Please Help choosing between Mirage and Versa Note! (UPDATE: got a Mirage)

[MetroMPG]

Not necessarily expensive at all.

The stock wheels and MPG-friendly tires are generally undesirable. You can find (with patience) sets of 4 for sale privately for $100-200 -- with plenty of tread. You could then sell the big wheels & tires for more than that and end up with *extra* money in your pocket.

You might even be able to swap with another forum member.

[Top_Fuel]

With a heavy wheels/tires combo, do you think it significantly affects the transmission?

Larger/heavier wheels/tires will negatively affect the car's acceleration, handling, braking and fuel mileage. Now...are they hurting the CVT? That's a tough call. Unless you're constantly fighting the car up hilly streets (think San Francisco) you're probably fine.

Remember that it takes time to figure out how to drive these cars for maximum fuel economy, too. Your MPG will get better over time if you work at it. You're probably using your AC a lot now, too. And AC is a mileage killer in these cars.

[newtomit]

I was checking my tires and noticed that there's some peeling on them


I don't know if someone painted over the original rims or if that's the original color coming off, but the silver part underneath looks very beat up, which leads me to think possibly the dealership painted over them to hide the damages. If that's the case, I'm going to be very upset that they played me

[inuvik]

Looks like curb rash for sure. With those low profile tires it's not a surprise.

[Fummins]

The wheel looks like it might be plasti dipped in this pic? Attachment 18400 I wouldn't sweat it. Scuff and touch up then flog those wheels or keep em. Personally, I'd get rid of them and go with stock size tires and wheels for max economy. I bought mine to get excellent fuel mileage, if I only got 30mpg in the Mirage I'd buy something else nicer that get the same. But you have more hills than I do, my commute is pretty much flat so that is one big factor.

[Dirk Diggler]

Go to any used wheel store and try and do an even swap for some 14 x 5.5" wheels (the most common and cheapest wheel for Mirage owners) I put those on my girl's Mirage, they're fine. Get some 175 65 t14 tires (also cheap and plentiful) too. I replaced both wheel and tire on my Mirage for $600. You sell your current tire/wheel combo and cut that down to $300 I bet. Or just keep what you got because they look cool. Either way you got options that aren't terribly expensive.

[dspace9]

I was checking my tires and noticed that there's some peeling on them


I don't know if someone painted over the original rims or if that's the original color coming off, but the silver part underneath looks very beat up, which leads me to think possibly the dealership painted over them to hide the damages. If that's the case, I'm going to be very upset that they played me

Your car looks to be in great shape underneath! I wouldn't put it past a dealer to pull one with your rims... or even be ignorant and not notice, which is almost as bad.

I got some gently-used 2016 rims for my Mirage, with good used tires.. almost new (Dunlop 14 165's) for $100 bucks alltogether, not long ago. So far so good on the new rims, 45-55 mpg all the time, drives great.. newer tires make the Mirage drive a bit better at freeway speeds. The car goes through tires pretty fast for some reason, always balding them out.

[Fummins]

45-55 mpg all the time

Update your fuel log? Or are you going off your cluster display? I've gotten 42, 44 and 41mpg on my last 3 fillup's hand calculated. I really don't try hard and speed on the freeway everyday.

[dspace9]

Update your fuel log? Or are you going off your cluster display? I've gotten 42, 44 and 41mpg on my last 3 fillup's hand calculated. I really don't try hard and speed on the freeway everyday.

Cluster display. People on the Forum say the display's not reliable. I kinda got a ballpark on how many km's I go on 1 tank anyways. I pushed it today, and filled up 28 Litres and I was flashing one square on the fuel level almost empty.

I think the 39 MPG on my fuel log, maybe that's from winter when I do see a reduction in fuel economy eh.

[newtomit]

Not necessarily expensive at all.

The stock wheels and MPG-friendly tires are generally undesirable. You can find (with patience) sets of 4 for sale privately for $100-200 -- with plenty of tread. You could then sell the big wheels & tires for more than that and end up with *extra* money in your pocket.

You might even be able to swap with another forum member.

Good idea! So far the lowest price I can find for the whole set is $360 but I haven't shopped around much. I haven't sold any tires in my life. Should I do that through like Craigslist or at a tire shop?