Mitsubishi Mirage Long Term Review. Is This Car Worth It? 

I agree. It means even more to me when I see an econobox car, like the Mirage, well taken care of. You don't have to be rich to have class.

Thanks for the info! I couldn't agree more.

I would rethink. The 2020 Chevrolet Sonic is 10 times a safer car than the mirage. The mirage is the most dangerous car in America, with the highest fatality rating. It performs poor in several crash test ratings.

@Dig Bick I'm talking about in production vehicles.

@@igotanimac1 Four star ratings all around. It's' not a Volvo or Subaru, but it's fine; Safety is relative and driving an M1 tank on the road would still have risk. How safe is it compared to the infamous Ford Explorer or many other cars from the past; yet millions drove them and lived to tell about it? It's all risk versus benefit. Other factors affect risk such as driving style and distraction versus driver focus. Most of it's safety inferiority (passive) is weight inferiority in a collision with a heavier vehicle. Every light-duty vehicle on the road is less safe than another vehicle that is heavier than it when they collide and even the driver in the heaviest truck is less safe than a locomotive engineer when they collide. Count the lug nuts. The one with the most wins. Single vehicle crash, Mirage rates about average. Active safety; it's hurt by handling and braking; but that can be countered by more careful driving in most situations. For instance, body roll is not a factor if you're not driving like it's a road race. I never exceed 65 mph; so maybe I'm safer on average than an average 5-star Subaru driver going 85. The Mirage works great as a cheap way to commute in the city or a rural situation where you need not run 80 mph to stay with traffic. It's a cheap car. We need at least some cheap cars in America. Some people don't want to pay a year's salary on a new car even if they can afford it. Our society wants to rid the world of cheap cars so we're all hoplessly in debt. I paid $28.7K for a new pickup in 2015. Paid it off in four years. Great truck. Average price paid at the time was $45K for a new pick up. I'll pay this one off in 2 years. It has a 5/60K bumper-to-bumper warranty and a 10/100K powertrain warranty and a 7/100K anti corrosion warranty. I can wash and wax it in an hour. The Mirage has three major differences versus it's economy car competitors. It's slower zero to sixty and accelerator response above 70 is almost nill. It has a great warranty and great mpg. The others are smaller, lighter and slower than the slightly larger and more expensive compacts just like Mirage; but the mpg is no better or worse except for Mirage which has great mpg. The Mirage has the highest mpg of any non hybrid or non diesel on the market. I got mine for $13.1K out the door. Sure it has some old school features like the door and hatch latches, but guess what? The old style latches open doors just as good as the new ones and last just as long too. It gets one from a to b very cheaply. Takes three qts to change the oil. It has three spark plugs. There is room in the engine bay to work on it. It does not have direct injection. It has 14" wheels and weighs about 2K pounds. It has some room in it for cargo unlike the Spark. No other car like it. Known to enthusiasts to be very reliable; especially the 5-speed. Yes; there are enthusiasts.

​@@gregoryfaulkner5345 Yup 4 stars. Unfortunately that's deceiving. You have to look at what actually made up for 4 stars, as you can have 2 cars that both test 4 stars, with one being significantly safer than the. other 4 star car. The 2014-2019 Mitsubishi Mirage is less safe than some cars made several years ago. It's completely unacceptable to have a brand new 2020 car perform so poorly in a crash test like in small overlap, when the technology exists to have the structural safety part of the mirage be built better. It's not necessarily because it's small, it's because they're not putting in the money into it's structural safety (for various reasons). There are some small cars that are safer than some larger SUVs. It performed poorly in the Small overlap front test. The dummy’s head barely contacted the frontal airbag before sliding off the left side as the steering column moved 14 cm to the right, leaving the head vulnerable to contact with forward side structure. Additionally, the seat belt allowed excessive forward excursion of the dummy’s head and torso. The side curtain airbag deployed but does not have sufficient forward coverage to protect the head from contact with forward side structure and outside objects, and the driver's seat tipped forward and toward the B-pillar. It has a rollover risk similar to that of an SUV. Scored 2 stars in the side poll test. It performed Good or acceptable in other areas. The tests are rated as either poor, marginal, acceptable and good. There should be no poor or marginal ratings in any of the tests on a 2020 model year car. This car maybe would have been acceptable 10-15 years ago when you compare it to the safety of cars from that time. So considering you can get a safer car that performs either acceptable or good in all of it's ratings for around the same price, it would be a very poor choice to buy a mirage.

