Had a MINI, have a 'real' modern-Mini now...

[Minihaha]

Just picked up the Mirage yesterday, bailed on a Countryman S All4.

Went looking for a cheap replacement, found it in my Infrared 6gen DE for sure, lol.
When I first saw the Mirage last Wed. (prior to going a very thrifty and warrantied route they weren't on my radar, at all!), when I saw it at the dealer I thought that is one ugly little f**ker and 74hp, really??
Coming from older (1980's) VW diesels (will always have a spot in my heart, NA & turbo), a number of years back, the power deficit isn't unbearable by any means, though it certainly was a regression from the Countryman.

Ditched the awful plastic wheel covers and will be rockin' the steelies 'til I find some suitable 15"ers.
Threw on some mudflaps (seriously helps out the lil' 14's, and keeps the car a lot cleaner).
Debadged the rear.
And after a full day I am quite enamored!! with this 3 cylinder 5spd rascal
(for any other motorcycle racers out there, you'll get this - these endearing lil' buggers are the automotive Ninja250 equivalents, serious bare bones (& low powered) fun!)
Will mostly be looking to upgrade suspension, as power is pretty much DOA, ;-) (did already put it up to 100mph though) - so having a sharp handling lil' 1-tonner and sipping fuel will be the new hobby.
Loving the sweet Mikuni port FI over the direct injection on the MINI, it slays the DI on economy... what gives, old tech still works, huh

Looking forward to many years of great bonding with this fella

It's funny, the 14"ers look hilariously small on this car, yet I remember having 13" Panasports on an '84 Rabbit, and it rocked 'em, didn't look nearly so diminutive...

[aydu]

Congratulations on the new Mirage.

They are a ton of fun to drive, as you've experienced.

[Ares]

I was looking for a countryman all4 as well, but figured I really want a truck so I'll just pay the mirage off and buy an f150 later.

Oh and welcome.

[MetroMPG]

Congrats on the Mirage!

So if it wasn't on your radar, how'd it end up in your driveway? You just saw one going past a dealership?

(for any other motorcycle racers out there, you'll get this - these endearing lil' buggers are the automotive Ninja250 equivalents, serious bare bones (& low powered) fun!)

Yup, had one of those. And Mk1 Golf/Rabbit too (gas, though).

It's funny, the 14"ers look hilariously small on this car, yet I remember having 13" Panasports on an '84 Rabbit, and it rocked 'em, didn't look nearly so diminutive...

Answer: you have been brainwashed by the style gods. I even had 12 inch wheels on one of my Metros. Though 12's always looked small to me.

The style gods continue to brainwash the masses: I just read a review of a small car that noted the "tiny 15 inch wheels..."

[Minihaha]

Maybe a brainwashng of sorts... I do love steelies though. I might just get some of them in 15" and substantially wider, that's the real 'blemish,' those narrow little rollers are just to ... narrow!
You do have a point though, my dads '88 Mustang GT had the 15" "turbine" wheels and back then that wasn't 'tiny.' Boy, now that I write that I recall those were 4 bolt too (total PITA to clean too), that would be a hoot to put on the Mirage:


I still like 'em!!
quick check indicates wrong / incompatible bolt patterns :-(

[Minihaha]

MetroMPG - it ended up in my driveway by doing a Google search for new cars > $14000 and with manual transmissions. Really. After going through various cars and reading reviews I noticed:
The reviewers slammed the poor little fella, but earlier in the day I had seen it at the dealer - and though my first impression was "jeez, that's an ugly duckling," I am much more a form follows function guy, so looks don't win (or lose) the day...
Anyway, as I knew one was near (at the dealer) and being somewhat contrarian and hard-headed, I thought: I will see what it's really made of, myself.

So glad I did, the Mirage is all it should be and nothing more. If you are expecting more than you're going to be disappointed, this is a *basic* car, I am tickled by its simplicity and engineering. That MIKUNI port FI is amazing!
Its warranties were a BIG factor too, 10/100,000powertrain and 5/60,000overall - that's fantastic!!

