The median price of a new car just keeps going up; it was some $35k in 2019. Yet one can buy a perfectly functional new Mitsubishi Mirage for under $10k. Yeah, it’s not the most sophisticated car on the market, but it’s not that bad either, as basic economical transportation. And the price, according to these ads, is dirt cheap. Inflation adjusted ($1,500 in 1970 dollars), it’s significantly cheaper than a VW was in the ’60s, or a Maverick in 1970.
Yet it doesn’t sell well, as in about 23-27k units per year. How come? Would you buy one?
Thy dont sell because theyre too small and a used accord or kia optima or honda crv for the same price is better in every way and equally reliable. Its not like the 80s when used cars had a big reliability disadvantage to cheap new cars.
Yeah, I wonder if the Mirage had the size of the Dacia Logan if things could had been different?
Yes, if I wanted a car that small and light. Mitsus are decent, we had a Montero 20 yrs ago and it was quite dependable. Yes one could get a Civic 5 yrs old and 70k miles for 9 grand, but years ago CR recommended buying a new car at a given price vs a more upscale used car for the same amount, citing warranty coverage, obviously lower (no ) miles. latest technology, and that does make sense on some level.
30% off on a brand new 2018 Mirage? I actually would’ve expected more. I think that you could probably get a 20 for about the same.
I feel like its sales are appropriate. The MSRP isn’t much better than such offerings as the Accent, Rio, or Spark. Even further, when you’re shopping street prices (as I was in 2015 and 16), you can even move up one more to Elantra or Sonic for about $3000 more and really get so much more for the money that very bare minimum really doesn’t hold up. I remember in Doug DeMuro’s Mirage review that he noted that instead of blank switch plates like some basic cars have, the Mirage includes the switches that operates the missing options. Weird, but maybe you could more easily add it later.
I think there will be a little selection bias in the answers you will get to this question here. Most of us here are at least somewhat capable of dealing with car troubles, and many of us have access to more than one car, should one break down.
If I were on the lower end of the income spectrum living paycheck to paycheck, not mechanically inclined, and could only have a single car that I had rely on it for just about everything including getting to work, I would look long and hard at one of these. There is a lot to be said for having a factory warranty, and avoiding any unplanned large expenses.
I’m honestly not sure why they don’t sell more of these: Inexpensive cars like these use to sell by the literal truckload. VW regularly sold over 300,000 Beetles per year in the 1960s and early 70s, and there are a lot of people who can only afford a cheap car now than in the 60s (probably even moreso now, due to growing income inequality). That said, I’ll try a few theories:
1. Low price cars don’t have much budget for advertising, so many people may not even know they exist.
2. Mitsubishi doesn’t have a huge dealer network or advertising presence in US (although Toyota and Honda do, and their Yaris and Fit don’t sell much better).
3. Dealers use cars like these as loss leaders. When customers come in looking for these cars, dealers will try to shift them into higher-priced (and higher profit) vehicles, while using finance tricks like longer loan terms and leases to keep their payments the same.
4. These entry-level vehicles aren’t crossovers, which are what people really want, but cheap crossovers like the Ford Ecosport don’t seem to sell all that great either.
The more I think about it, I think reason #3 may play a big part in all this.
I would imagine the real payback is the loan interest that is paid by folks with poor credit scores.
I think reason #3 that you cite is the most likely reason, although all of your points are very good.
“If I were on the lower end of the income spectrum living paycheck to paycheck, not mechanically inclined, and could only have a single car that I had rely on it for just about everything including getting to work, I would look long and hard at one of these. There is a lot to be said for having a factory warranty, and avoiding any unplanned large expenses.”
The CC effect? As I pulled up CC this morning an article from Harvard Business Review appeared before me, opening with:
“An ability to override short-term impulses that conflict with long-term goals is a hallmark of successful people. Research has shown that people with strong self-control have better health, relationships, finances, and careers. They are also less likely to have problems with overeating, overspending, smoking, alcohol or drug abuse, procrastination, and unethical behavior.”
In every company I’ve worked in there has been a low-pay area, and arguably unfairly low-payed to the point of being taken advantage of. But, the tales I hear of alcohol and marijuana use, interspersed with the discussions of their latest piercings and working with their expensive tatttoo artists, along with general lament regarding family dysfunction don’t demonstrate the logical thought you bring to us. So, among the decisions made, they may choose to buy a used vehicle with high fuel and maintenance costs.
Your comment demonstrates the logic that could fuel an ascent to greater success that not all people will follow.
My wife for some reason loves Mitsubishi’s cars. When she contemplated replacing her Lancer, she texted me a picture of a purple one of these Mirages – because she liked the color – She’s not a car person, so she wasn’t familiar with the model and had no sense of scale looking at a picture.
