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Thread: The Small Car Stereotype: You're poor, have bad credit, or in a bad place

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    Senior Member Subcompact Culture's Avatar
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    The Small Car Stereotype: You're poor, have bad credit, or in a bad place

    The Ace of Base:2019 Mitsubishi Mirage story on TheTruthAboutCars.com inspired me to write this piece: Cheap, small cars so often have this stigma behind them. You must be poor, have bad credit, or be in some "bad place" to want to buy one, such as the Mirage. I disagree, and wrote a blog post about it if you'd like to check it out.

    http://www.subcompactculture.com/201...ad-credit.html

    Anyway, I've long disliked the idea that you must have to buy a car like a Mirage. You couldn't possibly have wanted it.



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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    I read the same review. Also that Mitsubishi the brand is the "mediocre credit" dealership. Hey you know what, back in 2014 when I bought my Mirage, my credit wasn't that great. They gave me a 7 year loan at 2.99%.

    Not sure Chevy dealer would have given me a new car at that rate.

    I'm not ashamed of it, and I love the fuel economy. I hate the size, in the context of roads with too many trucks and terrible drivers. Other than that, I don't care. The Mirage is way better looking that most cars, but most people don't notice. I saw at the dealer today a 2 tone painted blue/black Mirage. Sharp! Screw the critics and classist fascist *******s

        __________________________________________

        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 Wallythacker's Avatar
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    It's like saying you had to buy a Corvette because your p**ker is so small there's nothing manly about you.

    I'm like you, I live well, in a nice part of Niagara Falls, have a few nice things and as I wrote in a different post, I can find much better and more interesting things to do with my money than watch it evaporate in depreciation on a $50,000 vehicle.

    ETA: And I really wanted to buy a Mirage after renting every subcompact, compact, and mid-size car for at least a full weekend and driving >1000kms. I thank Enterprise for their $30 deal with unlimited mileage.

    The Mirage won, hands down in all of the categories that mattered to me.
    Last edited by Wallythacker; 10-18-2019 at 09:30 PM.
    Zero, 2014 ES Plus 5MT, written off but not forgotten.
    Zero II, 2014 SE, 5MT, climate She's HOME now!
    Shelby AKA "Cute", 2017 ES 5MT, A/C.

    Mirage owners look at the world differently than everyone else, but in a better way
    We're driving the Beetle of the 21st century, the greatest small car now available!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES PLus 1.2 manual: 39.0 mpg (US) ... 16.6 km/L ... 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.8 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Yea Wallythacker I could be driving a better car. I can't see why I would put money into something that depreciates 40% in 2 years, to real estate or the stock market that appreciates 100% in 10 years. So I drive my car $12, 495 + outrageous taxes and mysterious dealer fees, good enough for my commute.

    I'm not spending more than I have to to drive to work haha.

    As well I want to say my Mirage has been in service at the dealer 3 weeks in a row, and it's from a leaking gas cap. Talk about the run around the dealer has given me. I get free detailing next week apparently.
    Last edited by dspace9; 10-18-2019 at 09:47 PM.

        __________________________________________

        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)


  8. #5
    The only person I know in real life who own's a Mirage, does so because a used Mirage is the only car they could get financing which such terrible credit. I told them they should keep it as long as they can cause they're pretty decent, reliable, cheap to own cars. But they're hoping to pay it down then "trade it in" on a fullsize truck for some reason..... This obviously isn't the case for everyone.

    I personally couldn't care less what people drive and don't feel I need to justify why I drive what I do or how much money I make. If you are broke, work at McDonalds, drive a tempo and live in an apartment that's great. If you drive a new Lexus and has a million dollar house, and money in the bank, good for you I still don't care what you drive or what you own
    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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    Senior Member Wallythacker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dspace9 View Post

    As well I want to say my Mirage has been in service at the dealer 3 weeks in a row, and it's from a leaking gas cap. Talk about the run around the dealer has given me. I get free detailing next week apparently.
    I've been following your code issue. Here's hoping they fix it for good. And free detailing is awesome. Around here it's about $140 to detail a Mirage sized car.

    That's another thing that scuppers the "we're poor Mirage owners" argument. For the most part our little cars are kept looking really good because we have a pride in ownership.
    Zero, 2014 ES Plus 5MT, written off but not forgotten.
    Zero II, 2014 SE, 5MT, climate She's HOME now!
    Shelby AKA "Cute", 2017 ES 5MT, A/C.

