2017 Mirage sedan vs. 2009 Civic hybrid MPG showdown!

[MetroMPG]

[Admin note -- this post copied from: Darin's test drive review notes: 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 sedan CVT ]

My parents have a 2009 Honda Civic hybrid. (I actually recommended against it - they're notorious for battery failures, unlike Toyota hybrids. And the battery failed last year for the 2nd time, fortunately under Honda warranty.)

The Civic hybrid (CVT only) is EPA rated at:
- 40 city - 45 hwy - 42 combined

The Mirage sedan (CVT) is EPA rated at:
- 35 city - 42 hwy - 37 combined


CITY LOOP

My dad and I did a quick (20 minute), non-scientific city driving comparison using the two cars:

The test:

- Both cars were driven at the same rates of acceleration (I followed in the G4). A/C was off.
- The Mirage was not close enough to benefit from the Civic's draft
- To level the playing field with the Civic engine "auto-stop" feature, I turned off the Mirage's engine when I'd be stopped for more than ~5 seconds.

Results:

Civic hybrid: 35.7 mpg US
Mirage sedan: 39.3 mpg US

Those are uncalibrated gauges. So take it with a grain of salt! (The last Mirage I had, its gauge was ~5% optimistic. I've never checked the accuracy of this Civic's MPG gauge.) So, effectively a tie?