Nissan boss visits Thai factory where Mirage built; outlines alliance goals (May '17)

[dspace9]

Wouldn't it be nice if the alliance brought Renault's to Canada - Nissan's are a dime a dozen, but Renault would at least stick out like the Mirage does. I believe Renault was sold in Canada at one time.

[foama]

There are plenty of Renaults in Europe, but never in my life would I have considered buying a Renault!
A visit to a junk yard tells you a lot about Renault.

[Space Wolf]

There are plenty of Renaults in Europe, but never in my life would I have considered buying a Renault!
A visit to a junk yard tells you a lot about Renault.

What exactly do you see on a junk yard which makes you think Renaults are bad? I mean, as every car ends on a junk yard, the bare presence of a lot of Renaults only tells that it's a popular car.
A lot of relatively young samples could tell that they die young, but it could also mean that they are mainly driven by people who make much kilometers, wearing out the car fast.
I can imagine that a lot of rusty, young cars can tell that a Renault corrodes easily. If you were in the mood you could maybe check the kilometrage of every Renault you see, to get a feeling of their robustness. To be fair, you should have to check all other cars also, to have a reliable reference.

So what exactly did the junk yard tell?

[foama]

What exactly do you see on a junk yard which makes you think Renaults are bad? I mean, as every car ends on a junk yard, the bare presence of a lot of Renaults only tells that it's a popular car.
A lot of relatively young samples could tell that they die young, but it could also mean that they are mainly driven by people who make much kilometers, wearing out the car fast.
I can imagine that a lot of rusty, young cars can tell that a Renault corrodes easily. If you were in the mood you could maybe check the kilometrage of every Renault you see, to get a feeling of their robustness. To be fair, you should have to check all other cars also, to have a reliable reference.

So what exactly did the junk yard tell?

I visit various junk yards to get parts for a few very old cars of friends and family in order to keep them legal and running. What you say sounds logical, but look at the situation in junk yards and compare it with what you see on the road.
What strikes me is seeing certain engines with holes in motor blocks, dismantled cylinder heads thrown aside after dismantling by a potential customer with valves in crater-like valve guides, younger model cars with their lower cavities or doors and floors rusted beyond recognition although the upper sections look normal, factory-unsealed cracks where two pieces of metal come together, etc. etc.. In short, all variations of modern-day junk that would not have been trashed if they were made anything like as you expect. I know why I will never consider certain brands or models. Enough said.

[Mark]

I can't speak for Canada, & I can't even speak for the U.S. I just don't see any new Mitsubishi related brands coming to North America. Mitsubishi has been establishing new dealerships in the U.S. while losing some at the same time. Adding another sister brand (live Chevy & GMC trucks) is not going to help their cause.

If huge GM is dropping brands like they have, I don't see Mitsubishi adding one. Even Toyota dropped their Scion brand recently. Isuzu & Suzuki are gone. That doesn't mean we may not see some new models within the Mitsubishi line up because of the mergers.

My closest Mitsubishi dealership is only about 2 years old. They were a used car dealership for years first. The dealership I purchased my Mirage from was more established. They were a Saturn dealership, & they switched to Mitsubishi when Saturn was phased out. You need to have dealerships to sell & service cars. Mitsubishi is making an effort. I don't see them bringing new brands to the U.S., just new or updated models hopefully. My hope is they will continue to grow. I like cheering for the underdog. In this case, the underdog is making dependable cars that are being overlooked by some.

Years ago, KIA & Hyundai showed they were committed to the U.S. market by offering great warranties. It caught the consumers' attention. I see Mitsubishi trying to do that somewhat, but what do I know?

I do like my Mirage, & I hope Mitsubishi is here to stay!

[Eggman]

I can't speak for Canada, & I can't even speak for the U.S. I just don't see any new Mitsubishi related brands coming to North America.

Perhaps you haven't noticed the all-new Eclipse Cross.

[Mark]

Perhaps you haven't noticed the all-new Eclipse Cross.

I've read a number of things on the Eclipse Cross. Given Mitsubishi's line up, I don't see the need for something that fits price-wise between the Outlander and Outlander Sport. The U.S. market is pushing crossovers and pickups, however. I hope the Eclipse Cross does well for Mitsubishi. It's a competitive market out there.

My dad is a GM guy. Not interesting in changing him at this point in his life. He just recently bought a 2018 GMC Terrain that has a 1.5L turbo engine. I was a bit skeptical, but I must admit it goes! It has more power than his old
Terrain that he traded. Then again the new Terrain seems lighter and is smaller on the inside, too. It looks like most other SUV in that class. Small engines with turbos are becoming quite common, & the Eclipse Cross is joining that crowd.

I like my little Mirage with it's 78 hp engine & 5 speed manual transmission.

I don't know why, but I think Mitsubishi should have a small pickup in their line up called the Mighty Max. Not that I am stuck on the past or ever owned one. A small pickup would have excited me way more than another cross over vehicle. Not that I am all that interested in either one. Another crossover! Big deal! Just saying the name "Mighty Max" makes me smile on inside, too!

The Mirage is a little different than most cars out there, & that is why I like it. The U.S. market lacks a truly small pickup. The Colorado, Tacoma, and returning Ranger have evolved into mid-size pickups. The Ridgeline, Titan, & Tundra don't qualify as small either. Frontier is a close maybe. No one is truly making a small pickup for the U.S. market. I expect the much anticipated Jeep pickup will be priced quite high! If I was in charge of Mitsubishi, I would make a cheaper smaller alternative. I think they would sell, because they would have no competition at all. Don't take on the Silverado, F-150, or Ram, create something totally different. You'll never sell their number of vehicles, but you aren't going to take them on & sell their numbers either.

I like the Mirage, because I felt Mitsubishi went against the norm somewhat to make it. Then again, cars under 100 hp are still common elsewhere in the world. The Mirage is a world car brought to the U.S market. The Eclipse Cross was most likely designed for the U.S. market. I would rather see a small pickup designed for the world market & brought to the U.S. If I wanted a large pickup, several options already exist. Bring something different to the U.S. market!

If you are interested in or excited about buying the Eclipse Cross, please don't be offended by what I have said here. I am just sharing an opinion. Doesn't mean it's right or wrong. I hope the Eclipse Cross does well. Crossovers are really popular now. I recently read that Honda Accords sales are feeling the impact of crossover sales. Remember how minivans killed the station wagons years ago?

[Cobrajet]

Wouldn't it be nice if the alliance brought Renault's to Canada - Nissan's are a dime a dozen, but Renault would at least stick out like the Mirage does. I believe Renault was sold in Canada at one time.

Renaults were sold in the US back in the 1970s after that company bought AMC, and were sold alongside AMC Eagles and Concords. They were essentially run out of the country on a rail by the mid 1980s.

[dspace9]

I wonder if the Renault R5 Turbo model made it to North America via AMC, under the Le Car badge. (Like the Mirage with the Dodge Colt).