2014 PHEV Gx4H with only 30k miles or newer with lower spec?

[Farlsborough]

Really keen on a PHEV for a longish commute, given that we already have a Leaf for our short commute. Have wanted the space in an SUV for a while, and 4x4 a bonus.

Budget is about £16k (which includes PX current car valued at about £5k)

I could get a 2016 GX3H but I'm really not sure about the crappy aftermarket parking sensors - given that our jobs (Yorkshire based) often entail using multistorey car parks I do think this is a priority! Otherwise, not bothered about mod cons but I'm guessing most with a screen (for the camera) will have sat nav, and then heated seats are nice in winter too...

So, test drove a 2016 GX3H and enjoyed it, but the charge function was stuck on, so they need to sort that out before considering it. But I've now seen a 2014 GXH with only 30k miles! All the extras I'd want.

Am I being stupid going for a 2 year older car, even with lower miles, just to get those extras? (It's also nearly £2k cheaper so could afford some kind of warranty, although it's not a Mitsubishi dealer so I need to make sure any extended warranty gives me proper cover...)

I could make do without the extras but this is going to be a "long term keeper" car and if I keep scratching it when I could have got a slightly older car with better features I'll feel a right plonker!

 

[michael8554]

I chose to buy an older car with lower mileage rather than a newer car with high mileage on the basis that most wear and tear is due to mileage, not age.
And battery State of Health is mostly mileage related too.
Rusting and paint fade come to mind as age related problems.
But with hindsight I should have gone for one with electric heating.

 

[greendwarf]

The "stuck on" charging could be due to lack of refuelling for 3 months if left unused at the sellers for the last 3 months in Lockdown. There should be a message on screen about this but trader might have turned it off before you got in or just an empty battery!

The problem is with it in charge mode you can't judge how it drives in EV - and I certainly wouldn't buy in those circumstances.

However, 30k is low for a 2014 car - mine has 44k and I don't do many long journeys. Realistically, unless the car has been mainly used as non-EV, the battery is likely to have been charged up frequently, so battery capacity will be significantly reduced after 6 years - so EV range will be around 20 miles. As this not a franchised dealer you won't be able to check the battery condition. NB. A new battery will be £5k+.

Unless they sort out the charge mode issue and get a battery condition report from a Mitsu dealer - I'd walk away :idea:

 

[Farlsborough]

Cheers - just to clarify these are two separate cars. You're right about the fuel notice, it did have that warning - so, that's a fair deal/price on the GX3H.

So options are 2016 GX3H with 34K, or, 2014 GX4H with 30K (and cheaper). I'll see if both dealers can get a battery report.

Although, I have to be honest, worst case scenario getting a new battery in a year or so for £5k, if the car is otherwise in good condition and has the spec I want, doesn't sound that bad...!

 

[greendwarf]

Ah! I see

Also I agree with michael8554 about the electric heater. We opted for the Gx3h, as my late wife was obsessed with driving with the window open in the depths of winter and it was £1500 cheaper. However, my ladyfriend likes it warm, so the saving is long gone :lol:

Also the car suffers from condensation spring & autumn on the inside of the windscreen, especially if kept in the open overnight. So the electric heater helps deal with that on start up. Without it, you can get the aircon at minimum setting to clear it or fire up the ICE to get the normal heater working but these options take time and the latter rather defeats the point of having the car, particularly if you are only making a relatively short journey. :mrgreen:

 

[jaapv]

2013/2014 model here. No rust issues.

 

[littlescrote]

A basic model will never have the useful extras, whereas all will eventually be old and higher mileage.

It's like choosing a partner - do you choose someone that you are attracted to, no matter what their age or history, or do you just go for someone on looks and age?

A higher spec with electric heating and timer is essential IMO, especially if it's for a commute in winter. There is noting better than going out to a fully defrosted car on those cold, dark mornings.

 

[Farlsborough]

Thanks all. I've put a deposit on the 2014 Gx4H.

I just have to accept I can't afford (or rather, don't really want to pay) £20k+ for a nearly new car with all the extras - we've bought a brand new car in the past and despite it having a 7 year warranty, we got stung (Kia diesel, constantly failing on emissions). There's no guarantee any car is going to be problem free, so getting a well looked after, single owner, low mileage, dealership serviced, higher spec PHEV with a decent mechanical warranty for under budget seems like a good choice.

I did feel a bit uneasy at first because it's very much a traditional used car garage (albeit with a very good reputation) but honestly, I test-drove the newer one from non-Mitsubishi dealership and they were clueless!

 

[jaapv]

No reason why this car shouldn't give impeccable use over many years. Mitsubishi aims to build their cars to last 300.000 km.

 

[Farlsborough]

Just an update: Got it home this evening. Love it already. The vehicle tells me I'll get 26 miles from a full charge, I drove it home 10 miles on electric only and it's on my driveway telling me it's still got 16 miles to go - wasn't expecting it to correlate so well?! So looks like I'll get to work and back on just about pure electric.

 

[jaapv]

Congratulations!

 

[greendwarf]

Don't worry you'll soon be as baffled by the range reported by the guessometer as the rest of us :lol: