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Thread: Mirage test drive (base 5-speed and top trim CVT)

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    Mirage test drive (base 5-speed and top trim CVT)

    i finally got into the dealership to test drive a couple mirages and these are my thoughts:

    i test drove a base with manual transmission and a higher level trim with a cvt. although i have read many bad things about the steering, i was pleasantly surprised to find that the steering didn't bother me at all. it felt completely fine. it didn't feel much different than my yaris. the hard plastic interior didn't bother me at all. i found the seats to be comfortable and the driving position in relation to the wheel and pedals to be superior to my yaris. the truning radius of this car is beautiful. i'm a 90% city driver and this would be extremely useful. i pulled into a parking lot and did some tight circles. the turning radius of this car is the best i have ever driven. also, the power and torque were just fine. the car didn't feel gutless, although you will certainly be aware that you're in a 3cyl.

    MT:

    many people mentioned how "soft" the clutch is and they are correct. it's feather-soft and a delight for the foot. the stick shift is high up in relation to where your hand is. it's a matter of personal preference as to how much someone likes the position of the stick shift. for me, it felt quite comfortable and my hand rested comfortably upon it. i laughed at first gear for how steep it is. i was barely moving and already up to 4k rpm. thankfully, the other gears were much more "normal" and i assume the ratio on the 1st gear was created to compensate for the low power of the engine. the transmission was stiff, but in a "new car" sort of way where you know that after a couple thousand miles it will loosen up. it also had a "light" feel to it, which is hard to describe, almost as if the parts were not very heavy-duty. the idle was silky smooth and the engine was not overly loud, as some reviewers have claimed. also, road noise was not an issue, as was also claimed. those reviewers should try a 1992 civic. they'd probably poop themselves.


    CVT:


    this is the first time that i have driven a CVT and i certainly enjoyed it. i even laughed at it a couple times as it was trying to figure out what i wanted it to do. to me, the CVT felt "faster", as if it always wanted me to push it a little harder. it was while driving the CVT that i took some hard corners and noticed that infamous body roll that keeps getting mentioned. this is really my only solid criticism of the car and if i bought one i would install the rear sway bar. i'm sure it would be fine after that. in the CVT model, the engine was much more "throaty" on acceleration, which is a nice way of saying "more noisy". the idle was also rougher on the CVT. i'm not sure why, but it did not share the silky purr of the MT. one interesting thing i noticed is that even though i felt like i was bagging on the CVT, the "eco" light was on much of the time, whereas in the MT it was only on while i was cruising. this leads me to believe that i might be able to get pretty decent mileage with my personal driving style in the CVT. with that said, i think i prefer the MT. i just like the control that a MT provides.

    overall, i was very happy with both cars and would be happy to own either one. unfortunately, the dealer and i were not able to come to an agreement on price so it's not going to happen. among other things, they wanted a $695 DOC fee, which on the base model represents an almost 7% mark-up over MSRP. no thanks! they also only valued my trade-in (2007 toyota yaris) at $1000. lol. why would i not sell it myself for 4 times as much?

    any of you out there considering this car, do a test drive and you might find, as i did, that many of the criticisms of this car are unwarranted.



  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to El Kapitan For This Useful Post:

    Daox (02-06-2015),debburyl (02-07-2015),deleted user (05-18-2015),MetroMPG (01-30-2015)

  3. #2
    Uber Mirage alex16's Avatar
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    The first mirage I test drove I came home with lol! I love the ES model and all the features a Lexus would have packaged into a non hybrid mpg monster. I enjoyed the cvt but I am a die hard manual transmission driver so the 5 speed was the obvious choice, the clutch in my jeep feels like a exercise machine after being so used to the mirage

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        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 44.8 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


  4. #3
    Excellent review, El Kapitan - thanks for writing it up.

