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Thread: Side by side review of the 2 gray 5mt subcompacts in my driveway. (Mirage vs. Micra)

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    Side by side review of the 2 gray 5mt subcompacts in my driveway. (Mirage vs. Micra)

    2018 Mitsubishi Mirage SE. 5MT. Gray.
    2018 Nissan Micra SV. Few options. Gray.

    The obvious? Both cars are nearly identical, and when parked side by side in the early morning light, I often try to stick the wrong key in the wrong lock. Very often.

    Purchase Price, Tie.
    The Mirage was purchased $1000 under list for $11,250. The Micra was purchased $3000 under MSRP for $14,000. The Micra has heated mirrors, AC, power windows/locks, cruise control. A similarly equipped Mirage would have been similarly priced.

    Value/Quality/Interior, Micra.
    The Nissan sports impeccable handling, way more grunt, and despite having an interior straight out of a 1993 Sentra, is of far higher quality. Yes, the Mirage looks new, but the dials and panels creak and groan, while the Micra has used fasteners in a few spots and heavier gauge materials. It doesn't make noises over speed bumps, it doesn't whistle on the highway, its half as loud all in all.

    It is worth noting that the Micra has horrible cupholders, but this is just a Nissan thing. Don't order an extra large and you can make it work, kind of.

    Cargo/Occupant Room, Micra.
    I have used the Micra to bring home a new dishwasher, a 44" table top, a large quantity of 8' lumber, and a 36"x48"x28" antique dresser. I fit in the car while wearing a racing helmet at 6'4, which I cannot say about the Mirage. Back seat passengers do NOT require the front seats be moved forward to be accomadated, unlike the Mirage. It's just a few inches bigger everywhere it counts. As such, comfort is greatly improved, especially with the drivers armrest.

    Power, Micra.
    110hp versus 80hp. There is no argument here. In a drag race the Micra pulls away from the get go, and once above 80km/h the Micra keeps pulling when the Mirage begins to struggle

    Handling/Suspension, Micra.
    With the Daox rear sway bar, the Mirage still handles half as well as the Micra. Micra runs dead flat, changes direction quickly and aggressively, and with 400lb of luggage in the boot, you need not worry about smashing the bumpstops on a rough road. As we all know, the Mirage has no rear suspension, and bottoms out rather easily if loaded with humans or dog food or what have you. Both can be fun, but with wider tires and a flatter ride, one inspired confidence when pushed, while the Mirage just seems like a bit of a laugh.

    Exterior, Mirage.
    One of two categories where the Mirage takes it. See photos attached below. The Micra ain't a looker.

    FUEL ECONOMY JESUS CHRIST NO COMPARISON.
    So the Mirage has lost almost everything, until now. My Mirage gets (hypermile/aggresive), 4.7l/6l per hundred. The Micra? 6.8l/9l per hundred. Yes. This thing has worse economy than a 2.5l Mazda 3 weighing 500lb more. It actually compares with most CUVs. The damned car revs 150rpm HIGHER than the Mirage on the highway. Why? Who knows. A Honda fit is quicker to 60, weighs more, gets worse economy. Most cars are this way in fact, the only redeeming factor for the Micra is that all of those competing cars cost a good $5-$8000 more. That, buys a lot of fuel.

    Overall winner? I... dont know.
    The Mirage is a cheap piece of crap that sips fuel and is moderately uncomfortable (I drove ours 6000km in a week, I know). The Micra is a better built car, where I don't care that is had 100,000km less warranty because it just feels right, but it's a little more hot-hatch than economy car, with Nissan themselves admitting it was designed more for track than commute. And I continue to set records for its class on autox and race days, which is kinda cool.

    So, any questions?

    My home cell service is not strong enough to host photos. I tried...

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 43.5 mpg (US) ... 18.5 km/L ... 5.4 L/100 km ... 52.2 mpg (Imp)


  2. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to nickels For This Useful Post:

    Canoehead (05-17-2019),Cobrajet (04-15-2019),Daox (04-15-2019),MetroMPG (04-15-2019)

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