Mitsubishi doesn't care what you think

[dspace9]

Mr. Donut says at 16:55 in the video, "the Mirage even outsold the Lancer before the Lancer was cancelled" -

I'm not sure if that is true. I think the Lancer sold better than the Mirage between 2013-2017!? I have no numbers to back this up. I just see way more Lancer's on the road than Mirage's. Could very well be.

Thanks for the post, Mark.

[Clessy]

Short summary that everyone knows

Cry babies for their sports cars couldnt afford to buy them and never did. Their SVU and econo strategy is selling and doing well so they could give to ****s about the whinny "bring back x" crowd as those guys couldnt even afford to buy one if they did.

I knew this a long long time ago

[Fummins]

Short summary that everyone knows

Cry babies for their sports cars couldnt afford to buy them and never did. Their SVU and econo strategy is selling and doing well so they could give to ****s about the whinny "bring back x" crowd as those guys couldnt even afford to buy one if they did.

I knew this a long long time ago

Wait just a minute........so you're saying auto mfgs don't actually listen to people who leave random comments left on youtube?

If this is true then I guess I've been wasting a lot of time arguing how they "need to"bring back the Ford Pinto and Pontiac Aztek.

If only I knew this a long time ago!

[Subcompact Culture]

Short summary that everyone knows

Cry babies for their sports cars couldnt afford to buy them and never did. Their SVU and econo strategy is selling and doing well so they could give to ****s about the whinny "bring back x" crowd as those guys couldnt even afford to buy one if they did.

I knew this a long long time ago

QFT x 1MM!

Many "legacy owners" are so whiny. Bring the EVO back! Bring the 3000GT back! Bring the Montero back! Bring the Eclipse back!

This is not 1992 anymore. Shoot, it's not 2002 anymore! People don't buy sports cars in droves. People don't buy AWD rally cars in droves. People don't buy body-on-frame SUVs in droves. This is 2020 people!

Crossovers sell—plain and simple. Sedans are dying. Small cars are dying. Amazingly, the Mirage is an exception, and I'm happy for that.

Listen, I own three 1990s JDM Mitsubishi 4WDs and a '17 Mirage. Growing up, we had Colts (Mirages), two gen-1 Eclipses, an Expo LRV, and a Montero Sport—all cars from the brand's "golden era." They were good cars then and still good cars. The model T was a good car for the time too, and that ain't comin' back either.

Racing: I'm glad they mentioned that. OEMs are not into racing like they were in the past. You don't need to go racing to prove or show off your vehicle's tech. Again, the times change.

Like they said—Mitsubishi is trying a different strategy and it's working like Clessy said. Mitsubishi doesn't need a sports car anymore. Sports cars are great for companies that already have a solid brand and base to build a halo car around. How many Corvettes did Chevrolet sell in 2019? 17,988. What was Chevy's total U.S. sales for 2019? 952,248. That means Chevy's legendary Corvette made up a scant 1.9% of total sales. And sure, halo car sales will differ by company. But point being is that if you're a mainstream automaker (e.g. not Ferrari or another company that only makes performance cars), your spots cars—your high-performance vehicles—are not going to be your cash cow. Most brands have to first have a solid foundation before they can introduce some low-volume fun car to make "high school kids" want them like Mr. Donut said in the video.

I have faith in Mitsubishi Motors North America. I don't think we're going to see tarted-up hot hatchbacks, sports coupes, or rally-ready sedans. But I think we will continue to see the brand build a foundation for improved sales.

Thank you for reading my novella.

[Fummins]

QFT x 1MM!

Many "legacy owners" are so whiny. Bring the EVO back! Bring the 3000GT back! Bring the Montero back! Bring the Eclipse back!

This is not 1992 anymore. Shoot, it's not 2002 anymore! People don't buy sports cars in droves. People don't buy AWD rally cars in droves. People don't buy body-on-frame SUVs in droves. This is 2020 people!

Crossovers sell—plain and simple. Sedans are dying. Small cars are dying. Amazingly, the Mirage is an exception, and I'm happy for that.

Listen, I own three 1990s JDM Mitsubishi 4WDs and a '17 Mirage. Growing up, we had Colts (Mirages), two gen-1 Eclipses, an Expo LRV, and a Montero Sport—all cars from the brand's "golden era." They were good cars then and still good cars. The model T was a good car for the time too, and that ain't comin' back either.

Racing: I'm glad they mentioned that. OEMs are not into racing like they were in the past. You don't need to go racing to prove or show off your vehicle's tech. Again, the times change.

Like they said—Mitsubishi is trying a different strategy and it's working like Clessy said. Mitsubishi doesn't need a sports car anymore. Sports cars are great for companies that already have a solid brand and base to build a halo car around. How many Corvettes does Chevrolet sell in 2019? 17,988. What was Chevy's total U.S. sales for 2019? 952,248. That's 1.9% of total sales. And sure, halo car sales will differ by company. But point being is that if you're a mainstream automaker (e.g. not Ferrari or another company that only makes performance cars), your spots cars—your high-performance vehicle—is not going to be your cash cow. Most brands have to first have a solid foundation before they can introduce some low-volume fun car to make "high school kids" want them like Mr. Donut said in the video.

I have faith in Mitsubishi Motors North America. I don't think we're going to see tarted-up hot hatchbacks, sports coupes, or rally-read sedans. But I think we will continue to see the brand build a foundation for improved sales.

