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Thread: Why the fascination with labeling this car as poor people's car.

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    Why the fascination with labeling this car as poor people's car.

    Let me explain this a bit better. I've seen and read several reviews about this car and the reviewer slams the car for being cheap/inexpensive. Or the reviewer labels the car as poor people mover or worst, third-world transport. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm assuming Mitsubishi is not nor has at any point, labeled this car as a luxury mini or hatch. Also making an assumption shows poor judgement on the reviewers part. While it is true that the car is inexpensive, it is not the cheapest car around. In my country, Nicaragua, for example it is a middle-of-the-pack car. Not the cheapest, or the most expensive. I know many families are on a budget and have to buy cheap alternatives to other vehicles. Others, like myself, can afford a more expensive vehicle, but chose not to.

    I chose this car for the reliability and the fuel economy. I'm not all about, as my American friends up north say, keeping with the Jones look. Sorry about my rambling, I just don't get these reviewers sometime. Sorry for my English as well. It is my second language. If there is bad grammar I apologize.



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    I assume some folks have spent $50 000 on a car and need to feel like they did the right thing!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.0 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.1 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by NicaMirage View Post
    Let me explain this a bit better. I've seen and read several reviews about this car and the reviewer slams the car for being cheap/inexpensive. Or the reviewer labels the car as poor people mover or worst, third-world transport. Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm assuming Mitsubishi is not nor has at any point, labeled this car as a luxury mini or hatch. Also making an assumption shows poor judgement on the reviewers part. While it is true that the car is inexpensive, it is not the cheapest car around. In my country, Nicaragua, for example it is a middle-of-the-pack car. Not the cheapest, or the most expensive. I know many families are on a budget and have to buy cheap alternatives to other vehicles. Others, like myself, can afford a more expensive vehicle, but chose not to.

    I chose this car for the reliability and the fuel economy. I'm not all about, as my American friends up north say, keeping with the Jones look. Sorry about my rambling, I just don't get these reviewers sometime. Sorry for my English as well. It is my second language. If there is bad grammar I apologize.
    It's ​ok, english is my 3rd language so am not perfect myself. They just have to say something, reviewers have to find something to complain about the car. In my opinion this car is quite luxurious. It has about the same equipment as the Prius for example for way less money, and has about the same fuel consumption rate as well! Compared to Prius, I would say this car has way more value for money.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2013 Mirage 1.0 manual: 47.5 mpg (US) ... 20.2 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 57.0 mpg (Imp)


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    no soft touch

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    Professional car reviewers are spoiled. If you spend most of your days reviewing cars that cost above $50,000, you'd be lambasting this car as "cheap" (and completely missing the point). Some of the more level-headed reviews come from people who know they're biased towards expensive supercars and acknowledge it fully (see Jason Torchinsky's Jalopnik review).

    That said, the car is cheap, and it is very much built to a price. Granted, I may be a poor man when I bought it, but I'll become a rich man with all the fuel savings. Don't envy Mr. Jones, he's broke, paying through the nose in monthly payments for his BMW, now after a few years he won't be rich.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2012 Mirage GLS 1.2 manual: 33.3 mpg (US) ... 14.1 km/L ... 7.1 L/100 km ... 40.0 mpg (Imp)


  7. #6
    I think seeking status is an innate biological drive. We used to do it by challenging the alpha (sorry, Alpha!) or excelling at the hunt, or some other accomplishment.

    Today most people do it by buying (or going into debt for) crap they don't need.

    As a result, some people can't help but sneer (consciously or unconsciously) at a car that has little or no pretense of being a status symbol.

    /End pop psychology...

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Member jid's Avatar
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    I agree!
    If you look at the success that this car is enjoying in countries such as New Zealand and Australia would you conclude that these countries are 3rd World? ...or that people in these countries though relatively well off live in countries with great environments and are determined to keep it that way!

    .. and spend the extra cash saved enjoying their environment.
    Last edited by jid; 02-16-2014 at 11:54 PM.

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    My $15,000 Attrage is one of the best equipped cars i have ever owned, including some costing up to $30,000. No way would i describe it as cheap (except the price). What are they comparing it to, a Mercedes? It was far better value than the Honda Amaze, Nissan Micra or Toyota Yaris.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    I think seeking status is an innate biological drive. We used to do it by challenging the alpha (sorry, Alpha!) or excelling at the hunt, or some other accomplishment.

    Today most people do it by buying (or going into debt for) crap they don't need.

    As a result, some people can't help but sneer (consciously or unconsciously) at a car that has little or no pretense of being a status symbol.

    /End pop psychology...
    True, why is it considered a prestige when people driving european cars? They're NOT better than Japanese cars! Japanese cars will last longer than most european cars. Don't get it ....

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2013 Mirage 1.0 manual: 47.5 mpg (US) ... 20.2 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 57.0 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member pureflipking's Avatar
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    I would like to just give my 2 cents about this.

    Classifying a vehicle for what it's built for as poor or rich is just based on biased opinion. The vehicle is engineered for a specific purpose and the purpose may not meet everyone's expectations. If you don't understand what i just said, ill elaborate. What i meant to say is that, the mirage was specifically made for short distances and for roads that has been chewed up by residents. Why would i say such things? It is because of the soft suspension, duh.. Now, it is economical with a smaller engine with a small fuel capacity and with a huge mpg rating, which works better in a condensed city with a small tight roads, which explains its developed and built in Thailand ( i could be wrong where it's built but you get the idea)

    I own a small range of cars from a daily go getter, to a fun work/school go getter, to a much relaxed ill go a whole lot further getter, that makes me understand where the reviewers are coming from.

    If i were to compare features between my two tiny cars, my mirage and my 500 Abarth, the mirage has more noticeable bells and whistles, while my abarth has the fun and "you gotta read the manual" bells and whistles, and the huge price difference ( less than $17000 vs a little over $25000), and the curb weight difference.

    Now, the mirage is always getting the last pick because of its built quality. I never spent so much time in a new modern car reinforcing the panels with dynamat type material from vibrations, inserting sound deadening materials between door panels and on the firewall for engine noise, inserting dynamat type material on the roof from vibrations and sound deadening materials between the head liners, and spending much more money on a better sound system ( which is more of a personal choice). And another project i was going to do is to improve the vibration dampening on the suspension, which the car has none (a pure metal to metal contact from springs to the chassis to the wheels.)

    Anyways, ill keep this short. If mitsubishi actually spent a little more time engineering the car or doing more research and development on the car based on noise levels, the drive, the handling, the general comfort of what a consumer requires and keep it at that same price range, and how the market is today, they would really outsold other sub compact vehicles in it's class. And the reviews would have came out differently.



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