Hello and Curiosity [considering buying a Mirage]

[Cloenbear69]

Im new to the forum and the car. It's attractive to me based on cost alone.

Now dont get me wrong y'all are fan boys but why did you want to get into a Mirage G4?

Personally i like the idea of a commuter car for myself because the amount of miles i pack on in a given month

I also like the idea of able to get a MT (not s fan of CVT)

How has ownership been whats the good the bad and of course the ugly i may expect if i were to buy one brand new

Let me know and thanks

[MetroMPG]

Welcome to the forum, Cloenbear69.

What can you expect?

Great fuel economy & reliability, cheap to own.

Have you test driven one yet?

Some people find the seat in the base model [4-way adjustment] uncomfortable on longer trips. The 6-way seat is better with adjustable thigh angle.

What's the last economy car you owned?

[Mark]

Some people find the seat in the base model [4-way adjustment] uncomfortable on longer trips. The 6-way seat is better with adjustable thigh angle.

If you are shopping for a new Mirage, 6-way adjustable driver's seats have been standard on all Mirages in the States since 2019. There are no 4-way seats in any trim level here now.

Keep in mind - we have never had a base trim level like Canada.

All of our Mirages have always had A/C, power windows, power locks with remote entry. You can't buy one without those features.

2021 ES manual is nicely equipped these days. If they add just a few more features, even Eggman would be happy!

[Cloenbear69]

Currently I have a an 08 Subaru Outback with a 5 speed. Which dont get me wrong it has been a fantastic car but im looking within a five year plan. In five years my son will be driving and will need a car and much rather give him my old Subaru just because i can trust it better than used anything on the market.

I have not test drove them yet that is what this summer is for.

Would be able to define cheap to own?
When it comes to brand new it seems some people has gotten them as low as 10k new? Not sure if thats true or not.

[Mark]

Currently I have a an 08 Subaru Outback with a 5 speed. Which dont get me wrong it has been a fantastic car but im looking within a five year plan. In five years my son will be driving and will need a car and much rather give him my old Subaru just because i can trust it better than used anything on the market.

I have not test drove them yet that is what this summer is for.

Would be able to define cheap to own?
When it comes to brand new it seems some people has gotten them as low as 10k new? Not sure if thats true or not.

Current pricing is not that good. White Bear's pricing on cars.com or their site is a good indicator of where things are currently at.

I own a 2011 Forester 2.5X manual, & my 2017 Mirage ES manual.

I did my 50,000 mile oil change yesterday. In almost 4 years of Mirage ownership, the only items that needed to be replaced have been the 3 wiper blades & one flat tire. Outside of oil & filter changes, that's been it.

I will average about around 42-43 mpg during Wisconsin winters & 45+ mpg most of the time during the summer months. If it's a mix of driving, I will average around 47-48 mpg with my 5-speed manual this time of year.

[Cloenbear69]

40+ mpg thats not bad at all

[Fummins]

Look around here, read some threads. There aren't many things that go wrong with these cars. Most complaints are 1st world problems.

I maintain a fleet of them. I've had to change rear shocks on a few cars around 250,xxxkms and found a leaky strut on one car with over 300,000 hard back road kms. I haven't had to replace a single ball joint or control arm bushing. The highest mileage mirage in our fleet had 478,000ish kms on it when it was crashed the other day. Had to replace the cvt around 300,000kms and maybe 1 starter, otherwise just needed brakes and regular maintenance(spark plugs at 160,000km, belt ever other year, air filter, oil changes). There's no timing belt to replace so that was a major selling feature.

I bought a 2014 with low miles a year and a half ago and just sold it. Now I have a 2014 with almost 300,000km that doesn't drive any different than the previous car. Cvt is a weak point with higher miles(like with any make) but you already don't like them so you'll only have to worry about a notchy shifting 5 speed transmission or breaking a clutch cable instead.

I went with a hatchback because that's what was available. Though if a sedan was available for the same price I'd probably still go with the hatchback because it's more versatile and slightly less fugly imo.

[Cloenbear69]

Fleet? Im curious on this. What kind of fleet are you running that the Mirage can handle the abuse?

[Fummins]

Fleet? Im curious on this. What kind of fleet are you running that the Mirage can handle the abuse?

Delivery car for auto parts business. There are some 2012-2013 sonics in the fleet that are used strictly as spares. I maintain 27 Mirages. Most of the cars put on 6000km(4000miles) a month.

[Cloenbear69]

Being a parts manager yeah thats earned mileage appreciate