Right? Cheap and reliable. Just what I needed. Glad to hear you like yours too!

But you'll worry about getting in a car accident, even a 'minor' one. Because the mirage is the most dangerous car in America, with the highest fatality rating. Not a surprise considering it's bad safety crash ratings.

@@igotanimac1 no shit sherlock its a hatchback and gg 3-1

Haha cop pulled me over said I was speeding in my Mirage. What? You sure you got the right car?I thought they said the Mirage is too slow!

Lionel.Please get a Volvo.

I have a 2012 Lancer GT bought new, and I have only like 48,000 miles on it. I love it. I can see me owning that car 20 years easy, and to think it has a chain timing belt too. I hit a curb going over 40MPH once, got airborne, slamming all four wheels into that curb, and ended up having no suspension damage, and years later found only one wheel slightly warped. That warp didn't show up with that set of tires, but after I bought new tires, it was making the steering wheel shake at 70MPH. The thing is built like a tank AFAIC.

Slower, efficient less complicated cars will always be more reliable. More people should buy these type of cars, but they don't, partly due to the structure integrity of cars like the mirage. The mirage is the most dangerous car in the world, with the highest fatality rating.

@@igotanimac1 The study claiming the Mirage was really dangerous was widely debunked, most notably by Jalopnik.

@@aaroncostello8812 I read the article. Saying "it's the most dangerous car" is probably not the best terminology to use, they should just say it's the least safe car based on individual crash test ratings, so the likelihood of injury is highest in a mirage, compared to any other brand new car, because overall it ranks at the bottom (based on overall individual crash test ratings) compared to any other car, in any class. On a system of poor, marginal, acceptable and good, mirage rated marginal for Small overlap front: driver-side, marginal for Structure and safety cage, poor for Lower leg/foot, marginal for Driver restraints and dummy kinematics, poor for Side Pole and a higher than average 16.4% rollover risk.

@@igotanimac1 I guess my point is there is really no such thing as a 'dangerous' car nowadays. The worst of them have fatality rates of something like 25 deaths per BILLION miles driven. A car that scores a 'marginal' rating today is likely safer than a car from ten years ago that got a 'good' rating.

@@aaroncostello8812 I guess that's your point. My point is what I said above, mirage is the car with highest likelihood of injury vs any other car sold in America. And considering you can get a car in the same class or 1 class above (compact) that have no marginal or poor ratings, just acceptable and good ratings, it would be pretty dumb to get a mirage, especially considering you can get a much safer car for the same money.

Great to hear! I'm loving mine for sure.

Right on!

I need to look into something like that. Any advice?

Yes I have a 2022 mirage g4 have put 78,000 miles on it with only oil change and no less than a quarter tank of gas. It’s incredible

Amy, I totalled my 2015 Mirage with 30,000 trouble-free miles and immediately purchased a 2018 model. The Mirage has almost no competition in the U.S. I have 62,000 trouble-free miles on it. A great car!

I got so upset with my sister after finding out that she went and bought this vehicle yesterday but now after gawking the video and reading through these testimonies. I'm feeling a bit guilty since everyone who owns it seems happy with what they have so. Who am I to not be ok with that I guess... I should apologize to her later for being rude. Thanks for the reviews though,

Don't use your trans to brake. Trans repair is far more expensive than brake job, come on

I know right, the new consumer reports just came out and bashed it. I personally love it and so do most owners. Those companies that are paid to shill reviews are just haters

I bought a 2017 Mirage with 53,000 miles and am happy I did!