I told her it was way too small and she wouldn’t be happy. In her mind, cars should not cost any more that $16,000. Period. I explained that is not a reality anymore for a new car, unless you want a penalty box. She does like her cars simple and hates all the new-fangled stuff in my Civic, which up to now is as downmarket as I’ve ever gone since my Fairmont Futura. (Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE that little car.)
One day I saw a Mirage parked at the grocery store and I happened to be in her Lancer. I parked behind it at the Curbside, and took a Paul-like Profile Pic of the two cars for comparison of size. Upon texting it to her, she agreed… “It’s way too small”.
I’m trying to talk her into something like a Honda HR-V as her next car. Practical and small for her needs, with more utility. She said, “Well, just so long as it does not have one of these distracting screens….” 🤦🏼♂️ She’s gonna have to get over it. Even the lowest of the low come equipped with a screen nowadays.
She usually responds with “I love my car. I’ll keep it as long can.”
I had the bad fortune of renting a Mirage a couple of years ago. That experience quickly explained why no one buys them — they’re awful.
Just getting in for the first time, the Mirage comes across as feeling tinny and cheap. But the driving experience is even worse. On the highway, the Mirage is noisy, rough-riding, and underpowered. The combination of light weight, relatively high, boxy body, and tiny tires cause the Mirage to get blown around by passing trucks and in windy conditions.
I’ve helped my kids purchase new, inexpensive, entry-level cars — both are Hyundai Elantra’s. An Elantra seems like a luxury car compared to a Mirage.
While writing and rewriting this comment, I have changed my mind about owning one of these. And changed it back again.
I don’t know. I’m tired of hearing my own BS this morning.
So I’ll just say, sure why not?
When people were buying hopelessly slow and in many conditions (like hot or cold weather) uncomfortable Volkswagens in the 1960s, they were on the road with cars where the modest number of very fast cars accelerated like the modern Toyota Camry. And, many people drove Falcons, Valiants and Corvairs that weren’t necessarily materially better than the Bugs. But, at least the Falcons and Valiants had heaters that worked!
Some years ago my wife was circumstantially forced into a rented Nissan Versa (whatever their cheapest car was), and she declared it scary slow to the point of dangerous. A well chosen used car will avoid this experience and not cost you anything more.
“… she declared it scary slow to the point of dangerous.”
Having survived driving through the Malaise Era, and having owned several cars with less than 100hp, it always makes me chuckle when people declare vehicles that accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 10 seconds to be “dangerous.”
Most people don’t even use the horsepower they have. I don’t know how many times I’ve been forced to merge onto a highway behind a 380 hp SUV that’s merging onto a 70 mph highway at 45 mph off a quarter mile long onramp and he had no traffic ahead of him…and that 70-75 mph traffic is fast approaching in my rearview mirror. That’s about the only time I cuss in traffic.
Amen to that! I was coming here to post the same thing! Many of what used to be commonly taught driving skills are no longer done, so today, we have a LOT of drivers who simply have not learned proper driving skills.
I like the *concept* and I’ve even gone so far as to test drive a Mirage. Fact is, I rather liked it. What I don’t like is that it’s a Mitsubishi. I don’t perceive the quality as good, and the dealership was absolute crap to deal with, so I walked away.
But the fact is, if a car of this size, equipment, etc was available at a Hyundai or KIA store for $13-14k, I absolutely would buy it. Unfortunately the Koreans have all but abandoned the basic hatchback. A Rio hatchback is $17k, which puts it soundly into Fit or Yaris territory.
That makes me wonder why Kia bothers with the Rio at all anymore, since a base Soul is also $17k.
1) Rio price includes automatic transmission; Soul does not
2) Some buyers prefer a trunk
3) Rio gets 36mpg combined; Soul gets 30
4) I suspect KIA sells Rios to rental agencies for $14k
New 2020 Kia Rios with stickers of over 16k are available at prices under $11,000 if you do a quick google search at cars.com or other sites. Similar results to the search done to generate this story. No way is a Kia Rio only sold at a fixed price of $17k.
The Rio and Accent serve 2 purposes.
1. To cater to rental car companies/fleet sales
2. To bring folks into the dealership so that they can leave with a Forte/Elantra or a cross over
You must be looking at the top of the line Rio hatch as the ones around my way start at $13000 for the loss leader to $18,000 for the top of the line.
Most folks are going to see the cheapy $14,000 Accent and then leave with a Elantra or a Venue or Kona that only cost a bit more
I would prefer an Elantra over an Accent myself. If they’re still around when I get my next new-car itch, I’d shop Hyundai and KIA
I’m pretty much with Tom on this. I think there’s a place in the American car world for these…a tiny niche for sure, but a niche nonetheless. I recently had a discussion where we talked about how, when you’re really poor you are better off with a car with a warranty because you absolutely need reliability to get to work every day, and the predictability of knowing how much you are going to spend on transportation every month. Nothing will ruin your life like having the CVT et al fail on your $8,000 used car. Something where you can’t drive the car till you fix it, but you can’t fix it till you can save up a couple thousand, but you can’t save any money because you can’t work as many hours without the car because Bus Schedule, and in the mean time you are still making payments on the car so you can’t even cancel the insurance. I never want to be that poor again.
