US: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage video review by Jeff Glucker / Autobytel

[festiboi]

A positive and upbeat review by Jeff Glucher at Autobytel of the Mirage. The underlying theme of this review is how pleasantly surprised he is by the car. On paper, it doesn't sound impressive, but there's a lot more than meets the eye once he looked at the car. On a side note; he does mistakenly believe that the ES that he is reviewing is, in his words, the "base model" that starts at $12,995. Other than that, a nice review

PROS:
Sporty and handsome looks
Well-equipped
Value packed
Engine character
Crisp Manual

CONS:
Rear drum brakes
Tiny tires

OVERALL:

I've been more than pleasantly surprised. The 5-speed shifts crisply, the engine sounds great... and it's more enjoyable to drive than I expected. Plus there's plenty of great features on the inside. If you're talking bang for your buck, fuel economy, subcompact driving pleasure, you've got to take a look at the Mitsubishi Mirage.

[MetroMPG]

Nice find! Thanks for posting it.

The reviewer is monitoring the comments on YT, if you feel like clarifying the model/trim issue. I just left a question about fuel economy. He didn't mention what kinds of numbers HE got, only the official rating (which he gave for the CVT, not the manual).

I don't see 14 inch wheels as a negative (other than maybe aesthetically). A smaller tire is normally less expensive to replace, so 14's should contribute to lower cost of ownership. HOWEVER... that logic may fall apart for those of us in North America because there are relatively few tires available in that size compared to other countries with a bigger "city car" selection.

[festiboi]

The small tires weren't really a negative, but he didn't really mention any issues with the car. I was striving to find anything remotely bad mentioned, which there wasn't. The small tire size wasn't a compliment, and it was more of a observation that it is a rarity nowadays.

I agree with you Metro that it is more a selling point, as replacement tires can be expensive. The 15''s on my Focus that were replaced last year were surprisingly expensive.

And 14''s aren't that bad in perspective and shows what we've come to expect from modern economy cars. It was only 20 years ago that Metros, Festivas, and Justys were saddled with 12's, and many modern day Japanese kei cars still come with them

[cinder]

We had several Ford Festivas with the 12 inch tires and did very well . Studded tires made a world of difference .

[MetroMPG]

My Firefly/Metro has 13's

[Daox]

Cons: Rear drum brakes?

I don't know of any cars under $20k that come with 4 wheel discs... seems like an odd con.

[festiboi]

It's not too much of a con, and was one of the few "not-as-positive" statements during the review (I was grasping for any cons). You're right, for a car of the Mirage's size and weight, rear drums are more than sufficient. It wouldn't deter me, or most potential buyers, from looking at it.

To answer your question, there aren't many sub-$20k cars with four wheel discs. The only ones that come to mind are the Kia Rio (all trims) and the Hyundai Accent SE. The Sonic RS and Fiesta ST come with them, but they're north of $20k