Although we do not need a second car right now, we have been doing some research, just in case. We currently commute together in an '08 Prius. We're lucky, but that could change with different jobs in opposite directions or non-matching work hours. Volume-wise the Prius is more than enough car for the two of us. So, for what is typically a one hour, one way drive we don't mind down sizing. Basically, we are trying to get smart on various cars that would be used as an urban commuter, ~30 miles round trip. It seems like an EV would not only do just fine, it is the preferred alternative as gas costs creep upward. We have test driven the LEAF, and the Scion iQ. (And may drive the FIAT 500 just for fun. Test driving new cars can be addictive!) The LEAF, for all its technological savvy, seemed like more car, and particularly more features than we need or want. The iQ was an amazing little car, but it's gas powered and too small. It would probably take two trips out-and-back to do the weekend errands/shopping. (There are some EV iQs in Oregon as part of an exploratory for-hire EV program.) We have read that the I is a "small" car. Well, OK. But compared to what? We felt that being significantly smaller than a Honda Fit might be too small. So, we did a quick I-Fit-Prius specs comparison. (Data from Edmonds.) Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Column 4 Column 5 Column 6 0 (In inches) I Fit Prius Note 1 Length 144.8 161.6 175.0 * 2 Width 62.4 66.7 67.9 3 Height 63.6 60.0 58.7 4 Wheel Base 100.4 98.4 106.3 5 Front head room 35.6 40.4 39.1 6 Front hip room 51.5 51.0 7 Front leg room 33.8 41.3 41.9 @ 8 Front shoulder room 54.8 52.7 55.0 9 Rear hip room 51.3 51.6 10 Rear Head room 34.3 39.0 37.3 11 Rear leg room 30.0 34.5 38.6 # 12 Rear shoulder room 54.8 51.3 52.9 13 Cargo seats in place 13.2 20.6 14.4 14 Max cargo 50.4 57.3 15 Curb weight (lbs) 2579 2496 2932 16 Turning circle (ft) 34.4 34.1 * I-Prius length difference mainly due Prius front/rear overhangs @ I can stretch out in the Prius, was "just a little" cramped in the I. # 30.0"! Seats hard and flat. Should not be a big problem due 95%+ one/two person use. So, without getting too overly critical, the I is roughly the size of a Fit. There is a Mitsu dealer who is selling the I within 5 miles of our home. However, despite there being dealer test drive cars on the ground in the Port of Baltimore, the dealer does not yet have any chargers installed and has no Is on the lot. With Fiddlerjohn's assistance, I identified other Mitsu dealers in the greater Baltimore/Washington area that have Is on their lot. After calling around we found that although Safford Mitsu in Silver Spring isn't open on Sunday, their Is are out front, easily accessible… and at least one would be unlocked !!!??? Last Sunday, we drove to Safford to see the I -- 80 miles round trip, just over 1.5 gal. gas in the Prius. The cars were there and the silver ES was unlocked. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves poking around, getting in and out, and identifying the various features. I'm 6' 1" tall and had plenty of head room. The white/blue SE was locked. Still we were able to identify and compare, at least by sight, differences due upgrading. We'll test drive the I when our local dealer gets their Is on the lot. Our preliminary assessment was that at least with regard to driver/passenger room, the I would do just fine. Although the predicted range is only 76 miles -- I suspect that I can do better -- we could live with that too. While we don't need a second car, urban commuter right now, should the need arise -- changes in employment or gas going above $5 -- the I will be first on our list for consideration... Ah, but then, the Ford Fusion EV is due out in 2013 isn't it... Oh boy, another opportunity for a new car test drive! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NB: Previously posted at myimiev.com
Rode in the I back in September 2011 at Mitsubishi Owners Day at their North American HQ in Cypress, CA. Its very quiet and more roomy than I had thought before, granted they only had JDM RHD versions which I was told was narrower than the US versions.
For the record: Overall, the U.S.-spec Mitsubishi i-MiEV is now almost a foot longer measuring in at just over 12 feet. It is not clear where that extra length was added in, but the production i-MiEV does sport a much longer snout than the version intended for Japanese and European markets. As for the width, it too has been stretched by about four inches to give the i-MiEV an overall width of 5 feet 2 inches. The height of the car remains pretty much the same as the foreign-market versions. Mitsubishi Releases Photos, Info on U.S.-spec i-MiEV | Car.com
