Mitsubishi i-MiEV Wins MPG Crown
Posted by admin in Mitsubishi on July 14, 2011
New Mitsubishi electric vehicle hits the US market this fall.
The Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt are two of the most fuel efficient vehicles for sale in the United States. By 2012, both vehicles will be surpassed by the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, an electric vehicle that went on sale in Japan in summer 2009. This model will soon be made available for sale in North America. When it hits the market, it will offer a longer range, better fuel economy and slightly lower price than the Nissan LEAF, another pure electric vehicle.
The i-MiEV beat the LEAF to the market by nearly 18 months. Mitsubishi has sold more than 14,000 units, but the LEAF is making up for lost time and has already sold 8,500 models worldwide. Nissan’s French partner, Renault, is selling its version of LEAF in Europe while Peugeot is doing likewise in for Mitsubishi.
US Retail
By Fall 2011, the i-MiEV will be made available for sale in the United States, retailing for about $32,000 which is $785 less than the LEAF. This base “M” model will have a 75 mile range, but if a 110 mile range is desired, the “G” model can be had for about $47,000. Both models are eligible for the federal government’s $7,500 tax credit, effectively reducing these prices to $24,500 and $39,500 respectively. In some states, such as California, a $5,000 tax rebate is available, driving down the cost for Golden State drivers to $19,500 and $34,500 respectively. Read the rest of this entry »
How to Enjoy the High-Performance of Your New 4WD
Posted by admin in Performance on July 14, 2011
Driving a 4 wheel drive vehicle seems like a waste for folks that want to lock themselves into the normal routine of going from one point to another to perform mundane tasks. But, there’s another life waiting for those daring souls who slip behind the wheel of a 4WD and begin to breakdown that normal so it shatters into pieces that form another reality. Four wheel drive owners who open themselves to this new sense of living discover another world filled with off-road adventures that would make any bushman proud.
We are victims of our beliefs and most people believe that a 4WD is meant to be driven by workmen that carry heavy loads and strong men that access work sites which are difficult to maneuver for one reason or another. Big, powerful new 4 wheel drive vehicles are for boat lovers that have to tow their sailing beauty to a drop-in point or for mud warriors trapping their own form of glory. There’s no doubt that 4WD vehicles are designed with those consumers in mind, but most 4WD owners have other interests that cross the line of sanity in the weak-minded and enter a land of operational bliss that can be too good to be true unless it is experienced first-hand.
The 4WD is an absolute necessity for green lovers that pursue recreational adventures that include a yearly holiday in Yamba, weekends in the outback, or that fishing trip in the gulf that has become a quest to land the mother of all fish. Four wheel drive nay-sayers claim these environmental enthusiasts are homophobic, arrogant, and aggressive mates who still eat with their bare hands, but those thoughts are the rubbish that lingers around narrow-minded thinking. The surreal experience of driving a high performance 4WD can’t be expressed in just words. It is a multi-level mind-blowing déjà-vu type episode that tickles the senses and invigorates adrenaline with the appetite of freedom. Read the rest of this entry »