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jerrytaff
Posts: 120
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 8:28 pm

Post by jerrytaff »

I'm on the verge of ordering a Niro. Wavering between the PHEV and the 3 or 4 with down-sized wheels.
What is the difference in performance with the larger electric motor in real-world driving terms?
I'm currently driving a DS5 with a 2 litre turbo diesel , but am about to retire and want to downsize - the DS5 is a bit wide and difficult to park but very relaxed on the motorway. I'm looking for something economical, slightly smaller (narrower), better around town, better visibility, but still relaxed on the motorway, as I expect to be doing a lot more town driving, interspersed with longer touring holidays. That really suggests 2 different types of car. The Niro seems to represent a decent compromise

I have test driven the 2 and the PHEV, and found the PHEV to be significantly more comfortable - both I and my better half have back, neck, and shoulder problems so the comfort is very important. I'm not sure how much of the difference between the two models is due to the leather seats, how much is due to the better rear suspension compared with the 2, and how much is due to the extra battery weight.

Ideally I would go for the PHEV with blind spot indicators (except that you cannot order any extras with the PHEV - WHY???) - I have really found them useful in the DS5 - but that's possibly because visibility is so poor. I'm unlikely to do more than 8k miles a year, so the fuel savings on the PHEV over the 3 or 4 won't be enormous; and of course the government grant narrows the cost between the PHEV and the 4 significantly. So the choice I'm going to make is going to be more on performance, comfort, bells and whistles, than anything.

Any thoughts as to which way I should jump and are there any big pitfalls I need to be aware of?
2018 PHEV 3 in Gravity Blue :D
Previous DS (formerly Citroen) DS5 Prestige BlueHDi S/S Auto 2.0, Jaguar X type 2.0 S Diesel

tonybkent
Posts: 35
Joined: Tue Jul 31, 2018 8:02 pm

Post by tonybkent »

Hi Jerry - welcome. As a PHEV owner, I'm naturally going to say go for the PHEV. I test drove the non-plug-in and the PHEV on the same day, and to be honest I really just wanted to PHEV anyway so didn't really notice any real difference with the comfort.

I have to say the Niro PHEV is the best car I've driven in 30 years of driving "normal" cars; partly due to technology improving of course. I've done just over 2,000 miles in the last three months and it really is comfortable and full of the gadgets I wanted such as Android Auto, Lane Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise control, and some extras I wasn't expecting like heated seats and heated steering wheel.

I started with a full tank of fuel from the dealer and have only paid for £25 of petrol since. I've got 119 miles estimated petrol range left today and 1,200 miles since my last fill-up. That's obviously going to vary depending on your journey lengths, but I've genuinely had 10 miles battery range left after 27 miles driving! Admittedly I was stuck in slow traffic for a while, but regen braking must have done a good job that day! Mostly though I get 32-33 miles from the 36 range when fully charged.

My current average MPG is showing as 475!!! (See attached photo).

Visibility is very good and I really like having all the sensors for parking front, rear and side as well as the camera of course.

It's a real joy to drive and my kids love it when I turn up to pick up their mates with a car that hums like an HS1 rather than belching diesel like my old one. :-)

I only wish I could have waited for the eNiro. With 250-300 mile range, that'd have suited me perfectly.

Good luck with whatever choice you make.

MPG.jpg

jerrytaff
Posts: 120
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 8:28 pm

Post by jerrytaff »

Thanks Tony,
Your observations re the PHEV are not inconsistent with mine from two reasonably lengthy test drives. My test of a 2 was much shorter but it seemed to crash over the imperfections in the road a lot more, and I couldn't get the seat comfortable.

That MPG display in your attachment is quite impressive. I've calculated the car's long term MPG from the info you gave and it seems to be about 140-150 mpg. Still impressive, but you would need to do a much higher mileage than the 8k a year you are currently doing to recoup the extra cost of the PHEV.

However, I've bitten the bullet and bought one... I was considering new but in the end I went for the demonstrator I took for the spin. 6 months old, under 2k miles on the clock, and at a price (including trade-in of my DS5) which isn't too shabby.

