[Olivier]

Received the car (gx4h) last Wednesday and have been doing my typical local trips. My impressions so far :

The car is a really good drive in my opinion. There is a lot of discussion about how much it is saving in fuel cost that you'd think it's all the car is good at. I was a bit worried that it would be a bit lacking on the acceleration side but shouldn't have. It's more than appropriate for the kind of driving I do, feels nippier than my 2.5 diesel TDI Audi of old. With all this economy talk, I am glad the car doesn't drive like a snail. I don't think there is a way to coerce the car to only use the electric motors at full throttle but please tell me how if I am wrong. Also not sure what the eco mode does.

Talking about economy, I've not gone out of my usual local trips and I don't think I'll use a petrol station any time soon. The indicative range has been pretty accurate so far and I've done nearly 30 miles on electricity alone on the first day. I think the ICE kicked in towards the end but was very quiet and we had windows open so I am not sure how much. At the time I'd not starting playing with the screens to display energy flows.

It took me longer than I expected to get to grips with the basics of the MMCS. It's functional but feels a bit rough around the edges. There's a lot of information but I've not yet found how to display EV range and current trip miles in the same time. I paired my phone with no difficulty and played music from Spotify in minutes. The sound quality is fine, enhanced by the general quietness of the cabin. The navigation is adequate although it's a bit of a shock how grainy it looks, being so used to Google's navigation on my phone.

The remote app is ok, although of very limited use for me. The wifi signal is strong enough that I can access it from the garden side of my house, with the car parked in the front. Annoyingly, I found my phone connecting to it rather than the home router on a few occasions.

Very happy so far, still ticks all our boxes and can't wait to go further afield and experience how it's like at motorway speed

 

[andrew*debbie]

I don't think there is a way to coerce the car to only use the electric motors at full throttle but please tell me how if I am wrong.

I suppose it wouldn't be full power on electric only.

I spoke with a sales person last week. He mentioned that petrol engine comes on at full throttle. The demonstration is part of their test drive.

 

[John2]

I don't think there is a way to coerce the car to only use the electric motors at full throttle but please tell me how if I am wrong. Also not sure what the eco mode does.

I'm still learning how to use the throttle. When I first got the gx3h I found the ICE cutting in quite a lot but have tried to change my technique to keep the power meter in the green zone and the ICE cold. Stabbing the throttle seems to fire up the ICE.

Over 60 I give up and let the ICE kick in. I find it good at motorway speed.

It would be nice to have an EV only switch for lower speeds, and perhaps an electric parking brake. Otherwise there is nothing I would change.

 

[PaulMorris]

+1 for the EV only mode, or copy the LEAF style resistance point in the throttle that you get in ECO mode.
The single most annoying part of the PHEV experience for me is the accidental engine start on a local commute. 98% EV driving score

 

[James Parton]

Annoyingly, I found my phone connecting to it rather than the home router on a few occasions.

Just move your home router above the car in the priority list of WiFi networks your phone connects to.

 

[Rochdale Pioneers]

Definitely interested to see how this car sells. Mitsubishi appear to have received a lot of interest over it and as I don't tend to see many of their vehicles barring the pickup it will be good for them.

Have already started thinking about the EV succession plan! Leaf will be traded for another EV in 2017, I'll need a replacement for the i30 in 2018. Have been up as big as a 5-series in the past so Outlander would be an option. But do I want a car that size again? Must feel great wafting something that big that far on batteries alone.

 

[Casper]

Make it a van then
http://www.greencarreports.com/news...del-for-europe-but-still-a-year-away-for-u-sy

 

[Mark E.]

Hi Olivier, in your original message you said something about getting Spotify up and running quickly.

Can you help me understand how you are doing it?

I got my PHEV this week and the only way I am playing content from my IPHONE is through the Bluetooth Audio, NOT through the USB cable. So to play an album or playlist or whatever, I have to manage it from the iPhone itself - I cannot access the music library from the MMCS screen itself. Having said that, I do get to see the track info on the MMCS display.

I´d be interested in hearing how you are doing it in case its any different.

Cheers
mark

 

[Lynda Gauld]

I've had my PHEV for two week now, done c300 miles and not used a drop of petrol, not even a teaspoonful - very happy with all that end of it. Still trying to work my way round the phone and think I might have a solution to accessing the contacts via the MMCS, but will have to wait until the weekend to get some time to really play about with it as the day job is demanding I be at the desk and not playing in the car! I did plug the iPhone into the USB and it was showing the track info etc on the screen, but that was a fluke as I only plugged it in the charge up the phone and it opened up my music! No idea what I did and have not plugged it in since! It's quite a complex and quirky thing which I can see might irritate some, but I find it all intriguing!

 

[Olivier]

Hi Olivier, in your original message you said something about getting Spotify up and running quickly.

Can you help me understand how you are doing it?

