new owner from new mexico

[abbafather]

Hi, all I just got my wife a 15 es mirage auto. I have liked them since they came out I wanted a manual, but my 02 accent is still kicken and it gets 38 in town so no complaining. I have always been a ford festiva guy, was a member on there site, and love festivas I always got above 40mpg in mine. but they are getting so old and my wife would never drive one . I even had a 1.6t festiva with a mazda gtx engine in it... now that was a sleeper. Anyways. I love the mirage also we are already over 9k + on it. we drove to cape cod mass and back from New mexico that is why the miles are so high.

going 65 I would get 44 mpg... 70 mpg 41 and 75 mpg 40 when I was in the pa mountians I would get about 38 mpg with different speeds.

Only issues I have so far is it makes a weird burning smells. when I am driving sometimes, maybe like burning plastic? I tried to replicate it by driving and doing different things on our long trip but I couldn't. It was always random. It did seem to only happen while driving in hills and mountains? I still like it a lot so does my wife. Hopefully it is as good and reliable as my old festiva!

[MetroMPG]

Welcome, abbafather!

Glad you're enjoying the car.

FYI, some others have mentioned the hot plastic smell when driving in the mountains. Let me see if I can find the thread...

[MetroMPG]

Here's some discussion: burning rubber smell after uphill drive

Some suggestions on what it might be, but nothing definitive. Maybe post your experience in that thread too.

[abbafather]

Thanks, I will check it out!

[alex16]

Welcome! Mirage, the modern small car for people addicted to small cars. I always liked the spark,mazda 2, fiesta, fit, versa, but none caught my attention like the Mirage. The superior mpg and the little triple 1.2 made me watch reviews, and then I saw tons of hate until I saw the Canadian review. I've only ever seen 1 other Mirage in the wild and that was about 2 months ago.

[abbafather]

I like the mazda2 and fiesta also, but I like the mirage more, and the mpg helps. I drove them all. I also like how much space is in the engine compartment so when I have to work on it in the future it will have tons of space, like my onld 1988 ford festiva. I hate how many modern cars have no space to work on them.

[abbafather]

Im used to the hate I get from people....I always loved small cars... I have had ford festiva's for a long time Hyundai accent and hatch back dodge colt/Mitsubishi mirage.... Ive also had nice bigger cars, but I always love the small ones. Its mostly the mpg I love lol here is the best picture I ever had thougt it was funny with my old festiva next to my aunts excursion

[Daox]

Welcome to the site and congratulations on the new car.

[festiboi]

Welcome to the forum. You're in good company here. Many of us have graduated from Metros, Aspires, Festivas, Accents, etc. to the Mirage. We're all big fans of the small cars, just like you

I had a Ford Festiva in college in Australia (aka Ford Aspire here in the States), hence my screename.

[abbafather]

in Australia they used to have the mazda 121 then they switched it to the ford festiva there/ like the usa aspire, if i remember correct. I used to live for festivas lol. Festiva people on the forums always wanted to import mazda 121 parts, those parts where like gold here in the usa.