I can think of a couple other situations where this car would work fine – for a college student on campus who just needs to have wheels available, but doesn’t really need to commute, for someone like my retired wife who really doesn’t need or even like to drive, but likes having her own car just in case she wants to go to lunch with her friends or go shopping on a whim.
This car exists because in many other countries there is a big market for this class of car; Mitsubishi is making them anyhow and just tosses some to the U.S. dealers as loss-leaders. The dealers don’t want to sell you one, really, but once they’re ‘Last Year’s Model’ they lose their advertising value and they’d just as soon have them off the lot so they can park this year’s loss leader in the same spot.
Are there better cars for not too much more money? Absolutely. But “Better and Three Thousand Dollars is the enemy of Good Enough and I don’t have Three Thousand Dollars.”
I think you are correct. I also think the main point of these being over here is that the car exists because in many other countries there is a big market for this class of car; Mitsubishi is making them anyhow and just tosses some to the U.S. dealers as loss-leaders. IIRC, these are Thai built, with the design more in accord with the standards for other markets, not North America. They must be cheap enough to make it profitable to ship them over and sell them here, and they do sell enough to make a business case for keeping them over here.
We see other OEMs doing this practice of bringing vehicles built for another, less developed market, as the cheap option. Ford’s EcoSport is Indian, which explains it’s odd proportions – it had to fit the Indian market tax codes.It’s cheap, as the cars are already being built, and the cost to federalize for sale here must be low enough per unit to make it worth the OEMs doing it.
The issue why they don’t sell more is that they have social stigma to overcome when buying one. Just as Tata found out with the Nano in India, having the lowest price – in a effort to compete with scooters and motorcycles – did not work. People rather bought used or paid a bit more for the Maruti-Suzuki products which were not advertised as the cheapest new 4 wheel option. We humans just do not seem to want to be seen in thrifty vehicles. It’s not a new phenomenon, nor associated with any particular group. Ask Studebaker about the Scotsman sales, or AMC about their product line, or Kaiser how the Henry J did, cheap just does not appeal to the heart. And car purchases are emotional, not rational.
If a catastrophe happened and I needed another car quickly, I could see me getting into one of these. Some of my favorite Japanese cars were Mitsubishis back in the day and I could see the low price and long warranty as big pluses. However, I have a Mitsu dealer nearby, while many areas do not.
OTOH, I have gazillion Chevy, Toyota and Hyundai dealers near me that could probably sell me one of their tiny cars for similar money. Maybe the warranty wouldn’t be as long, but I could go nearly anywhere and not have to worry about service. But the reality is, much like BEVs range anxiety, I wouldn’t want to take a car this small on a really long drive, so it’s not a common concern.
Like Tom said further up the string, this may be a loss-leader to get folks in the door and steer them into one of Mitsubishi’s CUVs that they’re now peddling.
I think the problem is most people don’t know Mitsubishi is still in business. Many people thought they got wiped out in the Great Recession with Isuzu and Suzuki. If it had a Honda or Toyota badge on its nose it would sell a lot better.
The only reason they are still around now is because they joined with Renault-Nissan, but given Renault-Nissan’s recent troubles, is that really a good thing?
We have an aggressive Mitsubishi dealer near where I live. These and the rest of the line, especially the the 4wd Sport, are EVERYWHERE.
No problem selling them when a dealer with a reasonable reputation decides to move them.
Yes, under the right circumstances I would buy this.
My wife did buy such a car in 2004 for her daughter. Situation was daughter was just graduating from college, was moving from Laramie to Denver, needed reliable wheels for the big city.
Denver Post Sunday car ads (remember those?) indicated incredible deals on new Hyundai Accent coupes (including long warranty). We went to Arapahoe Hyundai and she bought one off the lot for her daughter. This car was very basic. AM radio only, no air, manual transmission, crank windows. But it drove just fine and turned out to be an ideal car in this situation; she kept the car for around seven years.
The daughter was initially angry that she had to learn how to drive a manual. When told about the good deal, a friend who was a salesman at a Mercedes dealer said that the entire Hyundai car cost less than a replacement seat for a then current Mercedes SL500.
There’s a Hyundai Accent with auto for less than $100 more in OK. PW, PL, cruise, etc.
Much preferred.
@DaveM
I’d rather have a new Hyundai Accent over a new Mirage, but both of those cars feel cheap compared to my 1993 Camry even though they are safer and more reliable. Also for 2020 the Accent has a new oil filter housing design which I think is an unnecessary change.
The Hyundai Excel was also priced like this. But parts and labor were where they got their money back. I recall shift cables needing replaced often and they were like $120 back then! Honda shift cables? No one remembers because they never required replacement.
