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Thread: Soon to be owner... with questions!

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    Question Soon to be owner... with questions!

    Hello!

    I have been reading the forums here for the past few days contemplating the purchase of a new 2018 GT, especially with the 0% APR special. I am primarily looking for a vehicle for daily commuting and keeping the car under warranty.

    Seems like the only real high points to a GT over an ES is the HID, 15 inch rims, Automatic Climate, FAST Entry, Android auto and heated seats.

    Most of the GT features are shared with the SE but for the price differences I have seen on Autotrader the GT is worth it.

    I have noticed that the dealers in Florida are so much lower that the Midwest where I am located.
    Has anyone dealt with any of the dealers in Florida like R.C. Hill or Jenkins? It seems fishy their prices are almost 4-5k lower than other dealers. Is this a tactic to get people in and then add on fees?

    Does anyone have any advice on dealer strategies or any general advice on my search?



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    Living in Wisconsin, I can't speak for any dealerships in your area. When I was shopping for my Mirage (finally purchasing one in October of 2017), I found a real difference in how dealerships advertise the price of their cars. Some dealership prices may include all possible rebates. Some of which you may or may not be eligible for. Others didn't include any rebates or discounts in their pricing. Comparing apples to apples at the time was really hard.

    If you don't have a trade, you can be pretty assertive with dealers. If you already know the model & trim level you want, I would demand the dealership's "out the door" price. This price would include everything (tax, title, license, new plates, & whatever else)! I would demand the "out the door" price prior to even visiting the dealership. My time is to valuable to waste it at a dealership, & I don't want to waste their time either.

    Some dealerships may be a little reluctant to give their "out the door" price at first, but I didn't find one who wouldn't do it either. The reluctant ones were also a red flag to me. I am pretty blunt (still very respectful & not rude) with car dealers.

    Having a trade-in vehicle complicates the process, but that is unavoidable at times. Asking what something costs before buying it is a fair question in my mind, but I found some dealerships fight that somewhat. I really didn't care for that at all.

    If you live in an area that has several Mitsubishi dealerships, I would read their customer reviews. A big plus would be customers that are happy about their purchase and service afterwards.

    These are just a few of my suggestions. Others may have better ones! I hope some Mirage &/or Mitsubishi owners from your area also reply. I wish you luck!

    Mark

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    Hey Mark, thank you for your reply.

    I have been reading a lot of threads and fine print. On one of the dealers they do state it is the price with all incentives, but also without the price of all the options the dealer included and destination & handling charges.

    I am definitely going to have to make some phone calls tomorrow and find a dealer who is willing to work with me. I am just worried about the pricing game and back and forth. This is really the wrong time of the year for me to try and have the upper hand on a negotiation. I may watch the prices for the next week or so and wait for what incentives they offer for April.

    The more I read, the more I feel like getting an ES is the better route. Maybe even finding a low mileage used that still has manufactures warranty.


    Also I didn't see much of a change between the 2017 and 2018 other than making the SE with more desirable interior and only CVT.

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    I love my Mirage but they do depreciate quickly. You'll be under water on a loan without a large down payment. With that said, look for a low mileage 2015 ES, It was the highest trim and had auto climate, push button start and entry and steering wheel volume and cruise. You can probably find a great deal that would offset the higher interest of a used.

    If you go new. EMAIL, several dealers for the best out the door price. Research all of the current incentives and state the ones you DON'T qualify for in the email (confirm they did not add the "military" rebate for example) Don't waste time on the phone as they are likely not authorized to set price and you will waste a lot of time. Reply to legit quotes and ask them to go lower. Visit the lowest legit quote and if they pull any sh-t, say goodbye and go to the next in line.

    If you are willing to travel to the lowest dealer to get the car and aren't picky about color, you can get the best deal. I drove 2 hrs to get the best price near me.
    Last edited by roscoe1972; 03-13-2018 at 08:32 AM.

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    Hello failsatheals and welcome to the forum.

