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Thread: Have you bought or test-driven a Mirage / Space Star? Tell us about it!

  1. #51
    Quote Originally Posted by w5jsn View Post
    It is a case of divine intervention.

    I have a cheap acre of land in the middle of nowhere about 30mi from my work and 160mi from my home. I had a big gas-guzzling SUV that I used for daily trips to work and weekly trips home, but I was dying for the fuel bills. I did some research and found that the Mirage was the closest thing to a modern Geo Metro in terms of economy, so I began my hunt. I found a 2015 Mirage in Albuquerque at a car dealership and called them, but they said they had no such car and asked where I heard that they did. "You advertised it on your web site!" I said, but they said that couldn't be true. I figured they might be confused so i took a trip to the big city and checked out their lot - sure enough, no 2015 Mirage. I was already in town anyway, so I checked at nearby car lots. One lot was small and dark, closed hours before, but I took a cusory look and no Mirages. I was walking away when something told me to look a little harder. Sure enough, way in the back, buried behind beat-up trade-ins, I found a red 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage! (God has better inventory than the internet!) I went back to my acre for the night.

    The next day at work, I went to the little car lot's website. Plenty of cars listed but no Mirage found. I called them and worked through there broken audiotext system, finally got a human, and they swore that there was no Mirage on their lot. I gave them their own stock number off of the car windshield and the lady said she would dig into it and call me back. A few hours later, I got the call and she said that they did have a Mirage and that I could have it for US$7500. I said I would come and test-drive it that evening.

    Turns out the little guy had 98000mi on him already and I was a bit depressed. The price seemed high, but I knew that was the economical yet kinda high-clearance car that I needed (and fast). I hemmed and hawed over the price and they took it down a little. I needed to call my bank to make sure I could withdraw the full amount that night, but the banker said the people that could make that happen had already gone home for the night. I shrugged at the car salesman and walked away.

    The next morning, I got away from work and went back to the car lot. They came down to $6900 and the deal was made! God must like Mirages or me, but I have one now and am going to see how it acts on corrugated dirt roads and a bit of outback cow trails to my acre. Trusting in God that it will work out!
    Welcome, these are tough little cars. I like turtles.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  2. The Following User Says Thank You to Fummins For This Useful Post:

    MirageRally (01-07-2021)

  3. #52
    Quote Originally Posted by w5jsn View Post
    I have one now and am going to see how it acts on corrugated dirt roads and a bit of outback cow trails to my acre. Trusting in God that it will work out!
    God and Mitsubishi's engineers WILL look after you: because they designed it specifically for countries with lots of dirt roads and cow trails!

    The car was never really intended to come to North America, but we lucked out (due to Mitsu's dearth of other models here) and got it anyway.

    Welcome to the forum!

        __________________________________________

        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)


  4. #53
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    Interesting thread, of late anyway. I started on page 5. These little bitty skinny bicycle tires on our Mirages are most helpful in snow and mud. So a Mirage would make a good winter car in the great white north.

    A hundred years ago I learned P = F/A. Which is Pressure is equal to Force divided by Area. To increase pressure (on the surface between the tire and what it is touching), either increase the force (weight), or decrease the area (or both). The little skinny 165 tires certainly decrease the area. And with skinny tires, there is less snow and slush to be plowed out of the way (of the tire) as it is rolling along.

    Case in point: Many northern guys choose a SRW (single rear wheel) 3/4 or 1 ton pickup instead of a dually, because the dually puts more tire contact to the ground and has less traction in slick stuff (sometimes a dually is absolutely needed though for the added security of high weight loads). And another case. I have 2 stinkin' kitty cats. 1 is of average size, if I'm laying on the couch and he walks across my stomach, everything is fine. The other kitty is a big fat blubber butt. If she walks across my stomach, her feet hurt like hell because she is so heavy on those little paws. She has "better traction" than the other normal sized kitty.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  5. #54
    Quote Originally Posted by 7milesout View Post
    Interesting thread, of late anyway. I started on page 5. These little bitty skinny bicycle tires on our Mirages are most helpful in snow and mud. So a Mirage would make a good winter car in the great white north.

    A hundred years ago I learned P = F/A. Which is Pressure is equal to Force divided by Area. To increase pressure (on the surface between the tire and what it is touching), either increase the force (weight), or decrease the area (or both). The little skinny 165 tires certainly decrease the area. And with skinny tires, there is less snow and slush to be plowed out of the way (of the tire) as it is rolling along.

    Case in point: Many northern guys choose a SRW (single rear wheel) 3/4 or 1 ton pickup instead of a dually, because the dually puts more tire contact to the ground and has less traction in slick stuff (sometimes a dually is absolutely needed though for the added security of high weight loads). And another case. I have 2 stinkin' kitty cats. 1 is of average size, if I'm laying on the couch and he walks across my stomach, everything is fine. The other kitty is a big fat blubber butt. If she walks across my stomach, her feet hurt like hell because she is so heavy on those little paws. She has "better traction" than the other normal sized kitty.
    That was always my theory^ But for some stupid reason I ended up with a stupid dually I swore I'd never buy...

    Off topic derail here, I recommend the yukon freewheel hub setup https://www.yukongear.com/partslist....SpotlightID=41 for your dodge. No more pita wheel bearing assemblies to wear out, front axles shafts no longer spin all the time and if you have a non vacuum disconnect front diff like my 02 had and my 05 has then the front driveshaft won't have to be rebuilt ever other year anymore. And in theory you should get slightly better mpg with all that rotating mass no longer rotating.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


  6. #55
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fummins View Post
    That was always my theory^ But for some stupid reason I ended up with a stupid dually I swore I'd never buy...

    Off topic derail here, I recommend the yukon freewheel hub setup https://www.yukongear.com/partslist....SpotlightID=41 for your dodge. No more pita wheel bearing assemblies to wear out, front axles shafts no longer spin all the time and if you have a non vacuum disconnect front diff like my 02 had and my 05 has then the front driveshaft won't have to be rebuilt ever other year anymore. And in theory you should get slightly better mpg with all that rotating mass no longer rotating.
    Fummins - I haven't had a wheel bearing go bad YET. 20 years. They don't go bad down here. You'd be amazed how new my truck seems. But I like the idea of not spinning all that stuff full time, for the wear and the mpg. I'll use those hubs when / if I need to replace mine. I had a right front break sensor go bad, but managed to replace it without replacing the hub.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)


  7. #56
    Junior Member beforHim's Avatar
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    Yes I have a Mirage and love it. Slow cars, high gas mileage, minimal maintenance, hatchback- these are my jam.



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