1997 Mitsubishi Mirage MODARC review from Australia and New Zealand

Idle control motor was faulty soon after purchase; covered under dealers second hand warranty. Motor would stall at traffic lights.

HT Leads were worn and needed replacing, due to misfire under load.

Rocker cover seems to have developed a small leak; possibly needs a new gasket as it has been re torqued by dealer in past.

Oxygen sensor not cycling correctly. It will work intermittently, but doesn't have a great effect on performance. Sometimes will run a little rich.

I purchased this car in late 2004 and it has served me well. It comes standard with a 1500 EFI DOHC 16 V Motor. This is hooked up to a four speed tiptronic transmission and is front wheel drive.

Since owning the vehicle I have replaced the factory sound system with a Pioneer Head unit and speakers, which is much better than the factory version.

I have also upgraded the tyres to Firestone Firehawkes, which are superb tyres in the wet over the factory Bridgestones.

I also fitted a towbar (not for huge boats!!), and have been running it on 98 octane fuel.

The headlights and fog light bulbs were replaced with Narva Arctic White bulbs, which has given slightly better night visibility.

So far this car has been a great little run around, which sees of much larger cars in both straight line performance as well as handling.

Fuel consumption on the open road averages 6.0L/100 KM, while in town you can expect 7.5-8.0L/100km.

Negatives: The air conditioning drains much of the cars power, especially up hill.

The car lacks torque, so you really have to nail your over-taking moves carefully to get the most from the engine.

Brakes are very easy to overheat after several hard applications.

Carrying passengers really hurts the car's performance.