Well I've driven my new-to-me 2015 Mirage ES 1000K miles so far... my impressions...

[miatakevin]

Just completed 1000k miles on my Mirage as of yesterday. Bought the car used with 24k miles. So far I am very pleased with the car, but there are a few cons. Here's my impressions so far:

Pros:
-The car is not nearly as gutless as the pro reviewers say. Yes, it's slow off the line, but once up to speed it has plenty of passing and pulling power. I climb a pretty steep mountain on my way home everday, and it doesn't struggle one bit.

-Fit and finish is better than expected. Components are cheap, but the car seems very well put together.

-The handling really isn't too bad. Yes, lots of body roll, but I find the steering quite precise.

-Maneuverability is amazing. Never had a car with such a good turning radius. Parking is incredibly easy.

-I'm hitting 43MPG average on my commute. About 70% four-lane highway (no freeway) and about 30% stop and go. I'm pretty happy with that number.

-Love all the options it has for an economy car. Stereo is pretty good.

Cons:
-I really don't like the seats. They are not the worst seats I've been in, but definitely not the best. They're not necessarily uncomfortable, but I find myself adjusting the seat height often to find a good "cruising" position. Feels like you sit more "on" the seats rather than "in" them. I'm pretty tall (6 feet) and I find myself leaning my left knee on the door quite a bit, just to feel more secure in the seat.

-The engine is pretty buzzy and lots of the engine noise enters the cabin. Not too noticeable until you put your foot down, but then it comes through a good bit. Also, engine/drivetrain vibrations you normally wouldn't hear in higher-end vehicles are pretty noticeable in this car.

-The CVT is weird. Sometimes it feels like a regular CVT, then sometimes it feels like it has gears? It's also really "herky jerky" with the AC on. Sometimes feels like it can't make up its mind on what it wants to do. I also don't like the "thunk" from the idle neutral logic when you come to a stop. I can deal with it. It just takes some getting used to.


Think that sums up my impressions so far!