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Thread: Used vs. New?

  1. #41
    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by palebeachbum View Post
    This is the first car I ever owned with automatic climate control. I will never own another car without it!
    Don't get me started on automatic climate control. Automatic climate control is one of my only beefs with this car. What is an amazingly simple, economical car doing with an overly-complicated HVAC system?!? It's great until it breaks. Instead of using mechanical controls to move blend/mode doors behind the dash, now we're relying on electric motors receiving commands from an expensive control head...which is receiving signals from temperature sensors The replacement parts are outrageously expensive for the Mirage. When these systems start failing and the supply of second-hand parts dries up, the cost to repair one of these systems in a few years will be more than the car is worth. I wonder if that's why they reverted to simpler manual controls on the current models?

    Talk to anyone in the car repair business for any make/model with auto climate control. I bet the average repair ticket on one of these systems is close to $1,000.


        __________________________________________

        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)


  2. #42
    Senior Member bolo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    Keep in mind that all models use transponder keys which communicate with the immobilizer. The key must be verified before an engine start, whether it comes from a rotary switch or a pushbutton switch.
    Good point.

    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    Don't get me started on automatic climate control. Automatic climate control is one of my only beefs with this car. What is an amazingly simple, economical car doing with an overly-complicated HVAC system?!? It's great until it breaks. Instead of using mechanical controls to move blend/mode doors behind the dash, now we're relying on electric motors receiving commands from an expensive control head...which is receiving signals from temperature sensors The replacement parts are outrageously expensive for the Mirage. When these systems start failing and the supply of second-hand parts dries up, the cost to repair one of these systems in a few years will be more than the car is worth. I wonder if that's why they reverted to simpler manual controls on the current models?

    Talk to anyone in the car repair business for any make/model with auto climate control. I bet the average repair ticket on one of these systems is close to $1,000.
    These are my thoughts exactly about the automatic AC. I never spend any time constantly adjusting the AC on cars with a manual AC. I set it and then forget about it. I just don't see any reason for an automatic AC.

    One silly thing that attracts me to the ES is the gear shift knob. It is reminiscent of the gear shift knob on the Metro. The leather-wrapped spherical knob in the SE is strange to me. Well, I said that nostalgia is part of the reason I want to buy a Mirage.

    The thing that I really wish the ES had would be cruise control But I can do without it because no car I've ever owned had it. My father's car had it, and I used it when I traveled cross country in his car, but I personally never had it so wouldn't miss it.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage SE 1.2 manual: 45.4 mpg (US) ... 19.3 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 54.5 mpg (Imp)


  3. #43
    Senior Member fc321's Avatar
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    The problem with the Auto a/c is that it uses more petrol consumption.

    And for me "maximizing petrol" is the name of the game.

    Thats why I bought this car. I thought fuel would go up to $5 a gallon and I would look pretty darn smart.

    But my strategy backfired: Fuel is cheap as lemonade and the Insurance company actually is charging me more because they feel that the car is so small and fragile that it will probably be a write-off to them even with a moderate collision. And they also think that I am more likely to suffer injury in a crash compared to if I was in a Ford SUV

    As far as the upgraded models I think that is the "bread and butter" of how the dealerships make money, getting you to upgrade to the expensive trim and with the luxury features.

    If I am buying used than yeah, I will take the luxury package then. But not from the dealership, Im not paying an extra $2k or $3k for these frivolities.

    This mirage is the only car I have found that it makes sense to buy new. Other than that I buy used everytime.
    2015 Mirage DE 5 speed Manual - 30k miles

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 44.9 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


  4. #44
    Senior Member palebeachbum's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    Don't get me started on automatic climate control. Automatic climate control is one of my only beefs with this car. What is an amazingly simple, economical car doing with an overly-complicated HVAC system?!? It's great until it breaks. Instead of using mechanical controls to move blend/mode doors behind the dash, now we're relying on electric motors receiving commands from an expensive control head...which is receiving signals from temperature sensors The replacement parts are outrageously expensive for the Mirage. When these systems start failing and the supply of second-hand parts dries up, the cost to repair one of these systems in a few years will be more than the car is worth. I wonder if that's why they reverted to simpler manual controls on the current models?

    Talk to anyone in the car repair business for any make/model with auto climate control. I bet the average repair ticket on one of these systems is close to $1,000.
    I don't get the impression the auto climate unit is failure prone. If it breaks once in 200k miles of driving, that's acceptable and I'm willing to pay to fix it for having a great working climate system that keeps me comfortable the life of the car. It's an electronic unit that is probably plug and play, so easy for a DIYer to replace. Are you sure the standard rotary knobs are not electronically controlled too? Electronic rotary knobs have been in cars for over 25yrs. The gauges are all electronically controlled. The power steering is as well. The throttle is electronically controlled. If you guys hate electronics and want something really simple and mechanical, buying a used Geo Metro is about the only mechanically operated car comparable to the Mirage.

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  6. #45
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by palebeachbum View Post
    If you guys hate electronics and want something really simple and mechanical, buying a used Geo Metro is about the only mechanically operated car comparable to the Mirage.
    Wow, good points.

        __________________________________________

        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)


  7. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by palebeachbum View Post
    I don't get the impression the auto climate unit is failure prone. If it breaks once in 200k miles of driving, that's acceptable and I'm willing to pay to fix it for having a great working climate system that keeps me comfortable the life of the car. It's an electronic unit that is probably plug and play, so easy for a DIYer to replace. Are you sure the standard rotary knobs are not electronically controlled too? Electronic rotary knobs have been in cars for over 25yrs. The gauges are all electronically controlled. The power steering is as well. The throttle is electronically controlled. If you guys hate electronics and want something really simple and mechanical, buying a used Geo Metro is about the only mechanically operated car comparable to the Mirage.
    Exactly. Most modern Rotary knobs are not opening and closing manual doors behind the dash. The old school recirculate slide levers are all that I've seen in modern cars that actually physically move something.

  8. #47
    Senior Member palebeachbum's Avatar
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    Are there any cars still being made with slider controls? I thought those went out of style by the 1990s.

  9. #48
    Senior Member Subcompact Culture's Avatar
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    There are new Mirages here going for under $9,000! SE models are about $11,000.

  10. #49
    Senior Member Cobrajet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pryme View Post
    Exactly. Most modern Rotary knobs are not opening and closing manual doors behind the dash. The old school recirculate slide levers are all that I've seen in modern cars that actually physically move something.
    Completely true. What seems like a "manual" control knob actually has a potentiometer or something on the back which is telling a motorized blend door somewhere how much to open or close. Sometimes, these are also vacuum controls. My 1996 Mazda B4000 has BOTH vacuum and electronic controls, and it's a 1996. I am not familiar with the Mirage's manual controls, but I'd be surprised to see old-school cables and pulleys. Chances are very good the controls are electronic anyway.

    There is a way to set the auto AC controls so the compressor doesn't automatically come on when the system is being used.

  11. #50
    Senior Member Alex1a1f's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cobrajet View Post
    Completely true. What seems like a "manual" control knob actually has a potentiometer or something on the back which is telling a motorized blend door somewhere how much to open or close. Sometimes, these are also vacuum controls. My 1996 Mazda B4000 has BOTH vacuum and electronic controls, and it's a 1996. I am not familiar with the Mirage's manual controls, but I'd be surprised to see old-school cables and pulleys. Chances are very good the controls are electronic anyway.

    There is a way to set the auto AC controls so the compressor doesn't automatically come on when the system is being used.
    I believe the knobs on at least the 17s still physically operate everything....

    The knobs for recirc, position, and temp still move cables....


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