If you’re scared of going fully electric in your next vehicle, then the Mitsubishi Outlander GT PHEV should be right at the top of your road test list. It’s electric for most of your driving needs and gas powered for your range anxiety…oh, and it’s a damn good SUV too!
Toronto, Ontario – Mitsubishi has announced pricing for its all-electric i-MiEV, which will start at $32,998 when it goes on sale later this year. The company said that the four-door, four-passenger subcompact hatchback will be the most affordable mass-produced all-electric vehicle in the Canadian marketplace. The i-MiEV has a top speed of 130 km/h and a targeted range of 135 kilometres, which will make it “an excellent commuter vehicle for many Canadians living in urban areas,” the company said. The standard i-MiEV will have an MSRP of $32,998, while the top-line i-MiEV with Premium Package will be $35,998.Ontario and Quebec have already announced subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles. Ontario’s credit of $8,230 will reduce the i-MiEV’s net MSRP to $24,768, while Quebec’s $7,769 credit will reduce it to $25,229. Quebec will also offer a 50 percent subsidy on the purchase and installation of a home charger to a maximum of $1,000. I’m re-posting my review on the i-MiEV. Here’s what I thought about it…
While the base Lancer without the lower body kit and rear wing is no dog, the GTS adds enough looks and pizzazz to make it a far more attractive car. But it’s not just different in the looks department – for 2009 the GTS got a bigger engine and therefore becomes a completely different car from other Lancer models.
Sweaty palms, shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat. I didn’t know it yet but I had fallen in love. That was the first few seconds of my experience behind the wheel of the 2010 Evo – I hadn’t even left the parking lot yet and it was more than I had expected!!! Driving at barely faster than idle, I felt like Charlton Heston in “Ben-Hur” when he was holding the reins of those four stallions while steering a chariot. The Evo feels like it’s on a razor’s edge, but not uncomfortably so. After a day though, the feeling subsides and it’s just like every other car, albeit with tons of get up and go.
We test the iMiEV – the gas version of the electric iCar, with the steering wheel on the wrong side! I first saw the iCar at the Toronto Auto Show in February 2009. At the time the president of Mitsubishi Canada was telling the auto journalist crowd that he was rooting for the iCar and doing everything in his power to convince the powers-that-be in Mitsubishi’s Japanese HQ that it would be a perfect fit for Canada (I wasn’t at the Detroit show, so perhaps the president of Mitsubishi U.S. said the same).
The Mitsubishi Lancer was last redesigned for the 2001 model year, so needless to say it was long overdue for a facelift. Not a moment too soon, with 2008 came the all-new model, and it’s a looker. Based on the 2005 Concept-X show car, many of its features were retained for the actual version available to the public. While not as sexy as the top range GTS, the base model preserves 99% of the good looks that make this compact car stand out in the crowd. It’s also got far more content and safety features than you’d expect in a car in this class and price bracket. In a sea of “blah” generic econoboxes, the Lancer gets people’s heads twisting for a second-glance.
The Mitsubishi Galant was re-designed for the 2007 model year and since I liked the 2006 model so much, I thought I’d take another look at this new car. In the summer of 2006 I drove the top-of-the-line GTS model. For 2007 and beyond, the top-end Ralliart name returns to the Galant fold. Much like the GTS – the Ralliart comes only one way – fully loaded with no options, including satellite navigation. That’s one thing that I really like about Mitsubishi – the model ranges are very simple and the prices reasonable for the many extras that are included within the various models.
My opinion on the looks of various Mitsubishi vehicles has been documented in this very space through previous Road Tests – such as the Galant and Endeavor. To quote myself: “Not ugly – just unattractive in the way Katie Holmes and Jennifer Aniston look – only one of them will make your heart skip a beat.” We’ve already reviewed Katie Holmes – now it’s Jennifer’s turn… Look at this car – it certainly makes my heart skip a beat! Hubba-Hubba!
The 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor is considered a midsize crossover SUV, mixing the benefits of “an SUV with the driving performance and handling of a passenger car.” I think they’ve accomplished what they’ve set out to do exceptionally well. While driving the Endeavor around twisty back roads I had to continually remind myself that this wasn’t a sports car. It handles and behaves just like a sports sedan – albeit a bigger and heavier one.
Mitsubishi cars and trucks are probably the most under-rated vehicles in North America. They’ve been with us since the 70’s either as a Mitsubishi, or some form of re-badged Chrysler product. I owned a couple of Dodge (Mitsubishi) Colts back in the early ‘90’s and they were great cars – unbreakable and extremely reliable. They needed only 3 things to keep them going: gas, oil and a key. They were reasonably priced, great on gas, and never once went back to the dealership for anything other than an oil change.
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