Mirage in CR's Top 10 most fuel efficient cars tested. They still hate it.

[MetroMPG]

The Mirage is the only non-hybrid on CR's list of the top 10 most fuel-efficient 2017 cars tested.

CR ranks the cars by MPG observed in their own testing, not by the EPA ratings:

Consumer Reports’ fuel-economy tests are conducted on our track and on public roads. Testers splice a precise fuel meter into each test car’s fuel line to measure how much gas is consumed. Each car is then run through highway and city drive loops, with each performed multiple times by two drivers.

The city test is conducted on a loop that’s set up on our track to reflect driving in a suburban area. It’s marked so that a driver must maintain specific speeds in certain sections and stop the car at specific points for set idling times. Highway mpg is measured by driving on a particular stretch of sparsely used freeway near our test track at a steady pace of 65 mph. Each driver runs the test in both directions to compensate for wind and the slight difference in grade.

Our raw results are corrected for temperature using a formula established by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

But we don’t test if it’s too hot, too cold, too wet, or too windy. Our overall mpg is a weighted composite of city and highway mpg measurements.

Source: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/m...-gap/index.htm

Yet despite being the least expensive to buy, with the lowest cost of ownership and the longest warranty, CR still slams the Mirage:

Its rock-bottom sticker price and thrifty fuel economy of 37 mpg overall conjure an inviting image of an economical runabout. But that mirage quickly dissipates when you drive this tiny, tinny car. Minor updates for 2017 bring a sedan body style, a hint more power, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, along with supposedly upgraded brakes. Yet those enhancements don’t mask the weak, vibrating three-cylinder engine that delivers sluggish acceleration and a raspy chorus of lament or the car’s clumsy handling. Though it’s relatively roomy, the depressing cabin feels drab, cheap, and insubstantial. In the end, there is no compelling reason to buy a Mirage and, for the money, there are many much better used cars for the same price.

Here's the whole group:

1. Toyota Prius Three
2. Toyota Prius C Two
3. Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
4. Toyota Prius V Three
5. Lexus CT 200h
6. Ford Fusion Hybrid SE
7. Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
8. Toyota Camry Hybrid
9. Ford C-Max hybrid
10. Mitsubishi Mirage ES

Full article: http://www.consumerreports.org/fuel-...cars-best-mpg/