Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 19

Thread: Change of Pace: The 10 Slowest Cars of 2018

  1. #1

    Change of Pace: The 10 Slowest Cars of 2018

    Name:  2018_Mirage_G4_6-1.jpg
Views: 717
Size:  88.0 KB

    I love this article! Although I will admit, when I saw the title I was prepared to dismiss it as another hit piece by a horsepower-obsessed blogger.

    But it's got some perspective:

    Being slow isn’t a bad thing. Just about everything on this list sips fuel even more slowly than it accelerates. They aren’t quick, but that doesn’t mean they’re bad. They’re just leisurely. Why are you in such a big hurry anyway? Enjoy the drive.
    Mirage G4 "tops" the list as the slowest to 100 km/h (62 mph) at 12.8 seconds, though the writer points out the hatchback is lighter, thus quicker. Respect for mentioning the car's cavernous interior space, great fuel economy and low starting price.

    More respect for pointing out how spoiled we've become (in terms of hp) vs. a couple of decades ago.

    And maybe I like the list because there are more than a couple of cars on it that I'd be more than happy to own!


    • Kia Soul EV
    • Nissan Versa Note
    • Nissan Micra
    • Ford Fiesta 1.0L
    • Toyota Yaris (iA)
    • Toyota Prius
    • Chevrolet Spark
    • Smart Fortwo
    • 2018 Toyota Prius C
    • 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4S


    Read the full article:
    https://www.wheels.ca/top-ten/change...-cars-of-2018/


        __________________________________________

        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)


  2. The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to MetroMPG For This Useful Post:

    01-7700 (10-26-2018),Daox (10-26-2018),spork (11-01-2018)

  3. #2
    Administrator Daox's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2013
    Location
    Germantown, WI
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    4,999
    Thanks
    2,892
    Thanked 1,804 Times in 1,017 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
    Mirage G4 "tops" the list as the slowest to 100 km/h (62 mph) at 12.8 seconds...

    More respect for pointing out how spoiled we've become (in terms of hp) vs. a couple of decades ago.
    Seriously spoiled. When I read that I was surprised that the Mirage was that fast. I always considered 12-13 seconds to 60 pretty 'average'.

    I do find it hilarious watching Doug Demuro on youtube. He rated some Porsche the other day and it 'only' had a 0-60 time of 5.3 seconds I think. He rated it a 5/10 for performance! That is absolute insanity in my opinion. I realize there are faster things out there, but wow you gotta pay for them. And, to be fair he does review those cars as well.
    Custom Mirage products: Cruise control kit, Glove box light, MAF sensor housing, Rear sway bar, Upper grill block

    Current project: DIY Nitrous oxide setup for ~$100

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 47.2 mpg (US) ... 20.1 km/L ... 5.0 L/100 km ... 56.7 mpg (Imp)


  4. #3
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florida
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    1,225
    Thanks
    324
    Thanked 936 Times in 539 Posts
    I would rock every one of those cars!

    The definition of "sporty acceleration" has definitely changed just in my lifetime.

    I remember in the early 80's, when the VW GTI came out. They created the term "pocket rocket" specifically for that car. 0-60 in 10 seconds! That was my personal benchmark for about a decade. Whatever car I get, it needs to do 0-60 in 10 seconds, man!

    And then the 90's rolled around, and you had cars like the CRX Si dipping down into the 8's. I credit this fact for "ruining" the perfect Miata. The 1.6 Miata is BRILLIANT. Go find a nice example of a stock 1990-93 Miata and drive it. I dare you to not grin! But, the HP wars, (fueled by car reviewers, and people that never see more than 5,000 rpm, anyway) dictated that 116 hp and 0-60 in 9.5 seconds wasn't enough.

    And by the mid-90's, my personal benchmark had moved to 8 seconds. That's when I bought my 1994 Saturn SC2.

    These days, I've given up. I went through a phase about 8 years ago where I decided "I haven't owned a fast car since I was 19, I owe it to myself". I bought a BMW Z4 3.0si Coupe. 0-60 in about 5.4 seconds. Very fast, very sexy car. It taught me that... I'm really not that guy. I get more joy out of driving a light, nimble and slow car fast than I do out of driving a fast, heavy car. I might feel differently if I lived closer to a good race track and could afford to do a lot of track events. But, for street driving and autocross... give me light and nimble!

