First impressions (Mirage GLS CVT)

A brief background leading up to purchasing my new Mirage GLS. I presently own an MX5 and a 2.4 CVT Outlander.
To reduce our vehicle running costs a small practical hatchback seems a good option.So when I saw the technical data on the new Mirage it looked like a possible option. We currently travel approximately 60000km a year and I would expect to do more than half of this in the new car. I must admit to having owned mostly Mitsubishis in the past including 2 of the original Mirages [5 door hatchback and 3 door Turbo]
Now my initial impressions after 1 week and 1100km,
The steering was a little strange [dead and weak self centering at first] but am now comfortable with it.
The ride is very good particularly over bridge expansion joints and cats eyes.
Visibility is excellent as is getting into and out of the vehicle.
Washing the car is an easy task.
The lights are more than adequate for highway travel at night.
It is easy to keep the eco light on - I would estimate that so far in excess of 98% of drive time.
The brakes have a very progressive feel to them and work well.
Haven't used the B option for the CVT yet but haven't felt the need to.
Road noise probably a little more than our Outlander but quite acceptable.
I find the look of the car pleasant enough with the rear being not quite as attractive.
We get a full set of floor mats in NZ. Do others get this as standard?
In NZ and Australia we get a two tone dash and front door trimmings as standard. What do other markets offer?
The front seats and driving position are excellent - I drove 700km one day and was very comfortable.
I've already taken up the suggestion for a stick on LED lamp for the luggage space.
A couple of features I miss - no temperature gauge just a warning light and no outside temperature reading.
I have experienced a vibration while stopped at an intersection a couple of times but the instruction manual said
this is normal.
To date I'm very happy with the car and looking forward to seeing how the fuel economy works out.

Thanks for posting your review, Clark.

An original Mirage owner, you're apparently exactly the type of buyer Mitsu N.Z. seemed to be targeting in their ads.

60,000 km - that's a lot of distance to be covering in a year! What is your typical cruising speed & terrain like? Depending on those big variables, with long highway trips, you'll have the potential to get well above average fuel economy.

I have retired to the very north of NZ but I visit family and my dairy farm every 4-6 weeks - this is a round trip of approximately 1500km. As well as this we make occasional visits to friends and athletic events in Auckland and south of there probably averaging 800-1000km each trip - it all adds up!! Our terrain is undulating and a little twisty - I generally average 78-80 km/hr on a trip.
Generally I try to travel at about 105km/hr when road conditions allow - our open road speed limit is 100 with a tolerance of 10km/hr excess. One thing I've noted is the Mirages speedo is about 5-6 km/hr optimistic at about the 100km/hr mark.
Another feature which puzzles me a little is the battery which is quite large and positioned well forward and high in the engine bay - great for access but not good for balance and a lower center of gravity - any other thoughts on this??

Methinks the battery is huge because of the presence of an auto stop and go feature in some markets. That's a plus in my book even if my own car doesn't have AS&G; there's quite a bit of space in the engine bay for it anyway.

Probably right, Alpha. That makes sense.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by CLARK

I generally average 78-80 km/hr on a trip

---

Pretty close to the sweet spot. And with your high proportion of long, highway trips, I predict you'll be seeing some decent numbers.

Thankyou Clark for your first impressions. Very helpful for those of us across the DITCH.[ AUST]
P.S. Metro-MPG this is a wonderful forum to learn more about our beloved Mirages.

You're very welcome. Glad to have you here!

I've now traveled over 3300km and think it is time for a brief update. I think the car is basically set up to encourage an economical driving style and for those wanting better [ sporting ] performance modifications to wheels, suspension and motor are needed. However this would invalidate the warranty so if sporting is what you want you have probably purchased the wrong car.
The economy I'm achieving is better than indicated on the instrument panel by up to 2km/ltr. - a pleasant surprise.
I've yet to put more than 30ltr in at a fill so there must be plenty of fuel in the tank when the gauge starts flashing.
As I'm using the trip recorder to record distances between refuels I like the fact it automatically shows the distance traveled since the last refill every time I use the car.
Blustery cross winds move the car around a little but no more than other vehicles I've driven - it is way better than a van.
I've adapted to the steering feel and the perceived lack of refinement - they are no longer apparent and it is a pleasure to get into the car and head off to the next destination.
Will be interesting to see how the tyres and brakes last with my driving style - I try to minimize the use of the brakes by anticipating slowing down and also cornering on the open road at up to 30% above posted speeds to maintain good average pace and avoid the brake accelerate syndrome.
We are missing having a vanity mirror on the passengers side which I note the new Attrage has - maybe another small modification I will have to attend to.
The centre console armrest is very useful particularly on longer trips.
All in all very happy with the car and very good value given the standard features.

Thanks, Clark, for the update.

Surprising about the "under-reporting" fuel economy gauge. That's unusual - I'd have thought most cars are a bit optimistic on that gauge.

Your fuel economy results have you in "2nd place" in the fuel log. (Not that it's a competition!) It would be nice if hellstens updated again, as he has just one data point holding him in the top spot.

Thanks for the update.