Quote Originally Posted by UnderBridgeDweller View Post
Thanks for clearing that up. Darn. These folks didn't advertise their Mirages at all as far as I know. I had responded to some Mitsubishi Corporate advertising and they pointed me to dealers in area. But the late summer tip makes me feel better. I can go ahead with the test drive and if I like it, I will revisit the idea post-summer. That will give me time to sort out my Corolla and sell it, if I don't grow fond of it, that is. Again, thanks. You made out like a bandit, for sure. Congratulations.
(And I simply could not get financing. They want some kind of steady income and all I have is savings. So no go.)
How dealerships present cars on line really varies, & I found that very frustrating. It took some time on my part to realize these cars can be had for a quite a bit less. Especially if you are patient.

I wouldn't visit a dealership without knowing their "out the door" price first. It really simplifies the entire process. They know you are shopping around. If they want to add their silly extra charges, it's best to know that up front. Those dealerships that are reluctant to give out their "out the door" price up front are an instant red flag to me. You can tell a lot about a dealership this way, & why waste each other's time.

I used my local dealership for a test drive. Red flags were shooting off long before I arrived. Even though I was very interested in a Mirage, I have never been so turned off by a dealership. Using them for test drive didn't change my opinion. It was by the far the worst dealership that I have ever visited. If Mitsubishi would price their vehicles better (rather than rely on rebates and sale gimmicks), they would do much better as a company. Likewise, more people would take note of these cars. Even car reviewers would have to acknowledge these car differently if they were priced more appropriately up front.

I really like my Mirage a lot. It's a great little economy car. It's affordable, reliable, easy to work on, and very economical to drive. Having said that, there isn't anything that you could add to this car to make me pay more than $10,000-12,000 for one.