km in EV mode. My current consumption is 4.8l/100km as I drove also some trips about 1000km in hybrid mode. So far I'm very happy with the car.
What is the consumption at 80km/h and 100km/h?
As I recall, the success of the Outlander PHEV has taken Mitsubishi quite by surprise. In many markets, the only EV that sells more is the Leaf and they've sold a whole bunch of them here in the UK. It helped that they gave it a big marketing push on release, as BMW did with it's i series.
It's a massive shame that companies such as Ford and Toyota, while having pretty good EVs of their own, are virtually ignoring the entire segment and selling them as compliance vehicles. Nissan, Tesla, BMW (who are on an 8 Month waiting list for an i3 and an 18 month waiting list for an i8 here in the UK) and Mitsubishi are all showing that it IS possible to make money from selling EVs.
Tim Austin Very good assessment of the situation. I really hope VW push the e-Golf next year, it's a fantastic electric car and they're sworn it's not a compliance vehicle. We shall see.
I think that the success of the Outlander PHEV will concentrate the minds of its competitors remarkably.
'Nothing succeeds like success', and every Outlander sold is one less sale for the others, so expect to see a rash of Outlander clones over the next couple of years.
Nick Cummings just like the Nissan Qashqai did in styling terms :)
Grfdl
Tim Austin Ford has a comparable PHEV small suv.
Ahh, the original i-MiEV. It's been 4 years by now! Thanks for the flash backs.
Nice!! This car is selling like hotcakes here in Sweden!
I've had this car now for just over a month. I have driven 1,098 miles and have filled it up with petrol just once (only £45 to fill the rather small tank for such a big car). Someone else can do the maths for me, I think most months I'll be 100% electric and so I know my own mpg is going to be much better than others are saying here. For me it's an electric vehicle that I know won't ever run out of power and that I can use on the very odd occasions when I need to travel more than 35 miles in a day. So my point is that mpg is entirely dependent on the profile of your driving / vehicle use; it won't be for everyone, but I'm very pleased with it.
Interesting! But which PHEV model do you have?
We just got these in the USA! I can finally watch this video and not feel jealous of the rest of the world.
I have owned a PHEV for 3 months (also own a i-MiEV for around town). I am very surprised how much I like the PHEV. A great car. Another great review by Kryten! :-)
Robert thank you for answering the question I could not get from Mitsubishi on the REAL fuel economy of this truck (note I said truck and not suv).
I test drove a PHEV for a week and thought it was great, if only Mitsubishi would put that powertrain into a CAR!
I'm sure they will.
The ASX PHEV has been announced but VW and Audi have very similar powertrains coming up in the Golf, Passat and A3
Passat hybrid looks amazing but £40k !
Traded my Ampera in for one of these a month ago as needed ground clearance and 4wd for work, good decision. Drives well, worst MPG was mid 30s without charge and on motorway. Most trips between 50-100MPG.
Ah, yes, okay... SHIP load. Not what I thought I heard at first, but makes plenty of sense in terms of being imported.
"It's so American and . . . stupid!" Love that British attitude! Deep down, they adore us. I drive a C-MAX Energi that gets about 22 miles on the battery. It's fine for driving around town, and I've even taken it on long trips upstate and down. However, I think that the Outlander PHEV might be a good choice for an active younger man like my son, who needs to haul lumber and other materials for home maintenance or who packs lugggage and camping equipment for trips out of town. A four-wheel drive SUV is not a stupid choice for those who enjoy visiting the various parks and wilderness areas of California. For a person who wants an EV for his commute to work and for day-to-day chores but who, at the same time, needs a vehicle that can haul stuff, the Outlander PHEV seems like a good option.
+Gill Doyle "Deep down, they adore us." No we don't buddy.
+Gill Doyle "Deep down, they adore us." Yes.. we do.. you're right. Some of us just get a bit jealous :-) In particular those of us that have never been there and therefore don't have a clue!
Gill Doyle
Americans go for gimmicks and what to us is totally pointless and costs to have it.
I don't think Robert Llwewellyn meant that in a Clarkson sense. They are just stupid vehicles for British purposes. The name, SUV is also irritating for some more unaccountable reasons. I think it's to do with American culture being foisted on the rest of us. It's a sort of cultural swamping where our individual quirks and needs are ignored. It may seem a small deal but it's annoying that colour appears as color on Windows applications for example. But on the whole, America - we like you. The best bits of your culture from novels to films to music are fabulous.
