Mitsubishi I-Miev - The Most Efficient Car On The Market

Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV is the most efficient car on the market. And, at #33,640 before tax incentives, it’s also one of the cheapest electric cars. Unfortunately, the driving experience reflects that fact. The i-MiEV is puny, tinny, slow, jounce, and clumsy. Its interior never gets warm enough in cold weather. It seats only four people, and they feel crammed together as in cheap theater seats. It also can’t go very far on its long charge times. Overall, this low-priced EV is awfully expensive for what you get.

Mitsubishi I-Miev

Although the i-MiEV fulfills Its mission as an efficient and basic commuter and urban runabout, we think most buyers would be better served spending a little more to buy a more substantial electric car such as the Nissan Leaf or buying a cheaper hybrid car.

On a short leash.

The i-MiEV has a smaller lithium-ion battery than other electric cars we’ve tested, which give the car a typical range of just 56 miles in our experience. (The EPA rating is 62 miles). That’s about 20 miles less than other electric cars. A full charge takes between 6 and 7 hours on a 240-volt charger or 21 hours on a standard household outlet.

A full charge takes between 6 and 7 hours on a 240-volt charger or 21 hours on a standard household outlet.

Many of our drivers noticed that the range indicator didn’t seem very accurate, but at least it erred conservatively, showing less range than they were actually left with.

The car’s 63-horsepower electric motor delivers good response up to about 30 mph, but beyond that it feels really sluggish. It recorded one of the slowest 0-to-60-mph acceleration times- 14.7 seconds – we’ve measured in recent years.

The car won’t coast downhill normally because it’s recapturing regenerative braking energy. In “B”, or braking, ode it’s possible to reach a stop without applying the brakes.

The car won’t coast downhill normally because it’s recapturing regenerative braking energy

The i-MiEV’s ride is awful, with harsh impacts. The car feels jumpy on uneven roads. And the ride is choppy even on the highway.

In corners, the i-MiEV feels clumsy, and the slow steering requires a lot of input and offers almost no feedback. Ultimately, the car’s narrow width helped it thread our avoidance maneuver quickly and securely. But it felt ungainly and did not inspire confidence because the skinny font tires lost grip easily. At low speed the electric motored whines loudly. As speed builds, tire and wind noise become louder.

the car’s narrow width helped it thread our avoidance maneuver quickly and securely.

Chintzy interior

The cabin feels dated and cheap. Almost all of the plastic trim is hard, several screw heads are visible, and plenty of mold lines are evident in the trim.

Sitting up high makes you feel less vulnerable, but the fixed steering wheel is too far away and the pedals are too close, contributing to an awkward driving position. Plus the seat doesn’t’ go back far enough.

Most controls are simple, except for the radio and integrated navigation system, which has no knobs and can be very distracting. Ridiculously, the navigation system displays gas stations rather than charging stations. Bluetooth connectivity is standard.

This remote lets you heat the car while it’s plugged in to avoid cutting into range.