First Ten Days Review: 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage BE edition

[Ares]

I just skimmed at your scores and they look accurate.

While the FWY driving experience is definitely low, I've driven my mirage on the interstate for vacations a lot. While it will definitely wear you down, it does not complain much even at speeds over 75mph. Just make sure the wheels are balanced otherwise you'll shake to death. Ask me how I know.

[7milesout]

This pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?

And is something Dog Decrapo could not come to grips with.

[7milesout]

4. Maybe I need to turn in my man card, but I’m personally never going to drive a manual transmission car in my life �� (I respect that many prefer this)

That's why they make automagics, missusrohoGames.

Ha! Just kidding.

A hundred years ago, when my truck was new, there was a guy at work (at Toyota) who had the same truck as me, except his was an automagic. He let me drive it one day to lunch. It was so easy to drive, it was quite pleasant. However, those automagics in those trucks did not last at all. They were crap. Part of why I like manuals is because they are so robust. If you can slip a clutch minimally, even the clutch should last a looooong time.

[rohoGames]

I just skimmed at your scores and they look accurate.

While the FWY driving experience is definitely low, I've driven my mirage on the interstate for vacations a lot. While it will definitely wear you down, it does not complain much even at speeds over 75mph. Just make sure the wheels are balanced otherwise you'll shake to death. Ask me how I know.

even though I recognized, as objectively as I could, how this car wouldn't be the best thing to use for many long road trips, I'm actually really looking forward to long trips with my Mirage. I thoroughly enjoyed my 6 hours to and from Indiana and Ohio. But that has as much to do with:

1. As you say, it'll do fine on the freeway. Just because it doesn't do as well as other cars, doesn't mean it can't do it at all, something missing from the pro auto reviews.
2. When I drive the family truckster van, its with the family- hey I love my family- and the van is super comfortable and great for those vacays, but when I'm driving solo somewhere I can crank my music (jazz, instrumental stuff, aka things that my family will hate haha), have everything setup just so- so all the quirks of driving a small low power car on the interstate pale in comparison to the fun/joy is driving by myself somewhere and being 100% control of the experience.
3. So far the bucket seats, for me, are perfectly comfortable at least going three hours in the seat. I use a little lumbar support cushion.

[7milesout]

roho - There are only 2 minor issues I find with using the Mirage for long trips. Both of these 2 issues stand out to me, as I also own an LS 460L, and it excels on the interstate. And that thing is a half an acre of car, 385 hp, with possibly the best sound system going (especially for a 2010).

1. Gusty winds blow it around. But nothing terrible. I notice that when I get blown around, I look at the car behind me, and it too gets blown around. Just not as bad. This adds just a little bit of effort to steer back toward the center of the lane. Nothing major. But what do you expect from a 12 pound car with a 6 inch wheelbase?

2. There's enough noise coming through the tires, suspension, chassis, body that lowers the fidelity of the music being listened to at interstate speeds. At least with my ears. I have some tinnitus. Mine is weird, there are noises I can't hear, and noises I do hear. People mumbling, I don't hear much of what they say. However, I can be walking in my house and hear a faucet dripping inside. It seems like I can hear things that represent a waste of money, where my wife can't hear those things at all. However, she can hear a flea fart from 100 yards away. The point is, you can hear your music for the most part, but it has to be turned loud. And if the trip is long enough, your ears may ring a while when you get where you're going. Of course, this is my experience. Other people with really good hearing may not experience what I do.

One other item, which I think is the opposite of an issue. MPG. Sure, when you do 75+ mph, the mpg will drop. But if I were to do 80 mph, I'd say I'd get maybe 37 or 38 mpg. That's still if WAAAAAY better fuel mileage than my LS would get (maybe 21 or 22), or my Sierra would get (maybe 14 or 15 mpg), or what my Ram would get (16 or 17 mpg), or what my Scamp would get (0 or 1 mpg). So I think the high speed mpg is the opposite of a problem. I think it's GREAT.

[Mark]

even though I recognized, as objectively as I could, how this car wouldn't be the best thing to use for many long road trips, I'm actually really looking forward to long trips with my Mirage. I thoroughly enjoyed my 6 hours to and from Indiana and Ohio. But that has as much to do with:

1. As you say, it'll do fine on the freeway. Just because it doesn't do as well as other cars, doesn't mean it can't do it at all, something missing from the pro auto reviews.
2. When I drive the family truckster van, its with the family- hey I love my family- and the van is super comfortable and great for those vacays, but when I'm driving solo somewhere I can crank my music (jazz, instrumental stuff, aka things that my family will hate haha), have everything setup just so- so all the quirks of driving a small low power car on the interstate pale in comparison to the fun/joy is driving by myself somewhere and being 100% control of the experience.
3. So far the bucket seats, for me, are perfectly comfortable at least going three hours in the seat. I use a little lumbar support cushion.

I also feel you evaluated the Mirage quite well. To say it's the best car for cruising the interstate wouldn't be honest. At the same time, it can surely get the job done with ease.

I do 220 mile (one way) trips to visit my parents quite often. It's a mix of 2-lane highways & multi-lane interstate drving, & the Mirage does the trip quite well. In the past 5 years, I've taken my Forester to my parents once & that was during deer season last November (hauling a lot of gear). My Mirage has done all of the other trips.

