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Thread: 2015 Mirage DE, 1 year ownership review

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    Member ISP_guy's Avatar
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    2015 Mirage DE, 1 year ownership review

    Hi folks. I'm creeping up to my 1 year ownership mark and figured I would give my honest review. I apologize ahead - I am in America so all measurements listed are on our scale

    2015 Mirage DE. Mostly factory - I changed out a couple inside bulbs for LED and changed the shift knob to a Blox, but that's about it.

    Roughly 14500 miles

    I'm a larger guy - 6'3", 250lbs, 13W shoes. I typically ride solo to work throughout the week and ride with my wife and kid on weekends for groceries and shopping, etc.

    Negatives first:

    - The car has plenty of leg room and head clearance with the seat moved all the way back. Most of my complaints come from the fact that I am a gorilla in a clown car.

    - Knee room for an average sized individual seems like it would be ok. I get nervous with my knee touching the gear shift, but nothing that has caused any problems yet.

    - My normal cheap shoes have no problem bouncing back and forth on the clutch pedal but my work boots are difficult to drive in due to the compact space on the top and bottom of the clutch. It's manageable but I have to pay more attention when wearing boots as they snag and drag the floor mats and console. No fault of the car, just a possible issue for larger folks

    ***EDIT*** to the above comment, I replaced my junk floor mats with the WeatherTech set, problem solved!

    - I only found seat discomfort driving on longer trips. I seemed to get fidgety around the 2 to 2.5 hour mark. The seat itself is comfortable for normal trips below that

    - Windshield mirror is too low for a tall guy. It creates a blind spot that has caused problems on the highway. I am able to spin it up/around as close to the ceiling as possible but there is really no way to alter it further. Another large person problem, no fault of the car.

    - I live in the snow belt. Snow loves to build up on the factory wheels and throw the balance off. I popped off the hub caps and ran with the steelies so I could dig snow out better. Aftermarket rims are probably in my future

    ***EDIT*** to the above comment - I swapped the wheels for a set of 15" from a Mini, much better!

    - I had the rear alignment problem. Mitsubishi took care of it under warranty with the rear axle replacement. Unfortunately I did not get a print out after the fix but they did show me the alignment on and it was good/true. They did handle the issue professionally

    - Factory Enasaves do ok for what they are. I believe I will be due for new tires mid-summer which might be around the 20000-25000 mile mark. They are pricey to replace. I saw Walmart carrying some all season Goodyear's for around $50-60/each and will probably go something along that route.

    ***EDIT*** to the above comment - same as before,I swapped the wheels for a set of 15" from a Mini, much better!

    - The factory 14 inch wheels work well for efficiency but good grief are they ugly. I like a lot of the 15" aftermarket tires other users have here. Really adds some aggressiveness

    ***EDIT*** to the above comment - same as before,I swapped the wheels for a set of 15" from a Mini, much better! Guess swapping the wheels solves quite a few issues lol

    - I'm not going to complain about the power or performance of the car. I bought it fully knowing this was going to be my daily commuter. The only problems I have are passing on back roads which we know can be a challenge.

    - Like any new car the value drops tremendously when it leaves the lot. I think I paid $10000 - $11000 new. I was curious to see what the trade-in value was only to be disappointed seeing the $4500-$5500 range. I planned on keeping the car until it died anyway but sucks knowing I don't really have a choice without taking a big loss. New car ownership, ah well.

    - The stigma behind a subcompact. People will poke fun at you for driving such a small car (especially in America). That's to be expected. All of them have been just good old fashioned fun and teasing so far though. Once you tout the mileage and money savings they usually quiet down

    - Wind can really toss the car around. It's lightweight so that's expected. You do get used to it

    POSITIVES:

    - All of the positives that everyone else says is true

    - Amazing MPG. I average 38-40 mpg in winter and saw mid 40's all the way up to 65 mpg (it's hilly here) a couple times in the summer.

