Mitsubishi enters the subcompact car market with the 2017 Mirage. The Mirage comes in 3 major trims – ES, SE, and GT. The ES includes features like Hill Start Assist (for that one hill in South Miami), keyless entry, and power windows and doors for $12,995.. The SE brings in a 6.5” display, rear view camera, and passive entry system with push button start for $14,795. Both the ES and SE come manual standard but can be upgraded to automatic for an extra $1 – $2k. The GT brings in heated seats, 15-inch alloy wheels, and a chrome contrast instrument cluster for $16,495. The Mirage gets up to 37 city/43 highway.
Whether you pick the ES, SE, or GT your mirage is coming with a 78 horsepower 1.2L engine that take you from 0-60 in just over 8 seconds. The sub-100 horses leave something to be desired when accelerating into a merge but it was rare to feel left behind at a stop light.
Rush hour was easy enough to work through because the car itself easier to merge, feels more like a Go-Kart than a huge SUV tank, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto make the phone integration that much easier.
It was also a big plus to see features like the passive keyless entry system, bluetooth, push button start, and a 6 way adjustable drivers seat in a car starting around $13,000. The Mirage also comes with a host of safety features like Hill Start Assist, Anti-Lock Brakes, Active Stability Control, Tire Pressure Monitoring, 7 airbags, and a child restraint system.
I’m personally a fan of smaller cars. They take up less space, have better MPG, insurance costs less, and are easier to maneuver in small roads, parking garages, and driveways. The Mitsubishi Mirage hits all those marks really well and feels on par with a Honda Fit, Nissan Versa and Chevy Spark in terms driveability in downtown and rush hour traffic.
The rear view camera makes an already easy to drive car that much more maneuverable. We actually managed to execute an Austin Power style 3 point turn inside a South Miami alleyway And there’s no better feeling than squeezing into that one last parking spot in front of Big Cheese or on South Beach.
The trunk and backseat fits three grocery bags and the occasional ikea run. We even managed to fit a few chairs off the Pinecrest Marketplace with the Mirage’s split folding rear seats.
Overall the Mirage is a take it or leave it type of vehicle. Buyers will have limited options in terms of available upgrades, engine size, and overall capability. You won’t be towing around a trailer, moving your friends stuff, or going off-road. But honestly, if you were you wouldn’t be looking at this car in the first place.
If you want a vehicle that is inexpensive, easy to own, requires little concern, and just works then the Mirage is your car. Moreso, the Mirage has a 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty.
2017 Mitsubishi Mirage is available now and starts at $12,995.
