As I have not properly introduced myself since joining last year my details are:
1. Owned since May 2015. Colt Car Retail (CCR) Used Cars; a 5 months old, 2900 mile demo car.
2, GX4h Glacier Blue
3. A non facelift; I would love to trade in for a 17 Reg before 01 April 2017. However, read in the motoring section of the Sunday Times, 2 or 3 months ago, that the enhancement to the suspension on the facelift 2016 model, supposedly done by Mitsubishi after listening to its owners, has actually made the ride harder, not the way to be going for this type of car!
4. Since 1993 I have owned three Shoguns, a Kia Sorento and latterly before the PHEV, a 08 Reg 2.2 Diamond Outlander. I have been interested in the PHEV since it was first mentioned in the Motoring Press and I was keen to get back to an Auto gearbox SUV. However concerns over the recent diesel emissions debate prevented me saving money and buying the ASX 2.2 diesel 7 speed auto 4x4 (same setup as the Outlander Diesel auto) and very impressive on a test drive. However as well as feeling smug at not running a diesel, I am now hugely impressed by the electric driving experience Mitsubishi with UK’s GKN Driveline, have produced. It is the Hybrid drivetrain for the future, eliminating the need for Gear boxes, differentials, 4 WHD transmissions etc which most of the other PHEV offerings have not done, yet.
5. Wiltshire, near Salisbury
6. Retired
7. No previous experience except as a child on “Dodgem (bumper) cars! Having now done nearly 10K miles in 10 plus months including my two annual fishing trips to Scotland (Outer Hebrides and the Aberdeenshire River Dee), I am very happy with the driving experience. Of course you have to plan off motorway refueling stops to fill up every 300 odd miles and ensure you have sufficient charge left in the Drive battery for known hill climbs on route, but not a problem thanks to Google, Morrison's supermarkets S/Stns, CYC and Ecotricity charging. Being able to drive on the single track/passing place roads or twisting roads in general in the Highlands with selective Regen Braking on Paddles is brilliant and must be saving a lot of brake pad wear as well as gasoline. There was even a CYC Network Charging Post last year at the Lochmaddy ferry terminal, 2 minutes’ walk from my hotel. On the River Dee trip in April, I had the opportunity to take the car off road on some challenging rutted tracks to reach some of the Salmon pools, following the Gillie’s Landrover in. I can say that providing the ruts are not too deep (they weren't), this car does the business even on slopes and tight corners. Even at a crawling low speed, with the 4 WHD locked and the AWC switched off, the car on battery had no problems “hauling” itself up some seriously sloped rutted dirt tracks which would have stalled an ICU vehicle unless you gave the accelerator pedal some “welly” which you might not want to do with 20+K's worth of ones own precious car on a narrow track! This is the advantage of a powerful electric motor on each axle. The only concern I have now, is what will happen with the battery pack! At what stage do you call it a day and ask Mitsubishi for a replacement? Will it be cheaper than currently predicted? Or should you trade in for something else before the 5 year warranty runs out on the Hybrid system? Will I regret not buying a diesel SUV?
(we only went to look ...)