A very positive review, thanks for that Robert. I can see the point of the thing and, using it in the way do did, makes sense - charging it when you are barrelling up and down the motorway network is something I had not thought about! Excellent!
I have one of these on a lease. We have been very happy with it. We are considering either a new one again or maybe a KIA Optima when the lease runs out at the end of the year.
in the netherlands it is super popular. you can see it often on the road and parked chargin in the city.
as it can tow a decent caravan it is no surpsrise.
but I am all for it. if you can do most trips on ev power and still go for a quick trip through the country.
and not to forget it can fast charge. even it you run for petron for some miles, a pissing while and a short break is enough to put 80% back in the battery.
Best review of this car.. perfect!
It is good to see some hybrid reviews, thankyou. I am from Australia and unless one stays near home, there is no scope for recharging. I am afraid electric cars will not work far outside urban zones and highly trafficked roads here. cheers
Looks good. I think the majority of SUV owners would get away with electric only use with a range like that. Hopefully we'll see more hybrids like this without a huge loading to the price.
I love that you can audibly hear the disdain in Roberts voice at 07:32, to be fair he's just saying how we regular motorists all feel about Range Rover moms!
That intro! Old school.
Robert many thanks A Great review I purchased a used Outlander Phev get it next weekend. again wonderful review
Hi Bert, have you still got it? I'll be interested to hear your feedback.
I own one and I know it's a great PHEV SUV ! Thank you for a great review Robert
6:06 changing to 'Murica mode
"on Fully Charged, we're going OFF ROAD!!!"
I don't want a car this big (not exact quote), says the past Defender and present Model S owning Robert.
I want an EV, but cannot charge it at home and my only fast charger is at a hotel 3 miles away from work. I want a Golf GTE, or an Audi A3 E-Tron, but they can only charge at 3.6kw.
This car is too big for me too, but it's the only chance I have to go electric at the moment. It's the 50kw Chademo that is the game changer here. I can save so much on fuel alone!
Nice review. If this is the same price as the diesel it's a no-brainer
I thought this was £32k. And the diesel was £25k. The same exact spec. You pay extra for motors, inverter, batteries etc, makes sence
65 to 75 mpg is impressive that rounds out to about 30 kilometers a litre and its got a 45 litre tank....1350m kilometer range on full tank full charge for such a large vehicle that is astounding.
INteresting to compare this review to others. Some have delighted in telling us the car will only realistically do 33mpg, whereas Kryten got 68. It's quite clear that driving styles play a BIG part in the fuel consumption equation. Steady drivers will do well with this car
Kryten charges up 3 times on electric and aparentley that doesn't count. When the power runs out this thing is a 2 tonne heavy pig with a very dated loud 2ltr petrol engine
Got one and it's great. It's midsize SUV though. Parked behind a Range Rover, it looks small. For me it's almost 99% electric. Only time it's unrefined is on steep hills with low battery. That ICE does rev hard then.
@1:40 "A petrol car that uses less petrol" I have a friend who has one. His daily commute uses 3/4 of a charge for the return trip. Since March, he's used 160litres of petrol in total, due to a number of long trips to visit family and friends.
Admittedly, I've only used a similar amount in that time by seldom driving my car. ( I have a small, petrol-engined city car, and a slightly larger micro-hybrid petrol car which has a smaller engine than the city car).
A wonderful PHEV for someone with a PHD
Not all of use it for off road but rather snow up here in Canada. For us we do have a cottage on a 10km dirt road.
I agree that the PHEV is a very good halfway introduction to the future EV. My neighbour owns this very car and at 6.00 am all I hear is a faint "milk float" whirr when she drives out. But I do have to challenge your opinion of the SUV. I have a few physical disabilities which makes using a normal salon a bit dangerous, the additional headroom of a SUV is a bonus, (I drive a Range Rover Evoke, but now would really like a Jag I Pace if I had the loot).
A Grate Car i own one since 2015!!
This Video i´ve looked more then one time before i get my car
Thanks a lot
Great review thanks
Thanks for the great video. I am just thinking about buying that car.
Greetings from germany
Really helpful video, as always.
Dear Robert, thanks a lot for this very nice and practically informative review. I especially like the charging-on-the-road aspect of it. BTW, although I find the name SUV unappealing too (actually, Sport and Utility are mutually contradicting terms; unless, perhaps, one thinks of sport as a utilitarian way to health; but here we talk about cars; although if such a car can take you to a forest without polluting the forest ...), saying that it's "American and stupid" will probably not sound quite charming to Americans (even I - and I'm not an American - find it somewhat rough, to say the least), despite the fact that the AND conjunction does not implicate implication. Cheers. PS You might consider upgrading your equipment. The sound is a bit metallic, compared to that in other reviews, and the picture reveals lots of chromatic aberrations in the high-contrast sunny scenes.
