Survey SAYS! (I asked 32 people what they thought of the Mirage's styling...)

[MetroMPG]

I realize this will not win me a lot of friends on a Mirage forum: I'm not a big fan of the Mirage's looks. I think it's uninspired at best, dated at worst, and conservative to the point of invisibility.*

(* Unless you order one of the crazy paint colours. Which I absolutely would.)

All that said, I'd still own one -- a decision of the head, not the heart. Not helped by the styling.


The bright colours sure help

I've actually met a Mirage owner who said she specifically bought the car because of the colour (plasma purple).

Several people commented that they really liked my car's "infra red".

The company surely knows the cheerful pallette helps -- that angle is up front in many of their ads. But I can't help think that those colours only serve to spice up an otherwise bland dish.


It's not about the aerodynamics

A few reviewers have mistakenly blamed the Mirage's better than average aerodynamics for its styling. However, that's misguided criticism. Good aerodynamic design doesn't necessarily lead to "worn-bar-of-soap" styling. EG: the Mercedes CLA sedan has a better drag coefficient than the already slippery Toyota Prius hatchback, yet those cars couldn't look any different.


It's all subjective, right?

Of course it is. But when you read as many Mirage reviews as I have (over 150), and the styling gets repeatedly bad-mouthed (more often than not), it seems like a critical concensus begins to form.

And then doubt begins to creep in: maybe it's just the "car guys" who don't like the looks. Maybe I'm somehow biased. I'm a "car guy". Maybe there's just no accounting for taste (I prefer the looks of the new Nissan Micra, Chevy Spark or Kia Picanto).


So I decided to do a little survey...



When Mitsubishi Canada loaned me this "infrared" base Mirage, I decided I would ask 50 people what they thought of its styling.

And I failed! I only managed to interview 32 people by the time I had to give the car back. (This takes much more time than you would think!)

And I was surprised by the results. More people liked the car's styling than I expected.


3 questions...

I talked to friends, family and strangers about the car. Their ages ranged from a couple of pre-teens to in their 80's. I asked three things while we were standing there looking at / walking around the car:

1) What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow? (Oops! That's another set of questions..)

Ahem...

1) As far as subcompact hatchbacks go, give me your overall impression on a scale of 1 to 10.

2) Name a styling element/feature you don't like about it.

3) Name a styling element/feature you do like about it.

Often we ended up talking about a lot more than these three things, so I recorded extra info for many people, like what kind of car they drove, and I noted whether they seemed like a "car person" or not.

The results?


1) As far as subcompact hatchbacks go, give me your overall impression on a scale of 1 to 10.

7	Average of all 32 responses
10	Highest score (male in his 70's, owner of a Chevrolet Equinox, not a "car guy") He said: "It's well-proportioned for a little car. Nothing wrong with it."
3	Lowest score (Male in his 60's, Civic Si hatchback owner - definite "car guy") He said: "It's a girly car."
6.7	Average of all (17) males (from lowest: 3, to highest: 10)
7.3	Average of all (15) females (from lowest: 4, to highest: 9)
5.7	Average of all (5) "car guys" (they were all guys)
7.3	Average of all (27) "non-car people"

2) Name a styling element/feature you don't like about it.

This is where it gets subjective... and funny. Not everyone could answer these questions, and some people hated things that others liked.

A definite trend popped up: people don't like the shape of the front of the car more than anything else:

• bulbous nose, like the old Turbo/Rapido train
• big nose
• pudgy front
• spoiler
• rear - too many planes
• no chrome, no bling
• too plain
• spoiler - effect on rear view
• small wheels
• too small
• spoiler looks like an afterthought
• jellybean front
• back end looks chopped off too soon
• plain
• small side rear windows (too much upsweep in beltline); non-blacked out b-pillar
• front end shape
• front end
• girlie car; tiny wheels
• tiny wheels
• front looks blunt, smushed in

2) Name a styling element/feature you do like about it.

