Basic (10-09-2020)
If your desire is to own a 197hp car that gets 25 city/32 highway mpg, a used Ford Fiesta ST is a good choice.
I personally would much rather have a 78 hp car that get 40-50 mpg consistently. If I am going to drive something that get less mpg, it needs to tow my trailer & have AWD to climb winter ridge roads.
Having said that, spending $18,000 on a one year old slightly used Ford Fiesta ST makes more sense than spending $18,000 on a Mirage.
I wanted a car that was affordable, reliable, & very economical. The Mirage checks those boxes well. I like my 2017 Mirage ES manual. At the time of my purchase, used updated 2017+ Mirage manuals weren't available, but new ones could be had for under $10,000 OTD. At that price, I would have bought a new one regardless.
Even though I am very happy with my Mirage, I wouldn't pay more than $11,000 OTD for a new Mirage ES manual today. It's not a car that I would spend a lot on money. Take away affordable from reliable/economical & the Mirage is not as appealing to me.
I value mpg over horsepower/performance in a small car. A Fiesta ST doesn't check the affordable or economical boxes. Reliability is an unknown for me? It's not a car I would want to own. I would rather own a small SUV for that price or mpg rating. That may be why small car like that have disappeared from Ford's line up, too?