    Mirage owners look at the world differently than everyone else, but in a better way
    We're driving the Beetle of the 21st century, the greatest small car now available!

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2017 Mirage ES PLus 1.2 manual: 39.0 mpg (US) ... 16.6 km/L ... 6.0 L/100 km ... 46.8 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member fc321's Avatar
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    @Subcompact Culture, thanks. That was a great blog post and also I read you comments on TAC website also.

    I agree with you. I myself have a 750 credit score and bought the car for $9000 financed but paid the entire loan off within a year. And now I just have barebones insurance on it for $50 per month.

    I like this car because it is a very "low profile" car that does not attract the attention of thieves or vandals. There is a few times I left over $7000 worth of cash in the glove box and of course nobody would be "none the wiser".

    Since I work as a landlord and collect rents. When I go to collect the rents I would hate to show up in a Mercedes or something that makes the tenants think I am a hot-shot. I also dont want to attract girls that only want my money.

    So I live far below my means in a lower class neighborhood with not much fancy stuff. I am a minimalist and prefer putting my money to work in the stock market. I already have owned fancy cars and have gotten it out of my system. Even when I have surpassed 2 million dollars of personal income I still would keep driving the mirage until the wheels fall off.

    As Buddha teaches: "Practice contentment and you will live a life of joy"
    2015 Mirage DE 5 speed Manual - 30k miles

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 manual: 44.9 mpg (US) ... 19.1 km/L ... 5.2 L/100 km ... 53.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member AtomicPunk's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wallythacker View Post
    It's like saying you had to buy a Corvette because your p**ker is so small there's nothing manly about you.

    That's hilarious. My brother-in-law asked my wife once what kind of car I drive. When she told him he said "that's a pretty small car". She shrugged and said "he's got nothing to prove".

    Just this afternoon I was treating the G4 to a tank of ethanol-free gas when the next pump over a brand new Maserati pulled up. I admired it for a minute, then fired up the 3 cylinder and drove off smiling. Life is a suicide mission, my friends. Nobody makes it out alive, and its waaay to short to be concerned about what others think about what car you drive.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Subcompact Culture View Post
    The Ace of Base:2019 Mitsubishi Mirage story on TheTruthAboutCars.com inspired me to write this piece: Cheap, small cars so often have this stigma behind them. You must be poor, have bad credit, or be in some "bad place" to want to buy one, such as the Mirage. I disagree, and wrote a blog post about it if you'd like to check it out.

    http://www.subcompactculture.com/201...ad-credit.html

    Anyway, I've long disliked the idea that you must have to buy a car like a Mirage. You couldn't possibly have wanted it.
    Just something to think about - Scotty Kilmer is in his mid-60's. During his lifetime, he has spent less than $7,500 on all of his vehicles combined. His present car is a 1994 Toyota Celica that he paid $300 for.

    In all fairness, Scotty isn't including the vehicles his wife drives. Scotty's wife drives a 2003 Lexus sedan that he paid $3,000 for in 2015 with 62,000 miles on it. Scotty must love his wife, because he sort of splurged on her.

    I say this because -

    If you google Scotty Kilmer's net worth, you get a figure of $7 million dollars. His youtube "channel has over 3 million subscribers as of 2019 and has accumulated over 800 million views so far. It is able to get an average of 1.1 million views on a daily basis and this should result in an estimated revenue of $4,400 per day ($1.6 million a year) from the ads that appear on the videos."

    None of my friends, relatives, or co-workers drive a Mirage, & I don't care. $10,173.53 OTD brand new & delivered to my driveway. It will be two-years of ownership on Sunday, & I have zero regrets about this purchase.

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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AtomicPunk View Post
    when the next pump over a brand new Maserati pulled up. I admired it for a minute, then fired up the 3 cylinder and drove off smiling.
    I would like a used Maserati or Alfa Romeo Guilia, once they really drop in value. I think an Alfa Romeo is more authentic Italian than a Maserati.

    Maserati, like many Italian car companies, has had connections to Dodge. (Fiat, and Lamborghini too, in the 80's early 90's - the Viper is the baby of that one).


        __________________________________________

        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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