    - I can never get over the fact that it only takes $10 for a week of gas

    - The car can hold a surprising amount of cargo. The back seats fold down almost all the way. I stuffed a full load of camping gear into the car without any trouble (riding solo)

    - It's peppy on the highway. It was kind of odd keeping up with traffic going 85mph+ with the car screaming away at 4k RPM, but it seemed to enjoy the higher speeds. Really wish there was a 6 speed!

    - No mechanical problems so far (minus the rear misalignment)

    - I really like the interior design and features especially considering I purchased the low end model.

    - The USB and AUX ports are 100% fantastic. Nice and clean output on the factory low-end setup. AM/FM is horrible for some reason (low quality and volume?) but I don't use it.

    - I get the oil changed every 7500 miles. My mechanic charges half the cost of my old SUV even though we need synthetic, because the car doesn't take nearly as much oil. Saved more than double the money on oil changes!

    - The 14" Enasaves might be lackluster but do a surprisingly good job in the snow. I've only slipped a few times, even with 50% tread left

    - Speaking of snow - the car manages very well in the winter. Heater, front and rear defrost don't take much time to get going. I rarely use AC but that's worked fine in the Summer as well.

    - Even with my family of 3 (#4 coming soon!) and the rear full of groceries the car still gets us where we need to go, and still holds it's excellent mileage

    - The factory headlights are pretty decent. I'm watching for good aftermarket LED alternatives, but the originals aren't bad

    I'm sure there is plenty more good to say about the car but we all know that. I'll give another update when I hit the 2 year mark or when/if something breaks.

    ISP_guy


    Last edited by ISP_guy; 04-24-2017 at 08:50 PM.

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    Business Up Front Johnny Mullet's Avatar
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    Great review and could not agree more!

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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    ...14 inch wheels work well for efficiency but good grief are they ugly.
    I agree...which is why my factory wheels/tires were replaced before my car hit 800 miles.
    My current setup proves that you don't need to keep your stock wheels/tires to be efficient.

    ...Factory Enasaves do ok for what they are.
    ...I will be due for new tires mid-summer...around the 20000-25000 mile mark.
    ...I saw Walmart carrying some all season Goodyear's for around $50-60/each
    I have almost 20,000 miles on my 185-55-15 tires now. I can't tell that they have worn at all, and expect to get 100k miles out of them. I see guys buying $50 tires because they're inexpensive and they fit. This is one of those times where spending a little more up front can actually save you money over time. Some guys on this forum will be on their 3rd set of tires before my original tires have worn out. A cheap tire isn't a bargain if it handles poorly, costs you fuel mileage and only lasts 20-30K miles.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Top fuel - I did see your post with those tires. They are amazing and I would gladly use your info towards some new wheels myself. If I can swing the $800-ish price for new ones, which I agree is definitely justified, I will do it.

    But we have munchkin #2 on the way possibly next month which means car funds may or may not be available this year. We will see!

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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    I hear ya. Family comes first.

    It was a lot easier/cheaper for me because I was able to sell my OEM wheels/tires to help offset the cost.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Top fuel, are you hypermilimg?

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage Es 1.2 manual: 38.7 mpg (US) ... 16.4 km/L ... 6.1 L/100 km ... 46.5 mpg (Imp)

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.0 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.4 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BostonJellyBean View Post
    Top fuel, are you hypermilimg?
    I just drive conservatively...so call me a very mild hyper-miler. I do about 60% freeway driving. Limiting my freeway speed to 60mph is the most extreme thing I do. In the city I just anticipate red lights as best I can. And I don't do obvious things to hurt my mileage like using drive-thru's or using the AC all the time in the summer. I don't do any serious hyper-miling stuff like engine off coasting, so I will never threaten 3dplane when it comes to his incredible fuel mileage!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - The 14" Enasaves might be lackluster but do a surprisingly good job in the snow.
    I love my 2017 15"! They are gorgeous

    A little showcase i filmed of my 2017: (jump to 6m16s)
    Last edited by andrefsbispo; 02-10-2017 at 04:27 PM.
    Space Star 1.2 2017 =>

