Just bought a 2018 ES manual transmission and HI!

[srquixote]

Although I love the ruggedness and reliability of my 2002 Nissan Xterra XE, I get only 13mpg on it in the city. So in an effort to improve my carbon footprint, I shopped for the most affordable high MPG vehicle. So I discovered the Mirage!
I read the reviews and laughed at what American reviewers found important that the Mirage lacked: High HP, 0 to 60 acceleration, and luxury feel (the last made me lol the most.)
I grew up around fuel efficient cars that are easy to maintain. Driving my Mirage brings me back to those days.

[Wallythacker]

Smart move and Welcome! 13 mpg? Makes me shudder, my 429 Mustang did better than that in the city.

[srquixote]

Smart move and Welcome! 13 mpg? Makes me shudder, my 429 Mustang did better than that in the city.

Yeah. On the other hand my Xterra is tough as bricks and can pull 5,000 lbs. So I'm keeping her for when I need to tow stuff and it snows.

[7milesout]

Yeah. On the other hand my Xterra is tough as bricks and can pull 5,000 lbs. So I'm keeping her for when I need to tow stuff and it snows.

Probably a smart move to keep it too. And welcome aboard, you're off to a good start. My 1972 Plymouth Scamp with LA 360 does about 13 mpg around town. I parked my son's G35 next to the Scamp, and the G35 made the Scamp look skimpy. I'm betting the Xterra would look huge next to my Scamp, which is probably part of the low mpg issue with the Xterra ... that it's bigger / heavier than it may appear.

[Mark]

Yeah. On the other hand my Xterra is tough as bricks and can pull 5,000 lbs. So I'm keeping her for when I need to tow stuff and it snows.

Xterra & Mirage sound like a good combination. They sort of excel in opposite areas. The Mirage will most likely extend the life of your Xterra, and you will save on gas while doing so. It's nice to have a body on a frame vehicle for towing, too!

[88coltturbo]

Welcome!

[Mark]

Although I love the ruggedness and reliability of my 2002 Nissan Xterra XE, I get only 13mpg on it in the city. So in an effort to improve my carbon footprint, I shopped for the most affordable high MPG vehicle. So I discovered the Mirage!
I read the reviews and laughed at what American reviewers found important that the Mirage lacked: High HP, 0 to 60 acceleration, and luxury feel (the last made me lol the most.)
I grew up around fuel efficient cars that are easy to maintain. Driving my Mirage brings me back to those days.

I think many happy Mirage owners have some history with small economy cars of the past. For me it would have been my first car (1978 Honda Civic Wagon) and a 1990 Ford Festiva (designed by Mazda, built by KIA, sold by Ford). The GEO Metro 3-cylinder crowd relates to the Mirage quite well, too!

I drove that 63 horsepower Festiva for 14 years. I like having a small economy car in my driveway again. It takes care of 80-90% of my needs, & it saves wear & tear on my older Forester that I don't want to replace any time soon.

Prior to purchasing my Mirage in 2017, I rely on European reviews of the Mirage. They embraced/highlighted the best features of the car better. If you can find a good deal on one, a Mirage is quite affordable, reliable, and very economical to own/drive.

Welcome to the forum!!!!

[srquixote]

Thanks!
My first car was a 1970 Renault 10 (I got it in 1976). It had a 1.3L rear engine (47HP.) I can't remember how many MPG but it was really light and efficient.

[Mark]

Thanks!
My first car was a 1970 Renault 10 (I got it in 1976). It had a 1.3L rear engine (47HP.) I can't remember how many MPG but it was really light and efficient.

You'll have no problem adapting to a 78 horsepower Mirage!

[Johnny Mullet]

Glad you could join us!