BTW - I have had (chronologically): an MG B, Porsche914, Rabbit Diesel, Chevy(Suzuki) Sprint Turbo (one hoot of a >1litre, 3cylinder), Volvo 240DIESEL (my all time FAVORITE*), VW GTI MkII (not 16v), Toyota Previa, Mercury Villager, Ford E150 Chateau, MB 300TE (wagon), VW Jetta 3rdGen Diesel, Volvo S60 T5, Honda CRX, Scion Xb (1stGen), Izuzu Amigo, Cadillac Deville (2005), Ford FLEX (LIMITED Ecoboost - WOW!!), MINI Cooper S Countryman ALL4 and now at 41 years of age, my very first BRAND new car (really) - my Mitsubishi Mirage!!
(aside cars - learned to drive a stick in my dad's Vega 3dr wagon and shared a '78 Malibu 2dr (with the 305) with two brothers before the MG B). All were manuals but the vans and the two wagons (MB & FORD) and the Caddy.
I am pretty sure that spectrum is unarguably broad and eclectic, I know my cars and I have loved them all, even the AMIGO, until it scared the living daylights out of me in light snow on the highway (it was 2wd only). I have driven several (if not most) of them from KS to one or the other coasts, I have had a LOT of seat time and I have enjoyed it all thoroughly (I might be ill, lol). Not sure what brought this out.... maybe the 'deeper' answer to: "how'd it end up in your driveway?" anyway with all that ownership experience, I must say I am quite excited with the Mirage and also that the Mirage has a special place it will forever hold, my first new car.


(*DIESEL Volvo as all time favorite: it was without question the slowest beast ever, when I owned it my dad had a Rabbit Diesel - and we "raced" them, if you could call it that - LOL. The Rabbit 'blew the doors off' the Volvo. That slowness was, I think an excellent experience for having the Mirage. I had soooooooo much fun in that Volvo, doughnuts in any snowfall, I flogged that engine (VW made straight 6 NA diesel) and it always came back for more... what a car. And amazing irony here - I LOVE speed, I road race motorcycles and not one of all those cars that I owned got through my hands w/o a top-speed jaunt, it's funny that the 'hands-down' slowest is my fav.)

[M-88]

What was wrong with the Mini? People that have them love them from what I hear - also hear that they tend to be problematic?

I'd take a simple Mirage over the Countryman.

I do find it interesting that Mitsubishis in the US do not have gasoline direct injection - wasn't Mitsubishi one of the pioneers of it?

Maybe a brainwashng of sorts... I do love steelies though. I might just get some of them in 15" and substantially wider, that's the real 'blemish,' those narrow little rollers are just to ... narrow!
You do have a point though, my dads '88 Mustang GT had the 15" "turbine" wheels and back then that wasn't 'tiny.' Boy, now that I write that I recall those were 4 bolt too (total PITA to clean too), that would be a hoot to put on the Mirage:


I still like 'em!!
quick check indicates wrong / incompatible bolt patterns :-(

I have that bolt pattern on my Focus. One of Ford's oddball bolt patterns - 4x108. But the Mustang wheels wouldn't have enough backspacing to work on the Mirage even if the bolt pattern was the same. Would stick out a mile.

Also, the reason for the super skinny 14s is for better fuel econ. If you go to a wider tire, it's going to affect fuel economy negatively.

The style gods continue to brainwash the masses: I just read a review of a small car that noted the "tiny 15 inch wheels..."

I like small (preferably) steel wheels along with skinny myself! My Focus has 15s and that's fine. Just bought 6 tires for it $48 a piece! I did go to "big" 16s on the Cherokee, but to a much skinnier (and taller) tire in the process of doing so.

[MetroMPG]

Mini: Eclectic collection, yup that counts.

M-88 is right. You're going to take a small-ish hit by changing out the stock wheels/tires. See: How wheel & tire size and style affect Mirage fuel economy/mileage

[Basic]

Welcome sir! Epic collection of past rides. I love that most of the folks I have talked to with a new Mirage have the same odd duck car affection that I do.

[Minihaha]

Not worried about the small MPG hit that stylish 15" wheels will bring - oh the vanity!!

Nothing was 'wrong' with the MINI, something though would be, inevitably - it's a German Sports Car...

As for not having DirectInjection - who needs it, it would seem. The Mirage is proof positive: amazing fuel economy can be garnered from port Fuel Injection - that's like the most basic low-tech FI out there. I for one am totally amazed.

Every minute in the drivers seat just has me more enamored, this Mitsu is a delight.