    Mazda MX-5 1990 =>

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    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - My normal cheap shoes have no problem bouncing back and forth on the clutch pedal but my work boots are difficult to drive in due to the compact space on the top and bottom of the clutch. It's manageable but I have to pay more attention when wearing boots as they snag and drag the floor mats and console. No fault of the car, just a possible issue for larger folks
    I wonder if a set of WeatherTech floor mats would alleviate this for you. Mine work great, especially with my work boots. I'm surprised by how much water they have collected from the snow off my boots - water that would have saturated the carpeting.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - I only found seat discomfort driving on longer trips. I seemed to get fidgety around the 2 to 2.5 hour mark. The seat itself is comfortable for normal trips below that
    I prefer the Mirage seats over the seats in our Ford Fusion. I don't think I have particularly broad shoulders, but the Fusion seats are immediately uncomfortable as soon as I sit, especially in my shoulders - I find the side bolsters too confining. I much prefer the Mirage seats.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - I live in the snow belt. Snow loves to build up on the factory wheels and throw the balance off. I popped off the hub caps and ran with the steelies so I could dig snow out better. Aftermarket rims are probably in my future
    Maybe it's the alloy rims of my ES, but I haven't had this problem yet.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - Like any new car the value drops tremendously when it leaves the lot. I think I paid $10000 - $11000 new. I was curious to see what the trade-in value was only to be disappointed seeing the $4500-$5500 range. I planned on keeping the car until it died anyway but sucks knowing I don't really have a choice without taking a big loss. New car ownership, ah well.
    I worried about this too. I consider that this depreciation might be on par with a car that costs over twice as much, but looks worse when taken as a percentage of the purchase price. In the end, it is a practical, affordable car - inexpensive to purchase and operate.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    Really wish there was a 6 speed!
    +1 here - especially for a car designed with low fuel consumption in mind.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - I really like the interior design and features especially considering I purchased the low end model.
    Me too. I am impressed with the set of features offered standard. Automatic climate control on an economy sub-compact is great. Imagine what most car makers sell this for - and my Mirage came with it standard. I like how it works.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - The 14" Enasaves might be lackluster but do a surprisingly good job in the snow. I've only slipped a few times, even with 50% tread left
    I agree here. No problems getting around this winter. I think you get a bit more snow, though.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - Speaking of snow - the car manages very well in the winter. Heater, front and rear defrost don't take much time to get going. I rarely use AC but that's worked fine in the Summer as well.
    Again, I agree. In line with comments about the auto climate control, I think this works great.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    - Even with my family of 3 (#4 coming soon!) and the rear full of groceries the car still gets us where we need to go, and still holds it's excellent mileage
    Us too. I was worried that the rear cargo area wouldn't be large enough, but so far it's fine. I like that it fits in parking spaces with little effort, *and* due to it's size, I worry less about it getting banged up from the humongous SUVs on either side. That said, I have had the occasional problem finding it in the parking lot when it gets concealed by the bigger cars lol.

    Quote Originally Posted by ISP_guy View Post
    I'm sure there is plenty more good to say about the car but we all know that. I'll give another update when I hit the 2 year mark or when/if something breaks.

    ISP_guy
    Thanks for the review!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


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    Eggman - I believe you are right with the Weathertech floormats and I am weighing options to get a set for the front I have some cheap Walmart mats that are a bit too small. That is probably where half of my problem is.

    As far as the seat comfort goes - I notice on my wife's Tucson the bottom seat has an angle adjustment knob. I can raise the front of the seat, right below the knees, where my legs can rest on the seat. My Mirage DE doesn't have that (maybe the ES does?) and my legs are elevated during long trips. The last time we went to Harrisburg PA (5 hour drive) I had to stack some pillows under my knees to get some ease off my hips and lower back. It worked, kind of. I'll keep my eyes open for other options there.

    I think most of my other complaints would be fixed with larger wheels, better tires and maybe better suspension.

    I give the car a solid 5/5 as far as rating goes. You really do get a GOOD value with the Mirage, for what you pay.



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