Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV owner impressions (USA)

C

chance again

New Member
Hello Everyone - Have been a guest on here for awhile, decided to join as I just purchased a new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in the US (New England area).
In my trip of 93 miles between gas stations near the dealer and near my home, I averaged 35mpg. This was mostly highway driving but did include a 10 mile section of 10-20mph driving due to an accident.
I had the battery save mode pressed which does not use the electric assist at all (saves it for later). I also had the Eco button pressed. The only thing I can think of as to why the EPA rating is only 25mpg combined (think I saw somewhere that the highway rating was only 26mpg) is that they decided that lead-footed Americans would never use the Eco switch, so they didn't test it that way.
Think I saw a comment on here awhile ago that said that the Outlander PHEV had the lowest electric only miles (EPA 22 miles) of the currently available US plug-ins. I don't believe that's true, especially for AWD SUVs that are tow rated.
For instance, the BMW X5 xdrive 40 e is rated at 14 miles, the Mercedes GLE 20 miles and the Volvo XC90 at 19 miles. They also all cost at least $15,000. more.
Some things I like are: The adjustable regenerative braking. On the way home from the gas station I used electric drive with the highest regen setting and think it may have potential for one pedal driving. The heated steering wheel - definitely is appreciated by seniors like myself with less than robust circulation which leads to cold hands a lot. In EV mode, you can accelerate at a respectable rate without having the gas engine come on. (We also have a Gen 1 Prius plug-in and you have to accelerate quite slowly to keep the gas engine off on that). The charging port door locks when the car is locked. (The one on the Prius doesn't).
The only thing I've noticed that I like better on the Prius is that the charging indicator light is at the charging port, whereas on the Outlander it's on the dash.
I will post more at some point when I've had more experience with the Outlander.
 
Thanks for sharing!
We here in the US have been waiting forever for the Outlander PHEV to get here, and so it's great to finally start getting some US owner feedback.

Looking forward to hearing more.
 
chance again said:
Hello Everyone - Have been a guest on here for awhile, decided to join as I just purchased a new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in the US (New England area).
In my trip of 93 miles between gas stations near the dealer and near my home, I averaged 35mpg. This was mostly highway driving but did include a 10 mile section of 10-20mph driving due to an accident.
...
I will post more at some point when I've had more experience with the Outlander.
Click to expand...

Yes, please post more. Especially your gas mileage experience when the battery is exhausted. I'm considering buying one, but that 25 gas only MPG on the sticker has me worried. The electric range is not bad considering it's size and AWD capability, but with that low a range, I would be using the gas engine a lot more than in our Volt, so if I was only expecting 25 MPG, I would not buy one. Also if you are in an area that gets snow and ice, let us know how the AWD handles things. Oh and towing of course, if you tow. My wife and I are actually thinking of replacing both a Chevy Volt and a Subaru Outback with just one Outlander. It is the only reasonably priced PHEV that covers both our desire to use electric power for our short trip days and occasional towing of a utility trailer.

Could you verify whether or not the drivers power seat has memory for 2 drivers? There is no mention of memory in the specs. It would be a major disappointment for me if there is no memory.
 
Not sure about the new PHEV, but the older version, which the US didnt get, has a charging light indicator in the charging port, the port light will flash 3 times when charging starts, then turns off.

totally agree that the best feature is the adjustable regen, dont know why other EV's dont have it.

to get the best economy on a trip outside Ev range, say, 50 miles or so, is leave regen at 0, and learn to coast, it rolls for ever.. and let the battery drain, then let the car do its thing, you will find you get MPG well over 75 sometimes.
 
