TTAC is having a wee bit of fun at Mitsubishi's expense, it seems. After getting indignant for being excluded from driving the new G4 sedan ("retaliation", they believe, for bad things said in the past about the hatchback), they managed to snag a sedan to review anyway.
They dropped a hint that their upcoming Mirage review might not be kind: in an earlier (today) article about the base Honda Fit, they refer to the Mirage as a: "horrid little rotbox providing a metronomic experience."
Then -- haha! surprise! just kidding! -- in today's Mirage review they conclude, "it's fine."
Pros:
- OK CVT (mostly)
- well-sorted ride, city & highway, but rough pavement @ higher speed unsettles the suspension
- does well in cut and thrust urban driving
- excellent visibility
- roomy interior/trunk
- just under 40 MPG during the review
Cons:
- lack of driver's seat lateral support in spirited driving
- no arm rest
- "there are cheaper and better used cars, but that’s apples to oranges"
- do not take it on a race track
Overall:
This is the first review I've seen of a Mirage taken on a race track. Amusing.not fun, but it’s not a penalty either. It’s more comfortable than a Yaris, feels bigger inside than an Accent, and the build quality seems competitive for the “how cheap can we make this?” class. I’ve driven the pre-refresh hatch. I despised it. This is definitely better. Not massively better, but better nonetheless. It’s fine. Which I seem to say a lot about this car. It sums it up well.
Though I suspect it's just to make the point in a future article that the base Nissan Micra -- which they have also driven on a track, and which has its own factory-supported spec racing series in Canada -- is far more fun to drive than any Mirage.
UPDATE: posted a video of the hot lap, a couple of posts below.
Read the full review: 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 Review – It’s Fine