Indeed I own one 2017 21k and love it all the way

Glad I could help!

Glad to hear it! I'm also glad to hear that there are others that are upgrading/maintaining these Mirages.

I like that with it's 9 gallon tank, I can go 300 miles plus.

Germans get free healthcare and don’t put off checkups to save money. Around 50k Americans die each year bc they can’t see a doctor early enough in the illness. You also get free college.

@@TheCharmIsGlobal you are right. Thx for your point of view. But everything has its price. Germany has second biggest tax burden worldwide.

@@harunk.2635 you’re welcome. And those higher taxes are worth it. Germans get good return on them.

@@TheCharmIsGlobal Depending on the income a particular German makes every year. It's all relative. But I see your point about not putting off going to the doctor to question your own health. Or get something looked at that you're worried about.

I just took this one on a 1200 mile trip. Worked great and averaged 46mpg!!!

@@FarpointFarms wow! That’s awesome! Mine gets somewhere around 41mpg on the highway, but we don’t have very flat highways in Puerto Rico, so it is a really good number considering the topography. These cars are way underrated…

As the gas prices climb, we love that mileage more and more!

Now THAT is a real review. 60K and still happy!

This car goes everywhere except racetracks,drag straps, off road and bank robberys. Haha!

Love the name! I need to name mine. I wanted to call it Sparky, but...

It's a decent car except for the fact that's it the most dangerous car in America, with the highest fatality rating. They only sell about 20K units per year, if they want to increase their sales, they are going to have to greatly improve the safety rating.

@@igotanimac1 Enough already. Your input here concerning the Mirage and safety is getting tired. To each their own concerning purchasing and driving it. We all get more of the drift you put down as to the safety of this machine. Let it go! Peace...♐

​@@AladdinSaneNYC I'm just trying to save your life buddy. But you're right, to each their own. If you want to drive such a badly built car safety wise, then drive one! I'm not stopping you. ✌️

@@igotanimac1 My first 25 years of driving were cars from the 70s and 80s into the 90s with not anywhere near the safety of today's vehicles. Learn to drive cautiously, don't speed, keep your distance and most accidents will be avoided. These Mirages have far more safety features than earlier vehicles!

media.mitsubishicars.com/en-US/releases/414000-miles-in-a-mitsubishi-mirage-and-ready-for-more

Build strong abdominals /core strength and you won’t need an arm rest

Glad to hear it! With 5 years on mine now, I can say it's the best car I've ever owned.

Small world! I take it your as happy as I am with the upgrade?

Farpoint Farms: Absolutely, they’re great little vehicles. As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I plan to drive mine till I retire. Which at the current rate of close to 200 miles per day, I should have around 300k on it. I have no doubt whatsoever that it’ll happen & get me there with a smile.

It's crazy. Ford bailed, Honda bailed, Toyota bailed. As gas shoots back up in price will these companies remember what the 80's looked like?

@@FarpointFarms and the 90s and the 2000s... these short term profit driven companies never learn! Add to the list of discontented: Smart, Fiat, Chevy. Adding to the survivors: Kia and Hyundai

We love ours so much, I just bought a 2021 for my wife!

@@FarpointFarms It's because of your great review that i bought this car and couldn't be any happier. Thanks for sharing your insight about this nice car.

Well said! I have just shy of 14K on mine and love it. The wife is still under 1000 miles, but she certainly seems to love hers as well.

Couldn't agree more! We like ours so much, my wife is now looking at a 2021 to replace her 2001 Honda Civic.

Go for it! My wife and I both have them and love them. Great car for what it is and the MPG you can't ask for better

I love that they get such great mileage, and still have plenty of power.

It is a 2005- it was my dads, then my father in laws, now it is my wifes- Great winter car

What a great point! Thank you

Don't forget chrome! Every inch of shiny chrome makes a car gain at least an extra HP!

Farpoint Farms How could I have forgotten the chrome !!