To the Mirage: A basic car for basic needs but priced too high thanks to all the federally mandated BS that should be ones option to choose.
To Doug Demuro: Remember, he’s an entertainer and in it for the $$$. He’s also not very mechanically minded IMO.
With a 5/60 bumper to bumper and a 10/100 powertrain warranty I wouldn’t be worrying very much about parts and labor prices. Ed can probably pull up the CR stats on reliability to see where it falls in general but from I recall Mitsu seems to beat at least Acura and Cadillac as of last year.
Don’t only assume it’s only the poor who’d look at these kind of cars, some who could afford better just don’t care. The wealthiest person we’ve ever known, whose mother was Cornelius Vanderbilt’s grand-daughter, was a NYer who lived in a co-op on Riverside Drive, owned an ancestral family summer home that consisted of a 1/2 mile of shoreline, 5 cottages, a boathouse and tennis courts on the most exclusive lake in New England, but no limos for him, he drove a stripped tan base model 1965 Ford Falcon 4 dr. with manual transmission, radio and heater, the cheapest Ford made that year…. he just didn’t care about cars, or about showing off… no servants, no airs about him, dressed every day in khaki Dickies work-pants and shirts, and just didn’t give a damn about how strangers judged him. Cars are bought for all kinds of reasons.
Well something must have been important to him. Maybe the idea of non-importance was important. Regardless he was not a car guy and is now tits up dead; you only live once…
Medicine was important to him, he was a Psychiatrist at Belleview.
I actually bought a 17 Mirage new. I love it!!! I could afford to buy most anything I wanted but I’m at an age where my health is a crapshoot and if I did get sick I don’t want a $600 monthly payment. That is a luxury that only a cheap car can offer. It’s cheap to buy, dirt cheap to run and is surprisingly comfortable and I’m not a small guy. Mine has the 5 speed and the 3 cyl engine loves to Rev but I don’t push too hard. With the seat folded down I recently had four 18 inch snow tires in the back and closed the hatch. It’s not perfect but it’s certainly better than the critics would have you believe. Off the line it’s adequate but merging onto the highway it gets winded. Speaking of wind it blows around at highway speeds. You slow down and deal with it. It rides nice, but it is noisy. My hearing isn’t great so that’s not such an issue for me. As to the advertised cheap prices, there are usually a lot of fees and taxes that jack the final price up quick in some states. When I traveled to Florida I researched this there and found the ads to be quite deceptive. After owning this car for 2 1/2 years it just turned 40,000 miles. If anything happens to it I’d buy another one.
Florida allows a ridiculous dealer fee of around $900 per transaction. Very deceptive when you search via CarGurus, Cars, etc., and it’s hidden in the small print, but their search results are often the top.
I’ve suggested to the sites to put asterisks with their pricing.
In another slight of hand, a couple of suburban Massachusetts Subaru dealers low-ball their prices; it’s not until you go to their websites that you find the advertised price includes a trade-in worth $2000+.
Again, very deceptive.
If I was to seriously consider a brand new Mirage I would want to get a rental and take an extensive test drive. I’ve driven several of these Mirages short distances and they are more reliable as well as safer than my 1993 Toyota Camry, but they just feel so cheap all around when compared to my daily driver. I’d rather get a used vehicle over a new Mirage.
If you can overcome the stigma of “you drive a x year old car???” There are far better choices used, and I’m going to say that stigma is probably less damaging than “huh, I thought Mitsubishi stopped making cars years ago” anyway.
We’ve been talking about the longevity of modern cars for ages, I just don’t think there’s a place for the penalty box in the market when the used market trounces all over the product. Back in the old days brand new econoboxes were the only way to save dollars at the pump, and cars were so dated and decayed after 5 years new was much more of a valid need. To a degree I feel this has been hurting sedan sales as well, it’s not that people en masse have abandoned the bodystyle, many just can’t find value in buying new for something that hasn’t meaningfully changed in 5-8 years, and flock to used examples or try the latest fad. In the case of the Mirage, make that 25.
Sure, why not? It’s likely to be quite reliable for at least the first five years and probably more. Nobody will have ever messed with it, you know the history from day one, it comes in colors that no “higher-class” used car seems to (yes, being a little facetious), and at the end of the day it’s a decent little runabout for a low price. It’s likely not well suited for long freeway journeys or huge families or contractors that have to haul stuff but for getting to work reliably every morning, yeah.
It, like the Dodge Journey, seems to have gotten the car reviewer bad car rep since they all seem to need at least one car to shit on to supposedly justify the existence of everything else. But actual owners seem to be just fine with them and are likely laughing at those with the “need” to spend more on something that ends up sitting next to them at the traffic light. Or more likely actual owners don’t give a crap what anyone else thinks which is even better.
