Oops, I did it again! Bought another cheap, 3-cylinder Mirage. Mods in progress...

[cr45]

I have a 2014 UK base 1.2 manual Mirage, the 0.27 CD model.

It has the following features

1/ Steel wheels - 165/65-14

2/ No AC

3/ Electric Windows front and rear.

4/ Radio speakers front and rear

5/ Tinted rear windows

6/ Rear window wiper

The most basic Mirage that was ever sold in the UK for a few years was a version of the 1.0 which had no rear electric windows, no rear speakers and no rear tinted glass. I seem to recall that it had no rev counter.

I must say that I like having the tinted rear glass as it gives a certain amount of privacy.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by cr45

Rear window wiper

Nowadays I don't see modern hatchbacks without rear window wiper in Brazil, the last one I remember seeing was a 1st-generation Chevrolet Onix but it was an export version for Argentina. Sedans on the other hand, to which rear wipers are most frequently found on JDM models, I remember some didn't have a rear window defroster when fitted with air conditioning and export-bound.

The most basic Mirage that was ever sold in the UK for a few years was a version of the 1.0 which had no rear electric windows, no rear speakers and no rear tinted glass. I seem to recall that it had no rev counter.

Besides some Toyota and Ford hybrids, I haven't seen any car or SUV newer than 2014 without a rev counter in Brazil.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by cr45

I have a 2014 UK base 1.2 manual Mirage, the 0.27 CD model.

It has the following features

1/ Steel wheels - 165/65-14

2/ No AC

3/ Electric Windows front and rear.

4/ Radio speakers front and rear

5/ Tinted rear windows

6/ Rear window wiper

That sounds very similar to the base model Canadian Mirage, which is the one I'm ultimately going to get. Except ours had power rear windows only, crank front.

[MetroMPG]

63 MPG US = 3.7 L/100 km


That's calculated at the pump (3 clicks) over 566 km / 352 miles.

Interestingly, for the first time ever, a car's factory economy gauge was slightly pessimistic (showing 3.8) vs. the calcs!

I'm quite happy with that, considering I only starting adding ecomods to the car part-way through this tank. And I did hardly any engine-off coasting. Most of that driving is highway (80 km/h = 50 mph max limit) on cruise control, tapping up & down for hills, traffic permitting.

On top of all that, it included a ~120 km trip like this:

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Gasoline Fumes

Solved!





$20 for a set of floor mats, almost brand new!



Sadly for the seller, they wrote off their Mirage just after switching over to winter mats/tires. (They were selling 15" alloys with almost new factory tires, but not the LRR ones I want.)

[MetroMPG]

I filled up Mirage #2 @ 719 km / 447 miles and it came out to 64.5 MPG US = 3.68 L/100 km.

Can we call it 65?

That may be the high-water mark for this year; probably the last warm weather tank that won't include at some highway driving with the kayak sticking out the hatchback, which wrecks aero. Seems to be a 5-10% MPG hit.


But I did figure out how to remove the factory drag-reducing spoiler for future trips, because it actually makes aero worse when the hatchback is half-way open vs. none at all.

[Daox]

How big of a pain was it to remove? Any double sided tape?

[Fat Charlie]

You're the only guy I know who complains that a boattail reduces his mileage.

[MetroMPG]

Boattail: good idea, bad execution!


Daox: yeah, there was some super sticky trim tape under the outermost 2 bolts. I used the old "saw through it with dental floss" trick.



There were also 4 small, flimsy clips which I broke during removal. (Not a problem - I think they're just there for assembly alignment.)

[MetroMPG]

I parked the Mirage yesterday (and started driving the MPGiata). Next time I use it again will be for winter duty sometime in late Oct or early Nov.


For how cheap these cars are now, I'm impressed.



Daox just knocked out an 83 MPG US segment over 17 miles in his. I haven't tried any hardcore P&G in mine yet.



I am seriously considering what I should do with my 2 Fireflies and 1 Metro.