    Quote Originally Posted by El Kapitan View Post
    the idle was also rougher on the CVT. i'm not sure why
    It's normal that "in gear" idle would be rougher, since the engine is under load, and the driver is resisting forward motion with the brake pedal. Whereas in the manual, you're in neutral or the clutch is in, so the engine isn't under load until you're ready to go.

    they wanted a $695 DOC fee, which on the base model represents an almost 7% mark-up over MSRP. no thanks!
    Dealer fees make lots of people angry!

    they also only valued my trade-in (2007 toyota yaris) at $1000. lol.
    I'll give you $1500!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


  5. #4
    Love that pic, alex16! Black & white all around.

    Quote Originally Posted by alex16 View Post
    the clutch in my jeep feels like a exercise machine after being so used to the mirage
    The clutch in my Metro (Firefly) felt the same way after trying the Mirage!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    heh heh, and getting back into my yaris to drive home, it's clutch also felt super stiff.

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    Senior Member Alpha_One's Avatar
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    Of all the cars I've driven, only our '92 Charade (picture below, center) has a clutch pedal that's comparably light to the Mirage's. In some respects the Mirage a spiritual successor of the Charade, although the Charade with its independent rear suspension handles much, much better. Other than that, the Mirage is a superior car in every respect, representing a modern refinement of the small city car.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2012 Mirage GLS 1.2 manual: 33.3 mpg (US) ... 14.1 km/L ... 7.1 L/100 km ... 40.0 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    Excellent review, El Kapitan - thanks for writing it up.



    It's normal that "in gear" idle would be rougher, since the engine is under load, and the driver is resisting forward motion with the brake pedal. Whereas in the manual, you're in neutral or the clutch is in, so the engine isn't under load until you're ready to go.


    i suppose i should have clarified that both were in neutral and that i also made sure the compressor wasn't cycling.

    i read today in a review that you posted for the celerio/mirage/2 comparison that late in 2014 mitsubishi added a third engine mount. of the two cars that i tested, one was a 2014 and the other was a 2015. the one with the rougher idle was the 2014. would the addition of the third engine mount cause the car to idle smoother?

  9. #8
    That could be it. I read Mitsu made several changes to smooth out the idle between the '14 and '15 models.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by El Kapitan View Post
    i suppose i should have clarified that both were in neutral and that i also made sure the compressor wasn't cycling.

    i read today in a review that you posted for the celerio/mirage/2 comparison that late in 2014 mitsubishi added a third engine mount. of the two cars that i tested, one was a 2014 and the other was a 2015. the one with the rougher idle was the 2014. would the addition of the third engine mount cause the car to idle smoother?
    I have a 2015, and the only way to tell it's running at idle is to look at the tachometer.

    The reason the shifting on the manual transmission feels "Light" is very likely because it has cables running from the shifter to the transmission. Some other FWD manual transmission cars use a rod instead of cables, and of course a great many rear wheel drive vehicles with 5 speeds simply have the shifter bolted to the top of the transmission, interacting directly with the shift forks.

    I wonder... Could there be a market for a short-throw shifter for a mirage?

  11. #10
    Senior Member festiboi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Alpha_One View Post
    Of all the cars I've driven, only our '92 Charade (picture below, center) has a clutch pedal that's comparably light to the Mirage's. In some respects the Mirage a spiritual successor of the Charade, although the Charade with its independent rear suspension handles much, much better. Other than that, the Mirage is a superior car in every respect, representing a modern refinement of the small city car.
    Absolutely agree with that; the clutch on my Charade is also feather light, and the Mirage's was almost identical when I test drove a manual. Like the Charade, it's also very forgiving. While it takes some time to get used to most clutches, I felt right at home in the Mirage that I drove and each shift was almost flawless. I much prefer the lightness than a heavy clutch.

    The extremely heavy clutch on my best friend's old Mini Countryman was awful in comparison. Each shift was not fluid and felt purposeful. Despite what the reviewers say, there is nothing sporty about it. The same with a Subaru Impreza I test drove a few months ago; awfully heavy and almost makes me dread each shift.

    In some ways, I agree with Alpha that the Mirage is more of spiritual successor to the Charade than the Metro.



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