I got my PHEV this week and the only way I am playing content from my IPHONE is through the Bluetooth Audio, NOT through the USB cable. So to play an album or playlist or whatever, I have to manage it from the iPhone itself - I cannot access the music library from the MMCS screen itself. Having said that, I do get to see the track info on the MMCS display.

I´d be interested in hearing how you are doing it in case its any different.

Cheers
mark

Hi,

I am not controlling the music through the mmcs. I control spotify on the phone, I just put a playlist and leave it alone, sorry if I'd suggested I did better than that

 

[Dave Davies]

I have had a PHEV for a year in December (my wife has anyway) it is a gx4hs.
I like bits of it like the radar cruise etc but overall having been a BEV driver for a couple of years I am starting to hate the PHEV as it starts the engine when the temp is cold so you can't do short drives as a BEV unless you preheat before hand, the fact it has an engine makes me hate it the fact it is wifi not gsm for remote access is rubbish.
As for driving it is a nice drive but still fossil at the end of the day

 

[PaulMorris]

Ditto @Dave Davies ... I had one of the firs UK ones delivered in July last year. Handed it back in May. After enjoying the BEV experience of the LEAF my wife and I both despised it having been worn down by the annoying game of how fast can we accelerate without starting the engine or his many preheating cycles do we need this morning to avoid an engine start.

Still a great car, friends who've never taken the bev drug still love it. For us, it was the impetus we needed to bite the bullet bow down at the altar of Tesla and shoot up the ultimate dose of bevtastic smiley juice. New toy has arrived this week... Slippery slope @Dave Davies slippery slope. There should be a support group.

For us the PHEV was an interesting experiment but let down slightly in its implementation. A slightly bigger battery and a bev only mode would have sealed it. That and fix the hard jittery ride - or maybe that was just ours.

 

[Simon Raglione-Hall]

I would love an electric only button too.

 

[Mark E.]

Hi,

I am not controlling the music through the mmcs. I control spotify on the phone, I just put a playlist and leave it alone, sorry if I'd suggested I did better than that

OK thanks for the clarification!
Just out of interest, when you run your Spotify through the phone, where do you put the phone ? I like to keep mine connected to the USB cable so its charging at the same time, and then the cable with phone extends to the area in front of the gear stick. In my last car I used to have a phone dock that allowed me to have it more at eye level so I could control music from the driving position safely, and I might use the same one here, but it seems it would create more clutter and not sure if the cable will reach that far all the way from the compartment where the USB socket is.

 

[Neal Shaw]

I have had a PHEV for a year in December (my wife has anyway) it is a gx4hs.
I like bits of it like the radar cruise etc but overall having been a BEV driver for a couple of years I am starting to hate the PHEV as it starts the engine when the temp is cold so you can't do short drives as a BEV unless you preheat before hand, the fact it has an engine makes me hate it the fact it is wifi not gsm for remote access is rubbish.
As for driving it is a nice drive but still fossil at the end of the day

You are correct the ICE will start if the outside temp is 10 degrees or lower. most of the time I have the heater switched to "off" which will stop the ICE engaging. Of course we all try and use EV as much as possible but I love the backup of a petrol engine.

 

[Lynda Gauld]

but I love the backup of a petrol engine.

Likewise! I think I might be outside the usual EV demographic and that of this forum (female 60+ and driving for longer than the lifetimes of some on here!). For many people the transition to EV may need PHEVs and who knows, once all us old fossils, much more used to fossil fuels, have moved on to fossilise this planet, hybrids and PHEVs may not be required. Every journey starts with one small step and right now for many, probably not on this forum, hybrids and PHEVs etc are likely to be a very necessary 'comfort' to help change minds and mindsets!

 

[Olivier]

OK thanks for the clarification!
Just out of interest, when you run your Spotify through the phone, where do you put the phone ? I like to keep mine connected to the USB cable so its charging at the same time, and then the cable with phone extends to the area in front of the gear stick. In my last car I used to have a phone dock that allowed me to have it more at eye level so I could control music from the driving position safely, and I might use the same one here, but it seems it would create more clutter and not sure if the cable will reach that far all the way from the compartment where the USB socket is.

I usually drop it in the central console. I have a charging cable that I plug in the lighter socket. I also have a windscreen suction holder but only using it when I use the phone for navigation.

 

[Dave Davies]

For us, it was the impetus we needed to bite the bullet bow down at the altar of Tesla and shoot up the ultimate dose of bevtastic smiley juice. New toy has arrived this week... Slippery slope @Dave Davies slippery slope. There should be a support group.

Great stuff, and I agree 100% very slippery.
The outlander could be 100% better with a BEV button

 

[Olivier]

Great stuff, and I agree 100% very slippery.
The outlander could be 100% better with a BEV button

Yes, probably my biggest frustration with the car is the lack of a pure EV mode.

 

[smartie]

The Outlander PHEV battery is probably too small for the size & weight of the car to make a pure EV mode worthwhile.