Author Topic: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage  (Read 8629 times)

LD_TAndK

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Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« on: February 17, 2020, 01:58:05 PM »
Youtube car reviewer tears into the Mitsubishi Mirage. It's somewhat in jest, Doug normally reviews luxury and exotic vehicles so the Mirage is a sharp contrast. Tiny details exaggeration abounds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aCsNs3eYTE

I left the video kinda wanting to buy one. Some of my favorite bits:
2:12 - 0-60 in 11.7 seconds
3:44 - "Only" 4 speakers
6:10 - no rear seat contours
7:00 - you can see seat foam through the carpet!
8:40 - exposed screws, bolts, and rails oh my!
9:52 - there's a bump in the hood profile
18:14 - it's a good car... for people living paycheck to paycheck
19:34 - defines what a car is actually for (but not for himself)
« Last Edit: February 17, 2020, 02:01:36 PM by LD_TAndK »

Wrenchturner

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2020, 02:17:31 PM »
I got about two minutes into that review a while back, when he started complaining about the interior lights.

Why not tell me about the material used in the short block?  Valve train?  Suspension?  Gears in the auto transmission?  Most of what he is complaining about has little relevance to the function of the car.  Reminds me of a sales-type review.  What's wrong with 3 cylinders? (Answer: they shake, not that he'd be able to tell you...)

It's like someone tried to make a car look bad, but didn't have the expertise to actually do so.  I was interested in that car a while ago due to the low price but his review wasn't useful to me for the above reasons.

RWD

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2020, 02:20:30 PM »
Doug is all about tiny details exaggeration, that's his thing. Doesn't matter if the car is cheap or expensive.

The Mirage is an awful car. It has has horrendous performance, it's poorly built with cheap materials, unreliable, and the resale value is terrible. If you're living paycheck to paycheck you're much better off with a similarly priced Toyota or Honda.

Just Joe

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2020, 09:26:42 PM »
I watched a recent review of the 1990s dustbuster van. He kept coming back to the power sliding door. Perfectly usable vehicle even in 2020 but he had to find something to pick on.

That kind of stuff is why I quit reading car reviews in general. Tiny details syndrome indeed.

Askel

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2020, 09:21:56 AM »
I think Mr. Regular nailed it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZ8AQsZabI


Just Joe

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2020, 09:46:51 AM »
Yeah Mr. Regular usually does get it.

I don't dislike the Mirage. A person just has to adjust their expectations. Its not an interstate cruiser. Neither is our old CRV. Nor a Miata I know well.

As the owner of many cheap and cheerful cars over the years - all used - beware of the cheap owners that may own the car before you. They don't maintain it. They do duct-tape type repairs. They treat it badly for some unknown reason. I guess they hate it b/c they are unable to afford something nicer and thus nurse a long term resentment of it. They don't clean it either.

I've bought a number of these cars over the years where step one was a deep cleaning. Like removing a garbage can of filth and then more or less hosing the interior out. Remove the seats, garden hose and tire brush and Dawn dishwashing liquid. Wet the carpets, Dawn soap, tire brush and garden hose again. Shop vac water removal. Let it sit in the sun until dry.

Then start chasing all the little issues that the previous person ignored or caused. I once had a little Hyundai Excel that was a good car once I reattached all the random vacuum hoses that had been cut, rerouted, and otherwise messed with. Oh - and it needed a thermostat - the likely problem the entire time. When I sold it ran like a clock, smelled good, and was quite presentable albeit homely. I saw it around town for many years.   

YttriumNitrate

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2020, 10:38:25 AM »
I think Mr. Regular nailed it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZ8AQsZabI

He might be a bit off on the mileage though. My 2014 Mirage easily gets 50+ MPG doing 65 MPH. He is right that a higher drive ratio for top gear would have been really nice.

Quote
Since I have a long, fairly flat and boring highway commute I decided to do some testing. After getting onto the highway I reset my manual Mirage DE's fuel tracker and changed the car into one of the following configurations for ten minutes at roughly 65 MPH:

1. All windows up, air conditioning off (56.3 and 55.9 MPG)
2. All windows up, Air conditioning at max (52.4 MPG)
3. Front two windows down/back windows up, air conditioning off (54.7 MPG)

The windows up, no AC test was done twice with numbers of 56.3 and 55.9 MPG. The windows up, AC at full blast had 52.4 MPG while having the front two windows down came in at 54.7 MPG.
https://mirageforum.com/forum/showthread.php/1618-Air-Conditioner-Effect-on-MPG?p=14536#post14536
« Last Edit: February 24, 2020, 10:43:41 AM by YttriumNitrate »

Just Joe

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #7 on: February 25, 2020, 01:34:45 PM »
That's a great bit of data collecting. Glad someone did that.