The £5K plug-in car grant is becoming more effective as the base cost comes down. This is a grant that normal Hybrids don't get and may cause some strange pricing as the cost gap narrows.
In the near future I can see the Prius Plug-in under cutting the actuate Prius. What an age we live in.
These things just recently became available here in the states. I know what my next new car is gonna be!
Costing the same as the diesel is a game changer. Normally electrics are priced so they are only attractive to the hardcore environmentalists which is quite a small group of people.
It's a pity with the small battery but I guess that is the compromise you have to accept. You still made 95 mpg though so I guess if you're careful you can really crank up the mpg's. A 20+ kWh option might be beneficial to getting 100+ mpg consistently.
I still don't understand how electric counts towards mpg.
I think the Outlander PHEV should be car of the year. The Concept-S looks even more stylish than a Ranger Rover in my opinion.
I just test drove one of these here in the US yesterday. It was nice but decidedly sluggish in EV mode and the range of 20-30 miles is just not enough by today's standards. The car has been out for some time now, yet they have not upgraded the battery density. I would consider this car if got more like 50-60 miles on a charge and had more torque in EV mode.
The break lights don't come on when serious regenerative BREAKING occurs. How is that legal?
I consider plugin hybrids with moderate range like 50km fairly legit because unlike an original Prius which is a gasoline car, you can run it purely as an electric car if your daily driving is relatively short. I don't care for the SUV part though. But once it's a plugin it's in serious territory as far as I'm concerned and I no longer look at it in terms of mileage.
Robert, any word on how the petrol engine is used? Does it only charge the battery (serial hybrid) or does it also (partially?) drive the wheels?
Does the various steps of regen include a free wheel coasting? Like the VW's do?
The engine can drive the (front) wheels directly, in parallel hybrid mode, but only above 45mph as its a fixed ratio gear. The engine has to be used above about 75 mph as thats the limit of the electric motors.
A friend at work has one, 2500 km on it so far and hasn't put any petrol in it yet. Still on the tank it came with.
Would full electric been a better choice then ? Clealy no more than 30 miles is being traveled between charges
And it tows ! Amazing
Looking at a 2015 model of this right now, I'm quite tempted to go for it. Really roomy and low road tax!
Thanks for the info Rob! I need an SUV to tow my sailing boat, so a sturdy vehicle is a must! Currently I'm using a VW Tiguan with a 2 litre diesel and 6 speed manual box! However, I'm not that impressed with using it on the slipway, launching and recovering my boat! It could really do with a crawler gear! I'd be interested to see how the Outlander PHEV copes with that job. When you took it 'off road' how did you find it for low speed torque? Cheers mate...
I would love a Mirage Plug In. Something really really affordable and got over 150 mpg easily.
In 2023 for a second hand outlander phev which year would you suggest more? For Price/performans aspect. Budget is limited, can not afford for a new one.
Different and accurate review
thanks
well done mate, thank you!!
It's an interesting question, "are hybrid vehicles holding back the development of electric cars?" Hybrid manufacturers are working with PHEV conversion companies to use PHEV kits in brand new Hybrids as well as old hybrids. So that's another option emerging in the market.
Awesome REVIEW! I dislike that brand but I've now got a better out look
Too bad the PHEV version is only a five seater. I'm currently looking for a city ev and a 7 seater and this would fit in like a charm instead of having to buy 2 cars (as i will probably will have to do). Maybe Mitsubishi will think of that in the upcoming years. Btw, nice review Robert :)
Tesla Model X will seat 7 adults but it has a fairly long waiting list and it will be expensive (but an amazing vehicle if you can afford it).
***** yeah, that would be a great replacement, but unfortunatly it is way out of my league :) this one is priced, in Portugal, around 42.000€ and by my math the Model X will probably double that...
Would be great if you could review it again as a 10 year model.
To be totally fair, the comparison to Petrol V8 "full sized" SUVs (Range Rover Sport etc) which do get 15 to 20mpg is erroneous!
Most medium sized SUVs, with say 2 to 2.5L diesel engines return mid to high 30mpg's when used in the UK (freelander, XC60, X3 etc). As such, if you use the "P" bit of the PHEV in this car, then you effectively half your fuel economy. Of course, where it is brilliant is for people with a short commute of sub 15miles (like the school run as mentioned), and if you do this this car is a winner!