My longest daily drive with my Mirage was at the end of last summer. I did 945 miles that day (NY state back to my home in Wisconsin), & that was even done without cruise control. I'm 6' 1" and no one calls me skinny. I don't mind the Mirage seats at all. Compared to sitting 20+ feet up in a tree for 3-4 hours with your back against it (while bow hunting), a Mirage seat feels like a comfy recliner!

I've also done several 650 miles one-day drives to Devils Lake, North Dakota (interstate speed limit is 75 mph in ND, which means I may be going close to 80 mph during part of that trip).

The Mirage handles all those trips with ease, & it's also why I am not sold on EVs. I would feel somewhat forced to take my older Forester on those longer trips, & that defeats the purpose of owning an economy car in my opinion. I surely don't want to own both an EV and a Mirage. Thus, I would pick the Mirage for sure. Everyone's situation is different, however.

[defensivetackle88]

Excellent write up!

I do wish more folks buy the G4 as much as a hatchback. Seems like the G4 will never be popular again. Toyota Echo, anyone?

One thing I do want to add is that the Mirage G4 does well on a highway in terms of comfort. It was livable! I have had driven it with babies and my wife from Los Angeles to San Diego and vice versa with the trunk being completely full. During that family vacation trip I had the A/C on, 43 PSI and had achieved 46 MPG. It was completely awesome even though the RPM hit 3,250 while going approximately 65mph.

My ultimate family road trip test someday is to go up to San Fran via G4. San Fran is NOT stick shift friendly city lol.

[Dirk Diggler]

I just skimmed at your scores and they look accurate.

While the FWY driving experience is definitely low, I've driven my mirage on the interstate for vacations a lot. While it will definitely wear you down, it does not complain much even at speeds over 75mph. Just make sure the wheels are balanced otherwise you'll shake to death. Ask me how I know.

Why low though? I'm constantly going between Atlanta and Charleston, a 500 mile trip and besides my sciatica bothering me if I don't get out and stretch, it's not bad at all. The speakers absorb the road noise pretty good and the cruise control works great. I just set it on 70 mph and net 39 mpg. There's a little bit of crosswind but I've never noticed getting shoved around at all, and thats doing 80 between two big long haulers lol. Is there are particular thing you don't care for when on the freeway?

[Dirk Diggler]

I also feel you evaluated the Mirage quite well. To say it's the best car for cruising the interstate wouldn't be honest. At the same time, it can surely get the job done with ease.

I do 220 mile (one way) trips to visit my parents quite often. It's a mix of 2-lane highways & multi-lane interstate drving, & the Mirage does the trip quite well. In the past 5 years, I've taken my Forester to my parents once & that was during deer season last November (hauling a lot of gear). My Mirage has done all of the other trips.

My longest daily drive with my Mirage was at the end of last summer. I did 945 miles that day (NY state back to my home in Wisconsin), & that was even done without cruise control. I'm 6' 1" and no one calls me skinny. I don't mind the Mirage seats at all. Compared to sitting 20+ feet up in a tree for 3-4 hours with your back against it (while bow hunting), a Mirage seat feels like a comfy recliner!

I've also done several 650 miles one-day drives to Devils Lake, North Dakota (interstate speed limit is 75 mph in ND, which means I may be going close to 80 mph during part of that trip).

The Mirage handles all those trips with ease, & it's also why I am not sold on EVs. I would feel somewhat forced to take my older Forester on those longer trips, & that defeats the purpose of owning an economy car in my opinion. I surely don't want to own both an EV and a Mirage. Thus, I would pick the Mirage for sure. Everyone's situation is different, however.

Man, I might have to take a road trip up to your farm Mark! I've never shot a bow before, just a crossbow. I've always admired learning hunting as a skill. Now that most large predators are gone, white tail deer are a real plague all over the country, destroying crops and smashing into cars. Feral pigs, apparently, are huge issue too. Hunters help out a lot thinning their herds and protecting the ecosystem from getting razed by unchecked numbers of deer. I got a lot of respect for that.

My rifle has always been a fishing rod though lol. I bet there's some good fishing in the land of 10,000 lakes. Catch me one of those giant ancient Sturgeons that can live for 60 years. I'd put it back though, I've read they're numbers are way down now in North America and they don't taste very good, besides their expensive eggs.

[rohoGames]

Update on this review:

Car still doing great, still love it (especially since I added heated seats, the one premium feature I truly missed).

However there is one wrinkle that doesn't affect *me* but might be of interest to some:

Taller female drivers (5'10" or taller). My wife (5'11") was in the backseat of the mirage on my test drive and was perfectly comfortable. However, she did not herself drive or sit in the driver's seat during the sales process as the car would be driven 99% of the time by me.

I had plenty of headroom at 6'1" in height, so I figured she would be ok. Well yesterday she had to drive the mirage for the first time, and nope, her head was touching the roof no matter what she did with the seat controls. She was definitely uncomfortable.

The reason I think is a combination of posture (I am a "lay back a bit in the seat" type, wife is more of a "sit up perfectly straight" type) and female and male body types. The curves just work different and therefore you sit different. Not a big deal to us since she'll only have to use the mirage in very rare instances, but probably something to look out for in general.