US: Review: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage ES (SubcompactCulture.com)

[MetroMPG]

"Holy crap this thing is pink."

Thus begins a fair review of the car by an avowed small car lover, who analyzes the Mirage while keeping it in proper perspective. For instance, he rightly identifies the car's low price and fuel economy as its "secret weapon", and was easily able to achieve the rated mileage with the CVT:

I was easily able to get in the mid 40 MPG range on the highway. And even back in town, I was able to get above the 37 MPG city rating.

But he levels some honest criticism on other points...

Pros...

- fuel economy
- "comfortable enough" to drive
- engine makes an interesting growl, though not refined
- light weight
- decent ride
- "astounding" 2,000 RPM on the highway

Cons...

- bland styling
- feels dated
- budget details like no paint in the engine compartment
- excessive drivetrain vibration when stopped, in gear
- steering lacks feel
- handling / body roll ... "Push it into a corner, and it lists like a ship. A very tiny, purple ship."

Overall...

Despite its Spartan feel and not so noteworthy driving dynamics, there is an honest, simple quality to the Mirage. It’s kind of like finding a pair of inexpensive jeans that fit well. They’re basic, they’re blue, they fit, and they’ll probably last a while, too.

Read the full review: http://www.subcompactculture.com/201...mirage-es.html

[Daox]

An entertaining and accurate review.

I do really wonder if Mitsu will address the suspension in future years...

[grsupercity]

Mitsubishi has already announced the new mirage should be coming out in 2016

[Mikhail]

Climate control through polarized sunglasses make it nearly impossible to see the climate control display.

I always wondered why on some pictures from diffident reviews (and no one mentioned, surprisingly) the climate control screen looks that strange. And now, I remembers the same thing happened on my Nissan Sentra 2008 radio screen when I used the polarized sunglasses.

[MetroMPG]

Maybe the body roll is all part of their big plan: if the car handled like a go kart, there would be tons more complaints about how underpowered it is.

[MetroMPG]

I remembers the same thing happened on my Nissan Sentra 2008 radio screen when I used the polarized sunglasses.

Yeah - that was an original observation. I haven't seen it in any other review.

[festiboi]

An entertaining and accurate review.

I do really wonder if Mitsu will address the suspension in future years...

I have wondered that too. Any smart carmaker will pay attention to what is written in these reviews about their cars and will make continual changes in response to what journalists dislike. Otherwise, that kind of defeats some of the purpose of loaning these cars out to their writers.

Given that the handling has been an almost unanimous complaint in all of the North American reviews, it wouldn't be surprising if Mitsubishi adds a sway bar and/or tightens up the tuning of the suspension in the following year or two. It would be a relatively cheap and easy update