1998 Mitsubishi Mirage DE review from North America

The windshield wiper motor went at 55,000 miles and 5 years of use; the dealer cost was high and an aftermarket

motor was difficult to find.

The air conditioning has always worked to cool the car, but it dumps significant amounts (8 - 12 ounces) amounts of water INSIDE the car, saturating the floor on both the driver and passenger side of the vehicle compartment. Your feet get wet and the car develops a musty, fungus like smell.

I bought a Mirage as a second car because I didn't have the cash to buy a Toyota or Honda of similar age. The 1.5 liter, 5 speed engine accelerates adequately (though acceleration lags with the AC on), and the car will

easily cruise at 70 mph on the highway.

Gas mileage is superb. The driving position is very comfortable and provides plenty of leg room, more than a Corolla. But the seats are low so oncoming SUVs & trucks blind you with

their ridiculous flood light like halogen bulbs (if someone need that much headlight power to see the road, they probably shouldn't be driving at night!). The rear seat in the 2 door coupe is ridiculously small, and the seat backs don't fold down for storage.

The car corners very well, but the suspension is weak and the car bounces hard over the slightest bump. All in all this car is a trade off -- nice looking, comfortable for a small car

and less expensive on the used car market than Civic, Corolla, Prizm or Sentra. But it is not as reliable as those cars either and suspension is weak. OK for short trips and commuting.