Hey guys,
I'm an owner of many vehicles. Including a very large diesel pickup truck. I'm on the hunt for the perfect Mirage. The perfect Mirage sold by a reasonably intelligent dealer. Aaaaa forget it, that's impossible. Just the perfect Mirage (for me) then.
I want a 5 speed with an armrest console. Blue preferred, but could live with other colors.
My truck will do anything and everything. I've owned it for 20 years. When I think about a Mirage, I'm leaning toward the hatch because I think I would keep the rear seats folded down most of the time and haul around a few odd things here and there. Slap a couple people in the back when I'm forced to.
However, there's going to be times when I'd like to pull my cute little utility trailer around town, like to haul away limbs, yard debris and sacks of grass. My truck is a 6 speed, and I have pulled SERIOUSLY heavy. The key is to slip the clutch very very little. With that truck it is not difficult because it is a 6 speed, and 1st gear is a creeper, empty I normally start in 2nd gear. I can start off in 3rd gear with NO REVVING. The engine has so much torque even at idle, and the clutch is a 1,000 lb-ft replacement that I installed myself after the original clutch blew a pilot bearing. The point being that I have so much experience driving a manual transmission, the only trouble for a Mirage is to get rolling. Once rolling, rev match, get the clutch engaged, and then put the rock hammer down. What you'd have to NOT do, is pull out in front of traffic. The Mirage is slow on its own, towing it's going to be a rolling traffic jam for a while. So a big gap in traffic would be needed. Start off VERY slow slipping gently in 1st, get that clutch fully engaged, and then apply all 7 lb-ft of torque!
I poke fun at the Mirage out of respect...
I've read some threads about towing with a Mirage. They were interesting. The point of this thread is that I think I'm going to turn my Mirage (when I get one) into "My Lil' Truckster." I say that because I won't really be hauling people around in it much. Just use the back for hauling whatever will fit. Get a hitch and tow my little utility trailer around. The truck is so large that it's overly cumbersome. It would be nice to have a "Lil' Truckster."
The most I can imagine towing would be the little utility trailer and a motorcycle or two on it. Probably want to find a way to keep the bikes more centered on the axle to keep the hitch weight minimal (I know there must be some hitch weight, but would keep it minimal). This coming weekend I have to go 140 miles north to my dad's house. He's not long for this world unfortunately and I am going there frequently to help him out. I'm going to do yardwork this weekend. I have to haul my push mower, string trimmer, leaf blower, and edger. Not much weight. It would be nice if I already had my "Lil' Truckster" to roll up there with, pulling my little utility trailer with these items on it. I'm not slapping anything that holds gas on the inside of any vehicle (except the bed of my truck).