Side by side review of the 2 gray 5mt subcompacts in my driveway. (Mirage vs. Micra)

2018 Mitsubishi Mirage SE. 5MT. Gray.
2018 Nissan Micra SV. Few options. Gray.

The obvious? Both cars are nearly identical, and when parked side by side in the early morning light, I often try to stick the wrong key in the wrong lock. Very often.

Purchase Price, Tie.
The Mirage was purchased $1000 under list for $11,250. The Micra was purchased $3000 under MSRP for $14,000. The Micra has heated mirrors, AC, power windows/locks, cruise control. A similarly equipped Mirage would have been similarly priced.

Value/Quality/Interior, Micra.
The Nissan sports impeccable handling, way more grunt, and despite having an interior straight out of a 1993 Sentra, is of far higher quality. Yes, the Mirage looks new, but the dials and panels creak and groan, while the Micra has used fasteners in a few spots and heavier gauge materials. It doesn't make noises over speed bumps, it doesn't whistle on the highway, its half as loud all in all.

It is worth noting that the Micra has horrible cupholders, but this is just a Nissan thing. Don't order an extra large and you can make it work, kind of.

Cargo/Occupant Room, Micra.
I have used the Micra to bring home a new dishwasher, a 44" table top, a large quantity of 8' lumber, and a 36"x48"x28" antique dresser. I fit in the car while wearing a racing helmet at 6'4, which I cannot say about the Mirage. Back seat passengers do NOT require the front seats be moved forward to be accomadated, unlike the Mirage. It's just a few inches bigger everywhere it counts. As such, comfort is greatly improved, especially with the drivers armrest.

Power, Micra.
110hp versus 80hp. There is no argument here. In a drag race the Micra pulls away from the get go, and once above 80km/h the Micra keeps pulling when the Mirage begins to struggle

Handling/Suspension, Micra.
With the Daox rear sway bar, the Mirage still handles half as well as the Micra. Micra runs dead flat, changes direction quickly and aggressively, and with 400lb of luggage in the boot, you need not worry about smashing the bumpstops on a rough road. As we all know, the Mirage has no rear suspension, and bottoms out rather easily if loaded with humans or dog food or what have you. Both can be fun, but with wider tires and a flatter ride, one inspired confidence when pushed, while the Mirage just seems like a bit of a laugh.

Exterior, Mirage.
One of two categories where the Mirage takes it. See photos attached below. The Micra ain't a looker.

FUEL ECONOMY JESUS CHRIST NO COMPARISON.
So the Mirage has lost almost everything, until now. My Mirage gets (hypermile/aggresive), 4.7l/6l per hundred. The Micra? 6.8l/9l per hundred. Yes. This thing has worse economy than a 2.5l Mazda 3 weighing 500lb more. It actually compares with most CUVs. The damned car revs 150rpm HIGHER than the Mirage on the highway. Why? Who knows. A Honda fit is quicker to 60, weighs more, gets worse economy. Most cars are this way in fact, the only redeeming factor for the Micra is that all of those competing cars cost a good $5-$8000 more. That, buys a lot of fuel.

Overall winner? I... dont know.
The Mirage is a cheap piece of crap that sips fuel and is moderately uncomfortable (I drove ours 6000km in a week, I know). The Micra is a better built car, where I don't care that is had 100,000km less warranty because it just feels right, but it's a little more hot-hatch than economy car, with Nissan themselves admitting it was designed more for track than commute. And I continue to set records for its class on autox and race days, which is kinda cool.

So, any questions?

My home cell service is not strong enough to host photos. I tried...

Attachment 14375

I really appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with both cars. I've looked at some reviews of the Nissan Micra, & it appears to be very nice/fun little car for the money. It's hard to argue the shortcomings of the Mirage that you bring up. For someone like myself, those shortcomings aren't deal breakers & this is why -

1. The Nissan Micra is not sold in the U.S. I could probably stop there. :)

2. My Mirage is my daily driver. I had the car a couple months before I even had a passenger in it. I've had someone in the back seat once maybe (10 mile trip)? Having said that, the Mirage shouldn't bottom out when you have 4 adults in the car. A person can customize things to change that, but they shouldn't have to.

