Honest review of an honest car. 2015 Mirage.

[Tinker1980]

I've had my 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage for about a week and 500 miles now.

I saw these cars pop up at a new car dealer in town. They had a ton of them in various colors, instead of a sea of silver and grey. So I looked the little car up. I was looking for something small and cheap to drive when it was too cold to ride the motorcycle.

The reviews were abysmal. They called it noisy. They said it rode rough. They said it was cheap inside.

But then I remembered something. I remembered how everyone talked about the Geo Metro when they were new. Noisy. Slow. Cheap on the inside.

I had a metro. I LOVED my metro. Basic, small, stupid simple. So I looked at a mirage.

And I must ask. What sort of effiminate, limp-wristed, sissy she-man do you have to be to find this car uncomfortable? What sort of easily offended special snowflake do you have to be to find it loud? We aren't talking about a $60,000 Acura here. Someone looking for a economy car or other cheap transportation is not going to magically add another $40k to their budget for the car the consumer reports thinks is ok. A cheap car is supposed to be that. A cheap car.

Sure, you can get a Versa cheaper. But you will find that the versa you spent less on won't have power windows or keyless entry. It won't even have a radio or air conditioning. By the time you put the standard options of the Mirage on the Versa, you're looking at a nearly $20,000 car.

Long trips are great in my little blue Mitsu. The terrible roads in Tulsa have all the bad bumps removed by the little car's springs. Merging on the highway is no problem. A deer last night proved to me that the car will stop, and the car will stop NOW. I have yet to reach a situation where I was going around a corner at a safe and reasonable speed, and the car couldn't handle it. The abs and traction control worked admirably in a small snowstorm last sunday, and I carried myself, my beautiful wife, my lovely daughter, and my almost 15 year old son through that storm, and 60 miles to my parents house with all of us in comfort, with the automatic temperature control keeping us all warm and cozy.

So don't listen to the "professional" reviewers. They are either paid to hate economy cars or they are scared of what their mother will think. Go drive a Mitsubishi Mirage. You'll love it. Unless you're a wimp.

[MetroMPG]

Well said, Tinker1980.

I'm noticing a trend here: more than a couple of US/Canada Mirage owners who also owned a 3-cylinder Sprint/Metro/Swift/Firefly somewhere in their past. GM & Suzuki sold hundreds of thousands of those little cars... back when gas was cheap!

[Daox]

I agree, great review. You gotta keep things in perspective. The Mirage isn't a Veyron, nor is it a Lexus SUV. Its an economical compact car, and a pretty darn good one.

[Tinker1980]

Well said, Tinker1980.

I'm noticing a trend here: more than a couple of US/Canada Mirage owners who also owned a 3-cylinder Sprint/Metro/Swift/Firefly somewhere in their past. GM & Suzuki sold hundreds of thousands of those little cars... back when gas was cheap!

I always felt the metro was a car built at the wrong time. Had they been made starting in 2005, you wouldn't be able to throw a rock without hitting three of them. I don't see a ton of the Mirages yet, but there has only been a local Mitsu dealer since june. And they say it's their best selling model.

[chris2004]

I agree with your comments on the reviews. A lot of people are critical of the Mirage saying it's not as good as their BMW or Merc or it's no good going round a test track against a Porsche WTF. As you say it's a cheap car which does it's job very well. In it's segment it's as good or better than any car. I love my $15,000 Attrage and have no complaints at all, even the soft ride mentioned by some. It's better equipped than many cars costing over $20,000.

[OB Guy]

Agree 100%... BTW,,, I had of those cheep slow Metros... I LOVED it! And I love my Mirage... I shake my head every time I read a review by an "expert"...

[Tinker1980]

I'm thinking next weekend I'm going to see if I can get my son, the aspiring fimmaker, to help me make a video review of my Mirage. What say all of you?

[debburyl]

Tinker1980 I loved your review! !!!!! And more power to you!! I feel like you do.the consumer reporters are Pro Honda &Toyota. Pushers who get paid Big Bucks to slam on cars like ours.But we have to prove them WRONG! Its sad that people base thir car buying by some guys who put down cars and promote lies. To get more money.

[M-88]

Cars like the Mirage and Versa(and spark) are honest cars. Sure, they don't have the most comfortable seats or the best radio - but when did they say that? They are promised to get you from point a to point B without costing a lot of money ... and that is exactly what they do.

And with the faltering US Economy .... these are the cars we need to be driving!


I liked the sound the 3 cylinder made when wound up; sounded like a mini inline 6! Perfectly fine with me!

[MetroMPG]

I'm thinking next weekend I'm going to see if I can get my son, the aspiring fimmaker, to help me make a video review of my Mirage. What say all of you?

Oh yeah! I'd love to see this.

Put in a plug for the forum! Spread the Mirage Fever, as one of our friends here likes to say!