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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  My Cute Car! - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Mitsubishi Lover - August 31 - 2:00 am

  ever since I sat in this car in the car lot I knew I had to have it and Id love it... and a few years later... I was right! I love this car! its sooo fun! I dont know one person that has complained about my car when I let them drive it.. they love it!! :) Plus its extreemly cute I wish I had 2! the green one I have now for work days and a humm mabie a black one for the weekends! :) I have too much fun with this car! you would too! GO BUY ONE! :)

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  MY BABY! - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Rachel - August 23 - 11:13 am

  This is my first car, Ive had it for almost 5 years, no headaches yet!

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  Commuters Ride - 2002 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By mgevedon - August 2 - 2:00 am

  This is a good car for commuting. It is comfortable, reliable and economical. It handles well in adverse weather conditions.

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  Exceeded Expectations - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Joe101286 - July 13 - 2:00 am

  I just bought a 1998 Mirage DE Sedan after I lost my first car in a wreck. What a great purchase it turned out to be! Wonderful appearance for an economy sedan. Its very refined and clean looking. Interior design is very eye pleasing and fit and finish is great. The performance is what surprises me about this car, its very peppy for a 92 hp engine!

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  great! - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By unc25 - July 8 - 10:00 am

  I dont understand the problems that people have with their mirages...I have owned two and im only 17!!! I had a white 95 and nothing went wrong except the tranny went on me and had that replaced!! I just recently got a 2000 de sedan and other than it being an auto I have no qualms about it!! Maybe if you people would change your oil and fluids regularly and do routine maintanence then you shouldnt have very many problems with your car. Oh you do need wider tires!! They help out alot on the roads!! I went and got some 17x7s and man it handles just fine besides the body roll which can be fixed with strut bars upper lower/ front rear!

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  i miss mine - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By charity - June 10 - 10:00 am

  I loved my 98 mitsu but i had a car accident the car was very reliable and fun to drive and it held up very well in the accident unfortunately it was a total due to cost of airbags i loved it so much and it had been such a good car for me i bought a 2004 mitsu lancer and i love it too brandon mitsu has always been great to deal with after i had mine and it held up so good in the accident i dont think i could buy anything but a mitsubishi

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  My Little Weatherproof Motorcycle - 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By tinycarguy - May 26 - 12:01 pm

  I love this car! It gives me everything I need: a roof, an engine, and wheels. You will be hard pressed to find a less expensive new car, and even harder pressed to find one with this kind of gas mileage. I, too came from a Nissan Versa, and while that was cheaper, it didnt get anywhere near this mileage. Im able to get it up to 56 mpg if I drive it right, and thats on the hilly back roads of NH. If you want to punch it ;) , you can still average around 30ish. The interior is larger than the Spark and Fiesta, power windows and locks are standard, and its been a pleasure to own so far. For the economically minded, this car cant be beat.

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  Never Would Have Made It - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Toya - March 23 - 6:10 pm

  I got my 2000 Mitsu. Mirage DE in April of 2001 after I wrecked a Honda Accord and I was not happy about it. It was plain and cheap (I was 18 and wanted something sporty). However, when I got it, it only had 15,000 miles on it and Im still driving it today over 7 years and I have a little over 192,000 miles on it. I put rims on it to make it look nice and a sound system for my entertainment. I have never ever had any major mechanical problems with it, it took 5 years before anything went out on it and I got it fixed immediately, I get my oil changed every 3 months(just because) and I love my car. Ive taken good care of it and it is taking good care of me, and its great on gas.

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  Amazing piece of metal - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By tonypham_ - March 9 - 6:54 am

  It was handed down to me by my aunt at 60,000 miles and have been driving for 2 years, Im at about 78,000 miles. It was a great first car to start learning with due to the size of it. It may be small but its easy to change lanes, park, and manuver through tight spaces. Its fast once it kicks in as well. Will be keeping it with my Lexus. Recommended for people starting to learn how to drive!

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  i love my rage(1.8L es 4dr - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By almae - March 4 - 10:06 pm

  I am the third owner of this car, my sis bought on 2001, then my bro took over, then I bought from my bro, it has almost 150,000 miles now and its running strong, very good on gas. I get about 31-32 mpg w/city/hwy combined and running on 17inch wheels. Ive had no major problems w/this car, just only minor maintenance, I will keep this car as long as its alive.