2014 Mitsubishi Mirage 5 speed build thread

[Daox]

The sound of the engine is unique. Some of the reviews say its 'thrummy'. I'd agree with that. It is an interesting sound maybe most closely related to a boxer engine? Other than that, it could be a bit quieter, but I'm also used to a Prius which is pretty quiet. Sound deadening isn't priority #1 on the Mirage haha.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Not super familiar with the Mirage, but most of the reviews I've read call it a cheap, clunky vehicle. But then again these are people who are used to driving the more refined vehicles of today's automakers. How would you say the Mirage is compared to, say, the fuel sippers of the early 2000s?

[Daox]

I can compare it to my 04 Civic DX as that'll closely relate to your EX.

The Mirage definitely has less power. Though, I wouldn't say at all that it is under powered. Its really completely fine for daily driving and I almost never have to rev it way up to stay with traffic. It does handle lower rpm better than the Civic which is nice.

The Mirage out of the box doesn't handle nearly as well as the Civic. The Civic feels solid and well planted. The Mirage is rolly polly and has a pretty soft suspension. They tightened things up in subsequent years (2015 and again in 2017), 2014 is the softest. But, I actually think the Civic feels better than most cars I've driven handling wise. I really enjoyed how the Civic rode. The sway bar I made for the Mirage definitely helps a lot, but its still not as nice as the Civic.

The interior is pretty comparable IMO. I know the Civic has a bit more 'soft touch' stuff in it, but I honestly can't tell much at all. I don't mind the hard plastic as its really nice and durable, and easy to clean. Its pretty subjective, but I like the look of the Mirage interior a bit more than the Civic. Comfort wise, they're pretty comparable. I am a fairly short guy at around 5'6".

MPG wise I haven't been able to really tell too much. In the 6 months I drove the Civic (which was nearly all summer driving), I averaged 43 mpg. I had a high of 47 mpg and a low of 38 mpg. In the 3ish months I've driven the Mirage (all the harshest months of winter) I've averaged 42 mpg. I've had a high of 44 mpg and a low of 38 mpg. I fully expect to be over 50 mpg with the Mirage in summer. This is with pretty mild ecodriving. I haven't been turning the engine off or anything like that, just driving conservatively, timing lights, and avoiding brake use.

Reliability has been pretty great with the Mirages. Problems are very few on MirageForum. So, I'm not concerned with possible future issues.

If you have any interest in the car, I'd suggest going and driving one. If you end up liking it, setup email alerts on craigslist, autotrader and cars.com for when new listing appear. Wait for a great deal on a used one like I did and you almost can't go wrong.

I do find it pretty hilarious that I was able to get my 2014 Mirage for just a few hundred dollars considering the Civic is worth nearly $3500 on craigslist.

[cr45]

This past 2 days I have been using an UltraGauge in my Mirage.

I was surprised that the gauge did not indicate that DFCO during deceleration.

The gauge indicated a fuel flow rate of approx 0.2 US gallons/hr during prolonged top gear deceleration.

Has any body come across this?

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by cr45

This past 2 days I have been using an UltraGauge in my Mirage.

I was surprised that the gauge did not indicate that DFCO during deceleration.

The gauge indicated a fuel flow rate of approx 0.2 US gallons/hr during prolonged top gear deceleration.

Has any body come across this?

Yes. I did. You need to go into settings and tell the guage that your car has DFCO. It does not assume the vehicle has it and cannot seem to detect it itself in some cars (maybe all cars). The manual explains how to make the change to settings.

[jcp123]

I turned DFCO on in my UG and it doesn't seem to register. Causes me constant calibration problems. Either it needs some updates, or it's yet another symptom of its aging.

[cr45]

I did a short return trip at the weekend of 6 miles each direction and a 5 minute stop between outward and return segments. There was 2 adults - inc driver - in car.

From cold - 36 F - the mpg was 45.5 US/54.7 IMP. There was a strong headwind.

After a 5 minute stop the running average indicated a total trip average of 54.2 US/65.1 IMP.

The route was very twisty and undulating with only 2 junctions.

Average speed of 45 mph.

This would indicate that the return segments average was 63.3 US/76 IMP.

A warm engine and a tailwind bring out the best in these cars!

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by cr45

.... A warm engine and a tailwind bring out the best in these cars!

May the wind always be at your back and may the road rise with you...

[cr45]

Originally Posted by Daox

So I've had the Mirage on the road for a while now. I am really liking it. I must say the sway bar adds a LOT to the driving enjoyment. I really like how the engine just chugs along. It doesn't shudder when shifting early at all. It can take a heavy load at 1300 rpm like a champ. My 04 Civic did not like those kind of rpms at all.

I am really looking forward to warmer weather to see what this car can really do when not inhibited by freezing temperatures.

I second the ability to pull at 1300 rpm. That is 30 mph on the clock in European cars which also happens to be the speed limit when passing through towns and villages. When I sight a 30 mph sign I like to use DFCO to slow down to the speed limit, then I will drive in top gear. Providing I am not brought to a stop at traffic lights, I will accelerate from 1300 rpm in top gear at exit of village.

I had a 50 mile out and back trip yesterday with a 10 min stop. I set out to maximise my mpg for this trip with lots of downhill coasting ( engine idling ) and some DFCO on steeper hills and stopping for all junctions. Air temp was 58 oF and very little wind.

Result was 68.11 US / 81.8 IMP / 3.45 lit/100km

[Daox]

Yesterday I started cleaning my car up for the Midwest Mitsubishi Mirage Meet that is coming up this weekend. I hadn't really dedicated any time at all to this since purchasing the car in December. So, one of the things I decided to do was finally make a mount for my scangauge. Previously, it was just chilling on the dash cluster. It totally blocked the car's MFD which I never liked. I would always have to move it to see how much gas I had in the tank. Once, I moved it for the first time in weeks to find the last little bar blinking away trying to get my attention haha. Good thing I checked!

Anyway, this is what I came up with.





I printed it out really fast and not in good quality. As a prototype you never know exactly how it'll fit, and it isn't uncommon to adjust the fit and print again. Thankfully, it seems to work great. It has a firm hold and tight fit on the instrument cluster bezel, and a firm grip on the scangauge as well.





Here is the new view from where I sit. The MFD is now fully visible again.