Max Torque I was basing my estimate of fuel economy on owners forums, not advertised mpg. I never found anyone who owned a VW Tiguan / Tuareg, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X3, Audi Q3 or 7 etc who claimed anything over 25 mpg real world fuel consumption. I would suggest that the difference between a real world 25 mpg and 70 mpg is substantial, and a perfectly realistic 100 mpg is a massive step.
When the other manufacturers introduce PHEV's into their range of big heavy SUV's I'll start to be interested.
Null
fullychargedshow
I have a peugout expert van, which is another 2 tonne massive thing, but it does do a reliable 39 mpg, despite being 16years old. The post-2000 ones with HDi engines are a good 25% better. I'm surprised that modern SUVs are worse than this, but then they no doubt go a lot faster. I'd love an EV but as I almost never drive less than 200 miles, and often 800 miles, and to the middle of nowhere, I'm not an ideal EV cutomer yet.
Y
+Max Torque Yes, It would be easiest to compare to the diesel version of the exact same vehicle.
I neede the space of a large SUV and am getting 112miles to one gallon of fuel over my first two thousand miles with a nominal rise in electricity cost. I love it and think you are distorting the facts of PHEV ownership.
Surprising MPG for a tank. Except it's not really one now, more like an elephant with tippy toe ballerina feet, on a well oiled skateboard, down an icy hill, with the wind behind it :)
How much did it _cost_ him per mile. As the charging costed and the petrol costed.
Why couldn’t Mitsubishi bring this to market sooner in the USA? They just started selling them and I needed a new vehicle last June. From what I have read, this SUV has been available in Europe for a while. I had to settle for a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, which is not bad but lacks a plug. The way I drive, I get almost 40 MPG with it. But with this Outlander, I bet I could beat 60 MPGs easy. Perhaps on my next car purchase.
about time.
How much are you paying in the UK for electricity per Kwh? In Australia we are up to around $0.29c/kwh. How is your electricity generated? All these figures sound green but if your burning coal the emissions are still there and polluting someone else's town.
I find it funny when people show off their expensive hybrid like they are saving the world and then go home and have every piece of electrical equipment on, use clothes dries instead of clothes line, have the heater up with a T shirt on instead of a jumper and then brag about how often they fly overseas....but hey their hybrid or electric car now makes them an environmental warrior. I love the technology, just not the many hypocrites that use them.
Jimbob the balance of electricity generation in the UK is such that an electric vehicle will be greener than an ICE one. If you charge your electric car on a windy sunny day almost 50% of the power may be coming from solar and wind. The rest/most of the time we get a sizeable proportion from gas, which is greener than ICE.
Would a car like this be practical when street parking only with no home charge available, and what happens when charge completely drained are you driving completely under petrol conditions ?
I saw one of those in the wild here in Tasmania in Australia, think it was a dealer car as it was all painted up advertising it. Have heard bad things though about Mitsubishi and reliability, servicing costs, etc. This may not be but it may take some researching owner forums on this vehicle.
1:05 The brake lights not coming on when you slow down with regenerative braking is crap. So someone plows into the back of you, but it's ok because technically you didn't use your brakes?
Hi. I am considering one of these as a company car. How much did it cost to charge at home and did you use a 13 amp or 16 amp socket and are you using economy 7 or similar? Thanks Robin
damn, will this come to Canada?! nothing show on their website for 2015 model!!
I *think* those silly names, like SUV, are a means of re-categorising vehicles in order to avoid government performance/environmental restrictions. My old caravan was technically a truck somehow, not a van, and ate gas like there was no tomorrow.
Nicely done. Thoughtful.
The machine is probably a bit big for me but the company should be congratulated for breaking the mould (well, somewhat).
Is the car green? Of course not, no car is. The greenest machine is a bicycle. If you also generate your own power (solar PV) then at least some of time you aren't powering the machine by burning coal.
The reason for buying this machine is: you live in a city, have 5 people to transport, have easy access to recharging points (even better creating your own electric power) Otherwise, as I said, get a bike.
So pleased to be in a discussion not led by an overpaid BBC right winger (you know who I mean)
Hi Robert, when you talk about your mpgs are you factoring in the electric recharging cost? I own the turbo diesel 2.25l awd version here in Australia which has a theoretical combined consumption of 5.8 litres per 100km which equates to about 45mpg and no electricity. Also I can drive it 1000km (600 miles+) without having to stop and refuel which would only take about 5 minutes and cost me $120 Australian or about 50 of your pounds. Your thoughts? Wayne
That is nowhere near the current exchange rate. How big is the tank? That must be huge. Also do you actually get that kind of economy?
