Philippines: 2013 Mirage GLS CVT "The Perfect First Car" (Kotse.com)

[Alpha_One]

Pros
-Precise steering
-Smooth transmission
-Good fuel economy
-"Big" small car (compared to its rivals)
-Good Build quality
-Well-equipped
-5-star safety

Cons
-Conspicuous engine noise in the cabin
-Will be able to fit a 5th person - just.
-Suspension on the soft side at low speeds

"A good car is more than just a brand and a price tag...It would be perfect as someone's first car or a family's second run-about."

http://kotse.com/home/index.php/test...ge-12l-gls-cvt

[jamiec]

Thanks for posting that.

[MetroMPG]

I had just read this review yesterday - you beat me to it.

One very small error in the review: the writer refers to the 5-star ANCAP crash test results, calling it the "Australian New Car Assessment Program". It's "Australasian". Minor.

I also thought the photo gallery that goes with this piece was very nice.

And I had a chuckle at the fuel consumption display in this photo:



That must have been at the top of the "uphill" portion of the round trip!

[Daox]

Sounds like they really liked the car.

I also find it funny, some reviewers say 4 people barely fit while others say 5 people isn't horribly uncomfortable. Opinions all over the place haha.

[MetroMPG]

Depends on the size of the people.

I'm seriously wondering if the U.S. version of the car will have 2 or 3 rear seatbelts.

[Matt]

Is that an insurance thing? I want to say 5-passenger vehicles get a slightly lower rate than 4-passenger, so they may add an extra belt as a token.

[MetroMPG]

Well to settle the speculation, the official news is: 5 seat belts in the Mirage for the States too.

Though I can think of a few cars that have more seats outside of the U.S. Like the Toyota Prius V (which has 3rd row seating outside of the U.S.), or even the old Honda CRX had a vestigal rear seat in some markets (Japan).