Snowy from Holland

[m4v3r1ck]

Hello all,

Greetings from Holland/The Netherlands!
I just got my Mirage/Space Star last week after waiting for almost 2 months. I bought the Space Star because I want to cut expenses. My Mitsubishi Galant 2000 "Eleanor" is consuming fuel more than I consumes water per day (at least seems like it) and with usage of 10/11 l/100 km can't be categorised as economical given the fact that I drive around 1000 km a week.

I will post more of the car's picture later but I hope to enjoy the Space Star very much, so far I experience the car being very lazy and missing power at low end of the rev but it could be due to the fact that it's a brand new car. (drove it for 800 km now from last week friday, not even a week old) .

So guys am off to work! Nice meeting other Mitsubishi enthusiast around the world!

Greetings,
Marcel

[Daox]

Welcome to the site Marcel. It sounds like the Mirage will definitely help reduce your fuel costs!

[MetroMPG]

Hello, Marcel!

1000 a week is a lot of travel in such a small country! Do you have to drive for work? What type of driving do you do most (urban/highway)?

As I commented in your garage entry, you're the first 1.0 L Mirage/Space Star owner we've met. Did you drive the 1.0 before you bought it?

I predict you'll be able to get some decent fuel economy numbers from the Mirage once you've broken it in. Does your 1.0 have engine stop/start?

Welcome to the forum.

Darin

[m4v3r1ck]

Hi Daox and Darin,

I do drive for work and sport which is 3 days a week. I do mostly highway, would take almost 24/7 urban driving to reach 1000 km a week lol!!!
I haven't driven the 1.0 before I bought it, did the 1.2 but choose the 1.0 because it's tax free until december this year.
The 1.0 engine does have the (annoying) start/stop system, second tank today and got 20 km/liter. Very decent indeed compared to previous Ford Fiesta which did 13 km/liter.

[MetroMPG]

20 km/L is decent. (That's 5 L/100km or 47 mpg US for others...) What's your typical cruising speed on the highway?

What was the year/displacement of your Fiesta? Manual also?

Sorry for all the questions. I have a 1.0L car now, and love it (mostly for the efficiency), but it's not as advanced or efficient or powerful as yours... or even as efficient as Mitsu's 1.2 for that matter.

Hopefully you'll get used to start/stop -- it's one of the major reasons the car gets good city economy. I just shut mine off manually for that effect.

I've read a couple of reviews of the 1.0 where the writer actually preferred it over the 1.2 due to its driving character. Here it is: Mitsubishi go big on Space Star's small price (Ireland review - Independent.ie)

[m4v3r1ck]

Darin, no probs at all, as an enthousiast I will answer all of your questions
20 km/L is more than decent, it's by far the best rate I ever get in any car I own (i'm an aggressive driver from time to time, I have never driven efficiently in one full tank, ever!).
Fiesta was 4 cyl 1.2L manual which by far has the best and precise transmission for a road car. Full option as well incuding voice control to operate the vehicle and built in bluetooth carkit.

Uh if i may ask which car you driving? How come it's 1.0 but not as economical or advanced or powerful as mine? Mine's far from powerful ... ish ... (uh it does 95 km/hour on 2nd gear and 130 km/hour on 3rd gear otherwise the car can't cope with the flow of the highway).

How did u shut it manually? everytime you start the engine you shut it off? isn't it a lot of work? Am just way too lazy to do that. The whole system is not too useful to me anyway as I mostly run highways continuously.

I still have to find this "character" on 1.0L but am very happy with the fuel efficiency on that thing.

[MetroMPG]

Uh if i may ask which car you driving? How come it's 1.0 but not as economical or advanced or powerful as mine?

Because it's old. 1998 Suzuki design, only 2-valves/cyl, no variable valve timing, and throttle-body fuel injection (single point) instead of multi-point like yours. The car is a Pontiac Firefly (General Motors re-badge/re-design of a Suzuki car). You've probably never heard of it! (Also known in the U.S. as a Geo Metro or Chevrolet Metro.)

How did u shut it manually? everytime you start the engine you shut it off? isn't it a lot of work?

At first, I just used the key. Eventually I added a switch to the shift lever so I could stop the engine as I shift to neutral while coming to a stop. I don't think it's a lot of work at all!

The whole system is not too useful to me anyway as I mostly run highways continuously.

Ah - well that makes sense. And it would also mean it takes much longer for you to get used to it.

[m4v3r1ck]

OMG it's a Suzuki Swift GLX!! OMG! is it a 2 stroke engine? It should definitely way much faster than my Mirage, it's definitely despite of it's low weight loses to my 2.0L Galant year 2000 build (picture next to my Snowy) in term of speed. That thing is a beast and not using gas, it's drinking gas like water.
And yes I never heard of its american version, in asia and europe it still called Suzuki Swift. Old japanese are reliable.

Ah my car has a switch to turn off the start stop system and i believe it can be shut down from the ECU.

i dunno if i will ever get used to start stop system.

[MetroMPG]

Swift, yes. Not GLX though. 4-stroke, 993 cc. 55 hp. when new.

[m4v3r1ck]

A ha nice! I prefer mitsubishi though but both cars are indestructible