Overview & Reviews

When it comes to the small car segment, Japanese automakers have long held a dominant role. But some makes and models have been more popular than others. The Mitsubishi Mirage reliably served as an affordable and economical set of wheels for 16 years, usually scoring well in quality surveys and critics' reviews. Yet this compact sedan and coupe never could escape the shadows of more popular models like the Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra or Toyota Corolla.

In actuality, the Mirage's road manners, at least on versions equipped with the proper engine and tires, were reasonably refined and up to the demands of basic transportation. Gas mileage was decent, cabins were acceptably isolated from noise and ride harshness, and the Mirage's interior was designed as well as any. Finally, Mitsubishi was ahead of the game in offering what small-car shoppers presumably look for most: a low price.

For awhile there, the Mitsubishi Mirage even showed hints of sports car aspirations by dishing out a couple high-output engines, one of them turbocharged. But the Mirage never attained much sales success. Most shoppers at the time preferred the comfortable reputation provided by more mainstream products. As a used compact sedan or coupe, the Mirage is at least worth a look as a budget buy, especially given its below-average resale value. However, you'll want to be aware of the car's limitations and faults, and comparing it to a few other small car choices would probably be wise.

Most Recent Mitsubishi Mirage

The Mitsubishi Mirage lived its fourth and final life from 1997-2002. Its lineup was divided between sedan and coupe body styles and entry-level DE (later ES) and upscale LS trim lines. Engines included a 1.5-liter engine with 92 horsepower and a 1.8-liter with 113, both of which could be paired with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

At first, all Mirages were sparsely equipped, but LS models could at least be ordered with power windows and locks, cruise control, 14-inch wheels and a sunroof. Style-conscious LS coupes added standard alloy wheels, foglights, a spoiler and a tachometer.

Over the next few years, Mitsubishi tinkered with the different trims' feature lists; the most notable change was the discontinuation of antilock brakes, which were only offered as an option on LS models through 1999. For the Mirage's final year, only the coupe survived, as Mitsubishi discontinued the sedan in favor of the car's eventual replacement, theLancer.

Picking the right Mitsubishi Mirage is critical to its desirability. Because the 1.8-liter engine and 14-inch wheels are necessary for decent acceleration, handling and braking, stick to sedans of 2000-'01 or an LS of any year, which have more amenities anyway. Also note that the sedan's slightly greater length, wheelbase and height (a tradition carried over from past Mirages) made it a passable four-seater, whereas the coupe's backseat suffered from cramped space and awkward entry and exit, partly due to a passenger seat that didn't slide forward easily.

With any Mirage of this vintage, one pressing matter to keep in mind is safety, as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded it an unusually low rating of "Poor" in its frontal offset crash test.

Past Mitsubishi Mirage Models

The most recent Mitsubishi Mirage owed much of its design to the generation of 1993-'96. The third-gen Mirage was also available in sedan and coupe form, and it used the same engines and transmissions. It was also similar in size and had the same suspension (struts in front, multilink in rear) and the same competent demeanor on the road. The most significant difference is that the automatic transmission attached to the 1.5-liter engine had only three speeds, which made for noisy and inefficient freeway driving.

Trim lines included the S, ES and LS. The 1.8-liter engine initially came only in the LS sedan, then spread to ES sedans and LS coupes in 1994. Other changes that year included an upgrade from 13-inch wheels to 14 (on some models) and a driver side front airbag. Dual front airbags replaced the motorized seatbelts in 1995, the same year Mitsubishi oddly ceased selling sedan versions of the Mirage to the public, instead restricting them to fleets.

While this generation of Mirage had a sound design, the details limit its appeal. The 13-inch wheels and lack of airbags during the early years are a concern, while the later years are limited to a smallish two-door coupe that went without now-common amenities like power windows and locks or cruise control.

The second-generation Mitsubishi Mirage of 1989-'92 was another story. Body styles consisted of a sedan and a two-door hatchback, with most models coming with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder with 81 hp (92 from 1991 onwards). Transmissions included four- and five-speed manuals and three- and four-speed automatics; its rear suspension was a rigid axle and not all models had power steering. Add it all up and this Mirage was a little less refined than its successors.

But it was perhaps more interesting. One particularly memorable Mirage was the Sport hatchback of 1989 only, whose turbocharged 135-hp 1.6-liter engine, five-speed manual transmission, sport suspension and four-wheel disc brakes added some spice. Nearly as entertaining was the GS sedan of 1991-'92, whose twincam 1.6-liter engine made 123 hp.

