The Optimal Optima? The 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid

The 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid.

I am rapidly becoming a fan of plug-in hybrids.  Here's my reasoning:

Pure electrics can leave you stranded, or at the very least, unable to get where you need to go as quickly as you could with a gasoline-powered car.

Gasoline-electric hybrids use gasoline and pollute the air for at least part of most trips.

A plug-in hybrid gives you a certain amount of pure electric range before switching into hybrid mode...meaning it's at least possible, depending on your commute and other trips, to not use a single drop of gas or put a particle of tailpipe emissions into the atmosphere for days, weeks or longer.

2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid charging port.

The 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid is based on a car we certainly like a lot, the Kia Optima.  Its 103 MPGe EPA rating is only two less than the all-electric Kia Soul EV.  That gets the Optima Plug-In Hybrid an immediate 7th-place ranking on the TireKicker's Top 10 Fuel Savers list on the right-hand side of this page.  And its price is in the sweet spot for vehicles of this type: $35,210.

2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid Eco gauge.

Upsides?  It's larger (and less controversially styled) than the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime.  It's roomier than the 2017 Chevrolet Volt.

Downsides?  While the Optima Plug-In offers 29 miles per charge of pure EV function, it isn't really pure EV.  If it thinks conditions warrant, it will switch to hybrid mode and kick in the gasoline engine.  The Prius Prime only has 25 miles range, but it is pure EV and works at speeds up to 84 miles per hour.  And the Volt shames both with a pure EV range of 53 miles. 

A more direct comparison, both in terms of size and range, might be the Ford Fusion Energi.  The Optima beats the Fusion Energi in MPGe rating (103 to 99),  because the Fusion Energi only has 22 miles of pure EV range to the Optima Plug-In Hybrid's 29.

But.

Getting that 29 miles of range on household current takes more than nine hours of charging.  The Fusion gets a full charge in five. 

An odd thing about the Optima Plug-In:  We could never get the range indicator to read 29.  Even after a lengthy charge, 27 was the highest number it would display.  Usually it was 26.  But actually driving it produced a different result.  The office for my day job is 25 miles from home.  I'd arrive with 9 miles worth of range remaining, which would last for 15 miles of the return trip.  In that sense, the Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid under-promised and over-delivered, which isn't a bad thing.

With the help of the EV range, a week's worth of driving, including a trip from Folsom to Napa and back (164 miles), wound up at 54.5 miles per gallon.  Which is stellar performance for this size class.

All told, I'd have to say the 2017 Kia Optima Plug-In Hybrid is a strong choice, but not a category-killer.  I wouldn't bet against the next generation.

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Unlikely Object of Desire: The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus.

If you want proof of the power of peer pressure, look no further than the minivan.  More useful than sedans or most SUVs for most American drivers, filled with convenience touches other vehicles do not or cannot provide and configurable in everything from base-level family hauler to near-private jet luxury, they are uncool.

Why?  Because everyone says so.

The one vehicle that could turn that around is the Chrysler Pacifica.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus.

Eight months ago, when the Pacifica was just arriving in dealer showrooms, I wrote a review of the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Touring that said Chrysler has raised the bar for minivans.  Now we see how you can raise the bar by going up a couple of trim levels.   For the Touring is one level up from the base LX.  This time, we drove the Touring L Plus---one level down from the top-of-the-line Limited and two levels above Touring.

By choosing Touring L Plus, the basics of the 3.6-liter V6 and nine-speed automatic transmission remain the same, as does the EPA-estimated 18 miles per gallon city/28 miles per gallon highway.  What changes is the level of standard equipment, as you add leather-trimmed seats, a power liftgate, heated front and second-row seats, three-zone automatic climate control, Uconnect Theater---which is sadly, maddeningly and confusingly not compatible with Apple products---a 13-speaker Alpine audio system and an 8.4-inch color touchscreen for the infotainment system.  All for a base price of $37,895.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Touring L Plus interior.

Unlike last summer's test vehicle, which had only the power liftgate as optional equipment, this Touring L Plus came with almost six thousand dollars in extra-cost options:

• Hands-free sliding doors and liftgate ($795).
• 20-speaker Harmon Kardon Sound group including a 760-watt amplifier ($995).
• The tire and wheel group, with 18-inch aluminum painted satin silver wheels, all-season tires and a touring suspension ($895).
• The Advanced Safetytec Group, consisting of front and rear park assist with stop, a 360-degree camera system, parallel and perpendicular park assist with stop, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, full speed forward collision warning , lane departure warning, rain-sensitive windshield wipers, automatic high beams and advanced brake assist ($1,995).
• Uconnect 8.4 Nav, which is navigation bundled with HDRadio, SiriusXM Traffic and SiriusXM Travel Link ($695).

