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Mitsubish Mirage; Not as well built as a Metro
Topic Started: Dec 14 2015, 09:46 PM (5,520 Views)
ZXTjato
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bass heads

aaronvincent
Dec 16 2015, 08:38 PM
It's like EVERY freakin car has a stupid touchscreen setup of some kind now, only the really low level cars (like the mirage and versa) don't have it. It's really really annoying and a huge turnoff for me buying a new car. Not to mention I can't imagine the cost when they all start failing in 15 years :shake A nightmare. Good luck finding one of those at the junkyard

As for the Chrysler thing, that's just me. I'm sure their cars have gotten leaps better since my Plymouth Breeze experience of the late 90s I just genuinely love my Toyotas too much (somewhat unhealthily). GM is in this same category for me after my 2010 Cobalt LT experience :die
idk man I must be a defector like you because the car I want is way nice, Toyota 4 runner limited, 17 mpg touch screen stuff bangen stereo heated leather seats recline rear seats power every thing the WORKS I am probably the only guy on here who does not want another cheap car :rofl the metro will be the only cheap ass car I own. when I get a new car if I do its going to be a nice one. no more low ball cars. ^o)
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Murf 59
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Not trying to side track your thread here. But while we are talking about Mitsubishi cars, I could use some info please in a PM if you can help. I am looking for info on the Mitsu Eclipse gear ratios around 1994. I know there are 4 and 5 spds in them. This one has a 1.8L engine. I used to rebuild them many years back, but have not seen one now for about 15 years. I think its the KM 200 for the 4 spd, and KM 206 for the 5 spd. PM me if you can help. Thank you for your help in advance. Murf
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Cobrajet25
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cwatkin
Dec 16 2015, 01:16 PM
We also have a Nissan dealer here that I forgot about. I will definitely add the Versa to my comparison when/if the time comes. I see tons of them driving around.

I personally also hate the touch screen radios and such that are becoming common on cars these days. Could the one in the Mirage be swapped with an aftermarket or is it pretty integrated into the car like some are these days?

Conor
I really do prefer sedans, so I considered a Versa. Four main things turned me off of it:

1) The manual trans was only offered with the base model.
2) I couldn't get the base model in red (for some reason).
3) I wasn't too impressed with the standard feature set on the base model (it has since improved).
4) The 30-ish mpg fuel economy rating wasn't going to work for me.

Nissan sells TONS of them, so I am sure it is a decent little car for many people who aren't car enthusiasts. But the Mirage just suited my needs better. The Versa doesn't have enough horsepower to be really peppy, like the Rio, but it is too heavy and doesn't have FEW enough horsepower to be incredibly thrifty, like the Mirage. It's the worst of both worlds.

FWIW, Mitsubishi will be offering a sedan version of the Mirage in late spring, called the Mirage G4. It will have the same powertrain as the hatchback. That's right, boys and girls...a three-cylinder, 5-speed SEDAN! Something Geo wouldn't give us in the 1990s!

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Edited by Cobrajet25, Dec 17 2015, 04:32 AM.
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Cobrajet25
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cwatkin
Dec 16 2015, 01:16 PM
I personally also hate the touch screen radios and such that are becoming common on cars these days. Could the one in the Mirage be swapped with an aftermarket or is it pretty integrated into the car like some are these days?

Conor
Here is the interior for the current Mirage DE and Mirage ES. There is ONE knob to control the radio. Very simple, very intuitive. One reviewer of the car said, "the HVAC and radio controls on the Mirage are so simple and well laid out that a 19th-century fur trapper could easily use them."

This kind of radio is going the way of the dinosaur. It is only going to be offered on the base model Mirage in '17 (due out in early '16), and come '18 all cars will be required to have a back-up camera and display screen.

The radio actually just pops out of these cars. There aren't even any screws holding it in, and it is not integral with the HVAC controls. Aftermarket install kits are already available.

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Edited by Cobrajet25, Dec 17 2015, 04:50 AM.
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

WiscoMetro
Dec 16 2015, 08:11 PM
cwatkin
 
I personally also hate the touch screen radios and such that are becoming common on cars these days.

I don't like touchscreen radios either. If I were to get a new car(college student here, not going to happen) My 4 disqualifications would be a touchscreen radio, passenger side gas cap, low profile tires, and if it was EPA rated less than 40 hwy. Also it would need to be manual, I make exception though for electric cars since they are single speeds, neither auto or manual. Also electric cars will always take too long to charge no matter how much R&D goes into them so I feel gas cars will continue at least for long distances.

