2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV Overview, Reviews, Ratings & Specs

Jim Royston on September 12, 2024

I have owned one of these for 11 years and love it. I helped a friend get one about 7 years ago and he loves his car, too. The problem is that almost all of them are 2012 models and the batteries are losing one cell out of the 88 cells which renders the car inoperable. I had my battery pack replaced three years ago under warranty for free but the cars for sale now are mostly 2012 cars with a bad cell. Don't buy one! There are a lot of people around the world working on a fix and there is even an Australian company with a battery replacement but it costs over $10K. Nobody is going to buy a $5k car to spend $13k on a new battery pack, even if it has double the original range. If you are looking for a used one you should acquaint yourself with an App called Canion that runs only on Android devices. Another is OBDZero and both can tell you what the remaining Amp hour capacity is on the battery pack. They start at 45Ah new and I would recommend you stay away from anything with less than 35Ah and be sure to look at all 88 cells in Canion when the battery is nearly depleted so you can see if you have any cells with a lower voltage than the rest. I can assure you that most cars out there have junk battery packs that a dealer or individual would just love to unload on you. Don't do it.

Illinois electric toys on November 8, 2019

Buying this used with very low miles as tester. Not a tester anymore. I'm keeping it forever. Its seriously amazing. I calculate 30 minutes a week (26 hours a year!) i don't spend at a gas station. In fact, when I have to go to a gas station to fill my truck once a month, I think the place is gross now... If you can pick one up for 5 or 6 k, make sure to get the loaded model. (worth it). Cold mid-west state. Summers 65 mile range, winter is 45 mile range. I have free charging at work but once a month take a nearly empty battery and slow charge it (per the manual) at home. Pro: Only maintenance is tires, anti-freeze and the occasional car wash so far. (12,000 miles). Rides quick to 40mph. E-Z parking . Fantastic grocery getter. I save $40/week in gas. Cools fast in summer. Quirky. Fun. Totally not me but I enjoy it. Meets 95% of annual driving needs. Cons: insurance a little higher than ICE cars, rare range anxiety. Windy days on open road, you feel it. Oh, and I don't like going over 65mph with this. Back seat levers are junk. Same time to heat interior as an ICE. If you can grab a 2014 or 2016 for a little extra instead of the 2012 do it. If you need something more substatial with a round trip range gauranteed greater than 40+, maybe jump into a focus electric or leaf. I see some of these on CList for 3k. I'm hooked. Its like unplugging from the matrix, any electric or electric with hybrid will change you a bit.

Emily on May 16, 2018

It's got a unique look, to be sure. It may not have a ton of horsepower but it can GO from a dead stop faster than almost any car around you. It's small size makes it a perfect city car, and if you need something reliable and inexpensive for commuting you really can't beat it: I spent at or under $20 a month to charge this car at home. For maintenance: no oil changes, just routine tire pressure checks. Even inspections are cheaper without any emissions to check! Bottom line, this is a fantastic budget vehicle and definitely eye-catching.

EV Fan JD on May 15, 2018

I picked up this car for $5,000 used, which includes taxes and tags. It gets me around town no problem and I am never wanting for extra range. It can travel 62 miles on a charge and I never seem to need more than that in a day. I got a charger so that I can charge in 8 hours, but I'm finding that the stock charger that comes with the car is really all I need about 95% of the time. This car is fun to drive and uses NO GAS! Since it's "tank" is full every time I leave home, I haven't needed to charge at public charging stations yet and I've owned the car for a month and have driven about 600 miles so far.

Ed on March 27, 2018

Great car, comfortable upright seating position, quick, fun to drive, great handling, very easy maintenance. Btw: Every one of these I-mievs come with air conditioning.

JoeS on March 5, 2018

Silent, efficient, more capacious than a Nissan Leaf with the back seats down and completely flat floor, very tight turning radius, super-easy ingress/egress, lots of headroom and elbowroom, fun to drive with very low center of gravity, almost zero-maintenance, ridiculously-low operating cost, and useful for >99% of our family's daily driving needs. Ideal commuter car.

Suzanne on February 22, 2018

was disapointed that i could not adjust the steering wheel, and that there was no air conditioner. also, too manual for me. was not the car for me

genec on July 28, 2017

The I-Miev allows you to get into the pure electric car market at the most affordable price in electric cars. The acceleration on the I-Miev is like nothing you have experienced in gas cars. Since there is only one gear there is no pausing during acceleration, it is pure. The rear seats fold down which gives you a tremendous amount of cargo capacity. Electric cars have many less moving parts than gas cars so maintenance is much cheaper. Drive one and you will be a believer.

All EV for me on May 30, 2017

Does everything a car should with no pollution. I will never buy a petro burner again. Got my 2012 new at dealer for 12.5k

thomashjr on May 3, 2017

What is old is new again: the electric car from the dawn of the auto age is back reinvented, modernized, improved and advanced. No the i-MiEV is not perfect but for in-town urban running about, it has no equal.