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Thread: How I drive the mirage everyday...

  1. #1
    Senior Member Ares's Avatar
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    How I drive the mirage everyday...

    I'd wager to say that most everyone on here drives the mirage for the MPG or warranty or price. While those three were in my mind when I purchased the vehicle, also knowing that the car can withstand the rough streets of developing countries (see: I'm Filipino) made it an easy sell.

    Since I have nothing better to do at work, I've been catching up on a lot of reading. What I'm on at this moment is Road & Track's 2020 Performance Car of the Year article. I've been reading the article for a while now and got stopped on my tracks when I read the paragraph below:

    You have to be comfortable owning a car you have to beat the hell out of all the time,” Farah said. “It’s not fun if you’re going slow and the whole thing is vibrating. It’s buzzy.
    That quote basically describes the mirage and how I drive it on my 40-50 min drive to/from work. I usually hum to the tunes of 75-80mph with the occasional stop-n-go and rev up to over 5k to to overtake idiots that drive the speed limit on the left/fast lane.

    I'm happy to report, that a little over a month has gone by since I started this new job and the mirage has been performing admirably. It seems not a drop of oil has been consumed. The only issues I seem to be noticing are a hum/drone at 40 then again at 80mph. Also, every so often, after I have "oh **** I have to stop NOW" scenarios, there is a different metal-to-metal sound that is different than the normal pad/rotor sound. Since there's nothing better to do this long weekend, I'll pull the brakes apart, clean and lube them well.

    I guess all I'm saying is that I'm thankful for the mirage.

    Have a nice Thanksgiving y'all.



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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ares View Post

    I'm happy to report, that a little over a month has gone by since I started this new job and the mirage has been performing admirably. It seems not a drop of oil has been consumed. The only issues I seem to be noticing are a hum/drone at 40 then again at 80mph. Also, every so often, after I have "oh **** I have to stop NOW" scenarios, there is a different metal-to-metal sound that is different than the normal pad/rotor sound. Since there's nothing better to do this long weekend, I'll pull the brakes apart, clean and lube them well.

    I guess all I'm saying is that I'm thankful for the mirage.

    Have a nice Thanksgiving y'all.
    Happy Thanksgiving! I happen to have a subscription to R & T. I haven't gotten the "2020 Performance car of the year" issue in the mail yet. However, one thing I have noticed with R & T: when they describe classic sports cars, stuff like the Porsche 356, or the old MG's.. they sound like they are describing the Mirage. Light, lithe, and underpowered...

    So, if you want the MG experience, buy a Mirage haha. I almost wrote a letter to the editor about this. The Mirage with a 5 speed kinda satisfies a purist's drive, according to their definition.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member Ares's Avatar
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    ^ I wont spoil the beans on this one... But I figured who it was going to be before the end.

    Furthermore, the car that won is in my short list of 'possible next vehicle' options.

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  6. #4
    lol " But before you set this magazine on fire and use it to light a pitchfork-lined path to our door"
    Mirage videos:

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage SE wussie cvt edition. 1.2 automatic: 37.7 mpg (US) ... 16.0 km/L ... 6.2 L/100 km ... 45.3 mpg (Imp)


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    Still Plays With Cars Loren's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dspace9 View Post
    So, if you want the MG experience, buy a Mirage haha. I almost wrote a letter to the editor about this. The Mirage with a 5 speed kinda satisfies a purist's drive, according to their definition.
    Satisfies my "purist" drive most of the time, too.

    The Mirage outperforms a little British sports car from the 70's and prior in most ways. The driving dynamics are different, but from a raw "light, nimble car" performance perspective... It could run circles around them.

    Along the same lines, the last 4-speed manual I owned was a 1991 Tercel. Aside from the fact that it was FWD, driving it felt A LOT like driving my old Triumph Spitfire. Manual steering, similar gear ratios, similar power. Very basic and simple. A shifter that was vague, but impossible to get lost in... just point the shifter toward the right place and you're there.

    A sports car isn't about being FAST, it's about feeling like you're actually driving the car. Any idiot can put their right foot down.
    Simplify and add lightness.

