I’m likely to sign up for a lease deal for an Outlander PHEV in the next couple of weeks and I would really appreciate some advise on the likely cost benefits of selecting the GX4 for the Electric Heater. Five days a week the car will be used for nothing more than a 26 mile round trip commute starting fully charged from home. As I live in Scotland, it is likely that the heater will be required at the start of journeys for at least 6 months of the year. What I am struggling to understand is if it is better to run the ICS for the heater and save the charge, or let the charge provide the heat and probably have to do the last few miles of the road trip on the ICS? About 18 miles of the 26 will be on a free flowing A road averaging 65mph and the rest will be in town traffic at around 25 mph.
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Please help - Electric Heater Question
- Thread starter rdm999
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That round trip in the winter is going to use a fair amount of petrol irrespective of the model you lease. The best-case EV range in significantly cold conditions is more like 20 miles than 32 - that is as much down to the increased drag of cold air and cold tyres as it is to running the heater. As far north as you are, you are going to have all the lights on most of the time and probably be using wipers and screen demisters a lot of the time too. Averaging 65mph is also pretty draining on the battery - I think you could easily find that your EV range in the real depths of winter is as low as 15 miles - irrespective of whether you have a GX4 or a GX3.
So, you are almost inevitably going to be doing close to 50% of your journey on petrol - the GX3 vs. GX4 decision only really impacts on your petrol usage for the 15 miles or so that you could conceivably do on battery. If you end up doing that entirely on petrol (you won't), you will burn around half a gallon - a couple of pounds at today's prices. Ten pounds a week? Is that more than the difference in lease price between a GX3 and GX4?
I doubt that any saving in fuel consumption with a GX4 is going to compensate for the increased lease price. There are other attractions to the higher trim level, of course, and you should be paying more attention to them. This is the first year in my driving career that I have never had to go out and scrape ice off the windscreen - in my book that alone is worth the extra price!
So, you are almost inevitably going to be doing close to 50% of your journey on petrol - the GX3 vs. GX4 decision only really impacts on your petrol usage for the 15 miles or so that you could conceivably do on battery. If you end up doing that entirely on petrol (you won't), you will burn around half a gallon - a couple of pounds at today's prices. Ten pounds a week? Is that more than the difference in lease price between a GX3 and GX4?
I doubt that any saving in fuel consumption with a GX4 is going to compensate for the increased lease price. There are other attractions to the higher trim level, of course, and you should be paying more attention to them. This is the first year in my driving career that I have never had to go out and scrape ice off the windscreen - in my book that alone is worth the extra price!
I don't think there is anyone simple answer as to which will give the best economy overall.
If this was my journey ( in the winter) I would preheat in the morning while on mains, keep the heater/engine off until you get on free flowing roads where you can exceed 45mph and then switch to save mode to force the engine to start. Five minutes later switch on the heater which should run from engine heat alone. Once the car is comfortable, switch save mode off and you should find the car remains in EV mode for the rest of the journey, using battery to top up cabin heat as needed once the engine coolant gets cold.
Similar on the return trip, unless very cold I wouldn't have the heater on at all until free flowing traffic over about 45mph is reached then the same as above.
Depending on how things went I would then increase/decrease the running time on engine until I returned home with almost no charge left in the battery. It is best to make sure the slow (below about 45mph) parts are completed in EV mode.
When you don't need the heater, if you can keep your speed down to (about) 60mph and drive economically, you might just be able to complete the entire journey in EV mode.
Others will say just drive the car in comfort and leave it to its own devices to manage where the heat comes from. This is a valid point if you don't want to get the best out of the car.
I would also say that the point of the electric heater (with preheat) and heated seats is to maximise comfort rather than significant cost savings. The money saved from buying a gx3h will pay for a lot of petrol.
Kind regards,
Mark
If this was my journey ( in the winter) I would preheat in the morning while on mains, keep the heater/engine off until you get on free flowing roads where you can exceed 45mph and then switch to save mode to force the engine to start. Five minutes later switch on the heater which should run from engine heat alone. Once the car is comfortable, switch save mode off and you should find the car remains in EV mode for the rest of the journey, using battery to top up cabin heat as needed once the engine coolant gets cold.
Similar on the return trip, unless very cold I wouldn't have the heater on at all until free flowing traffic over about 45mph is reached then the same as above.
Depending on how things went I would then increase/decrease the running time on engine until I returned home with almost no charge left in the battery. It is best to make sure the slow (below about 45mph) parts are completed in EV mode.
When you don't need the heater, if you can keep your speed down to (about) 60mph and drive economically, you might just be able to complete the entire journey in EV mode.
Others will say just drive the car in comfort and leave it to its own devices to manage where the heat comes from. This is a valid point if you don't want to get the best out of the car.
I would also say that the point of the electric heater (with preheat) and heated seats is to maximise comfort rather than significant cost savings. The money saved from buying a gx3h will pay for a lot of petrol.
Kind regards,
Mark
Hi
I'm in sunny Scotland too, with a GX3. I can honestly say not having an electric heater hasn't bothered me.
My Espace diesel used to take at least 10miles before it would even blow warm.
I tried using a 2kw fan heater in the PHEV to simulate the GX4, by the time I got the doors open and set off all the benefit had gone.
If your trip is starting fully charged each way, I wouldn't worry, your fuel consumption will be minimal. If like me you can manage without heat, you don't ever need to run the ICE, it will demist using the blower and aircon alone.
It really comes down to price and the desirability of the extras.
Just drive and enjoy!
Cheers
Chris
I'm in sunny Scotland too, with a GX3. I can honestly say not having an electric heater hasn't bothered me.
My Espace diesel used to take at least 10miles before it would even blow warm.
I tried using a 2kw fan heater in the PHEV to simulate the GX4, by the time I got the doors open and set off all the benefit had gone.
If your trip is starting fully charged each way, I wouldn't worry, your fuel consumption will be minimal. If like me you can manage without heat, you don't ever need to run the ICE, it will demist using the blower and aircon alone.
It really comes down to price and the desirability of the extras.
Just drive and enjoy!
Cheers
Chris
Thanks for the replies. So it seems like any cost benefits of the electric heater are going to be minimal for my commute. I guess it would be different for someone doing lots of short runs, charging regularly.
I think the only extra on the GX4 I would really like is the rear camera, which I much prefer over sensors, but then again I drove for 20 years and parked fine without any assistance! Leather seats are an option I like and can take on the GX3, so I'm definitely leaning towards that.
I think the only extra on the GX4 I would really like is the rear camera, which I much prefer over sensors, but then again I drove for 20 years and parked fine without any assistance! Leather seats are an option I like and can take on the GX3, so I'm definitely leaning towards that.
rdm999 said:
The Outlander Rocks and you'll love it.
I have the GX3 and opted to buy a warm scarf to go with it.
At work I park it where I know the sun will hit it and warm it up for me...
I'm trying to get my best mpg ever this month and am seeing how long it is between fill-ups. So far this week (and yes it's only Tuesday), but so far I've averaged over 100mpg, but will have to wait until I fill up again to get more accurate figures...
You'll have great fun working out the best way to run yours to get what you want from it.
...sometimes (just sometimes) I wish I'd got the GX4 so I could warm it up and defrost it before I got in it, but having said that I am over the moon with my GX3
That's not really a completely fair comparison to a gx4h.Lyra252 said:
1) The electric heater in the gx4h is 4.8kw compared to the 2kw.
2) Even though you do lose quite a bit of heat when you get in the car, the electric heater and coolant are fully warmed up so as soon as you start the car and turn the heater on there is instant hot air available.
Kind regards,
Mark
Kaboom said:Hi Chris,Lyra252 said:
I'm interested in what you say here, because I haven't managed to do this and have been running the engine for a few miles to warm up.
What are you doing to demist without the heater exactly?
Best regards
Hi
If you set the heating to 15degs, and the aircon to default to off (press and hold the * button till it beeps 3 times if I remember) you can demist and clear the screen quickly even without heat, the aircon will come on but won't start the engine.
The only time the engine will start is if you increase the heater temp, or ask for lot's of power.
The GX4 will preheat, but unless it draws from the mains, and I think there may be an issue with this sometimes then you will be decreasing your battery range by heating.
This car is so frugal when driven and set up correctly, it shouldn't be an issue, but once we've bought one we all seemed determined to max the mpg!
Cheers
Chris
PS If you don't like being cold work out how many litres you can buy with the difference for the preheat, that should warm you up!!
anko
Well-known member
The limited amount of fluid in the heater: yes. The larger part of the coolant: no.avensys said:
But indeed: with the heater already warmed up it is easier to replace the heat during boarding of the vehicle.
But more important: when the heater is properly warmed up, the car will not start the engine. Even if the interior is not so warm or cooled off a bit.