The main reason these aren’t selling better is vanity. (And that’s fine, it’s human). I think Mitsu is very happy with the sales they ARE getting and people are heading into the showrooms. I believe Mitsu had a huge sales gain last year (on a percentage basis) and has done so over the last ten or twelve years. Sooner or later they may release something that is a bona fide hit (such as a new Pajero/Montero) in two door soft top form to take on Jeep and Bronco. Mitsu has a rich heritage and a very good off-road brand that they could easily capitalize on.
As far as other cars, nothing at this end of the market sells at sticker price, similar discounts to this are commonplace, it’s simply disingeneous for anyone to suggest that cars are basing at the 15-17k mark these days, they aren’t (besides on paper). Nobody here would likely pay anywhere near sticker price for most cars anywhere near this level just like if you don’t get $10k off a new full size pickup you’re perceived as a chump that got taken.. This is what makes a three year old Civic with 50k miles for $15k not seem like a very good deal anymore and pushes people into buying new. It’s those that don’t actually look because they just assume that new cars cost too much that end up buying the inflated-cost used cars.
I believe the real reason that stickers are so high is that a dealer can discount the car, then roll in some negative equity or finance rip off items if needed into a deal and the bank will finance it as the sale is at or less than sticker price.
Finally someone gets it…thnx RAnderson! At age 75, I drive an urban grey 2011 Aveo LT sedan with manual 5spd. I don’t care what people think. I do most of my own maintenance, joined the Aveo Owners Club as a support base to share info. I live the retired life very comfortably, workout (strength n cardio) on a regular basis.The Aveo, aka “Sir Passed Alot” is safe, comfortable and does my annual 3.7-4.5K miles w/o problems.If my ride were a Mirage, my mindset would still be the same. It’s all about prioities for me.
I’m sorry; I apologize in advance. I don’t disrespect your choice at all. But the phrase “Aveo Owners Club” is one I could have never imagined.
Their annual car show must be something, with the same joy and whimsey as the Concours d’Lemons.
You might be surprised to know that there is much info on these cars on mirageforum.com. Variety is the spice of life.
Actually, it makes more sense to have an Aveo’s Owner Club, as these or any model that does not sell in huge numbers really benefits from other owners sharing tips and tricks to keep them in tip top shape. There’s a club for just about any make and model. There’s one for the Chrysler’s TC by Maserati, for example, and the folks on it are doing what they can to help each other keep that car alive. For good or bad, that’s what it’s all about.
And they probably don’t have a car show, as that is not the point. These owners are not looking for validation of their choice, unlike the clubs for popular models.
Ah, we continue our discussion. Isn’t this more equivalent to the Subaru 360 of its day than to a VW Bug, basic Toyota or Ford Maverick? The Bug was archaic but comped for it by high quality and social cachet. The others by being decent cars for the price (better than decent, in the case of Toyota, but nobody knew that at first).
And those steep discounts are precisely because the cars are not popular. Nobody laughed at you in 1970 for buying a Bug or a Corolla or a Maverick. What was the actual transaction price of a Studebaker Lark vs. a Falcon or Nova in 1963? Or a Renault LeCar in 1983 compared to an Escort? A Kia Soul for $12-13k would sell like ice cream in a heat wave. It could too, if it were built to the standards of 1970. But we no longer live in that world. This Mitsu is designed for a $14K msrp, but nobody will pay that as evidenced by the steep discounts. These are cheap cars, and cheap new cars have not really sold well since the heyday of the Model T.
Isn’t this more equivalent to the Subaru 360 of its day than to a VW Bug, basic Toyota or Ford Maverick?
No, and not even remotely.
The Subaru 360 had 20hp, 3 speeds, and was designed for absolute minimum transport on Japanese city streets. It had an absolute top speed of 60 (on a flat road with no headwind). That was well below the speed limits of the time. And 0-60 was about…..40 seconds. And interior space was of course not remotely suitable for modern Americans, especially in the back.
The Mirage is a legitimate modern car in every way. Its 0-60 time is 11.7 seconds. It has a four star safety rating and comes with (or is available with) most modern amenities including Apple Play and Android Auto. Never mind the usual safety features that are required or expected of a modern car.
Sure, it’s a bit slower and nosier than more expensive cars, and doesn’t ride quite as well, but that doesn’t even remotely put it in Subaru 360 class. You do know that the 360 was so out of its element in the US that it totally bombed, right? It was not suitable at all; grossly below minimum expectations and standards.
I would place the Mirage squarely in the same category as the early Japanese small cars of the early ’70s: Corolla 1200, Datsun 1200, etc. They were reliable, but their performance, noise and ride on US roads was a bit less than satisfactory although adequate.
The VW’s sales had already peaked in 1970, and withing a year or two or three, VW dealers were in deep pain. Sales fell off a cliff. It was grossly obsolete by 1970, but yes, it was familiar, and folks trusted it for that. But they stopped buying it, very quickly.