chance again said:
Hello Everyone - Have been a guest on here for awhile, decided to join as I just purchased a new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in the US (New England area).
In my trip of 93 miles between gas stations near the dealer and near my home, I averaged 35mpg. This was mostly highway driving but did include a 10 mile section of 10-20mph driving due to an accident.
I had the battery save mode pressed which does not use the electric assist at all (saves it for later). I also had the Eco button pressed. The only thing I can think of as to why the EPA rating is only 25mpg combined (think I saw somewhere that the highway rating was only 26mpg) is that they decided that lead-footed Americans would never use the Eco switch, so they didn't test it that way.
Think I saw a comment on here awhile ago that said that the Outlander PHEV had the lowest electric only miles (EPA 22 miles) of the currently available US plug-ins. I don't believe that's true, especially for AWD SUVs that are tow rated.
For instance, the BMW X5 xdrive 40 e is rated at 14 miles, the Mercedes GLE 20 miles and the Volvo XC90 at 19 miles. They also all cost at least $15,000. more.
Some things I like are: The adjustable regenerative braking. On the way home from the gas station I used electric drive with the highest regen setting and think it may have potential for one pedal driving. The heated steering wheel - definitely is appreciated by seniors like myself with less than robust circulation which leads to cold hands a lot. In EV mode, you can accelerate at a respectable rate without having the gas engine come on. (We also have a Gen 1 Prius plug-in and you have to accelerate quite slowly to keep the gas engine off on that). The charging port door locks when the car is locked. (The one on the Prius doesn't).
The only thing I've noticed that I like better on the Prius is that the charging indicator light is at the charging port, whereas on the Outlander it's on the dash.
I will post more at some point when I've had more experience with the Outlander.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear you're having a great first few days with the Outlander. 35 mpg is pretty darn good!

I would love to see if that holds up over time, so I am looking forward to an update on this. :)
 
pdxman1 said:
Yes, please post more. Especially your gas mileage experience when the battery is exhausted. I'm considering buying one, but that 25 gas only MPG on the sticker has me worried. The electric range is not bad considering it's size and AWD capability, but with that low a range, I would be using the gas engine a lot more than in our Volt, so if I was only expecting 25 MPG, I would not buy one. Also if you are in an area that gets snow and ice, let us know how the AWD handles things. Oh and towing of course, if you tow. My wife and I are actually thinking of replacing both a Chevy Volt and a Subaru Outback with just one Outlander. It is the only reasonably priced PHEV that covers both our desire to use electric power for our short trip days and occasional towing of a utility trailer.

Could you verify whether or not the drivers power seat has memory for 2 drivers? There is no mention of memory in the specs. It would be a major disappointment for me if there is no memory.
Click to expand...
Hello pdxman1 -As I understand it, when the battery save switch is used, as I did, the battery does not come into play at all, which would make the 35mpg I got similar to what you would get when the battery is exhausted. Since I've been back at my local area, I've only used ev mode. No snow or ice use yet but I have determined that the highest regen setting is almost but not quite one pedal driving. The last 3-4 mph before a stop requires braking, unlike the Chevy Bolt I test drove, where I could actually come to a complete stop just using the regen. I can not find anything in the owner's manual about memory seat adjustments. I agree that would be nice but fortunately my wife and I use the same setting, so not much of an issue for us. I haven't towed yet because my local dealer, which is not one of the ev certified ones, is afraid to do the wiring hookup, so I have to take it to the ev certified one to get that done.
 
SydEv said:
Not sure about the new PHEV, but the older version, which the US didnt get, has a charging light indicator in the charging port, the port light will flash 3 times when charging starts, then turns off.

totally agree that the best feature is the adjustable regen, dont know why other EV's dont have it.

to get the best economy on a trip outside Ev range, say, 50 miles or so, is leave regen at 0, and learn to coast, it rolls for ever.. and let the battery drain, then let the car do its thing, you will find you get MPG well over 75 sometimes.
Click to expand...
Hello SydEv - Yes, this Outlander does have the blink 3 times feature to indicate charging has begun but then as you mention, it turns off. The Prius has an indicator that stays on until charging has finished (at the charging port). The outlander has that too, but it's on the dash instead. A very minor quibble, I just prefer the port location over the dash location.
 
Hello Everyone-we live in Atlanta and just bought a new 2018 Outlander PHEV, and are very pleased so far. The list on this was over $36K, and we got it for right at $30K with discounts and negotiations (before tax etc).