    Dealers vary nationwide. It is my understanding that many states regulate what fees they can add, but Florida does not. I believe that is how dealers like R.C. Hill can advertise low prices - they'll make it up in Dealer Fees.

    You would do best to call as many dealers as you like and ask for their best price. That way you'll get a feel for how they treat their customers, and you'll do a lot of the footwork before ever stepping inside their doors.

    I would avoid online services like TrueCar. Though they advertise heavily, they charge the dealer for the service which gets passed on to the buyer. Instead, make those phone calls yourself to get your best price.

    And though it's more hassle, you would likely get more for your car in a private sale instead of trading it in. A trade-in complicates negotiations.


    So, what made you consider a Mirage? They do pretty darn good on fuel, and the manual transmission can outperform the CVT there. There are a few mods that can be done too.

    Good luck and let us know how things go.

        __________________________________________

        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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    Hello and welcome to the site!

    If you're looking to save money, I would definitely consider used. IMO these cars are very reliable, and the odds of a major issue are quite slim. Add that to the fast depreciation, and you have a recipe for a cheap and reliable new(er) car. This is what I did. I bought my 2014 DE (lowest trim) in November of 2017 for $3500. Granted, it does have 80k miles on it and no warranty left. However, I'm really not worried about that. Part of that is I do nearly all of my own car work though. If you need the warranty, keep shopping around like the others have said. Its good advise.

    Good luck finding yourself a Mirage! We look forward to hearing your story.
    Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block

    Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Random thoughts...

    0% financing is good...but most credit unions will finance a new car today for 3%. On a $12,000 loan over 48 months at 3%, you will only pay $750 in interest. In other words, you'd rather have a CASH rebate instead of 0% financing. If you aren't in a hurry, it might be worth waiting for more enticing rebates. At this time 2 years ago, Mirages had a $2500 rebate. Thanks to that and dealer discounts, many of us bought a new Mirage for roughly 33% off MSRP.

    Do you have a strong transmission preference? If you want a new Mirage in anything other than a base trim, you can only get a CVT. If you aren't sure, be sure to test drive both. Transmission choice is a BIG decision in these cars.

    The Mirage depreciates quickly and there's not much demand for them. So this is not a car you want to buy where you finance 98% of the purchase price (if you can possibly avoid it). THIS guy has been trying to sell his Mirage for over a year. It's a nice car, but I think he's trying to sell it for his loan payoff instead of its actual market value.

    There are some great deals to be had on used Mirages. Remember...the 10 year powertrain warranty is only good for the original owner, but these cars are extremely reliable through 100K miles.

    In my opinion, there's nothing special about the Auto climate control in these cars. I have it and never use it. You won't use it in the summer if you want the best fuel mileage because it runs the AC compressor too much.

    Don't let the 15" wheels on the GT sway your decision. The GT wheels are only 5.5 inches wide and come with an odd size tire (175-55-15) that won't last very long. If someone gave me a new GT, I'd sell the wheels/tires immediately for top dollar and go buy aftermarket wheels that look better and have better tires. This is what I did on my Mirage when it was new.

    The pushbutton start is a nice convenience...but I would be OK without it.

    The radio in the car shouldn't drive your decision, either. Any decent aftermarket radio will out perform the stock radio.

    RC Hill Mitsubishi is well known for some of the lowest advertised prices in the country. Their prices include all possible discounts (some you likely won't qualify for). Florida dealers also have the highest "dealer fees" in the country...some approaching $800-$1000.

    Check THIS thread for buying advice...

        __________________________________________

        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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    I really appreciate all the feedback you guys have! Really seems like a good group of people with lots of useful information.

    I am pretty sold on a 17 or 18. I was really hoping to get something under warranty so I could have the peace of mind to not worrying about big problems. I am fairly capable of fixing almost anything this car would need but with another project car I want to limit the time I spend on this vehicle - but with all the cool mods you guys have been doing that might be hard to do. I am hoping to get this car and drive it forever so depreciation isn't a super big deal to me. The more and more I think about this, I feel like I am better off getting a used/cheaper 2017 ES and then adding the modifications I want.