Slee_stack

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2020, 11:33:43 AM »
We test drove some mitsubishi years back.  It was the slowest car I'd ever driven since a 1978 Pinto.

At some point, there is such a thing as too slow.

That Mitsu was just dangerous to pull out of a driveway or lot onto a moderately trafficked and speedy road.  It was a crash waiting to happen.

Maybe in sparse or low populated areas it would be just fine.  It really shocked (and scared) the heck out of me at the time though.  It was a very short test drive.

YttriumNitrate

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2020, 11:41:39 AM »
We test drove some mitsubishi years back.  It was the slowest car I'd ever driven since a 1978 Pinto.
At some point, there is such a thing as too slow.
That Mitsu was just dangerous to pull out of a driveway or lot onto a moderately trafficked and speedy road.  It was a crash waiting to happen.
Maybe in sparse or low populated areas it would be just fine.  It really shocked (and scared) the heck out of me at the time though.  It was a very short test drive.

The Mitsubishi Mirage with a CVT transmission certainly doesn't have good acceleration, but manual version is a vast improvement. My Mirage replaced a Chevy S10, and for a little while it felt like I was driving a sports car. ;-)

Askel

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2020, 06:24:57 PM »
We test drove some mitsubishi years back.  It was the slowest car I'd ever driven since a 1978 Pinto.

At some point, there is such a thing as too slow.

That Mitsu was just dangerous to pull out of a driveway or lot onto a moderately trafficked and speedy road.  It was a crash waiting to happen.

Maybe in sparse or low populated areas it would be just fine.  It really shocked (and scared) the heck out of me at the time though.  It was a very short test drive.

Hoo boy, this "it's so slow it's unsafe!" bullshit.

Look, every car made after at least 1990 is a fucking racecar.   

Of course, I ride a bicycle on busy roads pretty regularly so maybe I'm used to managing a speed differential. 

Just don't drive like an asshole and you won't regularly need the ability to accelerate to mach 6 to stay out of trouble.   


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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #11 on: April 18, 2020, 06:54:37 PM »
Hoo boy, this "it's so slow it's unsafe!" bullshit.

Look, every car made after at least 1990 is a fucking racecar.   

Of course, I ride a bicycle on busy roads pretty regularly so maybe I'm used to managing a speed differential. 

Just don't drive like an asshole and you won't regularly need the ability to accelerate to mach 6 to stay out of trouble.

When you're only given ~600 feet to accelerate to 70 mph and safely merge on a busy highway 78 horsepower just doesn't cut it. I used to use that onramp with a 135 hp Subaru and even carrying speed coming out of the loop it was impossible to have a safe merge.

RWD

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #12 on: April 18, 2020, 07:03:16 PM »
Another even worse onramp (shared previously by @JLee). Though at least with this one you can choose when you go for a gigantic opening because of the stop sign (assuming visibility is decent).
http://i.imgur.com/VCtoGbZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/GST0DDu.png

LD_TAndK

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #13 on: April 20, 2020, 05:07:55 AM »
We test drove some mitsubishi years back.  It was the slowest car I'd ever driven since a 1978 Pinto.
At some point, there is such a thing as too slow.
That Mitsu was just dangerous to pull out of a driveway or lot onto a moderately trafficked and speedy road.  It was a crash waiting to happen.
Maybe in sparse or low populated areas it would be just fine.  It really shocked (and scared) the heck out of me at the time though.  It was a very short test drive.

The Mitsubishi Mirage with a CVT transmission certainly doesn't have good acceleration, but manual version is a vast improvement. My Mirage replaced a Chevy S10, and for a little while it felt like I was driving a sports car. ;-)

I used to drive a manual hyundai accent, I agree the manual makes all the difference for a little engine. You get quite an advantage in quick acceleration scenarios not waiting for the downshift. It never felt underpowered to me.