    So, I don't mind that my Mirage started out with 0-60 times in the mid 11's. I've honestly never even timed it. But, math says that the mods I've made to the car have probably gotten it under 10. And my next round of mods will put it solidly in the mid 9's. Which is right there in that "sweet spot" where the 1.6 Miata was. I'm okay with that.

    And the car will still get an easy 45+ MPG all day long, and a lot more if I try. I think that's kinda cool, too!
    Simplify and add lightness.

  5. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Loren For This Useful Post:

    01-7700 (10-26-2018),craigq (10-26-2018),inuvik (10-26-2018),MetroMPG (10-27-2018)

  6. #4
    Senior Member 01-7700's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Location
    Maine
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    308
    Thanks
    193
    Thanked 135 Times in 94 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Loren View Post
    I get more joy out of driving a light, nimble and slow car fast than I do out of driving a fast, heavy car.
    This is it! You can't drive the piss out of a car or motorcycle on the road unless it is designed not to be a performance vehicle. More fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.
    Skills: Cage fighting, computer chatting, making sweet moula

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage 1.2 manual: 38.0 mpg (US) ... 16.1 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.6 mpg (Imp)


  7. The Following User Says Thank You to 01-7700 For This Useful Post:

    Loren (10-26-2018)

  8. #5
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florida
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    1,225
    Thanks
    324
    Thanked 936 Times in 539 Posts
    I also found the most fun Miata I had was a 1.6 with really good shocks and 175-width all-season tires. It felt more like a vintage British sports car. You had to know that the tires actually HAD very achievable limits, as opposed to the fat performance tires I have on my Mirage right now... which, unless you get downright stupid on the street, essentially don't don't have relevant limits.

    175 all-seasons really suck for competition use, though.
    Simplify and add lightness.

  9. #6
    ^ Chris Harris did a piece where he fitted super skinny tires on a stupidly overpowered Mercedes somethingorother to make the same point. He had far more fun with the skinny tires on the track (because he prefers to drive sideways).

        __________________________________________

        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)


  10. #7
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florida
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    1,225
    Thanks
    324
    Thanked 936 Times in 539 Posts
    I'm generally not a fan of driving sideways. Too many years of autocross have taught me to stay in control, and I instinctively almost immediately correct any slide. I tried to go drifting once. Totally couldn't do it!

    But, the Miata on crappy 175's was an absolute hoot to autocross! Once you learned where the limits were, controlled 4-wheel drifts became easy.
    Simplify and add lightness.

  11. #8
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Canada
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    3,022
    Thanks
    1,810
    Thanked 692 Times in 564 Posts
    With a 5 speed manual my Mirage ES base (so then also lightest mirage model available) can do 0-60 in 8-9 seconds... the car feels a bit lethargic but with the right timing and revs, I'm quite confident my Mirage boogies to 60 mph in under the 10 second mark.

    Driving it like I stole it to get that acceleration, but the 1.2 motor seems to love being revved.

    Also I figure my Bridgestone tires make for quicker acceleration... compared to the OEM dunlops I had for the first 60k of driving my Mirage. Less or virtually no accidental spin of the tires accelerating from a stop. Less slip more grip too.
    Last edited by dspace9; 10-27-2018 at 03:08 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


  12. #9
    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2018
    Location
    Florida
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    1,225
    Thanks
    324
    Thanked 936 Times in 539 Posts
    The Mirage is actually a little bit faster than the numbers indicate because it's impossible to reach 60 mph without shifting into 3rd, which takes time.
    Simplify and add lightness.

  13. The Following User Says Thank You to Loren For This Useful Post:

    dspace9 (10-27-2018)

  14. #10
    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Canada
    Country
    Canada
    Posts
    3,022
    Thanks
    1,810
    Thanked 692 Times in 564 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Loren View Post
    The Mirage is actually a little bit faster than the numbers indicate because it's impossible to reach 60 mph without shifting into 3rd, which takes time.
    I don't find the 5 speed gear shift in my Mirage particularly fast at all, and the car actually can slow down shifting (like any stick shift). Day 1 vibrate-y 4th gear at certain speeds; also reverse gear is near impossible to get into gear on occasion, Day 1

    Mirage is one unique vehicle for these days ..roads packed with trucks and CUVs all are automatic transmissions. I like on my Mirage you hear the click when you change gears , and the rpm engine's range you get with a manual is that much better, especially in the right environment.


    Last edited by dspace9; 10-27-2018 at 07:39 PM.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •