Still looking for a used Mirage

[kevhaw]

Hi, I'm still looking for a used Mirage here in Niagara Ontario. Only the bigger cities that actually have Mitsubishi dealerships seem to have them for sale.

I have emailed 4 private sellers that have used Mirage's on kijiji. The first question I ask is about the alignment of the car. Does it drift left or right? So far, no one has replied.

This lady seems to have a nice 2014 unit, but she is hoping to get too much for it. I emailed her just now, asking about the alignment. Thing is, these sellers are so far from me, I'd almost have to have a deal setup before I take the 4 or 5 hour drive to see the car.

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/o...ationFlag=true

This one is low mileage but he's asking at least 2 grand more than the retail value of the car seems to be....

http://www.kijiji.ca/v-cars-trucks/o...ationFlag=true

[Cobrajet]

Why buy used when new ones are so cheap? And have the warranty? You might call a couple dealerships and see if they have a leftover '15 sitting on their lot. I am sure they'd love to sell it to you.

[Eggman]

Consider adding the cost of an axle replacement in your budget. If your new (used) car has no alignment problems, then great.

Cobrajet has some good advice too. If a defective axle is found within the first year of ownership, dealers are better able to replace them under warranty.

Since distance is an issue for you, new might be the way to go. If money is a bigger concern, it sounds like you'll need to be somewhat self-sufficient regarding handling problems as they arise.

What do you think?

[kevhaw]

Consider adding the cost of an axle replacement in your budget. If your new (used) car has no alignment problems, then great.

Cobrajet has some good advice too. If a defective axle is found within the first year of ownership, dealers are better able to replace them under warranty.

Since distance is an issue for you, new might be the way to go. If money is a bigger concern, it sounds like you'll need to be somewhat self-sufficient regarding handling problems as they arise.

What do you think?

I have a good mechanic who is retired and fixes my car for a fraction of what a dealership charges. Ideally I'd get a repair manual for the car and let him tackle it if anything came up. But the rear axle is the deciding point. If the car is used but has a good rear axle, then I think I'd be okay.

The problem with buying new is the dealership itself. I guess they don't get paid much for warranty work and in Canada, it seems like you have to pull teeth to find a dealer that will do warranty work. Also, some dealers claim that you have to do all of THEIR recommended servicing for the warranty to be valid. There are reports of guys buying used Mirage's or not having all of their oil changes done at the dealer(with new car), and then getting the shaft for warranty work.

There are some dealers about 2 hours from me that have fairly good reviews and I might be able to buy a car from them and have some chance of satisfaction.

One thing though that nags at my subconscious.... the idea of a simple car with great gas mileage is to save money, and to be slightly more environmentally friendly to boot. But, if the maintenance or repairs on the car are much more expensive than other vehicles, the cost savings may be illusory....obviously in a perfect world, you would get a nice unit with no issues, pay little for gas and just have to do basic maintenance!

[kevhaw]

Why buy used when new ones are so cheap? And have the warranty? You might call a couple dealerships and see if they have a leftover '15 sitting on their lot. I am sure they'd love to sell it to you.

The dealers here in Ontario Canada are charging almost as much for their used Mirages as new ones! However, the new ones that they have are way overpriced.

CVT 2017 Mirages are selling for approximately $16,500CDN at most of these dealerships. This is before taxes and licensing. Our tax rate is 13%.

There may be the odd 2015 new with manual transmission for a good price still left around, but once you add the CVT the price jumps enormously here.

I'm not a standard driver. I could learn, but from what I understand, the manual transmissions on these cars are hard and expensive to replace. So, while I'm grinding gears, learning how to drive standard, I am possibly doing damage to an expensive system.

Well, as time wags on the 2017's will become used cars and likely there will be better deals too from dealers. I'll just keep looking and waiting

[Eggman]

I'm not a standard driver. I could learn, but from what I understand, the manual transmissions on these cars are hard and expensive to replace. So, while I'm grinding gears, learning how to drive standard, I am possibly doing damage to an expensive system.

I think there might be a misunderstanding here. CVTs are heavier and more complicated. I would expect a CVT to be more expensive.

Here's some list prices for the two transmissions.

MitsubishiPartsWarehouse.com	List Price	Sale Price
Manual Trans-axle Part #2500A412 for 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage DE 1.2L	$2,338.07	$1,847.08
CVT Trans-axle Part # 2700A424 for 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage DE 1.2L	$5,378.07	$4,248.68

I would expect a used transmission of either type would cost less.

I've driven a few manual transmission cars in my time, and learned to drive on one. In my opinion, the Mirage is (would be) the easiest car to learn how to operate a manual transmission, and I would recommend it.

[Cobrajet]

The dealers here in Ontario Canada are charging almost as much for their used Mirages as new ones! However, the new ones that they have are way overpriced.

CVT 2017 Mirages are selling for approximately $16,500CDN at most of these dealerships. This is before taxes and licensing. Our tax rate is 13%.

There may be the odd 2015 new with manual transmission for a good price still left around, but once you add the CVT the price jumps enormously here.

I'm not a standard driver. I could learn, but from what I understand, the manual transmissions on these cars are hard and expensive to replace. So, while I'm grinding gears, learning how to drive standard, I am possibly doing damage to an expensive system.

Well, as time wags on the 2017's will become used cars and likely there will be better deals too from dealers. I'll just keep looking and waiting

These cars are quite easy to drive with a manual. The combination of a light clutch, low gearing, low weight, and low horsepower makes for a car that is actually pretty hard to stall. The key to learning to drive a manual is to find a parking lot or something and learn to get the car moving without using the gas pedal before you take it out on the road. This forces you to get a feel for the clutch engagement point and helps you to 'feather' the pedal. Once you have a feel for the pedal you are home free. I taught my (recently) ex-girlfriend to drive a manual this way in a couple of hours, and she now prefers them to automatics. Later on when she bought her Mirage she insisted that it be a stick.

I wouldn't worry too much about damaging the transmission, as nobody seems to have had any trouble with them. Anywhere. In the world. I have replaced manuals in economy cars before, and I don't think the one in the Mirage will be any more difficult or expensive than any other.

Besides, it is always good to keep learning!

[kevhaw]

I think there might be a misunderstanding here. CVTs are heavier and more complicated. I would expect a CVT to be more expensive.

Here's some list prices for the two transmissions.

MitsubishiPartsWarehouse.com	List Price	Sale Price
Manual Trans-axle Part #2500A412 for 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage DE 1.2L	$2,338.07	$1,847.08
CVT Trans-axle Part # 2700A424 for 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage DE 1.2L	$5,378.07	$4,248.68

I would expect a used transmission of either type would cost less.

I've driven a few manual transmission cars in my time, and learned to drive on one. In my opinion, the Mirage is (would be) the easiest car to learn how to operate a manual transmission, and I would recommend it.

Thanks for the info!
This dealer is about 2 hours from me and does have fairly good google reviews. It's the only dealership that I can find that seems to have a legitimately good deal on a new 2015.

http://www.rougevalleymitsubishi.ca/...9-a611003a80a2

It's the most stripped down version of the Mirage, but $9000CDN is $6694US so I guess it's still a good deal. All in it would likely be about $7565US plus licensing cost.

I should take a drive up there and check it out...

[Cobrajet]

I would expect a used transmission of either type would cost less.

I have seen low mileage used manual transmissions in the $400-$700 range here in the US. But I honestly think a person would have to flog on one really, really hard to damage it to the point of needing replacement.

The CVTs are looking pretty damned tough, too. There is a review on KBB of the Mirage that was posted by somebody who has 222,000 miles on their '14 CVT, and nary a problem with it.

[Eggman]

Hey Kevhaw if you decide to get a manual transmission check that the clutch is properly adjusted and you'll be good to go.

Ask the sales person to teach you how to drive it and tell us the reaction you get lol.