The Little Mitsubishi Mirage Continues to Sell Big

[Subcompact Culture]

Recently wrote an article about the Mirage's continued sales success in the U.S. including a quote from Mitsubishi's Senior Director of Communications and Events.

http://www.subcompactculture.com/201...continues.html

[AtomicPunk]

Great job; engaging read. I hope it encourages more to give this car a chance!

[MetroMPG]

Nice job, well said!

I quibble with this statement though:

It's almost universally panned by critics

I see this regularly on other car sites (both from reviewers themselves and from commenters), and sometimes even around here.

But it's a myth.

Of course many of the "enthusiast" rags & some big name sites have been particularly hard on the car, but it's really not hard to find more balanced reviews. We've summarized & linked to over 300 reviews of the Mirage from around the world, and they're far from all bad.

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ate-the-Mirage

[Wallythacker]

Nice job, well said!

I quibble with this statement though:



I see this regularly on other car sites (both from reviewers themselves and from commenters), and sometimes even around here.

But it's a myth.

Of course many of the "enthusiast" rags & some big name sites have been particularly hard on the car, but it's really not hard to find more balanced reviews. We've summarized & linked to over 300 reviews of the Mirage from around the world, and they're far from all bad.

https://mirageforum.com/forum/showth...ate-the-Mirage

Is it a case of most North AMerican reviews panning it and elsewhere being fair? That would be my guess, unless it's a Canyonero capable of towing 25,000kg with a 37 sp. auto trans and 7l turbo diesel or a 700hp sportscar that does the 1/4 under 8s then it's not considered a suitable ride for a red blooded American male.

I'm being tongue in cheek but.....when women ask what I drive the way they respond to me is completely different if I tell them a Mirage vs. an Escalade.

[Mark]

Is it a case of most North AMerican reviews panning it and elsewhere being fair? That would be my guess, unless it's a Canyonero capable of towing 25,000kg with a 37 sp. auto trans and 7l turbo diesel or a 700hp sportscar that does the 1/4 under 8s then it's not considered a suitable ride for a red blooded American male.

I'm being tongue in cheek but.....when women ask what I drive the way they respond to me is completely different if I tell them a Mirage vs. an Escalade.

"The average age of cars on America's roads went up again, report says. Cars and trucks now average 11.8 years of age, thanks to a variety of factors including the economy. The average car on America's roads was built in 2007 according to IHS Markit's study." Jun 27, 2019

New vehicles have become very expensive. People, who are smart with their money, aren't buying them.

[Cobrajet]

"The average age of cars on America's roads went up again, report says. Cars and trucks now average 11.8 years of age, thanks to a variety of factors including the economy. The average car on America's roads was built in 2007 according to IHS Markit's study." Jun 27, 2019

New vehicles have become very expensive. People, who are smart with their money, aren't buying them.

Yes, and the same is true for other high-ticket items like smart phones. I have four vehicles with an average age of 17 years (1992, 1996, 2004, 2015).

Honestly, there is nothing wrong with spending $60,000 on a new pickup...if you own it for 15 years.

[MetroMPG]

Is it a case of most North AMerican reviews panning it and elsewhere being fair?

More or less (some UK journos were pretty harsh as well). To be fair, Subcompact wrote "ALMOST universally panned". This is one topic that gets me triggered.

[Subcompact Culture]

Sorry for the triggering. However, I have not found reviews that are overall complementary. But in my opinion, it doesn't matter. We like it, it's selling, and that's the important bit.

[dspace9]

More or less (some UK journos were pretty harsh as well). To be fair, Subcompact wrote "ALMOST universally panned". This is one topic that gets me triggered.

The way to look at it is the mainstream press in the USA has panned the Mirage lots and lots, and selfers on you tube have done a lot of bashing as well.

Not all reviewers though. I know consumer reports gives half green reliability rating for the Mirage. That's very good. The Mirage won car of the year in Denmark I believe. The most fuel efficient sub compact in Forbes magazine.

John on Motorweek on TV seemed to really like the 2015 Mirage he test drove on the show.

Lots pan the Mirage but it is a subcompact for the global market, not a Chevy Cruise level compact car. Apples to apples the Mirage is ok as a car.

[MetroMPG]

Somebody's been reading Subcompact Culture:

Thread: The Extremely Cheap Mitsubishi Mirage Is Headed Towards Its Best Sales Year