Saving money on gas is great, but how about saving money on the car? If it costs you less, then you have more in your pocket to pay for the gas you put in it — and other things.
A simpler car is also less likely to hit you with high-dollar repair costs down the road. And if it has a better warranty than other cars, you won't have to pay any dollars for repairs until you're farther down the road.
That's the case made by Mitsubishi for the Mirage, which is one of the least expensive and best-equipped new cars available for less than $14k to start — as well as one of the best warranted and most fuel-efficient.
What It Is
The Mirage is a subcompact sedan/hatchback emphasizing value and high mileage — without making you pay extra for it, or for amenities such as air conditioning, power windows and locks, and cruise control. They're all standard equipment.
Base price is $13,795 for the ES trim with manual transmission. There are also SE ($14,995 to start) and sporty GT ($17,330) trims.
What's New
There's a new Limited Edition package that includes heated seats — something the low-bucks cars of the past never dreamed of offering!
What's Good
It doesn't cost much more than a motorcycle but seats five (and is out of the weather).
It almost has motorcycle mileage.
It has an exceptional warranty: five years/60,000 miles on the whole car, 10 years/100,000 miles on the drivetrain.
What's Not So Good
It's noisier getting up to speed, and at speed.
Mitsubishi dealers aren't as easy to find as Honda, Toyota and Hyundai ones.
Depreciation is higher than average.
Under the Hood
The Mirage is one of the very few new cars you can buy that has fewer than four cylinders under its hood, just 1.2 liters, or about the same size as many motorcycle engines.
It is also the only new car with less than 100 horsepower under its hood.
Unlike the other cars available with three-cylinder engines, such as the BMW Mini Cooper — the Mirage engine is not muscled up by a turbocharger to compensate for its very small displacement.
It doesn't need a turbo because it's extremely light, just over 2,100 pounds for the ES with manual transmission, which is about 500 pounds less than the small but heavy Mini Cooper.
Zero to 60 mph takes 10.6 seconds, about the same as other economy subcompacts and slightly quicker than a Toyota Prius hybrid.
It's true the Prius averages 50-something mpg, but it also stickers for about $10k more to start, and that buys a lot of gas.
The Mirage is easy on gas, too: 41 mpg on the highway and 35 mpg in city driving, according to the EPA.
On the Road
The Mirage isn't slow relative to other subcompact economy cars, but it is noisier than average. This isn't so much a horsepower issue as it is a sound-deadening issue. In order to keep the Mirage as light as it is — so it can get away with having less than 100 horsepower — there's less carpet underlay and firewall/door panel padding to muffle road and engine noise.
The upside is excellent mileage and adequate power for most driving scenarios from a very simple (for a modern car) engine that will never hit you with a $3,000 bill for a new turbocharger or intercooler — because it hasn't got either.
At the Curb
One of this car's draws is that it's available in both sedan and hatchback — your pick and no extra charge. This also gives the option to go with a trunk (12.3 cubic feet of space) or a cargo area behind the back seats (and 47 cubic feet of space).
That's a lot of space for a car that's only 169.5 inches long.
It's also got a lot of room for people in both its rows. Legroom upfront is 41.4 inches, and in back it's 37 inches, which is comparable to cars two sizes larger on the outside.
And it is better equipped than rivals with things most people consider essential — AC, power windows and locks and cruise control — included in the base price.
The Rest
Any consideration of an economy car ought to involve consideration of the warranty coverage, since the better the coverage, the less you pay for repairs.
Hyundai offers the same expansive coverage, but no one gives you more.
The Bottom Line
If you want to reduce your ownership costs as well as your fuel costs, it's hard to do better than the Mirage — without having to rough it.
Eric's new book, "Don't Get Taken for a Ride!" is available now. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
View Comments