JLee

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #14 on: April 20, 2020, 08:35:14 AM »
Another even worse onramp (shared previously by @JLee). Though at least with this one you can choose when you go for a gigantic opening because of the stop sign (assuming visibility is decent).
http://i.imgur.com/VCtoGbZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/GST0DDu.png

And you'll have some very angry impatient people behind you if you take too long, lol. It's also in northern NJ, so there aren't really any gigantic openings during people-are-outside hours -- traffic is not exactly light (and it's fast as shit).

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #15 on: April 21, 2020, 11:09:35 AM »
Would I buy one?  Probably not.  But I think it's awesome that this car exists.  You can see the ground through the engine bay?  Fantastic, that means there's plenty of room for doing maintenance and repairs.  Exposed fasteners?  Again, easy to get to.  Flat back seats?  So what?  90%+ of driving (probably, I'm just pulling that number out of the air) is done with nobody in the back.  No bluetooth?  Gee, let me get out my tissues.

$10k today is equivalent to $5800 in 1995, the year my Corolla was sold.  You'd have been stoked to buy a car this well equipped for that kind of money back then.

Just Joe

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2020, 04:17:29 PM »
Seems like the perfect car for people with student loans who want a newish car.

Even better would be a lightly used Mirage with 30K miles.

Even better would be a ten year old Buick with 50K miles. Power. Safety. Features. Low price.

Dave1442397

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #17 on: May 07, 2020, 06:34:23 AM »
Another even worse onramp (shared previously by @JLee). Though at least with this one you can choose when you go for a gigantic opening because of the stop sign (assuming visibility is decent).
http://i.imgur.com/VCtoGbZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/GST0DDu.png

And you'll have some very angry impatient people behind you if you take too long, lol. It's also in northern NJ, so there aren't really any gigantic openings during people-are-outside hours -- traffic is not exactly light (and it's fast as shit).

This happened 30 years ago, before cellphone cameras, etc, and before the Rt 17/Rt 4 interchange was redesigned. A coworker became so impatient with the car in front of him waiting to merge from Rt 17 North on to Rt 4 East that he eventually inched up to his bumper and then floored his car to push the guy out on to Rt 4. Nobody died, but that's one of the worst Jersey driver stories I'd heard at that point.

Just Joe

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #18 on: May 08, 2020, 05:48:49 AM »
In 2020 I would expect the impatient driver to get shot or seriously threatened afterwards.

BlueMR2

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #19 on: May 12, 2020, 02:49:47 PM »
Brings back memories of the cars I learned to drive in.  80hp.  Always a good time on the super short entrance loops in MI that dump you right into a high speed limit that people routinely exceed by 15-20 mph.  You get good at maintaining momentum.  Excellent training for when I did get a fast car and started going to the road course racetracks!  :-)

YttriumNitrate

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #20 on: May 12, 2020, 03:19:19 PM »
Another even worse onramp (shared previously by @JLee). Though at least with this one you can choose when you go for a gigantic opening because of the stop sign (assuming visibility is decent).
http://i.imgur.com/VCtoGbZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/GST0DDu.png

How do 18-wheelers -- like the one seen in the first picture -- merge? A Mirage can do 0 to 60 in about 10-12 seconds, but an 18-wheeler takes 5 times that long.

RWD

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #21 on: May 12, 2020, 04:11:14 PM »
Another even worse onramp (shared previously by @JLee). Though at least with this one you can choose when you go for a gigantic opening because of the stop sign (assuming visibility is decent).
http://i.imgur.com/VCtoGbZ.png
http://i.imgur.com/GST0DDu.png

How do 18-wheelers -- like the one seen in the first picture -- merge? A Mirage can do 0 to 60 in about 10-12 seconds, but an 18-wheeler takes 5 times that long.

I suspect they are taking different routes. Or just rely on everyone else getting out of their way.

FIREsigns

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #22 on: May 13, 2020, 04:42:49 PM »
Rented one of these last year after I totaled my wonderful 2007 Saab (don't ask...😕). Drove it for 2.5 weeks. Aptly named vehicle. A real piece of crap.

phildonnia

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #23 on: June 19, 2020, 06:15:51 PM »
Some people might not consider spending $10k more so they don't have visible bolts or weird lines.  Reviews like this will make people stress more than they should over whether their car has tires that are the correct size.

Seems comparable to my first car.  "Basic, cheap, reliable transportation", as he says.

