New Car & Driver review of '21 Mirages from yesterday

[dspace9]

We all have our desired car options, but I think it's a shame you don't have the option of a truly base-model Mirage anymore.

I think car companies make the most money when they're selling fully-loaded cars. But if they don't offer a "true" ES base car, they're basically cutting out the entry-level customer. Or making the entry-level customers pay even more for their first new car. I see what's going on. Might look like the goodies are trickling down the model line, but that's not all of it.

[PityOnU]

We all have our desired car options, but I think it's a shame you don't have the option of a truly base-model Mirage anymore.

I think car companies make the most money when they're selling fully-loaded cars. But if they don't offer a "true" ES base car, they're basically cutting out the entry-level customer. Or making the entry-level customers pay even more for their first new car. I see what's going on. Might look like the goodies are trickling down the model line, but that's not all of it.

The price has gone up YoY, but same has the price of everything else.

There is a school of thought where simplifying production by removing choice can help to keep manufacturing costs down. That's what Google did with the Pixel 4A, for example. It's weird, but you can make it so you get more for less if you are producing at scale. Have a look at the armrest, switches, and door handle for an Outlander Sport and see if they seem a little familiar to you:

Additionally, many of the things in a car that people point to as luxuries (BlueTooth, power windows, automatic climate control) actually end up costing pennies with our modern manufacturing. This is especially true for electronics. If you buy in bulk, the reverse camera and touchscreen head unit probably end up costing Mitsubishi maybe $50. And that's on the high end. By comparison, a standard head unit and no camera costs, for e.g., $40.

Because of the shared parts between vehicles, the super cheap cost of electronics, and the potential efficiencies that could be gained by reducing trim levels, it actually probably ends up costing Mitsubishi more to make a Mirage with crank windows.

[dspace9]

The price has gone up YoY, but same has the price of everything else.

There is a school of thought where simplifying production by removing choice can help to keep manufacturing costs down. That's what Google did with the Pixel 4A, for example. It's weird, but you can make it so you get more for less if you are producing at scale. Have a look at the armrest, switches, and door handle for an Outlander Sport and see if they seem a little familiar to you:



Additionally, many of the things in a car that people point to as luxuries (BlueTooth, power windows, automatic climate control) actually end up costing pennies with our modern manufacturing. This is especially true for electronics. If you buy in bulk, the reverse camera and touchscreen head unit probably end up costing Mitsubishi maybe $50. And that's on the high end. By comparison, a standard head unit and no camera costs, for e.g., $40.

Because of the shared parts between vehicles, the super cheap cost of electronics, and the potential efficiencies that could be gained by reducing trim levels, it actually probably ends up costing Mitsubishi more to make a Mirage with crank windows.

Costs less to streamline the whole production line and make one interchangable product.

Yea eh those window switches and armrest are practically identical to my Mirage's. I've noticed this too in the "indoor" mode on my Forza 5 video game, Mitsubishi recycles parts from like the 90s til today lol

[Cobrajet]

We are comparing a 2015 ES to a current 2021 ES. Former top level to current bottom level. What's different besides push button start & alloy wheels?

Fog lights. Mirror-mounted turn signals. Leather shift knob and steering wheel. Nicer seat fabric. Silver/chrome trim on dash and center stack. Chrome door front inner door handles. Alloys and push-button start are the main ones, though.

Federal back-up camera requirement has made display audio standard, which made steering wheel radio controls standard, and cruise was made standard a couple years ago. Other than that, what equipment has the base model really GAINED from '15-'21? Six-way seat?

[dragon2knight]

Fog lights. Mirror-mounted turn signals. Leather shift knob and steering wheel. Nicer seat fabric. Silver/chrome trim on dash and center stack. Chrome door front inner door handles. Alloys and push-button start are the main ones, though.

Federal back-up camera requirement has made display audio standard, which made steering wheel radio controls standard, and cruise was made standard a couple years ago. Other than that, what equipment has the base model really GAINED from '15-'21? Six-way seat?

The point many are making here is that the newest base model is so much better than 2015 simply because it's just about loaded comparatively. This adds value. Inflation adds price hikes. All normal at least here in the States. The only downside is usually with more equipment comes additional weight which of course hits performance. As much as I'd like a stripped down base model, I've also gotten used to the perks, especially cruise control.....I guess with age comes the want for more convenience. So be it

[dspace9]

Fog lights. Mirror-mounted turn signals. Leather shift knob and steering wheel. Nicer seat fabric. Silver/chrome trim on dash and center stack. Chrome door front inner door handles. Alloys and push-button start are the main ones, though.

Federal back-up camera requirement has made display audio standard, which made steering wheel radio controls standard, and cruise was made standard a couple years ago. Other than that, what equipment has the base model really GAINED from '15-'21? Six-way seat?

AC across the board is a big one. I wonder how much my 2014 Mirage ES (no AC) weights, compared to a fully-loaded 2021 Mirage, with an auto. 200 lbs more? That's a big proportion of weight, when my Mirage weighs 2000 lbs.

Depends on what sort of experience the driver wants, and clearly everything in this world is pointing toward convenience and lazy-boying of everything we used to do manually.

It's just too bad that the thinnest car on the road, the Mirage, is getting a freshman 15 now lol.

[Dirk Diggler]

I want that sand color Mirage.

[dspace9]

I wonder what new Mirage colours are there.

[Mark]

Fog lights. Mirror-mounted turn signals. Leather shift knob and steering wheel. Nicer seat fabric. Silver/chrome trim on dash and center stack. Chrome door front inner door handles. Alloys and push-button start are the main ones, though.

Federal back-up camera requirement has made display audio standard, which made steering wheel radio controls standard, and cruise was made standard a couple years ago. Other than that, what equipment has the base model really GAINED from '15-'21? Six-way seat?

I can't speak for a 2015 DE (base level). My 2017 ES (base level) didn't come standard with the backup camera (2018 mandate), Bluetooth (also added 2018), cruise control (2019), 6-way driver's seat (2019), & auto climate controls (2020).

Thanks for pointing out the other items. I suppose some of those items could be a deal breakers for some. I sort of think cruise & A/C are nice extras to have, but those have been standard items for most vehicles for years now.

On a personal level, I am not a fan of chrome. I have never owned/used fog lights on a vehicle. I don't have an opinion on them, but the base level has the switch for them. Adding things like fog light and leather is easy enough to do. I would use my custom seat covers over any seat fabric. Is the ES seat fabric nicer than the 2017+ ES seat fabric? I don't know?

I don't consider the current Mirage ES a poorly equipped car, but it surely doesn't have everything found on many new cars these days.

I would like to see a more affordable base level Mirage offered some day. I think some forum members would like to see the top trim level with a manual transmission. I highly doubt either will happen.

While other small cars are disappearing from the market, the Mirage has remained. We can be thankful for that!

[Cobrajet]

The point many are making here is that the newest base model is so much better than 2015 simply because it's just about loaded comparatively.

I guess my point here is that even the 2014-2015 DEs were well equipped. Power steering, power brakes, tilt wheel, power windows, power locks, AC, automatic climate control, power mirrors, remote keyless entry, etc, etc.

Really all the '21 base model has that the '14 base model didn't have is display audio/camera (w/steering wheel controls), cruise control, and a six-way adjustable seat.

The cars are identically equipped other than that, AFAIK, and the same is true for top trim cars. All a '21 SE has that a '14 ES didn't have are mirror-mounted turn signals (the '15s had them), heated seats (in the US), display audio/camera (unless you had the Navigation Package), LED headlights, and the soon-to-be-mandated collision avoidance systems.