Page 2 of 4 FirstFirst 1234 LastLast
Results 11 to 20 of 37

Thread: After 3 years, FINALLY drove one

  1. #11
    Senior Member bolo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Ohio
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    144
    Thanks
    63
    Thanked 43 Times in 25 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Eggman View Post
    Do you suppose this is because the Fiat weighs more? I haven't looked up the numbers, so I really don't know. The Mirage was designed with light weight in mind for efficiency, and I think Mitsubishi did a fine job there while prioritizing safety.
    You are probably right. The Fiat is much heavier than the Mirage despite being smaller than the Mirage.


        __________________________________________

        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)


  2. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2016
    Location
    Canada
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    253
    Thanks
    27
    Thanked 49 Times in 37 Posts
    The breaks don't have much bite but I honestly think that's by design. It's a really light car, if the breaks had a lot more bite I could see the car lifting and/or sliding on a hard brake.

  3. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Location
    Wisconsin
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    1,421
    Thanks
    612
    Thanked 456 Times in 308 Posts
    The 5spd is way better to drive than the cvt, imo. I drove 2 during test drives locally to see if I liked the car before working a deal on the 5spds 300mi away.

    I turned the auto a.c. off right away.
    I usually shift about 2,700rpm or so and it's fine for driving around with normal traffic. Sure, there's always a few dumb ppl who feel the need to race past but that's not the norm in my experience.

  4. #14
    Senior Member bolo's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    Ohio
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    144
    Thanks
    63
    Thanked 43 Times in 25 Posts
    A lot depends on what you are coming from. I have not even noticed anything unusual about my brakes and maybe that's because I drove cars with comparable brakes. If you come from a car with brakes that really grab or super power brakes then maybe you would notice a difference.

        __________________________________________

        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)


  5. #15
    With how much the car in question has sat in humid Florida weather, I'd suspect the brake rotors probably had some surface corrosion on them which would affect braking feel / performance *(until that corrosion is scrubbed off by a few longer, hard stops).

    As for the AC issue affecting acceleration, I'm surprised Mitsu didn't program the car to disengage the compressor clutch when the computer detects engine load greater than X%. I've read about other cars that do this.

    I do remember my parents had an old (80's) Accord where we would turn off the AC button to get "extra" power when passing or accelerating.

    I've only had working AC in 2 of my own cars, and I never really used it. In fact, I just pulled the entire AC system out of my crappy old Miata to reduce weight.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  6. #16
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Florida
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    84
    Garage empty: add car
    Thanks
    32
    Thanked 27 Times in 18 Posts
    Eggman, the Fiat 500 weighs about 400 pounds more then the Mirage. I used to own a non turbo Fiat and recently had one as a loaner. The 500 definitely had more spunk BUT I think a big portion of that feel comes from the Sport button which quickens throttle response. The difference is very noticeable with it on, so much so that I refuse to drive the car with it off. With it off, I'd say they feel pretty similar.

  7. #17
    Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    Florida
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    84
    Garage empty: add car
    Thanks
    32
    Thanked 27 Times in 18 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    With how much the car in question has sat in humid Florida weather, I'd suspect the brake rotors probably had some surface corrosion on them which would affect braking feel / performance *(until that corrosion is scrubbed off by a few longer, hard stops
    I didn't consider this...good point!

  8. #18
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2017
    Location
    FL
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    4
    Garage empty: add car
    Thanks
    0
    Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
    I must say that the cvt in the 2017 model has no problem getting up to speed. With the sport mode in the transmission the car can merge with no problem with the ac on. The 2017 model has a D & Ds section on the shifter. When I need to merge all I need to do is flick the shifter into Ds & go. There is no sport button to find in the car it`s all built into the shifter. The brakes are really good imo & I should know because I traded in my 2011 Challenger R/T with 4 wheel abs for my new ride. The Mirage can stop a hell of a a lot better than my Challenger.

  9. #19
    Senior Member Alex1a1f's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    1,541
    Thanks
    754
    Thanked 926 Times in 520 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Roberts View Post
    I must say that the cvt in the 2017 model has no problem getting up to speed. With the sport mode in the transmission the car can merge with no problem with the ac on. The 2017 model has a D & Ds section on the shifter. When I need to merge all I need to do is flick the shifter into Ds & go. There is no sport button to find in the car it`s all built into the shifter. The brakes are really good imo & I should know because I traded in my 2011 Challenger R/T with 4 wheel abs for my new ride. The Mirage can stop a hell of a a lot better than my Challenger.
    Nice first post. Make a garage man!
    (blank signature)

  10. #20
    Senior Member Ares's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Houston
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    1,908
    Thanks
    42
    Thanked 201 Times in 142 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Carfreak09 View Post
    I think the biggest hurdle for me would be having to change the way I drive. I'm used to cars that produce good torque down low and allow me to shift at 2.5-3k and still have good acceleration. With the Mirage, I would have to allow the engine to spin to 4K regularly and that goes against my natural habits. Driving like that would also lessen the fuel economy advantages of the Mirage, which is a main reason for buying it.
    You'll slowly adjust to the car.
    Even here in Houston, with everyone redlining off the green light, shifting at 3k is adequate.
    The car is light. You'll feel fast even if you're not.

    My wife daily's the mirage, while I daily a Solara V6.
    Having TQ+hp on the solara, it definitely shifts at 2k rpm. I'm usually on the lead when shifting at 3k on the solara, while having to shift at 4k on the mirage to lead the pack from a stoplight.

    Either way, it is a joy to drive a weak car.



Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •