![Illinois Auto Dealers Sue State Over Rivian’s Direct-Sales Model [UPDATED]](https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/rivian-suv-610x407.jpg)
Seriously, they did! Look at it! Instead of being some anonymous South Asian egg, the Mitsubishi Mirage now looks like an anonymous European egg.
Okay, okay. It isn’t going to set your heart alight with desire, but Mitsubishi has done a stellar job upgrading the Mirage with the few resources it has at its disposal. This little subcompact hatchback will be the first Mitsubishi ever to offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Its 1.2-liter MIVEC three-cylinder engine gets an ever-so slight bump to 78 horsepower (+4 over the current Mirage). The Japanese automaker even gave the exterior and interior a fairly thorough re-work considering this is a mid-cycle refresh. And considering this is Mitsubishi we’re talking about here.
Those of you who were totally sold on the Rockford Fosgate special edition, fear not! You can still get that in the new Mirage, too, though minus the badging that tells thieves which car to hit in the Kroger parking lot.
The big news, even though the new 2017 Mirage now sports a design worthy of being on a dealer lot in the 21st century, is the new infotainment system available as standard in SE and GT models.
As before, the Mirage will be available with a five-speed manual transmission as standard throughout the trim range, while a continuously variable transmission is available for those people who want all the miles per gallon. Mitsubishi said the new Mirage will achieve better fuel economy than its predecessors thanks to a newly improved 0.27 Cd, but didn’t release actual numbers. Don’t be surprised if the improvement is a mere 1 mpg on the combined cycle.
The new 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage will arrive at dealers sometime in 2016, we guess, since Mitsubishi didn’t actually tell us in the press pack.
“Mitsubishi Actually Fixed The 2017 Mirage”
Oh good, it’s cancelled. Get a Versa Note or something used.
I’d get a Micra instead of a Mirage, easily.
I found a Micra edition designed with RH in mind.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Nissan_Micra_Bolero_%28K11%29.jpg
I’ve seen one of those in Calgary.
Its a completely different beast than the current Micra though.
“I found a Micra edition designed with RH in mind.”
That’s a wee bit ostentatious for me but, hell yeah, I’d drive it for the greenhouse.
As would I, if I were in Canada. Id get one over a Versa Note as well. Its just more in line with what I picture a decent subcompact being like. Its not a shrunken big car, it isnt trying to pretend that it is more than it is…its just right.
I still think they should launch it in the US as a Datsun lol.
I like it. Though if they renamed it the Outlander Jr. and put some cladding on it it would sell in much greater numbers. Already looks like it has the ride height.
Early spring, since they skipped the ’16 MY. Sedan version is supposed to debut in New York. No 4B11 for the Mirage, apparently :(
Oh no, a sedan? Geeze. The only subcompact sedan that Id like to see wont be coming here (its a Honda, and it strongly reminds me of the 88-91 Civic sedan, which is a very good thing).
Mitsu Mirage Sedan: Soon to be the darling of rental lots across the land.
I was waiting for this article yesterday.
Anyway, the car is much improved looks wise. I cant go so far as to call it pretty or handsome, but at least it isnt quite so ugly. This shouldve been the launch model.
I wish I could have posted it yesterday, but it is just Aaron and myself here at the show and we were beat from yesterday.
I understand. No worries.
It is much better looking, and at least in that color has less of a penalty look to it. Must concede that part.
Yeah, its actually something I wouldnt mind being seen in, which is a huge improvement from before. Its amazing what a little refresh has done in this case.
Too bad the EcoBoost (3 cyl) Fiesta still exists, otherwise this might be worth considering. I realize the Fiesta costs quite a bit more, but for pure driving fun, Im betting its worth every penny over this.
I cant believe there is a GT model, and it doesnt come with an upgraded powertrain. Just a wee lil I-4 would add enough zip to justify the trim.
The GT would need better brakes, stiffer bushings and a bit more roll stiffness before it got more power.
I agree, not bad looking at all. Seems like a decent little runabout. With only 2000 pounds to haul, that 3-banger might not be terrible.
“Kroger parking lot.”
You no have this in Canada!
We don’t have Kroger in South Florida either. If thieves want to look for a car to break in at a supermarket, they’ll most likely go to Publix or Winn-Dixie.
Up here, it’s Fred Meyer, QFC, or Safeway (the former two are owned by Kroger, so the example still works).
But I used to live in Houston!
I think Mitsu may be well positioning itself for the long game of offering retired Boomers of modest means decent, basic transportation ’cause we’re all too scared to care about buying frilly last vehicles.
But the Mirage had better be significantly cheaper than the Asian competition and of course it won’t with the CVT.
Oh yes that’s much better! (Previous sentence dripping with sarcasm)
Well, if you want to sell an underpowered Penalty Box to millennials, including Apple Auto/Android Play was a smart move. Gives them a real reason to buy a new car instead of the much better late-model used car they should be buying for the same money.
Warranty and the non-wrenching.
Re: Mirage… that top photo starkly shows what a better world it would be if beltlines stayed the same height from A-pillar on back.
You shouldn’t have to wrench on a five year old Civic or Accord anyways.
The problem is that Millennials do not want to go into debt. Buying a new car doesn’t cross many minds. Being the cheap option may attract some, but most Millenials that I know would rather have the 5 year old Civic.
If those were my only two options, I would too…
I think it’s tiresome disinformation from manufacturers that Millenials or even Ys have anywhere near as much importance to the success of any car as do Boomers and Xers.
The Element/Xb/Soul template seems unyielding at the lower end of the market.
Don’t you mean SAVE-A-LOT or FAMILY DOLLAR parking lot? This is a Mitsubishi after all.
Only if Family Dollar offers 0-0-0 financing.
They’re only parked at Family Dollar. They’re actually next door at the Chinese buffet, where their three children will eat unhealthy food while they pay for one child.
Replace ‘Chinese Buffet’ with ‘CiCi’s Pizza Buffet’ and you have ‘A Day In New Port Richey’TM
Part of me loves the Mirage for offering only what people need and nothing more. 78hp, basic climate control, and a waterproof cabin to keep the weather out.
However, you’d expect a car with such meager specifications to retail for less than $10,000……but it doesn’t………and the Nissan Versa does……..so………?
What price would you expect it to retail at, in a market where the average sale price is around $33k?
That it can give nearly all the mechanical safety and convenience features of cars at that average 33K for less than half the money is phenomenal. So are its price cohorts.
But that 2000 lb. weight means it has to ride like a buckboard on bad roads. Plus it’s not at all lifted.
I’m cheap, but I ain’t this cheap.
Hey, it only weighs 2,000 pounds.
I didn’t think you could actually BUY a new car that light anymore.
Plus it has power mirrors and windows!
It’s pretty competitive in the “tiny $12k car” space, sort of.
(The internet tells me nobody needs to pay MSRP on that thing, either.)
Kroger…AKA: Fry’s in the Southwest. The Mirage looks great…finally. I can only see this as a daily commuter car. Daily living? Not so sure. Especially on a long trip. Otherwise…good job Mitsubishi!
The real test of this car is how it drives. Is it an eyes down apologetic little piece of cr*p that trudges unwillingly through its daily routine? Or is a spritely cheery little box that accomodates your mood?
This is reminiscent, I think, of the mid 1970s through early 1980s Volkswagon Rabbit and Dasher. Except, since this has modern safety features, this won’t kill the occupants in a minor crash (at less than 25 MPH…which was likely in the VWs). And, this is surely much more reliable (if it isn’t it at least comes with a long warranty). It has, I think, more horsepower than the old VWs. And, it is relatively, cheaper than the old VWs after adjusting for inflation. I see quite a few of them on the road (and in parking lots); probably because these are decent, reasonably priced vehicles. I plan to take one for a test drive to see for myself whether there is any fun to be had behind the wheel.
The Mirage’s growly little 3-cyl and light curb weight are fun, but too much body roll and terminal understeer to be a good choice for an enthusiast.
The Mirage isn’t nearly as bad as the “too cool for school” crowd lets on, but if you’re after a simple, fun-to-drive little hatchback for this kind of money, you’re going to want a pre-owned Mazda2.
That slant fools a shocking amount of people into thinking a car is “sporty”. Unfortunately a lot of people think cars without it look dorky. I don’t agree with them. Give me a “stodgy” 2002 any day!
Considering the segment that’s like wanting a wheel barrow to look “sporty” but I know you’re right.
Better effort than yesterdays Sentra. Heck 4 more hp.
My problem in comparing the Mirage with the Versa is that the only cheap Versa is a sedan. You want a hatch? The price goes up $2200.
Never mind that Versa makes you crank your own windows. I could put up with that in a $12k hatch, even though Mitsubishi gives you p/w at that price.
I wish I could buy a Versa hatch at $12k. I like the versatility of a hatch, and I’m not willing to give that up.
Also, the Nissan dealers here are such douchnozzles that they put a $2000 ADM sticker on a $12k Versa.
I had to come back and say this: what the car really needs is a better name. It wont happen, but it should. Consider the following statements:
I thought I saw a lake in the desert….but it was just a mirage and I was dissapointed.
I thought Id get a nice rental car….but it was just a Mirage and I was dissapointed.
I mean, youd still be dissapointed no matter its name, but Ive never understood why anyone would think mirage is a good name for a car. Ranks up there with Crossfire as an idiotic name for a car.
Oh my God, it’s a Mirage,
I’m tellin’ y’all it’s sabotage
Unfortunately, this lacks the sheer hood expanse to properly slide across it.
Nice Beasties reference. Wherever he is, MCA would approve.
The ’78-’84 Mirage engines used a third valve called an MCA-Jet. Coincidence? I think not.
Aspire has to be the worst name for a cheap car.
“I Aspire to drive something better than this when I rent a car from Avis next week in Florida.”
I very nearly forgot about the “aspire to be a real car” car. I agree, “aspire” has to be one of the worst-ever names for a car (especially a very small car). And, I heard many, many people refer to the Ford Aspire in this manner (especially those who rented one while traveling for business purposes and those who liked to poke fun at the smallness of the car). But, never from anybody who owned one (I only recall a couple people, both retired older men, who owned one, both of whom seemed to appreciate it for what it was…an affordable car).
Whenever I saw an Aspire, I could only think/say “Hey, there’s an ass-pyre”.
I always chuckled at the Plymouth “Acclaim”, as in “A Claim on my warranty”, or “A Claim on my insurance”.
I would rather drive this than a Smart, so it has that going for it.
I would rather drive a 2007 Pacifica with 137k miles of towing a 22-ft bay boat on the orginal transmission than a smart because there is at least a clearly reason WHY it shifts that way.
I’d rather ride a donkey to work in a blinding snowstorm than drive a smart.
The only redeeming quality of the Smart Fortwo was that it had 3-lug wheels. When my uncle drove his mobile billboard to our farm to help with harvest in 2012, we would have on our property:
A car with 3-lug wheels (Smart)
A car with 4-lug wheels (my sister’s Focus)
A car with 5-lug wheels (my mother’s Sportage)
A car with 6-lug wheels (the ’04 F-150)
A car with 7-lug wheels (the ’98 F-250)
A car with 8-lug wheels (the ’08 F-350)
Too weeny to get 4 lug rims in today’s “More lugnuts is better” world.
I’ll take the donkey.
Unfortunately, in the promotional photograph trim like this, it’s, well, it’s still clearly a small cheap car, but they’re trying to sell it as something it can’t ever be. What positive reviews of the Mirage there are seem to focus on its honest lack of pretension, that it’s simple economical transportation. Slapping nicer wheels and chrome on that suggests an attempt at a level of refinement it won’t achieve.
I like it. I really do. There’s something about a no-nonsense piece of practical transportation that’s really appealing. Especially considering it manages to incorporate current technology in a low cost package.
When I pay off and hand off the Sonic to my son on his 16th birthday, I may start paying down one of these to drive in the non snowy months and give to my daughter on hers.
http://www.mitsubishicars.com/mirage/upcoming?cid=crm_em_html_invitation_email_recap_postreveal_engagement_002
Mitsu has a gem of a designer that fixed this Mirage. Not only is the styling no longer embarrassing, the coefficient of drag is lower.
Outlander Sport, Mirage, and Lancer now all look respectable and have a cohesive design language.
Mitsu is offering value, dependability and function.
Too bad they no longer sell anything that would appeal to an enthusiast.
quote-
The 2017 Mirage will be available in three trims: ES, SE and GT. The ES and SE come with a five-speed manual transmission standard, while the GT features the continuously variable transmission (CVT) that is optional on the other trims. The GT also comes standard with 15 inch wheels, gloss-black shift panel, bi-xenon HID headlights and a GT badge.-end quote
That is a lot of kit on the GT. More than any other vehicle in this class.
5 year/60,000 m. ; 10 year/100.000 drivetrain warranty. Barebones+ transportation. good mileage. If the AC blows cold it looks like a bargain.