Mitsubishi Mirage

Price Paid:  $0.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Lancer OZ

Strengths:
Great commuter. It''s not a Honda. Very sexy deep rich charcoal paint common in Europe but rare in USA. Sorta like the charcoal you see on Lexus sedans.

Weaknesses:
Uh, that''s about it..

Summary:
Test drove the Lancer OZ. It was a joke, a faker. Sheep in wolf''s clothing. Overall, Lancer is better than Mirage, but the dealer kept telling me it''s ALL NEW and not a Mirage. Americans are stupid but not that stupid. I travel to Asia very year on business and the Lancer is an old school nameplate since the 1980''s. Our Mirage is a Lancer in Asia and usually a Taxi cab. Lancer is a very good car but way overpriced right now. It''s definitely a $14,900 car but don''t pay any more than that. Wait a while, ought to get cheaper when the LANCER PERFORMANCE hype is over.

Similar Products Used:
1984 Cordia Turbo

Price Paid:  $13000.00 from Fox Mitsubishi

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Mirage DE Coupe

Strengths:
-gas mileage... 38 on the highway, need I say more? -Good acceleration for the small engine size and hp (easily improved with a high flow air filter and muffler) -ride comfort... nice feel on corners, like a dream on the highway -manual tranny shifts smooth -comfortable interior, everything easy to access (except the cupholders) -stylish back end and roomy trunk -very high quality product for the price

Weaknesses:
-lousy positioning for the cupholders -small wheels make it lack some stability on corners, suspension makes up for it though -tiny back seat (what do you expect, its a coupe) -hard to find aftermarket parts, not many available yet for the '02

Summary:
Nice ride for the cash... Have always been impressed with quality and feel of Mitsubishi cars and once again I'm not let down. The pros outweigh the cons by far on this one.

Similar Products Used:
'95 Mitsubishi Galant, '91 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, '85 Buick Riviera

Price Paid:  $13500.00 from Fox Mitsubishi

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Mitsubishi Mirage DE Coupe

Strengths:
THE FUEL ECONOMY... it's through the roof... only hybrid cars can top the efficiency on this thing. Great ride, but a little mushy around corners. The light weight of the car (around 2100lbs) gives it decent pickup for the scrawny 1.5L engine. The interior is the best part of the car. The seats are super comfortable and supportive, and the all black theme is rockin. The styling of the body is real clean, I just put some aftermarket wheels on mine, and it improved the look even more. Its truly a nice looking car.

Weaknesses:
Little bitty engine... but unless you plan on racing it down a drag strip, it gets the job done. But once again, the fuel efficiency is top notch. It handles a little wobbly if you corner too hard. Other than that, I'm all smiles with this thing.

Summary:
Great car for the price, I'd reccomend it to anyone looking for a first car. If your a modder, don't get this car though. It has little aftermarket support. Unless you like a challenge that is... :P Anyway, it's a great all around car for the money... very reliable so far, and a fun car to drive. I like it. Check out www.mirageforums.com to listen to what Mirage drivers are doing to their cars if you do plan on buying one though.

Similar Products Used:
'95 Mitsubishi Galant '85 Buick Riviera '91 Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight

Price Paid:  $12000.00 from Skipper Daewoo

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Mitsubishi Mirage

Strengths:
Low petrol usage Maximised boot space Hugs the road on tight corners Plenty of room to move for driver Very cute!

Weaknesses:
Very fragile glove box on 2002 models (has been replaced with upgraded sturdier version)

Summary:
I am sooo happy with my Mirage!! I bought it about two months ago at one year old and it runs like a dream.. It is very zippy for a little car. I have never been into the little cars.. but this one has style and it is sooo fun to drive. You can fit quite a bit in the boot, despite its small appearance. The front area is very spacey as well. I had a shonky glove box and my air conditioning light stopped working.. but Mitsubishi replaced them within days under warranty and their service was very friendly, fast and helpful. It uses hardly any petrol compared to my previous car (Nissan Bluebird). I took it on a 600 kilometre round trip and it loved it!! Hugged the road on all of the tight corners and saved me a bucketload in money for petrol because it barely uses any on the long straight roads. Thankyou to everyone for their reviews because if I hadn't read them I would not have ended up with such a great little car!!

Similar Products Used:
Nissan Bluebird Ford Festiva Trio Toyota Corolla

Price Paid:  $4999.00 from Maplecrest Lincoln M

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 Mirage ES (the crushinator)

Strengths:
I don't know why other post-ers complain, its handling is great, almost telepathic. The gas mileage is FANTASTIC. I never thought I could go so far with only 10 bucks. The heating works VERY well. I really enjoy it in the winter. The engine also warms up pretty quickly when you're sitting there in 10 degree temps freezing your butt off for the little dial to reach "C". The A/C is outstanding, better than I could've expected.

Weaknesses:
The engine is acceptable. But what more can you expect from a four-cylinder? It's actually pretty fiesty once you get it past 1st gear. The seats have no lumbar support, which means hell on long trips. The steering wheel doesn't tilt up as far as I would like, but I can manage. After all, it's not a school bus or anything.

Summary:
I LOVE this car. I wouldn't trade it for anything, except for something with a little more horsepower. I got the car because of the price. It's SO AFFORDABLE. I didn't think I would be able to find a car this new and reliable with so few miles on it(around 35000) for only 5000 bucks.

Similar Products Used:
1992 Olsmobile Cutlass Supreme (the gladiator)