3. I don't have any concerns with the interior of the Mirage while driving. I don't find the seats uncomfortable in the least, & I am not a small guy (easily 250+ pounds and about 6'1"). I do 4-hour trips to my parents quite often, and I have done a few trips that are easily 2-3 times that distance. I like cruising in my Mirage. It does get blown around a bit during strong winds, but my taller Forester gets tossed around, too. When cruising @ 70-75 mph in 4-lane traffic, the Mirage feels a little out of its element. It holds it own, however. 2 lane country roads @ 45-60 mph is where this car really shines! A Daox rear sway bar was money well spent.

4. I bought a Mirage because it seemed affordable, reliable, & economical. Take away any of those three traits, & any economy car quickly loses it appeal to me.

Affordable: On a personal level, I wouldn’t spend more than $10,000 for a Mirage (new or used). That may be a little more than you paid for a Mirage with Canadian funds, but that’s where different trim levels makes things a little confusing. As far as price goes, the Micra would compete in the U.S. market for sure. I would even embrace the base Mircra. I like cheap, dependable cars.

Reliable: If both cars are manuals, I don’t know how both powertrains compare? I feel comfortable (few worries) with the 1.2L Mitsubishi engine & manual transmission.

Economy: Like you pointed out, I want a small car to be economical. If it isn’t economical, I don’t see much point in driving one? I wouldn’t be interested in any economy car that didn’t get at least 40-50 mpg (5.9-4.7 l/100km) consistently, & this would be an ultimate deal breaker for me. If a small car is getting 25-35 mpg, I am most definitely driving something else. Since it first came out, I have sort of liked the KIA Soul. U.S. sales figures indicate that I am not the only one. I consider the Soul to be a small car, but I do not consider it to be an economy car. The price is right, and the reliability seems to be good. Given what you have shared about mpg, I would pick a Soul over a Micra. I would not, however, pick the Soul over the Mirage.

If I needed a vehicle that was a little more substantial, I would consider the KIA Soul. If I needed AWD, I am looking at something else entirely. If I needed to pull trailers, haul adults (or a large family) all the time, the Mirage is not that car. I am not sure any small car is right for that job? I don’t expect an economy car to compete with larger cars/SUV or sports cars. I do expect/want an economy car to be cheap, reliable, & economical to drive.

The Mirage is far from perfect. Even though the suspension hasn’t been an issue for me, it could be better. I am not fan of the electric power steering, but I can live with it.

The Mirage checks the right boxes for me. If the two engine choices on the Mirage became a smaller 1L non-turbo engine or a larger turbo engine, I would pick the 1L non-turbo for better economy. Economy trumps power for me. Thus, I like the current 1.2L engine that lies in the middle. Adding a turbo or larger engine at the expensive of economy doesn’t really interest me, nor does making the Mirage into a hybrid.

It will be interesting to see, which car you keep longer? If you needed to trade in one of your smaller cars for something larger, which car would go first?

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Originally Posted by Mark

It will be interesting to see, which car you keep longer? If you needed to trade in one of your smaller cars for something larger, which car would go first?

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I want more power and more economy. Likely, if the new Micra/Mirage materializes with a .9l turbo 3, the Micra will be traded in, if the new hatch has 130hp and gets better economy.

We bought our Micra for dirt cheap since the wife works at Nissan, which also means we will do well on a trade to a new one. If the Mirage gets the Renault engine and the Nissan keeps the 1.6, well, she works for an auto group so same discounts.

I do 110 km a day. The Mirage/Micra split is only $1000 a year in fuel doing 36,000km. It's not a big deal. Worth it since the Micra does great on track days. Alternatively, I'm in the market for a new bike, probably a 350-500cc which puts me in the 55-75mpg range. However most of these have at best a 300km range, which means fuel every 2 days. This would prove an issue for me, since the Micra does 4 days and still feels, often and annoying, since Costco is a 15 minute fuel on good days.