As for resale, no car of mine is ever worth $10k when I'm done with it.

RWD

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #24 on: June 20, 2020, 03:45:10 PM »
Some people might not consider spending $10k more so they don't have visible bolts or weird lines.
There are people spending $10k more and still getting a Mirage. The cheapest new ones are $10k (heavily discounted from MSRP) and the most expensive (highest trim and options) are over $20k. Though even at the $10k price point all it takes is one quick look at the used market and you'll find tons of better cars (in every measurable way).

Seems comparable to my first car.  "Basic, cheap, reliable transportation", as he says.
Basic, yes, it's a poor value for money. Cheap? Well, not as cheap to own as a Hyundai Accent, Honda Fit, Chevy Spark, Nissan Versa, VW Jetta, Kia Soul, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Ioniq, or Toyota Prius. Reliability for this generation is below average.

NorthernMonkey

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #25 on: June 27, 2020, 06:13:54 AM »
Been driving a 1.3 yaris for a while now, including 500 mile round trips every 2 months. 70hp is adequate for any journey, as long as you think ahead a little.

'needing' 100+ hp just to drive to work in the morning is insane

Indexer

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #26 on: June 28, 2020, 08:37:42 AM »
'needing' 100+ hp just to drive to work in the morning is insane

The overwhelming majority of efficient vehicles still have 100+ HP so it's really common. Corollas are 130-140, Honda Fit's are 120-130, and the 2020 Yaris is 106. I agree we don't "need" that, but the engine designs keep getting more efficient so 100+ HP 50+MPG vehicles will be the new normal for achieving the best MPG in the city and on highways.


The Mirage... in a world where used Corollas, Civics, Yaris, and Fits exist the Mirage doesn't make sense. Any of those cars at 3 years old is probably still more reliable than a new Mirage, and they will still be on the road for years longer than the 3 year younger Mirage.

Just Joe

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #27 on: June 30, 2020, 11:45:53 AM »
The problem with 100HP vehicles in 2020 is they can be pretty buzzy on the interstate at 75 mph.

With 150HP, the engine can be run at a much lower speed b/c they have more torque and the noise is greatly reduced but the economy is still available. 

I like tiny, low powered cars and owned many but I usually needed them for sub-50 mph driving with only occasional highway driving.

There are a ton of nicer, used cars for $10K to choose from.

MilesTeg

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #28 on: July 02, 2020, 01:52:55 PM »
'needing' 100+ hp just to drive to work in the morning is insane

The overwhelming majority of efficient vehicles still have 100+ HP so it's really common. Corollas are 130-140, Honda Fit's are 120-130, and the 2020 Yaris is 106. I agree we don't "need" that, but the engine designs keep getting more efficient so 100+ HP 50+MPG vehicles will be the new normal for achieving the best MPG in the city and on highways.


The Mirage... in a world where used Corollas, Civics, Yaris, and Fits exist the Mirage doesn't make sense. Any of those cars at 3 years old is probably still more reliable than a new Mirage, and they will still be on the road for years longer than the 3 year younger Mirage.

A huge chunk of engine power is used for things other than making the car move. Alternator (and the vastly increased electrical load vs older vehicles), water pumps, power steering, power brakes, A/C, etc. Gone are the days when all you had was a alternator and water pump, hah.

Moreover, a small engine running at closer to max power is much, much less efficient than a larger engine running well below max. The larger engine will also last a lot longer due to not being run as hard.

There's also the fact that a modern vehicle is a _lot_ heavier than in the past due mostly to safety and emissions control, which means even ignoring all the other power draws you need more power for the same size vehicle.

Both of these reasons are the reasons cars have more hp, and generally are capable of going way, way faster than is necessary.

Just Joe

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #29 on: July 06, 2020, 07:58:05 AM »
FWIW modern emissions systems shouldn't contribute much to the car's weight. Its just catalytic converter(s) and mostly plastic sensors, valves and so forth. The safety systems - absolutely.

For anyone that wants to see how a car is put together and reacts to a crash - maybe I introduce Arthur Tussik from Lithuania.

https://www.youtube.com/user/tussik01

Not sure hammering crumble zone metal straight again is a valid repair but using a second car for replacement panels is. Would love to see one of his repaired wrecks crash tested. I guess the cost savings of repairing a wreck like that for use in Lithuania may be worth it. Maybe they would still be some of the safest cars on the roads compared to ~25 year old Russian cars based on 1960s Fiat designs. 