While it's generally a better idea to stick with newer generations given the Mirage's affordability, these rare special editions have gone down in history as being the fastest Mirages that Mitsubishi ever built.

User Reviews:

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  Great little Zipper - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By itisi - January 12 - 2:00 am

  Great Little economy car. Had it for over 3 years, never any problems. Hit a deer once and we survived, and its still going strong. Its zips nicely along, lacking a bit in power (especially with the air on) but what can you expect for this price. Had the opportunity to drive same car in automatic on vacation in Puerto Rico (where this car seems to be the favorite all around) and stay clear from this one if youd like to have some accelleration. Cheers, and happy motoring. (now where can I write a review for a 1975 merc. 240D?

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  economical and fun - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Immortal - December 23 - 6:16 pm

  This has been the best car I have ever owned. 63,000 miles and still running strong. No repairs other than tires, brakes, fuel filter, etc. Gets on average 30-32 MPG. Extremely well built, well designed engine compartment, comfortable ride. Does not fair well in accidents though, my g/f rear ended someone at 20 mph and did over $4000 worth of damage to the front end.

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  Love my Mirage - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By sarah - December 13 - 6:06 pm

  Ive had my Mirage for 2 years now and I would recommend this little car to anyone looking for a reliable, fuel efficient, sporty looking car. I havent had any mechanical problems other than normal wear and tear. I just got a tune up a couple months ago and it has really helped with the pick up on the car.

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  no problems - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By liking it - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I got the car in 2000 and have not had any real problems except having to replace the battery, but that was expected after four years. If you keep up with maintenance, as you should, getting a mirage is a good idea, but the resale value is very low. Tighten your nuts and bolts every so often, can get a little creaky

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  THE BEST IN ITS CLASS - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By theheyman - September 30 - 2:00 am

  The moment i layed on this car it amazed me with its looks and its ride. The Corolla,Civic, focus and every other car in its class have nothing on it. THE BEST. I pity the fool without a mitsu. mirage!!!!

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  Great Car! At an auction?? Cant be... - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Rita - August 31 - 7:23 pm

  I purchased this great little car at an auction a couple of months ago for about $1000. Couldnt believe the next day I cleaned it up and drove it! Ran great! Everything on it working and in tip top shape. Only had $129,000 miles on it. The gas mileage is great and the body looks really good. I ordered a spoiler and some euro lights for it and Im going to put rims and tint the windows!! Very satisfied with this car.

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  Save money on gas with this Mirage - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Gary - July 2 - 12:53 am

  This car was made in Japan and came with 94% parts made in Japan also. For 5 years, it gave me no trouble at all. I just drove to dealership to buy a little bottle of touch-up paint. Its average gas mileage has been 31 mpg in local driving (with the air on most of the time during the summer),. I am not sure about the highway mileage, but it must be better. The only thing I dont like is that its not equiped with cruise control. It makes my leg sour over long trips.

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  Not a Metro - 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By brifam - June 9 - 10:42 am

  I have been a long term auto enthusiast and almost missed this car due to my reliance on the opinions of the professional "reviewers"” out there, but, in my opinion they sure missed it here. I traded in my 08 Kia Optima and took the Mitsu Mirage ES CVT on a 700 mile road trip home. I couldnt believe it at first, but, the car is set up to travel. Ive got 9,000 miles on it now and after 5 pleasant months, I still think the seats, comfortable ride, and road noise are better in this car than in my Optima! And, I got 44 mpg at 75 MPH (58 mpg at 60 MPH with a 25 MPH tailwind) with the A/C on!!!! Those other reviewers should go drive a Geo Metro before hopping in this car just to gain a

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  excellent commuter car - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By mattwc1 - March 14 - 7:13 pm

  This is an excellent commuter car. I purchased this car to travel over 40 miles (one way) to work. It has had no mechanical issues whatsoever. It has almost 90,000 miles on the odometer and is still bulletproof. I bought this car from Hertz Car sales at a firesale price and have made an excellent decision (value/reliability/comfort). The fuel economy averages between 30 -36 mpg highway. I get in the high 20s in stop and go driving. I do agree that the paint chips very easily (especially the hood) and the dashboard is a little funky (no tachometer and good placement for cupholders but puddles form below on storage cubby). It provides easy access to the engine (plugs/filter/oil changes) for do it yourselfers!. This car is an excellent buy obscured by popular Honda/Toyota models.

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  It gets you were you want to go - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By t2c4u - March 13 - 10:00 am

  Its not the flashies, fastest, or funest, but it gets you were you want to go very cheeply. Im getting 40mpg with the standard. And its pretty confortable to drive. Great first time car.