    I am not in any huggeee hurry but if the right incentive comes by I could see myself making plunge.

    I honestly never really thought about getting a 5 speed, but I guess I would be interested especially for maximum fuel mileage. Maybe I will have to go to my local dealer and pretend interested enough to try one out. My SO has no experience driving stick, so that would be something I would have to teach her.

    Some mods I think I would definitely be looking to do would be:
    HID's
    Android head unit
    Different springs
    Swaybar
    Sound deadening
    Rims/tires

    I hope to start contributing to the mirage ownership soon!

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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by failsatheals View Post
    I was really hoping to get something under warranty so I could have the peace of mind to not worrying about big problems.
    I understand your concern. The big things are the engine and transmission. The good news is that I don't know that anyone on this forum has suffered any significant engine or transmission related failure in 100K miles. To be honest, I plan on driving my Mirage to at least 200K...and I think it will get there with no problem.

    I am hoping to get this car and drive it forever so depreciation isn't a super big deal to me.
    I think that feeling represents most of us here.


    The more and more I think about this, I feel like I am better off getting a used/cheaper 2017 ES and then adding the modifications I want.
    That's not a bad idea. You'll get some good ideas on here.

        __________________________________________

        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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    my buying experience

    All cars depreciate. Many years ago, I bought a brand new 1990 Ford Festiva L for $5,300. The Festiva was designed by Mazda, built by KIA, & sold by Ford. I drove that car for 14 years. For years I joked, $5300 is the most this car will ever depreciate. During those 14 years, it never needed warranty work. It never burned a drop of oil. It was a great value!

    I feel the same way about my 2017 Mirage ES (manual) with added Bluetooth/center armrest. I paid $9299 for a brand new car (window sticker was $14,220). If I had qualified as a veteran & current Mitsubishi owner, I would have received two more rebates on top of that price. My “out the door” cost was $10,153.73 (tax, license, & new WI plates). Plus I received a free complimentary delivery of my new car to my driveway by a Mitsubishi dealership that was over 200 miles away (Minnesota). I’ve never been to this dealership. I live in southwest Wisconsin. We did the paperwork on my kitchen table. The guy who delivered my car became my salesman. I did the entire deal with the general manager who picked up his own phone when I called him. The free delivery was a huge selling point for me, because I don’t have family that lives near me.

    I did a test drive of a 2018 Mirage ES (manual) at a more local dealership prior to my purchase. They didn’t seem all that interested in finding me a discounted 2017 model with a manual transmission, & they wanted over $13,500 (“out the door”) for their 2018 models. I bought elsewhere. Since that time, the 2018 models have come down in price again.

    If I keep my Mirage for 10 years or more, it can’t depreciate for more than what I paid for it. Some new pickups may drop that amount in a few years!

    Initially, I was considering a used Yaris, Fit, or Mazda2. The Spark never interested me. None of these vehicles would have given me a 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper & 10-year/100,000 powertrain warranties. Plus, the dealership I purchased from added a lifetime/unlimited mileage powertrain warranty @ no extra charge. If you read the fine print, there is a $300 deductible after 100,000 miles. It’s still something extra! None of these used cars would have offered the mpg of the Mirage either.

    Consumer reviews of the Mirage and this forum caught my attention last summer, & I am thankful for that. Do I think a Mirage is better than a Yaris, Versa, or Fit? In some ways, it is better. Value-wise: a highly discounted new or slightly used Mirage is hard to beat! I suspect my Mirage may rust away before it wears itself out.

    Some used Mirages were priced higher than what I paid at the time for a new one. A person has to do whatever seems best for them. Credit rating and other factors can also influence a purchase. In most cases, I prefer buying 2 year old used cars. Let someone else take the initial depreciate hit. Having said that, I like my new Mirage! For the money I paid, it’s a nice little car.

    If you are a little patient good deals can be found. I'm sure some have done better than me. It depends on what rebates you qualify for, too! Good luck!


    Last edited by Mark; 03-14-2018 at 03:08 AM. Reason: left out word

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