Update: the next commenter said it all much more eloquently than I could. Sorry, but it appears you’ve fallen for the Mirage-bashing trap. This is a much better car than the rep the media has given it. It’s a classic econobox of the kind that were once very common, a genre whose disappearance many bemoan. But it’s so much fun to bash the underdog.
The main reason they don’t sell better is because folks are so damn image conscious. If they were objective and rational, these would be selling vastly better. But that’s not likely.
Thanks, Paul, I’m just catching up after a long road trip and was thinking the same thing as I read the post and comments, but you’ve said it much better than I could have. I don’t like the Mirage styling, but in every other way it’s probably better (I’ve never driven one) than many (most?) of the CC’s we admire retrospectively. Faster, more economical and roomier than my ‘82 Civic which I loved, and a whole step up the chain in every respect than a Vega or Pinto. I can think of many reasons they don’t sell well, but one is that there are for more choices today. Unless you wanted a van or a Ghia, VW dealers only sold Beetles until the Type 3 started being legally imported. By then, millions of Beetles had been sold and they had a good reputation. The dealer couldn’t upsell you even if they wanted to. The other of course, is the modern cultural “need” for something bigger and better. Bigger phone, TV, fancier car, etc. The people who would have bought a Beetle in 1965, and been very happy with it, now buy at least a Jetta … if not an Atlas.
I had a Rental Mirage in 2014, as my car was off the road due to a recall, 5 months in total. 2 days after I got the Mirage I had to go to a funeral in Florida, I live in South Western Ontario. Time-wise we would have arrived in Florida at the same time as driving so, off my wife and I went. All I can say was we had no issues driving down I75 at legal speeds. Heated seats worked wonders on my wife’s back and the CVT performed amazingly. The car averaged 4.3 litres per 100km or around 65mpg. At no time did I ever feel unsafe. Once I got back home my kids could enter the rear seat easier than my car as the doors opened wider. Our family of 4 took several more trips in the Mirage and we were not cramped at all. Over the years I hear this car getting bashed. Well all tI can say, this is no BMW or Camry, it’s simple basic transportation with an excellent warranty. Don’t expect to do more than what it was designed for. For what it was designed for it’s an excellent car.
For pespective,Mitsubishi hoped to sell 7000 Mirages per year initially. 23,000 to 27,000 units per year make this car a huge success for Mitsubishi.
Monthly payments! How much more does it take to get a $15,000 or $20,000 car? I think most folks can stretch the budget another $50 a month for a nicer car. For sure the salesman is going to do all he can to see that happen.
An extra $10,000 over five years at zero percent financing (if offered) is an additional monthly payment of $167. That is very significant for many people. Taxes, registration will also generally increase in a linear fashion.
Note that the featured cars at those prices even when fully, 100%, depreciated will likely have depreciated less than any BMW 3-Series will in year one.
I suspect more of these might be bought if the max loan you could get was 4-5 years in years ago. Now that people can put themselves into hock with 6 and 7 year loans then why not. I’m also sure manufacturers know that given the faster than inflation rise in vehicle price. When I bought the Mazda 3 last year I calculated it on a 4 year loan.
I’ve tried to keep an open mind about these cars since they repeatedly get lambasted. But I would never own one. They fairly scream cheapskate/old fart/minimalist – which is pretty much the way I am, but to me the Mirage has absolutely no charm, style, or intellectual appeal whatsoever. Why did the Beetle or the Renault Twingo succeed? Because frugality and minimalism need not be a soul-draining experience.
“soul draining”… only if you let it be. Real soul wouldn’t care.
There is a large difference between cheap and inexpensive. A cheap car can have a sticker price that is lower than an inexpensive car, but USUALLY that cheap car winds up being more expensive after 4 years than an inexpensive car.
The Mirage gets routinely panned by the auto press but I don’t think it’s so bad. I think the original intent was to placate dealers with additional product as Mitsubishi wound down operations for an eventual exit from the US.
But a surprising thing happened: the Mirage actually began to sell. I’d be willing to wager that the Mirage has went a long way to keeping (and maybe even expanding a bit) US operations.
With that said, it might be good to compare the Mirage with its nearest bargain-basement competition, the Chevy Spark and Nissa Versa sedan. One of those two might be a better overall purchase (for starters, they have 4-cylinder engines while the Mirage makes do with a 3-cylinder) but they ‘are’ more expensive, and if you’re counting every single penny (and are having a tough time qualifying for a loan), well, the Mirage would be good enough for a cheap new car with a warranty (even compared with, say, a used, off-lease or ex-rental 3-year-old Corolla or Civic).
I wonder if these can actually be had for under $10k?
A couple of years ago I was looking for something cheap and reliable and ran across some ads on cars.com for Nissan Versas for less than $10k. I made some calls and it turned out that you had to live in a certain zip code, be a previous customer, finance it with the dealer, be born on a Tuesday, etc.
