Faults:

The car's main problem is oil consumption and loss of power. This is caused by premature wear of the piston rings or valve seals.

Despite being fuel-efficient, finding replacement parts can be difficult and expensive. The bumpers (which I had to replace) cost me a fortune, considering it is a basic, inexpensive car.

The Mira features a rigid rear axle, making it highly agile in city traffic but unstable at high speeds or on the open road. It is a city car; subjecting it to constant highway speeds reduces engine lifespan and can make it unsafe in strong winds.

Air conditioner evaporator failures.

General Comments:

The Mira is a highly practical and economical city car; it lacks major luxuries but offers everything needed for a pleasant driving experience—good steering and easy handling—along with features like power windows and air conditioning. You couldn't ask for more from a car that ranks among the most basic and affordable on the market.

Like any car, it has its advantages and disadvantages.

On the positive side, the best feature is the fuel economy. It is its strongest point; the 3-cylinder engine (typically 660cc or 1000cc) makes it ideal for city driving. It averages close to 3 L/100 km.

Maneuverability is brilliant; being so compact, it is extremely easy to drive and park in congested cities.

Reliability is another of its strengths; like any Toyota Group vehicle, it stands out for its durability. Its mechanical components are long-lasting and rarely suffer from serious failures.

As for the downsides, the main one for me is the lack of power; with around 54 hp, climbing steep hills can be a challenge, especially with the air conditioning on.

It is not a car designed for long trips or large families. Rear and cargo space is very limited.

Safety is another weak point. In the event of a collision, the bodywork offers little protection, and body parts (bumpers, headlights, etc.) are quite expensive.

Considering that you can't expect too much from this car, in my opinion, it serves its purpose well. It is reliable, durable, and very fuel-efficient.

If you want a better, safer, and more luxurious car, then you have to pay more. But even then, I doubt they would match the Mira's reliability.

Faults:

Seats wore out, but I put covers on and ignored it; not a problem.

Other than that, no major mechanical faults, though once a hose came off the carburettor and caused it to run bad. I stuck it back on and put a paperclip on it, and it was fine!

General Comments:

I gave this car DEATH for 2 straight years, over 35,000+ kilometers, and it LOVED it. I'd dump the clutch and valve bounce it, flat shift when I changed gears, all of the above, and the gearbox and clutch and engine handled it fine. I carried weights of 650kg+ and it handled it fine, not to mention it had enormous amounts of space with the seats down; better than any sedan and most station wagons I have seen.

It is probably the best car I ever owned; it was lightning fast off the line, could hit 157kph top speed (before it valve-bounced in 4th) and I could run my 350W amp and subwoofer etc no problem. Also possibly the most economical car out there, with a damn good exhaust tone too.

Also, here is the amazing part - I crashed this car once into a ditch (I wondered what would happen when you take the keys out when driving, steering lock came on, lost control, don't ask), and the wheel was bent at a 45 degree angle under the car, and the side of the car was slightly caved in. Towed it out and it popped back into shape. No problem.

Another time I had a 35kph head-on into the side of a late model Mazda 3 - wrote off both cars, BUT the Mira did not crumble at all, and I was unharmed. Here is the amazing bit, the chassis flexed and bounced back about two meters. All of the seams in the chassis had split, but the car retained its shape. The radiator was not punctured; I'm sure I could have driven it home.