And another trend pops up: baby's got back!

• cute, balanced looks
• well proportioned for a small car
• character lines on the side
• aerodynamic elements
• substantial looking back end
• 4 doors
• size
• size
• smooth shape
• back end
• proportional
• cute
• rounded, not boxy
• spiffy
• front end: bumper-to-hood curve
• rear end
• headlights
• sleek side styling
• fun looking
• back end
• cutie pie
• hatchback
• smooth shape
• rear end
• sporty, front end, rear spoiler
• character lines, wheels at the back corners

So there you have it: a solid "7" in this unassailably scientific survey.

That's more than I would have given it!

But maybe Mitsubishi would consider a "7" a roaring success, considering they had to come up with something that would be as inoffensive as possible to the largest number of people in the 150+ countries and cultures around the world where this car is sold.

Despite my feelings on this subject, I'd still own one... in Kermit green, please.

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Related thread: Vote: What do you think of the Mirage's looks / styling?

[cookiemonster]

And I was surprised by the results. More people liked the car's styling than I expected.

Thanks for the survey ... maybe people are more conservative than you expected?

[MetroMPG]

That sure could be.

And I understand some people see conservative, understated styling as a positive thing: the car won't look "dated" in 10 years. (Because it comes pre-dated from the factory!) I don't buy it.

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PS: I fleshed out the first post with more survey details.

[cookiemonster]

Some might call it "dated styling" ... but others, like myself, would call it "classical styling"

I wonder who today would choose aggressive (or classical) styling from the 90s? ...

[MetroMPG]

Touché

Well played, sir.

[Alpha_One]

As I predicted in another thread, the "car guy" types rated the styling lower. And in accordance with my own personal observation, the women rate it higher than the men.

(* Unless you order one of the crazy paint colours. Which I absolutely would.)

I get ya. I don't know why anybody would order this car in silver. Although I think the gray color is handsome, but green and blue would be my preference.

[kerc]

That sure could be.

And I understand some people see conservative, understated styling as a positive thing: the car won't look "dated" in 10 years. (Because it comes pre-dated from the factory!) I don't buy it.

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PS: I fleshed out the first post with more survey details.

I think the styling is not dated. It just avoids all the overstyling and angle style lines and contours that are in vogue (I'm looking atcha, Spark!). And that is a good thing. Panel cut line integation is good, the sweeping line from the base of the A-pillar to the nose is pretty well executed, the contouring on the side adds a nice touch and a bit of a wedge to it, and the rear end is nicely bobbed and shows off a bit of rubber in the back. The fenders flare out ever so slightly, giving it a decent stance. And the roof tapers to the back, a good aerodynamic design that also looks good.

As opposed to a lot of the cars in the market, the Mirage will remain looking current for many, many years.

[Basic]

Other than the "girl car" bit, I have had nothing but compliments on the looks of the Mirage. Mine is Mystic Black ES and with the chrome accents around the fogs, and the Alloys, more than a couple people have commented on how upscale it looks for a small car.

The resounding statement is that everyone I have talked to thinks that it is better looking than other small cars like that "Ugly Chevy" and that "Dumb Smart Car" LOL!

[grsupercity]

I like the looks. Love the attrages front

[Minihaha]

I think the styling is not dated. It just avoids all the overstyling and angle style lines and contours that are in vogue (I'm looking atcha, Spark!). And that is a good thing. Panel cut line integation is good, the sweeping line from the base of the A-pillar to the nose is pretty well executed, the contouring on the side adds a nice touch and a bit of a wedge to it, and the rear end is nicely bobbed and shows off a bit of rubber in the back. The fenders flare out ever so slightly, giving it a decent stance. And the roof tapers to the back, a good aerodynamic design that also looks good.

As opposed to a lot of the cars in the market, the Mirage will remain looking current for many, many years.

Agreed. (p.s. where're the 'flaps?)