 

YttriumNitrate

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #30 on: July 23, 2020, 07:54:36 AM »
So in other news, the Mirage will now be the best in class for the subcompact segment.
https://jalopnik.com/dead-honda-fit-1844418117

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Just Joe

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #31 on: July 23, 2020, 11:28:12 AM »
In my darkest daydream I want to see gasoline go up to $5 in the USA overnight to make a bunch of 15 mpg drivers gulp real hard in unison.

Uh, maybe casually driving a big thirsty road yacht all over the place isn't a good idea...

And then the moment passes and I return to eating my veggies for lunch.

America, putting all our eggs in one basket since 1776...

dignam

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #32 on: September 29, 2020, 08:12:22 AM »
In my darkest daydream I want to see gasoline go up to $5 in the USA overnight to make a bunch of 15 mpg drivers gulp real hard in unison.

Uh, maybe casually driving a big thirsty road yacht all over the place isn't a good idea...

And then the moment passes and I return to eating my veggies for lunch.

America, putting all our eggs in one basket since 1776...

That happened around 2008.  I remember filling up my Mom's car for $4.75/gallon back then.  That's when we saw the shift toward more fuel efficient cars.  Now that gas is cheaper, that is again less of a concern so you see all these massive trucks on the road.

But yes, the Mirage is an awful car.  Friend of mine bought one new, and I wish I could have talked her out of it.  Spend the money on a used car, which would probably be more reliable.

There is a point where a car lacking in horsepower becomes a hazard and dangerous.  I don't want to have to get a running start and floor it up an interstate ramp to have the chance of being at speed with traffic.  It is so dangerous to merge into a 70mph zone going 50mph.  I've seen so many near misses from people doing that.  I don't know if it's a lack of power or people just don't care to attempt to match traffic speed, but it's usually tiny cars I see doing this.  Being stuck behind someone like this on the ramp with a semi barreling up behind you on the highway is no fun.
« Last Edit: September 29, 2020, 08:14:12 AM by dignam »

WhiteTrashCash

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #33 on: September 29, 2020, 07:11:21 PM »
Ah, Mitsubishi: The Japanese AMC. The perfect car to get when you want a new car and nobody else will give you credit. Mitsubishi, when you feel nostalgic for the build quality of the Yugo.

little_miss_giggles

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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #34 on: October 04, 2020, 12:14:52 PM »
I love my mirage. It is a 2014 manual that I bought brand new in 2014 for 12k. It is the upgraded model the dealership couldn't sell it and I got it for less than they bought it for. It had sat on their lot for over 12 months. It is in an unpopular color especially for a manual. But I don't care it is just a car.

It has 70k miles on it at the momend and will have 2 car seats in the back next year. It also fits a stroller in the trunk. I love filling up for less than $20.

The turning circle on it is amazing. I did upgrade to get snow tires for winter and they make a huge difference in such a small car. I have gotten though roads that other bigger cars have gotten stuck on with all season tires.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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Re: Antimustachian Car Review - Mitsubishi Mirage
« Reply #35 on: November 19, 2020, 09:58:58 PM »
We test drove some mitsubishi years back.  It was the slowest car I'd ever driven since a 1978 Pinto.
At some point, there is such a thing as too slow.
That Mitsu was just dangerous to pull out of a driveway or lot onto a moderately trafficked and speedy road.  It was a crash waiting to happen.
Maybe in sparse or low populated areas it would be just fine.  It really shocked (and scared) the heck out of me at the time though.  It was a very short test drive.

The Mitsubishi Mirage with a CVT transmission certainly doesn't have good acceleration, but manual version is a vast improvement. My Mirage replaced a Chevy S10, and for a little while it felt like I was driving a sports car. ;-)

I used to drive a manual hyundai accent, I agree the manual makes all the difference for a little engine. You get quite an advantage in quick acceleration scenarios not waiting for the downshift. It never felt underpowered to me.

I drive a Fit manual. Test drove the automatic and it was like a golf cart with a low battery. The manual, OTOH, will accelerate as fast as you want to accelerate.

Of course, all this manual talk is like a lost art. Petroleum-based subcompacts will be a thing of the past in 5 years anyway, and almost nobody who is a child today will know how to operate a stick.