Mitsubishi I-car

[rpvr]

Does anyone have an opinion to share on the Mitsubishi I-car as a city runabout? My partner and I have had an old Toyota Starlet as a spare car/runabout for years, but I have just sold this as I got tired of getting a WOF every 6 months for a car that did minimal mileage. I'm intrigued by the little 65occ I-car and think it would serve the purpose well, but I note it is turbocharged. Is this likely to affect reliability? I  sort of think that if I bought one and looked after it, it may become a bit of a collector's item in a few years. Views both pro and con are sought.

[Zurdo]

They are rare, and now being old, they are rarer still. I worked at a Mitsi dealer, and we had a demo we used as a curtesy car sometimes...2008, 9 ? It was a nice little car, gave no problems...and it was used as the base for the all electric car. They were a Kei car in Japan, so parts may be available over there.

[Wainuiguy]

Does anyone have an opinion to share on the Mitsubishi I-car as a city runabout? My partner and I have had an old Toyota Starlet as a spare car/runabout for years, but I have just sold this as I got tired of getting a WOF every 6 months for a car that did minimal mileage. I'm intrigued by the little 65occ I-car and think it would serve the purpose well, but I note it is turbocharged. Is this likely to affect reliability? I  sort of think that if I bought one and looked after it, it may become a bit of a collector's item in a few years. Views both pro and con are sought.

Hmmmm well the cons are obvious.  Fuck ugly and being Mitsubishi the tech in it would have been old when it was brand new.  They are tiny with a tiny engine.  

They weren't popular because - fuck ugly.   So parts could be an issue. 

Most on TM have done big KM which on an engine that size is just a no.  Honestly i would actually consider a fiat Panda over one - and by God that's saying something.

[rpvr]

They are rare, and now being old, they are rarer still. I worked at a Mitsi dealer, and we had a demo we used as a curtesy car sometimes...2008, 9 ?  It was a nice little car, gave no problems...and it was used as the base for the all electric car. They were a Kei car in Japan, so parts may be available over there.

Have checked with Mitsubishi NZ, and surprisingly most parts are still available.

[Zurdo]

MNZ are great, I went down there for training. MNZ sort out any warranty issues themselves, and produce step by step guides for dealer mechanics to sort them. They also fit all accessories, and again, step by step instructions. They have their own wrecking yard, in a corner of the old factory, and if they see a car written off, they will get it. So if they see an iCar in a prang, for sure it will go into their system. Used parts to dealers only. Same for new parts, they can get them. Find a good dealership and they will sort it for you, find a bad one and they won't give a damn.

I once needed an injector pump for a Pajero, none existed...I wasn't working at Mitsi at the time. So they built one, just a one off job for a hick town in NZ. Took a couple of months and a shit load of money, but it was done.