I have a PHEV 2019 in Canada. It makes an artificially created engine noise so it is not silent. Is there a way to turn this off?
I believe there’s a button on the right grouped with a few other buttons.
Together with MPG, you should count the kwh (or cost) of electric power charged..
Why let the facts get in the way of all the hype. I think this should have a diesel engine if were talking mpg
Cost to charge (obviously depending on tariffs) works out at about 27p at home (I can do it for free at work too thanks to my environmentally minded employers)
Kind of late to this but are they still reliable?
Great piece - I am working through your 'back catalogue now'. I am a fan of the Outlander PHEV. As I write, April 2016, 18 months on from your pice here, Mitsubishi have been found to be cheating by pumping the tyres to excessive rock-like pressures to falsify mpg figures. HOWEVER, this is a shame, not representative of the new urgency and competence with which this company has gone hybrid. BRAKE LIGHTS point - terrible design flaw! This car, is missed out of almost every 'face-off' or top 10 list of hybrids - the writers have something against it, some axe to grind, perhaps that it knocks the other 9 into a cocked hat. This is a PROPER decent hybrid vehicle, the market leader IMHO. Electric only, taking it off road, really cool. I like your pseudo Jeremy Clarkson impressions.
People always do this to a good Japanese car. They did the same to the rx400h. The rx400h was way better then a ranger rover sport, x5, ml 06 plate times.
Mitsubishi is a company so big they have resources.
Thanks that is informative
how much it is in the metric systrm? 68 ml Gallon
I'm still waiting for and looking forward to, the cost of fully electric cars to come down to my level. I have, however just purchased a 2002 Fiat Doblo 1.9 diesel 7 seater and I am getting a real world 60mpg over my first 400 miles without using a motorway, only A roads and through town (30mile round trip commute) The vehicle is quite big so I don't think 65-75mpg real world for this Mitsubishi is not that impressive by comparison...
on a 30 mile round trip the outlander may not use any fossil fuel ... just 60p of octopus go electricity
I wasted a full petrol tank until i realised the regenerative breaks are not automated. You only use them on breaking then you have to reset it to B0 otherwise it will double your consumption.
The default setting for regenerative braking is B2. That is the regenerative setting for D in auto mode.
I'm wondering if it's worth buying a 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander 2.0 PHEV that has about 300.000 km/miles on it. 🤔
Very interesting car
We bought one last July (England) and since Mid October have only been getting 17 or less in a full charge! Should it drop this much in cold weather? Love the car though and it tows our four-berth caravan easily.
Has that improved how’s your get on ?
@@A4ANT We really do love the car and replaced it with a newer one last year. A Slightly bigger engine now and getting 25 electric miles in the summer, sometimes more. At the moment, in cold weather, getting around 19/20 electric miles.
@@berylrippon912 - nice ! I won’t have easy access to home charging but can get away with it at night probably ( through flat window down to parking bay 😁)
Will it harm the battery if I mostly use rapid chargers 🔌 ?
@@A4ANT Sorry, but I don't know.
You can go local shopping and back purely on electric mode
It might be a better fit for where I live (Canada), assuming it's available here. It's mostly short commutes (like everywhere else) with the occasional very long trip (by Euro standards), plus some camping.
The problem is, people buy these to get the £5000 grant but, apparently, over 75% of owners never charge them and so it simply makes them more affordable than the diesel option.
Where does that statistic come from? You would be mad to own one and not plug it in. It might be a struggle if you don't have your own parking space at home though.
Can I upgrade my 2020 Mitsubishi hybrid battery to the 20kw battery?
Losing the rear pop up 3rd row seats? They need to figure out how to retain those AND add the battery. It is HUGE selling point for the Outlander. I am Bummed. Thought I found the perfect growing family car.
I am pretty sure this is the vehicle that will replace my WJ Grand Cherokee!
You know what would make a really awesome off road EV?
The Rimac Concept One with an off road body.
you didnt want anything too big so you got a Tesla model S ?
Petrol engine because of rpm is 11000 upto which helps motor to spin alots to charge the battery the more Dynamo will spin if diesel then rpm is limited to 6000 rpm .
have you heard of gearing
Can you still use 4 wheel drive if the battery is discharged?
Pretty good