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