Topic: Test Drive: 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage ES

[mixmanmash]

Micra>>>Mirage>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>infinity>>>>>>Smart Car. In the el cheapo, low range, the new Micra is such a cool little car for the price. Manual box, air con, power locks and I'm good to go......maybe some Nismo dampers, spring and sway bars when they come out 

Lol.  Yup.  I would love to get my hands on a Micra and a FWD manual Juke write-off with drive/power train intact...

[Fobroader]

Micra>>>Mirage>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>infinity>>>>>>Smart Car. In the el cheapo, low range, the new Micra is such a cool little car for the price. Manual box, air con, power locks and I'm good to go......maybe some Nismo dampers, spring and sway bars when they come out 

Lol.  Yup.  I would love to get my hands on a Micra and a FWD manual Juke write-off with drive/power train intact...

That would be fun....as Ive said before, Juke engine+6spd manual+AWD+Micra=new age Sunny GTi-R which would be awesome. That would be an all dominating hot hatch.

[Firm]

I'd prefer a Mirage over a smart, I lived with a Mirage for 3 weeks and it really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. The biggest problem with the Smart is that I find it extremely awkward to be in, everything is strangely positioned making it a rather uncomfortable experience. The Mirage, although cheap and spartan inside, is well laid out and doesn't feel awkward at all.
I've said this before, but while the Mirage isn't something I would purchase for myself, for a young person just looking to get from point a to b with minimal costs and hassles I'd recommend it. There's plenty of people like that out there. For example, an old co-worker of mine, with zero interest in cars needed to buy a cheap car to get to work...She asked me for help, so I found a used Yaris in her budget and it's been great for her. That said, if she didn't have me to help her find something (privately) in the used market, something like this would have been her best option; she would be able to walk into a dealer, pick her color etc and walk out with the car she *needed* within her budget and with minimal hassle.
I won't speak to the Micra comparison since I have yet to spend any time behind the wheel of one - it is a pretty good looking little car though.

But the argument here is the Micra, for the same price, is an even better option of basic transportation for those who don't care.  It has significantly more power, so I would even consider it safer, especially in a highway-merge situation.  I think what people are saying is that there is no argument whatsoever to be made for the Mirage, unless, possibly, you're a hyper-miler who wants to wring the absolute most (or least) out of that little engine.  But, a hyper-miler is no ordinary person, and will put up with a lot more discomfort than your average buyer.

Yeah, I think that's the mark.  If you're a hypermiler, buy a mirage.  If you're just a young person looking to buy your first car to deliver pizzas, and it has to be a NEW car, get a Micra.

Again, I haven't driven a Micra. But to someone who really doesn't know (or care) about power or gear ratios or anything like that the Mirage has some strong points. For instance, better warranty than the Nissan, funky colors and even though I have no proof in this particular case, given Nissan's recent track record I'd bet that the Mirage would be more reliable as the cars age....Again, not saying the Mirage is better, my point is that I can see why someone completely un-automotively inclided would purchase one and be very happy with it.

[dirtyjeffer]

a key feature the Mirage is missing as standard equipment for its buyers, is a gun in the glovebox, loaded with one bullet, to finish to job.

[SKYMTL]

From a purely anecdotal standpoint, I have been seeing a LOT of Micra's around but haven't seen a single Mirage.   

[Firm]

From a purely anecdotal standpoint, I have been seeing a LOT of Micra's around but haven't seen a single Mirage.

Opposite here in Toronto actually, I've seen probably 3x as many Mirages as I have Micras...Strange actually.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

I see this as a neo Chev Sprint / Pontiac Firefly. Cheap to run and cheap on fuel, and that's it. I think there's still a (small) market for that kind of car.

The same quality and cost arguments existed for them and their competitors back in the day, but the buying public still bought them. Mitsubishi does have the issue of limited dealers and and limited market share, so I'm not expecting to see them in the same numbers as the GM twins.

[wing]

The Mirage should be more reliable since they used technology from 1976 lol

[mixmanmash]

I see this as a neo Chev Sprint / Pontiac Firefly. Cheap to run and cheap on fuel, and that's it. I think there's still a (small) market for that kind of car.

The same quality and cost arguments existed for them and their competitors back in the day, but the buying public still bought them. Mitsubishi does have the issue of limited dealers and and limited market share, so I'm not expecting to see them in the same numbers as the GM twins.

I don't see it as a Sprint/Firefly.  More like a Chevette/Acadian.

[dirtyjeffer]

I don't see it as a Sprint/Firefly.  More like a Chevette/Acadian.

my mother bought a brand new Sprint when they came out in 1987...she had an Acadian before that...i had 3 Chevette/Acadian vehicles through my early years too...cheap to buy, good on gas, never gave me a lick of trouble.

[dkaz]

Oddly, half the Mirages I've seen in BC have Alberta plates on them. I haven't seen a Micra in the wild yet.

[conwelpic]

From a purely anecdotal standpoint, I have been seeing a LOT of Micra's around but haven't seen a single Mirage.

Opposite here in Toronto actually, I've seen probably 3x as many Mirages as I have Micras...Strange actually.

not really, Mirage has had a head start as it came out in September 2013, the Micra just started being available this April 2014 and May was its first full month of sales.
Jan-May for the Mirage - 1,662 (don't have June's sales)
April - June for the Micra 2,007.

[2JDM]

Mirage sedan coming to the US. 

http://www.autoblog.com/2014/11/25/mitsubishi-mirage-sedan-confirmed-us/