@@FarpointFarms Don't forget the truck nutz either! Don't know about a HP power boost but it's worth it just to see grandma behind you clutching her pearls in her Towncar.

Thank you for saying that- so many people bash on this car- You hit it right on the head-great on gas economic car

When we looked at the G4, I wasn't as interested as I love hatch backs, but they are pretty cool looking, and I hear they have a lot of trunk space.

You just hit the nail on the head. It does just what you need it to do. Run, Run cheaply, and it has the creature comforts you need.

@@FarpointFarms holds 75 in the highway just fine with the ac on! Only time I'm wanting for power is when I'm climbing up a mountain

@@Almighty_cornholio I'd probably slow down just a tad, the mirage is the most dangerous car in America, with the highest fatality rate. Even a minor, slow crash is likely to result in serious injuries compared to other cars in the same class.

@@igotanimac1 compared to my Honda beat my mirage is a tank

@@Almighty_cornholio What model honda and what year?

Thanks for sharing!

Glad to hear it! They certainly seem to have built these very well.

i cant seem to get the clutch feel down properly in this car any advice?

I think this is the last year for them, as most car companies they are doing away with small cars for bigger crappy SUVs

We got an offer on my wife's car for $16k, we only paid $12k. Did not sell because you can not buy anything for that

gas is going back up again, you picked a great time to get one.

Thanks for the kind words! This little car should be the hottest seller in America, but the paid reviewers are getting paid to push more expensive and far less reliable cars instead. If you really pay attention to various reviews on this car, they actually repeat the same sentences when complaining about the car. Sadly that is the world we live in. Now, on to your question. Let me put the Mirages HP and speed into perspective. MY 1983 VW GTI was considered a sports car and it came with 91HP. The zero to 60 times on that car was a screaming 10.9 seconds zero to 60 time. The Mirage has 89HP, and mine is hooked to a CVT. I live in some seriously steep mountains, and not once. Never, have I felt it was lacking in power or was failing to keep up with traffic. I read those reviews too and was worried. I got lucky as there was a 2017 on the lot in the town where I lived so I took it for a test drive. I found ever steep hill that worried me, and went up and down them. I even stopped in the road a few times to see if it had the power to climb from a stop. No issues at all. I think we read those 0-60 times and think "Man... that civic si can to it in 8 seconds, I'm going to get run over in this thing" but the truth is people don't floor it every time they leave a light, and neither do I. As a result, I've never had a car crawl up my tailgate, nor have I gotten the doors blow off my car as a hemi blasted past me a on an on ramp. Those numbers sell cars, they don't mean much in the real world unless your 16 and dreaming of race cars. The numbers that matter are milage, safety ratings, and cost of ownership. The Mirage wins all 3 hands down! You will not be disappointed in this car.

Exactly. I don''t want to spend a ton of $$ on a car, but I wanted a nice car. The Mirage works as it should and was as basic as a modern car can get.

It's fun to pile on, and since paid shill reviewers use this car as a punching bag, so do all the folks that have no idea what they are talking about.

Now that is the right way to live! Thanks!!!

Agreed!

Like has been stated; Fuso is no longer affiliated with Mitsubishi. Owned by Diamler AG.

Thanks for the review! I still love mine 2 years in, and love the gas mileage more and more as the prices continue to creep up.

How is it in the snow? Here I am not brave enough to bring it out once they salt the roads-

It's an OEM accessory I got from a dealership. Check with them and they can order one for you. I think it's called a sill guard.

I figured there were people out there that wanted a real review from a daily driver. It's a great little car.

@@FarpointFarms Indeed. It sort of reminded of the simplicity of Geo Metros. I may pull the trigger on the Mirage to help with my long commute. The savings in gas alone would easily pay for this. Thank you for the honest review. Cheers.

This Mirage SE CVT 2014 is @ 410k miles and going strong. media.mitsubishicars.com/en-US/releases/414000-miles-in-a-mitsubishi-mirage-and-ready-for-more

That’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I do that exact thing in my mireage, the first thing I did when I bought it new, was take out that rear seat and put in plywood with a rubber mat

I've been thinking about doing something similar.

