Faults:

Audio system has not withstood the test of time. CD player no longer works and the speakers are shot.

These "problems" probably have more to do with the fact that the car started out life as a rental car than anything.

General Comments:

Most reliable car I have owned to date. Even if it dies tomorrow, I will feel that I have gotten more than my moneys worth out of it.

It consistently gets approximately 30 miles to a gallon of gas, regardless of how it is driven.

Interior is not fancy, but those of small to medium build should find it comfortable.

Faults:

Nothing.

Simple tune ups and oil changes.

General Comments:

Make sure you change the trans fluid often. It is notorious for failure. But if taken care of, it will last.

The automatic is slow to accelerate.

Doesn't look the best.

Good car if you need to get from point A to B, without style.

The steering column is short, so if you are tall, you may be uncomfortable.

Other than that, a great car for the money.

Faults:

Nothing has gone wrong with the car yet. *Knock on wood*

I feel very confident with its reliability.

General Comments:

I love this car to death, but would like a little more horsepower. But it is pretty feisty for a four-cylinder engine.

It handles exceptionally well, almost telepathically leading me around potholes.

The seats do not have lumbar support, so long drives can be hell.

Faults:

(1) Rubber seal around right headlamp came loose: fixed by dealer under warranty.

(2) Power steering drive belt came off: fixed by dealer under warranty.

General Comments:

I bought this car brand new in November 2001.

The Mirage has a lot of performance as it is using the rugged 1.5L engine as used in the Mitsubishi Lancer, but the Mirage is at least 60-90 kg lighter than the Lancer.

Excellent fuel economy. I can easily get 4.6L per kilometer when freeway or highway driving and 6.9L per kilometer in suburban driving.

The cabin personifies comfort blended with practicality. Although the car's dashboard has often been criticised in car magazines for appearing dated, the dashboard still looks up-to-the-minute in my opinion.

Very positive manual gearchange... it is a delight to use as the engine is torquey and very punchy low down in the rev range.

The Mirage styling is still very much up-to-the-minute and exciting despite the Mirage having been on the Australian market since 1997.

Excellent all round vision thus providing me with a feeling of safety and confidence when driving in heavy or peak hour traffic.

The build quality of the Mirage is superb with well-fitted panels and excellent quality of paintwork. Contemporary equivalent size Korean cars and many other similar Japanese cars lack that feeling of quality and refinement.

The Mirage feels quite solid despite its small size.

In my experience, the service and support provided by Mitsubishi Australia has been excellent. I would be interested to know if other readers have had different experiences with the Mitsubishi service departments.

The only criticism I can make of the Mirage is that the boot area is too small as I had to carry some luggage in the back seat when driving from Melbourne to Sydney.

Faults:

Nothing at all wrong.

General Comments:

This was one surprise! It feels like a much more expensive car. Very tightly built and well-crafted. Nice open and spacious feel for front passengers. The back isn't too bad either.