With $995 destination charge, the as-tested price came to $44,265, a price that is competitive with other high-content minivans.  The difference is that the Pacifica is seductive.  Drive it and you will find yourself saying just how nice it is, how well it drives and how you could actually see yourself owning a minivan. Say it to enough people and we might see peer pressure swing the other way.

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Old Faithful: The 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC

The 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT.

Sixteen months ago, I wrote about how the Mistubishi Outlander GT, despite winning on value arguments, was rapidly showing its age.  I stand by that review.  But I also have a renewed appreciation for the Outlander GT, what it can do, and how (comparatively) little it costs.

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT.

As usual, deeper appreciation comes with experience.  In this case, it was an overnight trip from Folsom (suburban Sacramento) to Reno, Nevada...to see Stevie Nicks and the Pretenders open the second leg of their tour (Mrs. TireKicker's Christmas present).

With two concert tickets purchased back in December, plus a non-refundable night in a hotel room in the Biggest Little City in the World, actually getting over the Sierra in February was a priority.  Those of you who live elsewhere may have seen in the news that California's long-running drought has come to an abrupt halt---with record rain and snow.

Folsom to Reno (source: Google Maps).

It's worth remembering that the route to Reno takes you over Donner Pass, named for the Donner Party, only half of whom made it to California in 1847 (allegedly by eating the other half to stay alive).  They were trapped in a snowstorm---and it was only late October.   Here's what noon on February 23 looked like at the town closest to Donner Pass...Truckee, California:

Snow in Truckee, CA.

There were chain controls in effect for about 25 miles of our journey, but fortunately, the California Highway Patrol allowed four-wheel-drive vehicles with mud and snow tires...and that means our Outlander GT S-AWC (all-wheel control) was good to go.  With heated seats and steering wheel, automatic wipers and lights and a seemingly bottomless windshield washer reservior (filled with freeze-resistant washer fluid), we were able to just relax and enjoy the beauty.

2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT interior.

The base price of the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander GT S-AWC is $31,695.  That brings a lengthy list of standard equipment, including a great-sounding nine-speaker 710-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system, Apple Car Play, the aforementioned heated seats, micron-filtered climate control, 18-inch alloy wheels and a power glass sunroof.

The one option package our tester had was the same one in last year's car...the GT Touring Package (multi-view camera system, forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, automatic highbeams and the heated steering wheel)...but the price on that package has been slashed from $3,350 to $1,500.   And that meant the bottom line for this year's car (with $895 destination and handling charges) was less than last year's....$34,090....which only strengthens the Mitsu's value argument.

Yes, a six-cylinder engine and six-speed transmission is old-think and only returns so-so mileage (EPA estimate 20 city/27 highway), and yes, most of the Outlander GT says "2011" instead of "2017".  But you'll be hard pressed to find a three-row, all-wheel drive SUV with this level of equipment for $34,000...heck, even $40,000...anywhere else.

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Prime Time: The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced

The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime.

With hybrid sales in general---and the Prius' in particular---down, it might seem like dark days for this segment.  But the Toyota Prius Prime is a brilliant vehicle.

2017 Toyota Prius Prime.

Three months ago, I wrote how the current Prius is the best ever, let down largely by gas prices and polarizing styling.  The Prius Prime is the best of the best, and a huge leap over its predecessor, the Prius Plug-In Hybrid.

Greater battery capacity means a 26-percent improvement in mileage.  The Prius Prime's EPA estimate is 133 MPGe, which rockets it to the top of the TireKicker's Top 10 Fuel Savers list on the right side of this page.  The old plug-in Prius was number eight with 95 MPGe.

That extra battery capacity means you can go farther and faster on purely electric power.  The EV range is now 25 miles at speeds of up to 84 miles per hour, making it more likely that you can get through a typical day without using a drop of gasoline.  And if you do have to use more than electricity, the combination of that pure EV range and the improved hybrid estimate of 55 city/53 highway means a total range of 640 miles.  That is a staggering number for a small passenger car.

2017 Toyota Prius Prime interior.

Our test vehicle was the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime Advanced, which starts at $33,100 and includes rain-sensing windshield wipers, quad-LED auto on-off headlights, LED fog lights and accent lights, heated power outside mirrors, an 11.6-inch HD multimedia display with a 10-speaker premium JBL audio system with navigation, a backup camera and the Entune app suite.  There's also a new color head-up display, Softex-trimmed heated front seats, pushbutton start and Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging.  Those of us who own iPhones must go to the aftermarket for Qi-compatible cases or charging adaptors.

Our test vehicle also had options, including the universal tablet holder ($99), illuminated door sills ($299), alloy wheel locks ($65), paint protection film ($395), 15-inch alloy wheels ($899) and a glass breakage sensor ($359).

With $865 delivery processing and handling fee, the as-tested price was $36,081.  Which is not that much more than loaded Priuses that don't offer the range of the Prime.  Gasoline prices may be low now, but that will not always be the case.  The 2017 Toyota Prius Prime's glory days may be ahead.

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