I did do mine. It’s working out well. very roomy, open cargo area. The not-flat “floor” leaves to be desired but definitely lots of rooms.

Thanks! It's a great little car.

Here is a link to one similar to the one I got. I don't remember it being that price. www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-Center-Console-Lid-Car-Armrest-Box-Mat-Pad-Cover-Cushion-Black-Red/264745520641?hash=item3da4100e01:g:JQIAAOSwcidf-CPv

Kei = 660cc

My pleasure 😊

I am not sure why people hate on these cars. They are very dependable and carry a 10 year warranty- no other car has that. I am OK with being in common with everyone listed.

Thanks!

Thanks! 👍

Before you decide, check out the 2021 facelift. Also, interesting fact, the mirage weighs 400 lbs less than the soul. For smaller engines high rpms aren't an issue as much. I like cruising at 1400 rpms but wouldn't mind 3k in a lightweight engine. 6th gear would be cool though.

@@KF1 Thanks. Yeah I'm aware of the light weight of this car at just over 2,000 lbs. I've been eyeing one for a couple of years. Wouldn't give a dollar for the cvt version if I was forced to keep it. If I wait for the 2021, then I'll be waiting again next Fall for a good deal on the outgoing model and then someone will say look at the 2022s first; and by then Renault/Nissan will have killed quality control, and I might as well get an ugly Versa. At that point also, the Soul will have lost value at over 80,000 miles. I do alot of 60 mph cruising; few passes and sparse traffic on state hwys. A couple hundred lower RPM in top gear would be nice and probably less wear with many hours of operation. Manufacturers don't trust manual shift drivers to downshift evidently, because they are always geared lower in top geat as auto counterparts. I do understand that a tiny engine needs some revs, but just a tad low geared in my estimation; much like the Soul. In the Soul, I cam speed up to 63 amd climb a 5% grade in top gear without losing speed, and it shouldn't be that versatile for a top gear. I can also cruise in the city at just over 40 with no lugging; and it's got six forward gears. Third is like a five speed's second and fifth is usually skipped unless I'm driving 38-39 or accelerating uphill.

@@gregoryfaulkner5345 for the difference between the 25mpg f150 and the 31mpg soul, I think you could sell the kia and just ride the truck until the right little car comes up for sale. I see used models in the 2015-18 range, I think a good option. Personally I want to keep my truck for business and not put miles on it that I don't have to. Definitely leaning towards a new 2021 here. I think it would be a keeper.

You know once upon a time I was interested in a Kia Soul.But ill probably get another Mirage or a Outlander sport.

Nope. Those are just nicer hubcaps from Amazon. It really makes the car look sporty!

You will have to let us know what you think of it.

Yup. I do feel the seats could be a little better on long trips, but I do still love my car!

I wish I could be of more help, but I am nearly deaf on one side of my head and 1/2 deaf on the other side. As a result, pretty much nothing sounds good.

@@FarpointFarms haha no problem thank you anyway for the video and for the answer :p

the clearance is not too bad. We have not had any issues

Exactly!

Yeah ! Don't be in the way! Them Europeans will run your ass over and won't be at fault!.In America you run someone over you're serving time.

Good choice!

That was my plan. I'm going with 5K full synth oil changes and i think it's 20K (severe service) CVT flush with 30 or 60K on the CVT filters.

My dealership mechanic, a good guy, told me I should make sure sure to do a 'severe service' CVT flush at 20K, and as Erik has written below as I have Sport mode on mine and I use it often getting on/off the highway.

Bro. Weaver hmm I dong know I just did my first fluid change at 82k miles and I’m at 85k now ..nothing will break mine ..knock on wood ahahaha

Maybe I'll make a quick video just of the Fosgate setup.

Definitely, that would be cool

I have not taken it out in the snow, I want to keep this car for a very long time and I dont want the salt to ruin it. There are some videos of people in Canada driving them and they seem to do great in the snow.