We previously had leased a Nissan Leaf and used that it to do mostly short commutes to/from work. That lease ended, and we wanted to replace it with something that was EV but also could go long-distance for out of state trips. We also needed an SUV due to a child with wheelchair. The only option that we could find that was also affordable was the Mistubishi Outlander PHEV, which was getting rave reviews in Europe. I'm not usually an early adopter, wanting for new things to have the bugs worked out. But the European experiences and reviews reduced my anxiety.

So, we waited until if FINALLY came to the US this year, and pulled the trigger. We've been driving it for about 3 weeks, using it mostly for short work commute and around town trips. We use the EV only mode much of the time, and most daily use is under the EPA 22 mi all EV range. My experience so far is that it exceeds 22 miles, but not certain of the range. We are still on the original gas fill-up, and so far, we've gotten over 300 miles using approximately 1.5 gals of gas. We haven't travelled long distant/highway yet, but will and expect the 35 mpg.

Its doing exactly what we wanted it to do so far, and it is a nice ride with many creature comforts as standard (though most new cars have such features as standard).

I highly recommend it. I'm, puzzled no other car makers have come up with this idea before (PHEV SUV). Its seems to be a no brainer that would be very popular. The sweet spot, so to speak. USNWR agrees: https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...-outlander-plugs-into-practicality/508846002/
 
I have found, that without ac,I can easily get 27-28 miles on a full charge in city traffic. Hwy is a different story. I have been experimenting with charging the batteries while driving on EV, I think that might be a economical mode of traveling but have no conclusion yet. 2,300+ miles later I am still glad I bought it.
 
LARS DAHL said:
I have found, that without ac,I can easily get 27-28 miles on a full charge in city traffic. Hwy is a different story. I have been experimenting with charging the batteries while driving on EV, I think that might be a economical mode of traveling but have no conclusion yet. 2,300+ miles later I am still glad I bought it.
Click to expand...

Glad to hear it's going so well. I didn't realize it can charge the battery with the engine while driving. I guess that's user selectable? I believe the Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid also does this, and is pretty handy in some situations. Can you tell if it makes a big dent in your gas mileage during charging-while-driving?
 
LARS DAHL said:
I have found, that without ac,I can easily get 27-28 miles on a full charge in city traffic. Hwy is a different story. I have been experimenting with charging the batteries while driving on EV, I think that might be a economical mode of traveling but have no conclusion yet. 2,300+ miles later I am still glad I bought it.
Click to expand...

LARS- thanks for the helpful info. You mention charging the battery while driving EV. I did not know you could do that. SO, in your case, do you select EV mode AND ALSO the charge mode simultaneously, resulting in the gas engine running the generator to charge the battery, while driving/propelling the car on 100% electric?
 
John Hepler said:
LARS- thanks for the helpful info. You mention charging the battery while driving EV. I did not know you could do that. SO, in your case, do you select EV mode AND ALSO the charge mode simultaneously, resulting in the gas engine running the generator to charge the battery, while driving/propelling the car on 100% electric?
Click to expand...

Sadly I screwed up and said EV mode that was and is not it. I meant the ECO green button on the dash. Again sorry
 
No problem LARS. That makes more sense. I try to drive in ECO mode all the time, but I havn't figured out exactly what it saves.

Still, 400+ miles and original dealer gas filled tank still 85% full (maybe used 1.5 gals?- Note: All by my wife). I'm curious to see how far I can go before a fill-up.
 
Domenick said:
Thanks for sharing!
We here in the US have been waiting forever for the Outlander PHEV to get here, and so it's great to finally start getting some US owner feedback.

Looking forward to hearing more.
Click to expand...
John Hepler said:
No problem LARS. That makes more sense. I try to drive in ECO mode all the time, but I havn't figured out exactly what it saves.

Still, 400+ miles and original dealer gas filled tank still 85% full (maybe used 1.5 gals?- Note: All by my wife). I'm curious to see how far I can go before a fill-up.
Click to expand...
 
This thread has been quiet for awhile now. Any info on the USA 2020 PHEV? Are we getting the upgraded battery and extra miles that the Euro's got in 2019?
 
