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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)
Eggman (04-12-2019)
Fummins, is this your old ID back in the 90s? If so, your magnificent sir.
Having never driven a 2014-15 Mirage, I can't compare them to the 2017+ models. My closest past experience to a Mirage would have been my 1990 Ford Festiva L that I drove for 14 years. When the Ford Festiva (1988-93) first came out, power steering was an option. Power steering was dropped the final 3 years (1991-93) of production, because it wasn't needed on a lightweight (1,700 pounds) car with tiny tires (145SR12). In my opinion, power steering does not enhance the handling of a small car. The fact that power steering was dropped as even an option the final three years of production somewhat supports that.
Those of us that remember/still own vehicles with hydraulic power steering are remembering/driving cars with perfected systems. Hydraulic steering had its own growing pains and evolutionary period. Hydraulic power steering improved when its power was reduced as the vehicle picked up speed (became more variable). Power steering is helpful at low speeds and maneuvering (like parking lots & parallel parking on streets). It really doesn't add to the driving experience at high speeds. In most cases, it takes away from the driving experience.
After owning/driving small cars with or without power steering, I would pick manual steering. I am not saying the steering is bad on the Mirage. I'm just not crazy about the feel of electric steering on a small lightweight car. Adding larger/wider/heavier wheels to improve the feel/handling sort of defeats/works against the designed purpose of owning/driving an a small economy car.
If I had to give up an option on a Mirage, power steering is the first one that I would gladly give up. I may miss power steering some while parking, but I surely wouldn't miss it going down the road. Power steering on a small lightweight car is a bit of overkill & not really necessary. People are just convinced they must have all these things (power steering, traction control, abs brakes, etc...) on a car. I could do without some of these items, & power steering is definitely one of them.
Last edited by Mark; 04-11-2019 at 11:01 PM.
DonkeyPal (04-12-2019)
Certainly a car as small as a Mirage could have totally manual steering, but it would have had to have been built for that. The main problem for people used to power steering would be getting used to hardly being able to turn the steering wheel unless the vehicle was moving at least slightly.
In the '60s, you could just go under the hood of your Ford Galaxie, or whatever you had, and pull the power steering belt off (often it was a separate belt), and then you'd have manual steering. With today's power steering you probably wouldn't have usable steering if you tried something like that.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 43.0 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.7 mpg (Imp)
My first 82 toyota had manual steering and it also had 31" mud terrain tires and it was no problem steering it.
I FOUND IT!
The review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5J0itmKd8FU
He complains a LOT about various things. He attempts to be colorful, maybe even humorous, but I wasn't that entertained by it.
The dead steering complaint starts at about 3:50.
And this was the 2017 model.
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View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)
Fummins (04-22-2019)
Eggman (04-12-2019)