Thanks for the comparison, nickels.

One of several reasons the Micra is quieter: it's got more sound deadening. (Compare the curb weights of the 2 cars.)

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Originally Posted by Mark

1. The Nissan Micra is not sold in the U.S. I could probably stop there. :)

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Essentially, the Micra IS sold in the U.S...

It's got the same drivetrain/platform/suspension/interior parts as the Versa Note and Versa sedan, with the exception of the CVT (Micra automatic is a 4-speed slushbox in Canada). So, if you want to experience a Micra, go drive a Versa. Wheelbase being one difference, obviously.

Another difference: the Micra has front/rear stabilizer bars as standard equipment. As nickels says, it handles surprisingly well, right out of the box. I also think Nissan managed to dial in much better steering feel from its electric assist than Mitsubishi did with the Mirage. Both cars have comparably tight turning circles, too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Thanks for the comparison, nickels.

One of several reasons the Micra is quieter: it's got more sound deadening. (Compare the curb weights of the 2 cars.)



Essentially, the Micra IS sold in the U.S...

It's got the same drivetrain/platform/suspension/interior parts as the Versa Note and Versa sedan, with the exception of the CVT (Micra automatic is a 4-speed slushbox in Canada). So, if you want to experience a Micra, go drive a Versa. Wheelbase being one difference, obviously.

Another difference: the Micra has front/rear stabilizer bars as standard equipment. As nickels says, it handles surprisingly well, right out of the box. I also think Nissan managed to dial in much better steering feel from its electric assist than Mitsubishi did with the Mirage. Both cars have comparably tight turning circles, too.

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Micra tips the scales what, 260lb over the Mirage? About that if I recall.

It's very odd that the two bottom dollar cars really dont compete with each other. One is cheap, economical, and a decent car. The other is built way the hell better, objectively nicer, but fuel economy was completely neglected with worst in class economy by far. One is a spunky little race car, the other a reliable simple commuter.

Except, they LOOK like they should be competition.Attachment 14380

Additional note: Sound System, Micra.

Deep bass, easier to navigate touch screen, otherwise similar head units. Micra pushes a lot more power a lot clearer. You cant set it to max because it distorts out. Good bass/treble balance whereas the Mirage loses one or the other when set, as usual on the highway, to 45.

Separate front tweeters and 6.5s are the reason. Well driven and crisp. Hands free operates much the same between the two. Micra blows a bit harder on the HVAC, but does take a great deal longer to warm up.

Micra has tilt steering, and height adjustable drivers seat. Shofter is a much shorter tighter throw, makes the Mirage feel more like my Jeep.

And to mention again, **** THE MICRAS STUPID CUPHOLDERS

Both windshield fluid sprayers are abysmal. Cant use the Micras on the highway. Mirage wins for those.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nickels

It's very odd that the two bottom dollar cars really dont compete with each other.

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I don't feel these two cars were designed to compete against each other. In my mind, the Mirage is a world car brought to the U.S. market. Other companies including Nissan aren't willing to do that.

Just looking up a few cars in the UK for example -

The Micra comes in many variations including a 1L engine (71 hp).
The KIA Picanto can be had with a 1L, 1.25L, & 1L turbo (66, 83, & 99 hp).
The Suzuki Celerio has a 1L (67 hp).
Toyota Aygo is 1L (72 hp).
VW Up is 1L (Power = 60 PS)

Have you seen the Nissan Micra offered in the U.K.? It doesn't look anything like your car. For those who think the Mirage look better than the Micra, take a look at the U.K. version.

https://www.nissan.co.uk/vehicles/ne...les/micra.html

My point - If Nissan brought their 1L Micra to North America, then they would be competing against the Mirage. There are many cars that compete against the Mirage in the world market. They just aren't brought to the U.S. Likewise, these others cars may drive what happens to the Mirage in the future.

If I want to buy a cheap, reliable, economy car in the U.S., shopping is quite easy. Shopping in places like the U.K. would take a little more effort and research.