Australia: Mirage vs. Fiat 500 vs. Micra vs. VW Up (caradvice.com.au)

[MetroMPG]

Cutting right to the chase: Mirage lands in last place in this review, primarily over criticism of handling/fun-to-drive factor.

(I wonder if Mitsu will address this perennial complaint sooner than later... or not at all!)

The VW Up takes the crown, as it most often seems to in comparisons with other light/subcompact city cars.

Keep in mind how subjective these comparisons can be. In an earlier Australian 4-car shootout, Mirage was deemed the best choice against 2 of the same competitors: Australia 4-car review: Mirage, Micra, Alto, Up! (w/video - Drive/Canberra Times)

Pros:

- best equipped in entry-level trim
- cheapest to service, but capped pricing is only for 4 yrs
- most economical on paper, but 3rd in their "real world" comparison (note: 3 manuals vs. the Mirage CVT)

Over a test route that comprised an even mix of freeway, urban and country road driving, however, the Volkswagen used the least fuel, recording 6.6L/100km, compared with the Nissan’s 7L/100km, the Mitsubishi’s 7.1L/100km and the Fiat’s 8L/100km.

- 5-star ANCAP rating
- decent interior space (esp. rear legroom)
- CVT permits quieter, low-RPM highway driving

Cons:

- CVT feels slow off the line
- not fun to drive - "wooden" handling
- "lumpy" suspension in town driving
- electric steering requires constant correction

Overall:

It makes sense as a cheap to buy, cheap to run new car, BUT...

...it’s also retrograde in terms of the way it feels and drives – flawed around town, yet no fun for the driver – proving that cheapness is a very different thing to being genuinely good value.

Read the full review, see an extensive gallery: http://www.caradvice.com.au/257048/s...-v-volkswagen/

[spacester]

Cons:

- CVT feels slow off the line
- not fun to drive - "wooden" handling
- "lumpy" suspension in town driving
- electric steering requires constant correction

for mee not really a reason to come last

the UP

only a robotized manual transmission as automatic.
smaller back room
more expensif in the "automatic" version
and you only get less hard plastics and a "fee" of better build..
more expensif dealer cost at maintanance

[grsupercity]

I would never drive a VW. Repairs for them in America are crazy high

[Mitsuman]

Agreed - I would consider an old '67 white Bug, though.

[Canoehead]

We don't have the Up or Polo here in Canada, but it is interesting that the designers of the new Honda Fit mentioned in an interview that the VW Polo was the benchmark to which they aspired. For a competitor like Honda to say - we think the VW Polo is very good, so we want to make our car that good, suggests that VW has a winner on it's hands. Seems the Polo is one size class bigger, though.

http://indianautosblog.com/2013/07/2...chmarked-88277

I have heard the North American VW's are not particularly reliable, but I would like a small TDI in a small wagon, if they were not so very expensive.