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    Nickname: "Rally" MirageRally's Avatar
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    Very true, it cemented my decision when I took a mirage on a test drive on the back roads at my local dealership... It was an absolute blast to drive! And still is! Going through Rocky mountains and going around turns is so fun in this car... Plus you can do it all without breaking the speed limit haha.
    Interests: Rallying/Drifting/Cars/Motorcycles

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    Senior Member Ares's Avatar
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    LoL. I cemented my decision when:
    Push button start
    Manual
    Leather wrapped steering wheel
    Sound system is decent when in bluetooth - I sat in the car for 15 mins or so after I was given the key for the test drive. One of the first things I usually do is connect the phone to the car and play music. Then tune the radio.

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    Nickname: "Rally" MirageRally's Avatar
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    Push button start would be nice, actually I don't mind the regular steering wheel, and oh....Almost forgot... Happy early Thanksgiving!
    Interests: Rallying/Drifting/Cars/Motorcycles

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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Loren View Post
    Satisfies my "purist" drive most of the time, too.

    The Mirage outperforms a little British sports car from the 70's and prior in most ways. The driving dynamics are different, but from a raw "light, nimble car" performance perspective... It could run circles around them.

    Along the same lines, the last 4-speed manual I owned was a 1991 Tercel. Aside from the fact that it was FWD, driving it felt A LOT like driving my old Triumph Spitfire. Manual steering, similar gear ratios, similar power. Very basic and simple. A shifter that was vague, but impossible to get lost in... just point the shifter toward the right place and you're there.

    A sports car isn't about being FAST, it's about feeling like you're actually driving the car. Any idiot can put their right foot down.
    That's interesting. I agree, most "sports cars" nowaday,s are actually at best GT cars. Grand tourers, not sports cars. Sports car is about participation. I've only ever driven econoboxes haha. I never drove a sports car besides my friend's Prelude with nitro.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


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    Quote Originally Posted by Ares View Post
    I'd wager to say that most everyone on here drives the mirage for the MPG or warranty or price. While those three were in my mind when I purchased the vehicle, also knowing that the car can withstand the rough streets of developing countries (see: I'm Filipino) made it an easy sell.

    Since I have nothing better to do at work, I've been catching up on a lot of reading. What I'm on at this moment is Road & Track's 2020 Performance Car of the Year article. I've been reading the article for a while now and got stopped on my tracks when I read the paragraph below:



    That quote basically describes the mirage and how I drive it on my 40-50 min drive to/from work. I usually hum to the tunes of 75-80mph with the occasional stop-n-go and rev up to over 5k to to overtake idiots that drive the speed limit on the left/fast lane.

    I'm happy to report, that a little over a month has gone by since I started this new job and the mirage has been performing admirably. It seems not a drop of oil has been consumed. The only issues I seem to be noticing are a hum/drone at 40 then again at 80mph. Also, every so often, after I have "oh **** I have to stop NOW" scenarios, there is a different metal-to-metal sound that is different than the normal pad/rotor sound. Since there's nothing better to do this long weekend, I'll pull the brakes apart, clean and lube them well.

    I guess all I'm saying is that I'm thankful for the mirage.

    Have a nice Thanksgiving y'all.
    I really like owning a small economy car like a Mirage. It gives me this sense of "guilt free" driving. I don't know how else to explain it? It gets me where I need to be without be flashy or excessive. Even though it's not an electric car, I like knowing it has great fuel economy. I also like that it competes with a hybrid without the hybrid technology & added costs. Compared to owning a Smart car, a Mirage has more space & gets better fuel economy. Those are all big pluses in my mind.

    If I had to drive around/through large city freeways more often, I may feel better with something more substantial (like a VW Golf). For my rural SW Wisconsin area, the Mirage a great car to have. I live in area where Madison is 65 miles to east, & LaCrosse is 70 miles to the west. Visiting a more substantial city (two-lane state highways @ 55 mph going in either direction) is a haul, & the Mirage is great for doing that. Even when I head to my parents (north of Green Bay), I travel 120 miles across the state (2-lane, 55 mph highways) before I hit a 4-lane highway heading more north (another 100 miles). When I do hit the 4-lane highway in Oshkosh, a Mirage going 70 mph down the highway is traveling just as fast any other more expensive vehicle going 70 mph.

    The Mirage gives me that same feeling that my 1990 Ford Festiva (paid $5,300 brand new after Ford rebate) gave me years ago. I like cars that are affordable, reliable, & very economical. I drove the Festiva for 14 years, & I hope to do the same or more with my Mirage. What's the nicest thing about simple, affordable, reliable cars like these? They can't really depreciate more than what you paid for them (no matter how long you own/drive them).

    If more people drove cars like the Mirage, the World would surely be a much better place!



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