Test drove a 2015 Mirage (update: bought it ... 5-speed manual)

[user removed]

Unfortunately a CVT. Probably a 5mile loop, reset the mpg gauge which was reading 17.5 mpg with 84 miles on the odometer, reset at 30 mph, cold engine.

Max speed right at 40 mph urban-city type driving. MPG at the end was around 47, very impressive and what was even more impressive was the low speed pulling power. The sales rep had to weigh 300 pounds and me at just over 200.

I'm seriously considering buying one, after getting some input from the wife.
Always an adventure.

His best price was right at $12k, plus DMV fees that would add another $600 (4.05% sales tax).

regards
mech

[MetroMPG]

Neat. Seriously considering the CVT or the manual? Try a manual for kicks - it's a different car.

I was prepared to hate the CVT, but it impresses me how hard it tries to save fuel: 2-speed sub-gearbox; idle-neutral; always seeking low, low engine RPM once at cruise. You can waft it along and get really good numbers from one. Just not quite as good as the lower-rated manual.

Don't forget you can rid the car of its excessive (to me, and many owners) body roll with an easy to add aftermarket rear stabilizer bar.

[user removed]

With the CVT increasing the price by $1285, the only option I will get is the free (yeah right) tank of gas.

But can it tow my small trailer without voiding the warranty? Not a huge issue since I have only used it (the trailer) once in 9 months. The Sentra needs a front main seal fairly soon, after that there is not much left to do and I could never justify the cost of the new vehicle based on total cost of ownership.

I could recover close to 30% of the cost by selling all the other vehicles, Sentra, GZ250 and GS500E, might even let the Honda 50 go if I could get enough money for it.

regards
mech

[MobilOne]

I think that this is a form of "spring fever" that folks get that is called "new car fever".

"Let's see, if I sell my x and y and z, I have it almost paid for."

This is why one should NEVER drive a new car!

[bentring]

I would expect it could pull a small trailer, although you will probably void your warranty if it is discovered that you do.

I considered a Mirage (but never test drove one) when doing research that led me to my Nissan Note. I knew in the future I would be pulling a trailer at least 50 percent of the time, and I thought having the extra hp and torque available outweighed the slight mpg benefit of the Mirage.

Regarding the trailer situation, the Note doesn't have a tow rating either, but with a manual, I'm not concerned with it hurting the car, and the hitch mounted on the car is for bicycles, obviously.

[Cd]

You know you are a plane nut when someone says " Mirage " and the first thing you think of is this :


Mech : Regarding the car, do the rear seats fold down flat ?

Also, did you find the car to be loud, and have poor handling ?

This quote from a article on the car "A mundane interior, sloppy handling and a loud, weak engine overshadow the 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage's outstanding fuel economy, test drivers say" .

[user removed]

I remember Pop telling me about flying a Texan (at6 trainer) from Alabama to Virginia with a female passenger. When they landed the gal asked him how he controlled the plane. He showed her how the stick and rudder pedals worked.

She told him she never saw them move in the several hour flight.

I was impressed with how the car ran and handled-rode, but then drifting is not my style anymore. The specs show a 75 mm bore and a 90 mm stroke. Long stoke engines are better at low speed power. At the very beginning of the drive the feeling of the 3 cylinders was new for me, but the low end power was much better than I had experienced with , the only other 3 cylinder car I have driven, my Insight.

I did not check to see if the rear seat back would fold down flat, it would not in my Fiesta and I took the whole back seat out of the car, hope it does.

regards
mech

[bentring]

Originally Posted by Cd

Also, did you find the car to be loud, and have poor handling ?

This quote from a article on the car "A mundane interior, sloppy handling and a loud, weak engine overshadow the 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage's outstanding fuel economy, test drivers say" .

I think those kind of quotes are to be taken with a grain of salt with any economy box, especially considering the reviewer might have tested three or four luxury or sports cars previously, making it hard to review a car costing a fraction of the price and getting twice the mileage with a clean palate.

You'll find similar reviews on any other the comparable models, and some reviews that almost lean too much the other way. IMO, none of the "bad" reviews held up at all when I compared my car to my 25 year old non turbo 3/4 ton, but compared to the Park Avenue, or a friends sportier cars, the "bad" reviews weren't harsh enough.

[MetroMPG]

Agreed. Most auto reviewers don't know how to present things in context when faced with a cheap, efficient econobox.

Also, I've read literally more that 200 reviews of this particular car. It's taken a lot of flack from some big reviewers, but it's wrong to say there's a universal take on the Mirage. So much subjectivity is presented as fact in reviews... but it's not hard to find blatant contradictions from one to the next.

What I tell people is: if you're interested in a car, just go try it. Only your opinion matters.

[Chrysler kid]

Why would some one with automotive experience need a new car

I'm just going to forewarn you the market will fall out very quickly on them in the used car market, not because they are bad cars they are just cheap cars and 90% of them will be trashed by 60k miles

I would rather have a used honda civic or honda fit than a new mirage, there's only so much I can sacrifice for fuel economy and to me the mirage is ugly and under powered.

I actually really enjoy my brothers 5 speed lancer gt