Kiwi MPG First Review!

We got our first sample of the Kiwi MPG this week and have put it through its paces. It's an alternative to the higher priced PLX Kiwi that was not as popular because of the price point. The Kiwi is still a great unit and a huge technology advancement over the ScangaugeII with its OLED screen and fuel saving games, but was not what people wanted when saving money was key.

At $89 it's both affordable and does all the basics people really want. Real-time MPG, $ spent and average MPG are the first level of menus since they're the most commonly accessed. Hold down the Mode button for two seconds and it jumps to Menu Level 2 - now you have more trip data such as distance til empty, fuel used, fuel remaining, $ til empty, etc.

The third menu is the code reader to read engine parameters. You can use the Kiwi MPG as a speedometer, Tachometer for RPM, display coolant temperature and throttle position. The next menu level is Code Scanner/ Scan tool where you can check engine trouble codes and reset check engine light if needed. It shows no data and only says "code" if you have no trouble codes.

I also wanted to check on how the electronics might stand up over the long run, so I checked to see if the housing got hot after a 3 hour drive to Bend, Oregon. I only felt a slight warmth, which must be due to the low power requirements supplied by the OBDII port. I think it will hold up for a long time. The MPG also keeps a log of your trips in its memory so when you restart the vehicle, no previous data is lost.

I also want to mention you can setup the MPG in both Standard and Metric units. My only gripe is I wish changing menus was slightly faster, but then again if you're driving you shouldn't be changing menus anyway.

You can get the MPG here. Shipping starts April 6th.

http://www.needfultoyz.com/PLX_Kiwi_MPG_p/plxd1010.htm