u/JonasBertheussen

I’m curious if other Outlander PHEV owners have experienced the same thing.

I have driven/have experience with a 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV S-Edition with around 150,000 km on it. Even though it is 5-6 years old and has fairly high mileage, the PHEV system still feels very smooth and natural to drive.

I recently drove a Mazda CX-60 PHEV, and it honestly made me appreciate the Outlander PHEV system more.

I generally like Mazda. My grandmother has a 2019 CX-3 with the bigger petrol engine, 6-speed manual, sport exhaust, adaptive cruise, heated steering wheel and top spec. That car is genuinely fun to drive and feels very Mazda. So this is not meant as Mazda hate.

But the CX-60 PHEV felt much less smooth to me. At lower speeds and when gently getting back on the throttle, the drivetrain felt jerky and a bit clunky. It felt like there was some hesitation or lurching between the electric motor, petrol engine and transmission. The interior, equipment and premium feel were nice, but the drivetrain would honestly be a dealbreaker for me.

From what I understand, the systems are built very differently.

The Outlander PHEV feels more EV-based. It has a petrol engine, generator, front electric motor and rear electric motor. In EV mode, the electric motors drive the car. In series hybrid mode, the petrol engine mainly works as a generator, while the electric motors still drive the wheels. In parallel hybrid mode, usually at higher steady speeds, the petrol engine can drive the front wheels directly.

The Mazda CX-60 PHEV seems more like a traditional drivetrain with a 2.5 petrol engine, one electric motor and an 8-speed automatic transmission. It feels more like a normal automatic car that is also trying to be electric, while the Outlander feels more like an electric car with a petrol engine helping in the background.

What I find interesting is that Mazda’s solution sounds more complicated and potentially more expensive, but not necessarily smoother in real-world driving. I understand that the Mazda may have advantages in performance, towing, rear-biased AWD, interior quality and premium feel. But for everyday driving, the Outlander PHEV system feels much more natural to me.

It makes me think that Mitsubishi’s longer experience with PHEV systems really shows. Even an older Outlander PHEV with 150,000 km feels smoother than a much newer Mazda PHEV.

Has anyone here driven both an Outlander PHEV and a Mazda CX-60/CX-90 PHEV?

Did you notice the same difference in drivetrain smoothness?

Also, for those who have driven both the older and newer Outlander PHEV, does the newer generation keep the same smooth EV-like feeling, or is it different?

I want to start by saying that I really like Mazda. I’m not trying to hate on the brand at all. My grandmother has a 2019 CX-3 with the bigger petrol engine, 6-speed manual, sport exhaust, adaptive cruise, heated steering wheel and basically top spec. That car is genuinely fun to drive. It feels light, responsive and very “Mazda”.

But I recently drove a CX-60 PHEV, and honestly, it kind of put me off Mazda hybrids.

The drivetrain felt jerky and not very smooth, especially at lower speeds and when gently getting back on the throttle. It felt like there was some hesitation, lurching or clunky transition between the electric motor, petrol engine and transmission. Not terrible, but very noticeable.

For comparison, I also drive/have experience with a 2019 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV S-Edition with around 150,000 km on it. That car is 5-6 years older, has much higher mileage, and is not really a premium car in the same way. Still, the PHEV system feels much smoother and more natural to drive.

From what I understand, the systems are built very differently.

The CX-60 PHEV uses a 2.5-litre petrol engine, one electric motor, a 17.8 kWh battery and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The electric motor is integrated into the drivetrain, on the same axis as the engine and transmission. It also does not use a traditional torque converter, but instead uses a multi-plate clutch setup.

The Outlander PHEV is built more like an EV-based hybrid. It has a petrol engine, a generator, a front electric motor, a rear electric motor and a battery. In EV mode, the electric motors drive the car. In series hybrid mode, the petrol engine mainly works as a generator, while the electric motors still drive the wheels. In parallel hybrid mode, usually at higher steady speeds, the petrol engine can drive the front wheels directly.

To me, that difference is very noticeable. The Outlander feels like an electric car with a petrol engine helping in the background. The CX-60 feels more like a normal automatic car that is also trying to be electric, and the result is not as smooth.

