The Mitsubishi Mirage lives up to its name. While its low $16,000 sticker price and good fuel economy of 37 mpg overall may conjure up an inviting image of a good, economical runabout, that illusion quickly dissipates into the haze when you drive this tiny, regrettable car.
The Mirage is a little hatchback that's built in Thailand and powered by a small three-cylinder engine. To make it saleable, Mitsubishi primed the pump with a rather impressive list of standard features. But the car is way too slow and noisy, even for a cheap subcompact, to effectively compete in this competitive class.
Our high-trim ES might look OK on paper, with its keyless push-button ignition, cruise control, automatic climate system, 140-watt audio system, and Bluetooth capability. It also has a compliant ride and a surprisingly accommodating rear seat.
But the driving experience falls short on just about every other count. Acceleration from the sputtering, vibrating, engine is sluggish. Engine noise and coarse vibrations fill the miniscule cabin. And while subcompacts are usually nimble, the Mirage's handling is so clumsy that several testers found it disconcerting. On top of that, the interior feels drab, cheap, and insubstantial.
Overall, it seems like the Mirage was designed to put cost first and almost everything else second. And it shows. With a tally of only 29 points, it's the lowest scoring car we've tested in a very long time.