I'm in Watford, almost equidistant between the dealers in Chipperfield and Eastcote. Does anyone have experience of either when it comes to servicing?
2018 PHEV 3 in Gravity Blue :D
Previous DS (formerly Citroen) DS5 Prestige BlueHDi S/S Auto 2.0, Jaguar X type 2.0 S Diesel
wpandyr7
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Oct 10, 2018 2:31 pm

Post by wpandyr7 »

That is amazing fuel consumption, my Niro 4 HEV is only as good as an modern 2L diesel, around 55- 60 mpg. :(

I also find the ride rather hard.

Rod
jerrytaff
Posts: 120
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 8:28 pm

Post by jerrytaff »

I received my PHEV just a couple of days ago It was handed over without any electric charge (the dealer's charge point was out of action due to major on-site building works - so he had an excuse.). It averaged 58.9 MPG according to the trip computer while I drove it home. Since then I've recharged it and driven 30 miles without using any petrol at all. Passengers find it very comfortable. Still getting to grips with all the electronic aids and displays.
2018 PHEV 3 in Gravity Blue :D
Previous DS (formerly Citroen) DS5 Prestige BlueHDi S/S Auto 2.0, Jaguar X type 2.0 S Diesel
jerrytaff
Posts: 120
Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 8:28 pm

Post by jerrytaff »

Its been a quiet few days on the forum with few posts, so I thought I'd summarise my thoughts so far on my PHEV.

I've had the car for just over 3 weeks now, and am happy so far. One niggle over recharging due to it not sensing properly when the flap was opened - requiring a bit of metal in the flap filing away by the Kia service technician, and some untypical behaviour with Android Auto, both reported elsewhere on this forum. Also frustrated that I have to run the ICE to demist the windscreen at this time of year. At least it is fast; I only need to run it for a few seconds at a time.

I find the car comfortable, with good visibility, excellent manoeuvrability and easy to park. The intelligent cruise control and lane keep assist reduce my fatigue on the longer journeys, and I love the level of heating in the seats. Much better than the pathetic level on the DS5. However, I miss the "massage function" of that car. Essentially just an electronic control to modulate the pressure in the lumbar support. That is so much better than having to set a fixed level which, if supportive, eventually is too hard. I really wonder why so few cars have it as an option (currently only the Peugeot 3008/5008 AFAIK - although that is a proper massage seat not just lumbar massage). Perhaps it isn't seen as desirable, but it is one of those extras that you don't know you need until you have it. Anyone who suffers nagging aches in the lower back is likely to benefit - that is an awfully large sector of the population! I don't think it would have been difficult to modify the electrically operated seat to incorporate that function. It would only require a one-chip function generator in parallel with the adjustment button, and a change-over switch.

The boot is a little on the small side, and I am concerned about the lack of spare or wheel brace. I had the same with my DS5, and when one of the tyres went, (minor collision) it left a large gaping hole which no gunk was ever going to fill. I was stuck by side of the road until assistance arrived. I vowed never to let that situation occur again, but it looks like I have no choice.

I don't understand the criticisms in the reviews regarding tyre grip, although I have been driving in an economical fashion by not accelerating too hard too often, and easily getting over 30 miles off a charge, that also means not braking unnecessarily, so I've been taking corners quite fast. The car has always felt secure. Also, on the performance side; there is plenty available in sport mode, but I have rarely felt the need to engage it.

I just refuelled for the first time. (taking advantage of 10p off per litre at Tesco) It took 31 litres after 689 miles - 101 mpg; except it had not been brimmed previously, so real economy is probably somewhere between that and the 119 mpg reported by the trip computer. I estimate that I have also used 71.8 kWhr electricity in charging it, so cost of fuel was £35.32 for Petrol, and approx £8.61 for electricity. £43.94 total or 6.38p / mile.

My DS5 would have achieved somewhere between 38 and 42 mpg for the same mixed set of journeys, so would have cost about £104 in diesel. At this rate I will be saving about £1000 / year on fuel. I think that the fact that over a year, I will have polluted the environment less; by burning about 514 litres of petrol; mainly on the motorways instead of 1300 litres of diesel. with much of that in town, is probably more significant.
2018 PHEV 3 in Gravity Blue :D
Previous DS (formerly Citroen) DS5 Prestige BlueHDi S/S Auto 2.0, Jaguar X type 2.0 S Diesel
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