New Zealand - First Drive: 2013 Mitsubishi Mirage (Oversteer.co.nz)

[MetroMPG]

This is easily the most entertaining review of the Mirage I've read so far - from any country. (And I've read a lot of 'em!) Writer Damien O'Carroll has a lively way of working his keyboard that many other reviewers are sorely lacking. I actually LOL'd at one of his descriptions of the car.

Here's my distillation of his report - but by all means, go read the full article. It's worth your time.

Liked:

• price/value and features/equipment level
• the fact that it's not the Colt
• engine is a "highlight" - "wonderful snarl" and "surprisingly torquey feel down low"
• remarkable fuel economy
• interior space
• comfortable ride quality
• the fact that IT'S NOT A COLT!

Disliked:

• seats: flat, not enough side bolstering (perhaps tells us how he likes to drive, doesn't it!?)
• vague steering feedback
• uninspired styling
• blatant cost-saving tactics - eg. some unpainted areas (as Jamie noted about the underside of the hood/bonnet of the Oz Mirage)
• CVT / engine at full boil may become annoying after a while

Overall:

• "Surprisingly likable and competent... a potential star in the baby-car segment" which leaves him with a better impression than the competition (Splash, Spark, Picanto and Micra).

Go read this refreshing review. I'm going to peruse a couple more of his articles about different cars, just for the entertainment value!

Read the full article & view photos: OVERSTEER - First drive: Mitsubishi Mirage

[Daox]

Agreed Darin, hilarious and well written article. My favorite part:

If you were to drive a Colt, you would have sworn Mitsubishi had forgotten how to build small cars, but the Mirage seems to be proof otherwise.

I got a good laugh at that.

[MetroMPG]

Here's the line that made me chuckle:

The engine is a highlight – it sounds brilliant, goes remarkably well and uses bugger all fuel.