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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  2000 Mirage Rating - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Mr. Clemmer - March 24 - 10:40 am

  Purchased my Mirage because of round trip to and from work distance of 60 miles. Thats 300 miles a week. Gas milage is excellent. Have over 110,000 miles without any mechanical problems. Have even took car on vacations with my five member family. Two adults three kids.

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  Pretty good car - 2002 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Just4God - January 25 - 11:46 pm

  Over all this is a good car. I drove it for a little over 3 years when I traded it in for something larger. Very dependable.

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  2015 Mirage ES - 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By aschreffler75 - January 23 - 11:29 pm

  I have gotten 48 MPG as long as I stay at 55 mph or less. Dont use cruise control at freeway speeds 65+ mph or up mild to steep hills. The CVT transmission is like a slipping clutch and cruise control is not designed to handle this. It will reach RPMs over 4500 and kill your gas mileage instantly. The transmission itself can not handle 65+ mph. The gas mileage has been as low as 30 MPG at speeds of 65 mph. I should have bout the 5 speed. The Mirage is everything the Geo Metro should have been except that horrible CVT transmission. I dont know what kind of highways they test mileage on but even a level road at 65+ will not get you even in the 40s with or without cruise control.

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  Good Car on Used Market - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Larry33 - January 11 - 5:36 pm

  I bought a 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage to replace a flooded car in Hurricane Katrina. I expect that it will most likely provide good reliability due to its Japanese manufacture. Its interior design is modern, useable and easy to understand. The exterior is what you would expect from a 00 model year. The trunk space is good. The car drives well and its body integrity feels better than most other small cars, especially Kia or Hyundai models of the same year. My opinion is this is a great car for anyone looking for a good used car that gets good gas mileage and is well built. The fact that this car historically depreciates quickly is advatageous to used car buyers.

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  The Silvet Bullet - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Trina Hannon - January 6 - 9:26 am

  I love my car. Its very reliable and fuel efficient. Not to mention how cute it is. Ive had it for 3 years and I have never had a problem with it. Its already at 80,000 miles and runs like a champ. Originally, I wanted a Honda and was skeptical about Mittsubitsi, but my Mirage has proven to be just as good as any Honda.

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  The most fuel saving non hybrid go-kart ever! - 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By rooaru - November 28 - 12:37 pm

  I bought the 2015 Mirage in Oct and I do not regret it. Before buying it, reviewers, including Edmund really put the car down. I feel most of them were unfair with the reviews. This car is no louder, rougher, or less quality built compared to other subcompacts cars out there and I drove quite a bit before deciding on the Mirage. Yes it is a little loud when revving, yes it can be bumpy on a bad road, yes it is small and compact but at $13,000 base, its loaded enough and fun! I got it for a better price with some effort. Think of it as a Modern Geo Metro, better built!

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  Its awesome - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By ayimazte - November 21 - 10:00 am

  For those who dont know what a deal is, come and look at this car. It is not expensive and it is so reliable. You should check out all the reliability test that several website do and this car is ranked very high comparing to other cars in the same class. I think Honda and Toyota is over priced. This one is just right. Of course there is no leather luxury, no fancy stuff that you expect in a Beamer, but its a 13k car, what do you expect. So far I have never had any problem at all. As I state again, if you are to buy a car that gets you from A to B, then this is the car.

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  Bloody Amazing! - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By ccmike25 - October 21 - 12:15 pm

  This car is amazing and it still suprises me when people have never heard of it. First of all it gets great gas mileage and secondly its like an indestructable tank I have had this car for years when I bought it it had 70K miles on it at current it has 215K miles on it and have never had to replace anything other than standard maintainance. It may be small and cramped (or I am just way to big) but it makes up for it in reliability and ease of care i have had no problem doing all the maintainance to this car myself and it is a breeze.

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  Now you See Me, Now You Dont (Mirage) - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Ivory - September 14 - 12:43 am

  The best quality of this car is how little fuel it uses. My car has not had any real mechanical problems. Just wear and tear issues only. I love the car! I wish it had a bit more horse power though (91hp only).

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  So Easy to Drive - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By aebsworld - September 6 - 5:20 pm

  I really love my car! Very basic wear & tear over the years. No major work needed! Ive driven my car to California, Arizona, Texas, and all over the Rockies here in Colorado! Does well is any weather on any type of road! Its so fun and easy to drive! Great gas mileage! I wish it had cruise control, but its the best purchase Ive ever made! Im so proud of my car! I love it!