Thank you for reading my novella.

Yup. Everything is headed towards hybrids and electric. I believe vw made a claim that they'll have an all electric line up by 2030.

[Mark]

I Have both cars for different purposes. I just drove 500 miles to visit my parents. Did I hop in my Evo RS 5 speed that is at 3000rpm at 75mph on the highway, loud as can be and might get 20mpg from premium fuel or my Mirage that gets 45+mpg, is a little quieter and has a cvt so I dont have to make 1000 shifts?
Answer: the Mirage has half as many miles as the Evo in 4 months. I've had the Evo for 16 years and 4 months.

Your post is a good example of the usefulness of the Mirage. It's a great second car to own (affordable, reliable, & economical). The Mirage is capable of doing some things better than most other cars. In your case, it's your Evo. In my case, it's my 2011 Forester. When I need to tow something or feel the weather warrants AWD (snow tires), I use my Forester. For the other 90% of the time, I use my 2017 Mirage.

Our two examples are quite different, but the usefulness the Mirage still shines through! You're extending the life of your Evo, & I am doing the same with my Forester.

The negatives are extra insurance costs & such. If basic transportation is all you need, the Mirage is great for that, too. I wish more affordable cars were offered these days.

[PityOnU]

Like they said—Mitsubishi is trying a different strategy and it's working like Clessy said. Mitsubishi doesn't need a sports car anymore. Sports cars are great for companies that already have a solid brand and base to build a halo car around. How many Corvettes did Chevrolet sell in 2019? 17,988. What was Chevy's total U.S. sales for 2019? 952,248. That means Chevy's legendary Corvette made up a scant 1.9% of total sales. And sure, halo car sales will differ by company. But point being is that if you're a mainstream automaker (e.g. not Ferrari or another company that only makes performance cars), your spots cars—your high-performance vehicles—are not going to be your cash cow. Most brands have to first have a solid foundation before they can introduce some low-volume fun car to make "high school kids" want them like Mr. Donut said in the video.

Eh, I think this is debatable, and depends on how your "average" person searches for/thinks about vehicles.

I can say that, for me personally, I would never have even considered Mitsubishi or a Mirage had my buddy who works in car sales not talked with me about them. As a company, Mitsubishi wasn't even on my radar specifically because they have no halo car to stick out in my mind. It's still difficult to get excited about them as a brand.

Mind you, after I had started looking for a car in earnest, I ended up doing the majority of my shopping around for cars on AutoTrader. I just did a "Search All" and sorted by "Lowest First". I definitely would have seen the Mirage anyway, even if my friend hadn't put me onto it.

So perhaps the information age and ease of search has done away with the need for halo cars and getting people into the showroom? Who knows. Again, depends on what your "average" person is doing these days, and I will admit that I am a little too out of touch to know what that is.

[Subcompact Culture]

Eh, I think this is debatable, and depends on how your "average" person searches for/thinks about vehicles.

I can say that, for me personally, I would never have even considered Mitsubishi or a Mirage had my buddy who works in car sales not talked with me about them. As a company, Mitsubishi wasn't even on my radar specifically because they have no halo car to stick out in my mind. It's still difficult to get excited about them as a brand.

Mind you, after I had started looking for a car in earnest, I ended up doing the majority of my shopping around for cars on AutoTrader. I just did a "Search All" and sorted by "Lowest First". I definitely would have seen the Mirage anyway, even if my friend hadn't put me onto it.

So perhaps the information age and ease of search has done away with the need for halo cars and getting people into the showroom? Who knows. Again, depends on what your "average" person is doing these days, and I will admit that I am a little too out of touch to know what that is.

Interesting perspective, and I appreciate it.

[inuvik]

I specifically bought the Mirage because I had owned a bunch of Geo Metro's in the past, along with a Colt in the past and the Mirage is the 21st Century version of the Metro (at least to me). The use of a timing chain instead of a timing belt was also a plus. But most of all I just love basic econobox transportation, reliability and excellent mpg's. The Mirage checks all of those boxes for me. Plus I'm a cheap ass so there's that lol.

[Fummins]

Eh, I think this is debatable, and depends on how your "average" person searches for/thinks about vehicles.

I can say that, for me personally, I would never have even considered Mitsubishi or a Mirage had my buddy who works in car sales not talked with me about them. As a company, Mitsubishi wasn't even on my radar specifically because they have no halo car to stick out in my mind. It's still difficult to get excited about them as a brand.

Mind you, after I had started looking for a car in earnest, I ended up doing the majority of my shopping around for cars on AutoTrader. I just did a "Search All" and sorted by "Lowest First". I definitely would have seen the Mirage anyway, even if my friend hadn't put me onto it.

So perhaps the information age and ease of search has done away with the need for halo cars and getting people into the showroom? Who knows. Again, depends on what your "average" person is doing these days, and I will admit that I am a little too out of touch to know what that is.

I'm the same. Before I started this job 6 years ago I didn't realize Mitsubishi still sold cars here. The most recent car I recalled was the Eclipse, and not the suv/cuv thing. I was very skeptical as to how long these cars would last as delivery cars. I was wrong and now recommend them to people. But most(80%) are in the "I need an suv with awd cause that's what everyone else is buying" boat and the rest just buy something cause it looks neat.