Originally Posted by
Mark
I discovered this forum prior to purchase, too. I had thought about getting a second vehicle (economy) for quite some time. Consumer reviews on kbb.com, cars.com, & this forum are what really caught my attention. I started considering the Mirage during the summer of 2017. I didn't pull the trigger on buying one right away, but that had more to do with having two daughters, who both got married that year (August & September). That sort of tapped my savings, & I needed to let the dust settle first.
I wanted a car that would save some of the daily wear & tear of driving my Subaru Forester. For 80% of my driving, the Mirage is all I need. My daughter & son-in-law that live in Finland, & the Mirage is perfect for them to use when they are visiting the States. It would have been cheaper to get them a rental car when they visit, but I really wanted a cheap daily driver, too. It's something that I had been considering for years. Ever since I sold my 1990 Ford Festiva in 2004, I had toss around the thought of getting another economy car.
For years, I considered getting a used Toyota Echo. You could find used ones in pretty nice shape for $5000-7000 for many years. Like the Mirage, the Echo was trashed by car critics. Owners, however, loved them! Sound familiar? I never pulled the trigger on one, because I am not of a fan of sedans. I like opening a hatch & being able to throw the dog or whatever in the back.
Eventually, I began considering used cars like the Yaris, Accent, Rio5, Fit, etc... In my mind, I sort of have a limit on what I am willing to pay for an economy car (new or used). For me, that limit is about $10,000. When I realized I could buy a brand new Mirage for $10,000 “out-the-door” with no trade, I bought one. It been over a year now, & I have no regrets.
To answer your question, I didn’t realize the car has speed sensitive wipers. In hindsight, I realize they were changing speed, and that annoyed me. But I am a control freak! I like doing things for myself. Don’t care for automatic transmission or automatic climate controls. I actually prefer the manual climate controls on the new ES & LE models. I never owned an automatic vehicle. I don’t pay extra for something that I don’t want unless I really have, too! I don’t think I have ever bought any vehicle that wasn’t a base model, but some of that is driven by my desire for manual transmissions. I could have bought a SE manual in 2017, but I didn’t want some of the things it had except cruise. I may still add cruise some day, but I’ve racked up 20,000 miles without it so far. I like the Mirage, because it’s cheap, reliable, and economical. As long as the car has wipers, I am good! I have to many other things I’d rather spend money on.