Time to say goodbye.......

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Forum

Help Support Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

geoffshep69

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 30, 2015
Messages
215
Location
Edinburgh
Had my PHEV for 3 years now, and have really enjoyed it, but time to move on unfortunately and I’m not going to be replacing it with another one.

I got mine at a time when the tax treatment was extremely favourable, particularly with the government grant towards the purchase price and the 5% BIK tax. As a company car driver, it made a lot of sense at that time, as the monthly lease cost to me was about £100 than what I would pay for an equivalent diesel SUV. That was before adding in the saving from ‘electric miles; being cheaper than ‘petrol miles’ so it really was a bit of a no brainer for me at the time.

Unfortunately the increase in lease prices, plus the ever increasing BIK figure, means that it simply doesn’t make economic sense to take it on a company car scheme any more, and the high cost of the PHEV (in comparison to other petrol / diesel SUVs) means that it doesn’t make sense as a personal purchase either.

Appreciate that the economics aren’t everything, and some people will say they bought their’s for the environmental impact, etc. That’s fine, I have no problem with that, each to their own choice, but for me the figures have to add up and I’m not going to pay over the odds just for some perceived additional value that I am helping the environment.

I’ve liked the car, and have very few niggles with it. Its big, comfortable, easy to drive and has never given me a problem. It eats up the motorway miles when required, and is perfectly civilised (and quiet) to drive around town. The MMCS is adequate, rather than brilliant, and it’s a little clunky but its by no means terrible and I’ve had no issues with the sat nav despite what some others post on here. Fuel consumption (once battery depleted) has dropped off a bit over the past year, despite my driving style remaining constant. Not sure why that is, but I used to easily get the concensus figure of 35mpg, whereas now its more like 32mpg. The ‘racing engine’ can be a little annoying, but you soon learn to live with it and understand why its doing that. Its only when I have people in the car and it happens, that I feel the need to either explain the noise or to ease off the throttle a bit. The pre-heating is a god send in the winter, and the app is functional, albeit clearly a previous generation interface.

Couldn’t decide what to get next….wanted something a bit sportier, bit more upmarket, but also still with 5 doors and a hatchback. Would never ever consider going back to a saloon car with a ‘boot’. Considered Audi A5 Sportback, and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, but have ended up going for a Mercedes GLC Coupe. For some reason the lease price for the Coupe is slightly cheaper than the SUV, despite the list price being £3000 - £4000 higher.

Anyway, this forum has been a great source of information for me. There are so many on here who are prepared to share their knowledge and experience, so hopefully this forum keeps going strong for future PHEV owners.

All the best to everyone on here.
 
I am a private owner of a 4s so no fiscal advantages to me at all by having a PHEV ... I am far from London as well. However, the luxury and refinement of the car is competitive and the fuel economy amazing (I have lots of short journeys). I love it and would have the same again.
 
Chuck said:
I am a private owner of a 4s so no fiscal advantages to me at all by having a PHEV
Being completely mercenary about it, in the three years I've had my PHEV, I've put just over 6,000kWh of electricity into it, which I reckon has saved me about £1,200* of petrol (net of the cost of the electricity) and probably about £300 a year on road tax. That's great, but £700 a year won't cover the extra cost of a PHEV over conventionally powered but otherwise similar vehicles. If it's a company car then the favourable (but diminishing) 'benefit in kind' treatment is more significant.

So you really need to be looking for other reasons. Environmental might be one - personally. I love the quietness of electric drive (though ICE power is pretty quiet these days).

* obviously somewhat usage-dependant, if you have a 20-mile commute and can charge at both ends, you could more than double that.
 
I’m not quite sure why people keep posting that PHEV BIK is no longer significant? It still has a huge impact for company car drivers, but to get huge savings you need a BEV now (and quite rightly).
If you get anything other than a phev or BEV your simply paying more tax than the value of the lease. PHEVs are about neutral.
 
If that comment was aimed at me, Craigy, it isn't what I said. BIK is still significant for PHEVs, but diminishing each year,
 
Hi, yeah a little, but not just you. I just seem to read this comment constantly. Yes it has diminished compared to BEVs but it really hasn’t if you compare it to ICE vehicles, and after this next tax year it goes back down slightly (all ice vehicles will continue to climb).
I’m not sure how the OP has come to choose the Mercedes, it’s a lovely car but insane amounts of tax payable!
 
Craigy said:
Hi, yeah a little, but not just you. I just seem to read this comment constantly. Yes it has diminished compared to BEVs but it really hasn’t if you compare it to ICE vehicles, and after this next tax year it goes back down slightly (all ice vehicles will continue to climb).
I’m not sure how the OP has come to choose the Mercedes, it’s a lovely car but insane amounts of tax payable!

Sorry, I should probably clarify that my new car is on a personal lease deal, as I’ve decided to come out of the company car scheme.

Agree that taking the Mercedes on the company car scheme, with the associated BIK, would be madness !

The BIK 3 years ago was 5%, and significantly lower than other diesels / petrols. Whilst everything has gone up, including diesel and petrol, the BIK differential for the PHEV doesn’t make it worthwhile or economic, at least not on my company scheme.

The lease cost for a new PHEV, plus the BIK that comes with it, would be more than I am paying on a personal lease for a £45k Mercedes. I like the PHEV, but not enough to pay more money for it than I can pay for a far more upmarket and luxurious car.
 
Thought I'd pay one last visit to the forum.....and this seemed an appropriate thread.....I'll be handing back my 4HS after just over four years of company car ownership, some time next week. As others have said, this forum has been a great source of information, particularly in the early days when we were all discovering the pros and cons of the Outlander PHEV.

I've thoroughly enjoyed the car, and it has given me no problems in over four years. I've got used to its niggles (MMCS, screaming ICE), and appreciate its strengths (BIK, silence, size, preheat). I decided not to choose another Outlander PHEV, although it was a close call.....I've opted for a Volvo XC60 T8 R-Design. The BIK is a little more than the Outlander, and it was a tough choice whether to even stay in the car scheme for the next cycle as the benefits are diminishing, but I'm looking forward to a little more luxury and performance.

No doubt I'll check in here occasionally; who knows, I might be back to Mitsubishi for the next car!

So long and thanks for all the fish!
 
geoffshep69 said:
Craigy said:
Hi, yeah a little, but not just you. I just seem to read this comment constantly. Yes it has diminished compared to BEVs but it really hasn’t if you compare it to ICE vehicles, and after this next tax year it goes back down slightly (all ice vehicles will continue to climb).
I’m not sure how the OP has come to choose the Mercedes, it’s a lovely car but insane amounts of tax payable!

Sorry, I should probably clarify that my new car is on a personal lease deal, as I’ve decided to come out of the company car scheme.

Agree that taking the Mercedes on the company car scheme, with the associated BIK, would be madness !

The BIK 3 years ago was 5%, and significantly lower than other diesels / petrols. Whilst everything has gone up, including diesel and petrol, the BIK differential for the PHEV doesn’t make it worthwhile or economic, at least not on my company scheme.

The lease cost for a new PHEV, plus the BIK that comes with it, would be more than I am paying on a personal lease for a £45k Mercedes. I like the PHEV, but not enough to pay more money for it than I can pay for a far more upmarket and luxurious car.

Well that makes a lot of sense; It’s a really nice car, hope you enjoy!
 
And the XC60 is lush, that T8 is great to drive, little too rich for my blood though. I currently have a Volvo and it hasn’t missed a beat, I’d have another one without a doubt.
 
Back
Top