I also wonder if I am comparing them fairly. On one hand, I understand that the CX-60 and Outlander PHEV may not have exactly the same purpose. The Mazda seems more focused on premium feel, performance, towing, rear-biased AWD and a more traditional driving experience. The Outlander seems more focused on being a practical, smooth, EV-first family SUV.

But at the same time, they are both plug-in hybrid SUVs. Both are supposed to work as everyday family cars, both offer electric driving for shorter trips, petrol power for longer journeys and AWD/4WD traction. So from a buyer’s point of view, I think it is fair to compare them.

What I find strange is that Mazda’s solution sounds more complicated, and potentially more expensive as well. You have a petrol engine, electric motor, clutch/transmission setup, AWD system and hybrid system all working together through a more traditional drivetrain. On paper, I can understand why Mazda did it. It probably helps with performance, towing, rear-biased AWD and a more direct “premium” driving feel. But in real-world low-speed driving, it seems to create more noticeable transitions and more drivetrain feedback.

And for me, the drivetrain is honestly a dealbreaker. The interior, equipment, premium feel and other selling points are nice, but they do not make up for a drivetrain that does not feel smooth or natural to drive. A car can have a great interior and still not be enjoyable if the basic driving experience feels wrong.

That surprised me, because I generally think Mazda makes great petrol cars. I like the way they tune steering, chassis and manual gearboxes. But after driving the CX-60 PHEV, I would honestly be much more interested in a newer Outlander PHEV than a Mazda PHEV.

Has anyone else here driven both the Mazda CX-60/CX-90 PHEV and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV? Do you think they are actually comparable, or are they built for completely different buyers? And did you notice the same difference in drivetrain smoothness?

Hi!

I’m looking at changing the chain and sprockets on my 2022 Honda CB650R, and I’m trying to decide what gearing to go for.

Stock setup is 15/42, 525 chain. I ride quite a lot of highway, so I don’t want the bike to feel too buzzy or rev-happy at cruising speed. At the same time, I wouldn’t mind sacrificing a little bit of comfort for better acceleration and a bit more punch out of corners.

I’m mainly considering 15/43 or possibly 15/44, but I’m also curious about people’s experiences with dropping one tooth in the front.

Here’s the gearing comparison I’ve calculated compared to stock:

Setup	Change from stock	Comment
15/42	0%	Stock setup
15/43	+2.4% rpm	Mild change, probably the most sensible option
15/44	+4.8% rpm	More noticeable, but maybe still livable
14/42	+7.1% rpm	Clearly shorter gearing
14/43	+9.7% rpm	Pretty aggressive
14/44	+12.2% rpm	Probably too much for frequent highway riding

And roughly what that means for rpm at the same road speed:

Setup	If stock is 5000 rpm	If stock is 6000 rpm	If stock is 7000 rpm
15/42	5000 rpm	6000 rpm	7000 rpm
15/43	5120 rpm	6140 rpm	7170 rpm
15/44	5240 rpm	6290 rpm	7330 rpm
14/42	5360 rpm	6430 rpm	7500 rpm
14/43	5490 rpm	6580 rpm	7680 rpm
14/44	5610 rpm	6740 rpm	7860 rpm

For those of you who have changed gearing on a CB650R or CBR650R:

1. How noticeable was the change in real riding?
2. Would you recommend 15/43, 15/44, or something else?
3. Did it make the bike too busy on the highway?
4. Did you have any issues with chain length, speedometer accuracy, or traction control/ABS behavior?

Right now I’m leaning towards 15/43 as a safe “OEM+” setup, but I’m tempted by 15/44 if it still feels fine on the highway. Any real-world experience would be appreciated.

I have an SP Connect Pro motorcycle phone mount with a vibration dampener. Right now, I’m using a power bank in my tank bag to charge my phone.

I want to install a wireless charger, and my question is whether anyone here has used the SP Connect wireless charger, and how you wired it up. Did you connect it to the USB-C port under the passenger seat, directly to the battery, or to an ignition-switched power source?