Larry G said:
This thread has been quiet for awhile now. Any info on the USA 2020 PHEV? Are we getting the upgraded battery and extra miles that the Euro's got in 2019?
Click to expand...
Good timing! A Mitsubishi rep had an online discussion with auto journos yesterday and was asked about that. Here is the question and response (which I take as a "yes").

"...will the US received the Outlander PHEV updates the international version received, like the 2.4-liter motor + larger battery?"

"'we don't discuss future product'. But..."
 
Hi Domenick,
What information they released so far only talks about a new color, some new interior lux packages and some cosmetic changes. but they are saying nothing about the engines and batteries. My local dealers in PHX aren't saying anything either. I am interested in buying one but I want the Euro spec, (2.4 and 13.8). They will have competition in the US this 2020 model year, as Ford is releasing the Escape Phev in March/April with an expected EV range greater than 30 and priced in the same 35-40 range. I would prefer the Outlander PHEV but at 22??? I hope you are right about the "yes". I believe they are due out next month in September, 2019. If you are right, I will be buying a 2020 when they are released.
Perhaps they are just trying to protect 2019 sales by being quiet about the engine and battery.
 
chance again said:
Hello Everyone - Have been a guest on here for awhile, decided to join as I just purchased a new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV in the US (New England area).
In my trip of 93 miles between gas stations near the dealer and near my home, I averaged 35mpg. This was mostly highway driving but did include a 10 mile section of 10-20mph driving due to an accident.
I had the battery save mode pressed which does not use the electric assist at all (saves it for later). I also had the Eco button pressed. The only thing I can think of as to why the EPA rating is only 25mpg combined (think I saw somewhere that the highway rating was only 26mpg) is that they decided that lead-footed Americans would never use the Eco switch, so they didn't test it that way.
Think I saw a comment on here awhile ago that said that the Outlander PHEV had the lowest electric only miles (EPA 22 miles) of the currently available US plug-ins. I don't believe that's true, especially for AWD SUVs that are tow rated.
For instance, the BMW X5 xdrive 40 e is rated at 14 miles, the Mercedes GLE 20 miles and the Volvo XC90 at 19 miles. They also all cost at least $15,000. more.
Some things I like are: The adjustable regenerative braking. On the way home from the gas station I used electric drive with the highest regen setting and think it may have potential for one pedal driving. The heated steering wheel - definitely is appreciated by seniors like myself with less than robust circulation which leads to cold hands a lot. In EV mode, you can accelerate at a respectable rate without having the gas engine come on. (We also have a Gen 1 Prius plug-in and you have to accelerate quite slowly to keep the gas engine off on that). The charging port door locks when the car is locked. (The one on the Prius doesn't).
The only thing I've noticed that I like better on the Prius is that the charging indicator light is at the charging port, whereas on the Outlander it's on the dash.
I will post more at some point when I've had more experience with the Outlander.
Click to expand...

Chance again

I looked hard at the Mitsubishi outlander PHEV last year. I ended up with the Honda Clarity primarily due to the 50 mi ev range vs low 20's for the outlander.

I remain interested in the outlander as a potential purchase in a year or two. I'll read with interest any posts you generate.

Good luck.
 
Clarity_Newbie said:
Chance again

I looked hard at the Mitsubishi outlander PHEV last year. I ended up with the Honda Clarity primarily due to the 50 mi ev range vs low 20's for the outlander.

I remain interested in the outlander as a potential purchase in a year or two. I'll read with interest any posts you generate.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
hi l
Clarity_Newbie said:
Chance again

I looked hard at the Mitsubishi outlander PHEV last year. I ended up with the Honda Clarity primarily due to the 50 mi ev range vs low 20's for the outlander.

I remain interested in the outlander as a potential purchase in a year or two. I'll read with interest any posts you generate.

Good luck.
Click to expand...


Hi Clarity,
The Honda (and 50 miles) is not an option for me, as I need a SUV with my dogs.

But getting to or at least close to the 30 mile range is a big improvement over 22 mile range, especially in a full size SUV and would work for me. I will post what info I find as I look at the 2020 Outlander Phev. I see you are in NE, I am a lifelong Bostonian now retired here in Phoenix.
 
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