I said all that to say, if I was looking for a second car and I could pick up a new one with a new-car waranty for $10k… I’d absolutely give this thing a look.
Seems like a few years ago, the Nissan Versa sedan had an MSRP under $10k. But, IIRC, they were truly stippos. The Mirage isn’t exactly loaded but, compared to those under $10k Versas, they were.
And, yeah, those really low, loss-leader advertised prices usually have all kinds of caveats. It’s the old bait-and-switch game designed to get you into the showroom to sell you something more expensive.
I bought one of them. Manual, crank windows, no options, not even floor mats.
$10,995 plus delivery and dealer paperwork fee.
Now a base Versa S is $14,730 plus delivery and whatever fees they tack on, so you’re in the $16,000 range – which is awful close to Yaris, Accent and Fit territory.
I wouldn’t. Mitsubishi now is not the company it used to be. It seems to have lost its soul, its verve; and the Mirage is not the car it used to be. They jacked up the nameplate and drove a totally unrelated car under it. I’d be willing to pay more for something better looking and more pleasant to drive, even if it wasn’t new.
Regarding cheap, new cars. Last autumn, my brother got himself a brand new commuter car for his new job (previously a bicycle was his ride).
Toyota Aygo (1.0 liter 3-cylinder), plain white, manual transmission, plastic wheel covers, no radio, no A/C….laughing and fuel sipping all the way to the bank.
Quote about no A/C: “I don’t need it in the morning and in the afternoon I’m driving straight home anyway”.
No air..I can’t imagine. I sometimes see used cars listed on Craig’s List with “No Air” in the title. It would be hard to unload one of these when you’re done with it.
The obvious “hit” that Mitsubishi needs is a powerful, front engine, front-drive, aerodynamic, highly-maneuverable vehicle with reasonable payload and good range.
They could call it the “Zero”.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_A6M_Zero
More realistically, I’d rather drive a 20+ year old Chevy Monte Carlo than a brand-new penalty box. In fact…I do.
I think the main knock on the Mirage is its looks, actually. The proportions are all wrong for our market. Its narrow width makes it fit in tight Asian streets and its height provides more room but it seems better suited to its home country of Thailand than either here or Europe.
That said, a low-priced new car with a warranty has a place in the market for all the reasons stated. When the Beetle was in its heyday, it stood out mostly for its high quality and reliability compared to the crap coming from the rest of Europe. The advent of decent cars from Toyota and Datsun quickly put the Beetle on the trailer. Who wouldn’t take a Datsun 510 over a Beetle? Many people did.
And then there’s the original Mini, a car that gave you more than you bargained for in performance and efficiency. A truly classless car because it was good in its own right. All four Beatles owned them, in addition to Enzo Ferrari, Peter Sellers, Mick Jagger, Rowan Atkinson, Steve McQueen and even Ed Sheeran.
Problem is, the Mirage is neither a 510, a Beetle nor a Mini. Nothing makes it stand out except for its price. Fortunately it’s a modern car, so it’s reasonably reliable and safe. But otherwise nondescript.
If Mitsubishi wants to move more of these, use a more Western-style body (a little wider, a little lower) and tweak the suspension to make it more fun to drive. Then people will buy them out of want rather than need.
Nope
I like entry level cars. I always believe there is a place for them.
However the Mirage is awful. I test drove one before I bought the Elantra with an eye of having it as a commuter car to work and back. I really wanted to like it.
The price was low enough and it did have a lot of good features but it felt cheap and it is the only car that I have ever driven that I felt like if I so much as slightly tapped something with the car that I was going to die.
I test drove a sedan and a hatch. The doors felt flimsy and if you looked at the car hard, you could probably dent it.
I had a 2000 Mirage coupe with manual everything that felt more substantial then the current Mirage and my 2000 was the cheapest car you could buy in the USA that year.
I also owned a 1983 Chevette and compared to this Mirage, the Chevette feels like a luxury car
I have to respectfully disagree with you. I own a 17 Mirage. I had an 80 Chevette. The Mirage has power steering, Windows, locks, AM FM CD, airbags, phone crap that I’m too old for, remote locks and it drives like a snowmobile in snow. The Chevette had none of these features. Any car designed in 1976 will not fare well in a crash test compared to anything modern.
I respect your thoughts but I stand by my thoughts.
I don’t consider a car or truck to be good because it has power windows and locks. Back in the old days this was a luxury car option but today, i would expect these all to be standard on any new car.
The being able to use my phone in my car is not a really important thing. I can wait to use my phone till I get to my destination.
