Do you think Mirage will sell as much as Versa?

High oil prices sell economic cars and recession (which according to some we are heading to) sells cheap cars.

Mirage is both cheap and frugal, but will it ever sell as good as Versa?

Last year segment sale numbers:
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2016/01...r-end.html?m=1

Subcompact 2015 2014 %Change
Chevrolet Sonic 64,775 93,518 -30.7%
Ford Fiesta 64,458 63,192 2.0%
Honda Fit 52,724 59,340 -11.1%
Hyundai Accent 61,486 63,309 -2.9%
Kia Rio 23,742 35,933 -33.9%
Nissan Versa 144,528 139,781 3.4%

City Car 2015 2014 %Change
Chevrolet Spark 32,853 39,159 -16.1%
Mitsubishi Mirage 21,515 16,708 28.8%
Smart Fortwo 7484 10,453 -28.4%

The Versa is a different car than the Mirage, when you think about it. It is larger, roomier, a bit more powerful, etc...it just happens to cost about the same in base, base trim. As such, I think it just appeals to a wider audience.

If the Mirage is the equivalent of a 1995 Metro, then the Versa is probably like the 1995 Tercel. A small hatchback and a slightly larger sedan don't compare directly. Things will get much more interesting when the Mirage G4 comes out!

I'd say no. Its just simply the brand name of the car. Mitsubishi, Izusu, and Suzuki will never get up to the sales of Honda, Toyota, Hyundai becuase they are simply less known. I've ran into some of my sister-in-law's family and to my surprise none of them heard of Mitsubishi before.

Will it sell 120,000 more than it is now? Never. The versa gets anywhere from decent to bad reviews, the mirage get horrible reviews by everyone except the owners and that will affect sales. It will be a mid market player at best. Which is a shame, because it has a lot of good things going for it. I am personally very happy with mine and strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a strong value play.

I think it would IF (see the big if):

1) they dropped the price below the Versa base
2) they had more dealers

Until they do those two things, they don't have a chance of selling 144k a year.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cyclopathic

Mirage is both cheap and frugal, but will it ever sell as good as Versa?

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Did you mean to ask will the Mirage sedan sell as well as the Versa sedan? Because it's the Versa sedan that makes up most of their remarkable sales numbers.

One thing the Versa has in common with Mirage: typical enthusiast auto reviewers love to hate it. Yet it has totally DOMINATED the subcompact sales segment for years. (Take that, car reviewers!)

I have to wonder though: how many of those Versa sedans are they selling to individuals vs. to rental fleets?

It's so interesting to see the Versa sedan doing so well in the States, yet they cancelled it in Canada due to non-existent sales and replaced it with the Micra here (which on a per capita comparison basis has been a smash hit, selling nearly as well as the U.S. Versa). It supports the often-repeated theory that Americans like sedans more than hatchbacks. So I am very interested to see what will happen when the Mirage sedan becomes available south of the 49th.

but versa sedan and mirage sedan are the same cars?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cyclopathic

High oil prices sell economic cars and recession (which according to some we are heading to) sells cheap cars.

Mirage is both cheap and frugal, but will it ever sell as good as Versa?

Last year segment sale numbers:
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2016/01...r-end.html?m=1

Subcompact 2015 2014 %Change
Chevrolet Sonic 64,775 93,518 -30.7%
Ford Fiesta 64,458 63,192 2.0%
Honda Fit 52,724 59,340 -11.1%
Hyundai Accent 61,486 63,309 -2.9%
Kia Rio 23,742 35,933 -33.9%
Nissan Versa 144,528 139,781 3.4%

City Car 2015 2014 %Change
Chevrolet Spark 32,853 39,159 -16.1%
Mitsubishi Mirage 21,515 16,708 28.8%
Smart Fortwo 7484 10,453 -28.4%

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This is interesting data I wish they had posted year production total for 2014 vs 2015, otherwise its kinda hard to get the most out of the data set since one can't tell % production sold. Thanks for posting!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cobrajet

The Versa is a different car than the Mirage, when you think about it. It is larger, roomier, a bit more powerful, etc...it just happens to cost about the same in base, base trim. As such, I think it just appeals to a wider audience.

If the Mirage is the equivalent of a 1995 Metro, then the Versa is probably like the 1995 Tercel. A small hatchback and a slightly larger sedan don't compare directly. Things will get much more interesting when the Mirage G4 comes out!

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Nissan said something like 42%+ of sold Versas are Note. This would mean that Note outsold Fit. The G4 would also help to compete if they sell as many of them as they sell hatchbacks.

With respect to negative reviews I've been reading online posts and tone seems to be changing. Not with professional auto rags but some community newspaper articles, which while not raving about Mirage as we do, at least give it a justice as well equipped basic transportation with good MPG.

Over a dozen articles of this sort. So I think Mitsubishi PR team is working in right direction.

I still think they need to throw are true performance version with turbo or 4cyl 2L for auto rags to shut up, but perhaps this is a couple years down the road.

I was a Nissan fan for decades, today I own a Mirage. I would have to pass several Nissan dealerships to get to the nearest Mitsubishi dealership. Those proximity and number advantages are hard to beat. The 25% better mileage I get in the Mirage is a deal maker for me along with price and warranty.
After 15k miles, given the chance I would do the same thing again BUT Mitsu needs to fix my rear axle to near 0 camber and toe.

regards
mech