But hey we can use as many 40+ MPG cars out there as we can to displace SUV's that never go offroad and Pickups that never see a stack of firewood. I have nothing against the mirage but I like the Metro and will keep it as my long distance car after I go electric. To quote the French author Antoine de Saint-Exupery:"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away", so compared to other cars Metro's are perfection. ;)
You do realize that a driver side gas cap means that you are standing on the traffic side if you ever run out of fuel on the side of the road?
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WiscoMetro
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Seeking the Science of MPG

Well, ..., I guess I have no rationale or reasoning for that preference. But it just seems to be to be right, so you don't need to walk around to the other side. IDK. The one time I naively ran out of gas I just pushed it half a mile down the shoulder to the gas station, and I'm not going to have that happen again...
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cwatkin


I see on the Versa. Sounds like it isn't the way to go. I will definitely test drive one but odds are I will have the same complaints as those here. I also didn't realize the mileage wasn't even that hot. I thought it was in the 40's but I guess not. That was an auto so maybe a manual would have been better. I don't know.

Anyway, I hate how they are requiring all these new features. So 2018 model cars will ALL have a backup camera? Anyway, I might need to pick one of these up in 2017, the last of the breed. I like the simple cheap radio. Does it have an MP3/USB input or headphone input? If so I am set.

I personally like the hatchback in a cheap little car like this or my Metros. I never really liked the looks of the sedan model Metros but that is just my opinion.

I also know someone with a 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse they are going to sell. It is a white non-turbo 5 speed. The rest I don't know. It hasn't been driven in a while. It has a vacuum leak and high idles so he just parked it. The engine and trans were rebuilt at some time within the past 5 years. He has all the paperwork. Let me know if you want me to get you in contact with him.

Conor
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aaronvincent
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Mr Mojo Risin'

ZXTjato, I have studied in the ways of being cheap and driving old econo-cars and as I age and my patience continues to dwindle I yearn more and more for something with power windows and enough HP to reach highway speeds at my demand! I also like the fact that I don't feel like my car will be swept away with the breeze or I'll be killed if a ladybug crosses my path :lol I would personally buy the new Tacoma if I had a use for it, but I live in the city so an adorable little Corolla will do just fine. No more cheap tin can cars for me, I'll keep my metro until it dies and then replace it with a new corolla. The corolla I currently have shows no signs of dying (even at 265000 miles). Literally every single piece works on it and it's a 1993 model! The reliability and absolute ease of working on it finally swayed my opinion back in April. I can remove my fuel pump through my back seat, that usually takes days in a metro but for a corolla it is a 1 hour job max. They are built better, are safer and I don't get cut off near as much. So no, no more metro pepsi can cars for me thank you. My metro love is a lifelong passion too :deal That's how you know they are quality, it changed even my close minded self into a Toyota fanboy!

I'm not hating on Metros (they were literally a lifelong passion for me) but I have a family that needs to be protected on the road. :drivin
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Cobrajet25
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cwatkin
Dec 17 2015, 12:43 PM
I see on the Versa. Sounds like it isn't the way to go. I will definitely test drive one but odds are I will have the same complaints as those here. I also didn't realize the mileage wasn't even that hot. I thought it was in the 40's but I guess not. That was an auto so maybe a manual would have been better. I don't know.

Anyway, I hate how they are requiring all these new features. So 2018 model cars will ALL have a backup camera? Anyway, I might need to pick one of these up in 2017, the last of the breed. I like the simple cheap radio. Does it have an MP3/USB input or headphone input? If so I am set.

I personally like the hatchback in a cheap little car like this or my Metros. I never really liked the looks of the sedan model Metros but that is just my opinion.

I also know someone with a 1996 Mitsubishi Eclipse they are going to sell. It is a white non-turbo 5 speed. The rest I don't know. It hasn't been driven in a while. It has a vacuum leak and high idles so he just parked it. The engine and trans were rebuilt at some time within the past 5 years. He has all the paperwork. Let me know if you want me to get you in contact with him.

Conor
I don't dislike the Versa. It just didn't work for me. But hey, it may work for you!

From what I have read, yes...all 2018 models will be required to have a backup camera. Another one of those optional-until-the-government-mandates-it things, like airbags, ABS, TPMS, etc.

The current Mirage has both an AUX audio input, which is the standard 3.5mm jack to the right of the display (see the pic above), and a USB input. You can just plug an MP3 player directly into the front of the stereo if you want to. The USB input is in the glovebox. It looks like your basic dongle, not too pretty. But there is a convenient clip to hold it up out of the way when you are not using it.

I keep an 8GB memory stick plugged into mine, with about 900 songs on it. You can divide the songs into folders, and the name of each song, folder, etc, will appear on the display. You can even use the Bluetooth voice controls to play music off of your iPod or whatever is plugged into the USB port. Just push the button and say, "play Pearl Jam" and it will find all of the Pearl Jam songs on the USB device and play them in order. Or you can give a voice command to play a particular genre, or album. I will be honest...it's a bit slow and clunky on my car, but for some reason works much better in my girlfriend's car.

Honestly, it's pretty cool...and is something I didn't expect at this price point.
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mt999999
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aaronvincent
Dec 16 2015, 01:39 PM
You even think about buying a Nissan Versa and I'm going to reach through this computer and beat you about the head :lol Those things are the modern equivalent of 1980's Hyundai cars (junk).