You should also have a USB port for playing an iPod or a flash drive. It is located in the glove box. If it is not hanging down then feel around in the space above the open glove box
It is true that the Chevette has less safety then the Mirage(I would hope so since 34 years have gone by since my “vette’ was made) That being said, I am under no illusions about walking away from a crash in the Mirage as it feels very flimsy. I test drove the sedan and the hatch on a regular 2 lane road and each time a larger car flew past, the little Mitsu almost was blown out of its lane. I did not have that with my Chevette. My Chevette felt more substantial and was actually good in the snow. It had no problem during the Blizzard of 1996
That being said, I would not want a Chevette as a daily driver in 2020 anymore then a 2020 Mirage.
I had no idea that brand new, basic little cars could still be had for under 10k. These are new with a full warranty, anyone that needs a car that they can depend on would consider these. I had many stripper type newer cars: Pontiac Astre, old Honda Civics, old Mustangs for that matter. I learned to put up with a lot.
As an old car enthusiast I would rather spend my 10 k on three or four weird old cars, and then finance my repairs and maintenance with a 25% interest credit card, as opposed to a 3-5% new car loan. Not really a smart move, but I keep my balance low and pay it off quickly. That’s how I finance my hobby car fleet. If I didn’t have a couple of more normal newer vehicles, I would buy a cheap car like that Mitsu as my back up car.
To answer the question, why don’t more people buy cheap cars like this? Credit is cheap, loans on new cars are easier to get than on used cars, so why not by something a bit nicer?
It is a blurry line that separates “wants” from “needs”, but the $10K Mirage is overdoing it on utilitarianism. There are a lot of desirable vehicles that are priced well short of that $35K median new car price
They don’t sell because of the relentless rise and rise of the Brand, surely a peak consumerist society conceit.
Double the asking, and the payments to step into an all-but new Mini (made by BMW, dontcha know) are barely different if spread out longer. A Beemer or a Mit-something? No contest.
Back in the caustic world of reality, these little pods are utterly decent cars, capable of 100mph (legal nowhere), able to sit on 70 or so without difficulty, fully equipped for safety, giving about 45 mpg if totally thrashed, air-conditioned and supported by a nearly-outrageous length of warranty. A warranty unlikely ever to be needed, as Mitsu makes tough-bastard little cars. As a rational consumer choice, especially if much of your doings are city-based, it’s far from silly. And surprisingly, as an enthusiasts selection, there’s so much character in the three cyl (and challenge in keeping it boiled for action), dare I suggest this perfectly ok-handling mini is fun?
There are many reasons for buying such a cheapie, mostly, admittedly, for reasons of impoverishment, but strongly arguable ones that aren’t just dollar related for the city dweller too.
Which, btw, is where the vast majority of us live.
But even when complete competence-at-purpose is offered for a pittance, we just prefer to be seen in something badged.
As to what drives this, well, endless numbers of landfills the world over silently attest.
I’m older and want more from my ride than what the Mirage offers me but…
Let’s say I’m 21 again. Just finished school and got my first professional job (vs. the fast food jobs, grants and scholarships that got me thru school) and the car I own is a 180,000 mile old Subaru with an illuminated check-engine light and it steers funky after that wreck. I’m young and with no experience so the salary I earn now pays the rent, entertainment and has some wiggle room for a car payment but not much. The only cars I’ve ever owned were beaters that sometimes broke down expensively….like the Subaru’s manual transmission three months ago. Thank goodness for junkyard pick-n-pull and that wrecked low mileage Subaru of the same year…
Knowing I have a reliable car that will most likely last until the payments are done and I can then trade it for something better? And the payment is about the same as what my morning Dutch Brothers coffee and that Panda Express fast food lunch add up to each month? And I can avoid those expenses by bringing leftovers and paying $1 for the office coffee?
In Canada, we have had to total strippers, the Nissan Micra and the Chevrolet Spark. They sell for C$9999, pluse $1150 freight and PDI. That’s about $8500 in USD.
They don’t sell. I have only even seen about tw oof these Micras and not a single Spark.
I looked at a Micra once but once I drove it, I walked away. It was just too crude.
Why don’t they sell and would I buy one?
I was going to chime in with something akin to “Moving up a single size class to Forte/Corolla territory would give you a far more sophisticated and substantial feeling car for only a few grand less, so I can see why the Mitsu doesn’t sell and that’s why I wouldn’t buy one”.
However, I can’t find a new Corolla near me for under 19 grand, Fortes are at least 17, and even new Versas are pushing 16. Ten grand for a Mirage is dirt cheap in comparison.
And yet…searching the same 200-mile radius from me, the cheapest advertised price on a Mirage is 14.5K. In which case the Forte is in another universe for only 2.5 grand or about 40 bucks a month. So if you can find one for 10-11 grand the scales may tip, but in my 3 million person metro area the Mirage is a brutally cheap and retrograde dorkmobile compared to more respectable goods costing just a bit more.
I think the Mirage is a demonstration that it costs a certain amount just to produce the most basic car that will meet our market’s standards, and the cost from there to produce a significantly more substantial vehicle really isn’t much in comparison.