To be honest I'm not a huge fan of modern cars but the Mirage is quite the little machine if equipped with a 5 speed manual. The CVT auto is a slug at best and a drain at worst, go for the manual and you will know where your money went. They are decently put together and can be had rather cheap, better than any chevrolet spark that's for sure. They are a little cramped but to a metro owner, you'd never know the difference :D I despise Chrysler with all of my being and will never again own any product manufactured by their ham-fisted engineers (from what I hear the Dart is a VERY good car but from experience I refuse to by American cars ever again). Not saying they are bad cars, just a personal vendetta against them. The Honda Civic is a decent car as well but because this is a metro forum, and you're all mostly cheap bastards/bastardettes I can see why the mirage would appeal to you all. They are decent vehicles at a decent price in a modern time.

Remember, you get what you pay for. That being said when it is time for the retirement of my daily driver (not anytime soon) I will be heading down to the local Toyota dealer and ordering a white Corolla LE. Again, personal preference.
What's wrong with the Versa? I was really impressed on my test drive.
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mt999999
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cwatkin
Dec 16 2015, 02:02 PM
I guess I will have to test drive the Nissan Versa just to see how bad it is. It looks like they have a problem with transmissions failing but only the CVT. http://www.carcomplaints.com/Nissan/Versa/2012/transmission/ The Mirage and Dart certainly look better in terms of problems.

Yes, I would buy any of these small cars with the manual and forget about the CVT.

Yes, Chrysler has put out some real junk and I would be hard pressed to buy one. I know one guy who bought like 4 in a row and they all died a horrible untimely death. A couple were 2.7s which were just bad engines. I kept telling him don't buy another Chrysler so he gets a Jeep and starts having problems with it. He didn't think they were the same thing. After the transmission went out he got a Nissan and never looked back.

Conor
I test drove the 5-speed Versa sedan, and I really enjoyed it. I didn't look at the hatchback, I think modern hatchbacks are ugly. Get it before the government mandates rear view cameras in 2018! :shake
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mt999999
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aaronvincent
Dec 17 2015, 01:15 AM
I drove a silver 2015 Nissan Versa sedan with the automatic from El Paso TX to Grand Canyon State Park Arizona (an 8 hour ride each way) in March of this year and it was an absolutely terrible rental car. The speed limit is 75mph through the outskirts of el paso and once I got up to that speed the car was buzzing tremendously from the front, it was shaking the dashboard through the steering column and I felt it in the gas pedal. The interior gauges were some kind of odd orange/amber color that was super hard to read and everything felt incredibly cheap inside, like a hard cheap laptop with some surface texture. The seats were of a really cheap stretched cloth variety that picked up even light stains. Lots of interior noise at highway speeds, my 93 corolla is quieter. There was even some panel gap in the trunk area which I was surprised to see on a modern car. The AC really couldn't keep up on the highway either and the tires felt too skinny (caused a lot of unsafe leaning on those twisty mountain roads near Alpine). Overall it was a very poor experience, the car felt sort of "slapped together". I definitely wouldn't own one, I'd rather drive my 25 year old beater mobile everywhere. The mileage was decent at least, around 35 mpg.

Reminds me of a Cavalier I rented when those things still skulked around, except I think the Versa felt cheaper (compared to a 15 year old GM economy sedan) :shake

That's what happens with CVT's. Noisy and shaky; I'll take the 5-speed option with roll up windows any day. It was smooth as butter in 5th when I test drove it on the highway. The electronic throttle and hydraulic clutch took a lot of getting used to, that's for sure!
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CaptainMetro
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I always honk at Metros, so you may be the lucky one (if you live in SW Washington).
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mt999999
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The consensus here seems to be that people don't like the cheaper style of the Versa... on a Metro forum... the irony! :lol

The cheapness and basic features were my favorite part of the car! Not to mention, a newer fairly room sedan, 5 speed, with high 30's MPG. You'll never find that (at this price point), unless you shell out a few thousand more for a Mirage (or find another NOS barn-find Metro... :lol )
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Cobrajet25
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mt999999
Dec 18 2015, 02:59 AM
The consensus here seems to be that people don't like the cheaper style of the Versa... on a Metro forum... the irony! :lol

The cheapness and basic features were my favorite part of the car! Not to mention, a newer fairly room sedan, 5 speed, with high 30's MPG. You'll never find that (at this price point), unless you shell out a few thousand more for a Mirage (or find another NOS barn-find Metro... :lol )
The Mirage really isn't 'a few thousand more'. My girlfriend's was $11,800...brand new. Deals can be had on both that make them about $12,000-ish. The factory rebate on the Mirage is $1500 right now. I don't see any rebates or factory incentives on the Versa right now.

MSRP on the base Mirage is $13,800, MSRP on the base Versa is $12,800. But, IMHO, you actually get more with the Mirage (auto climate control, power windows, etc).

Again, I don't dislike the Versa. Nissan sells a lot of them for a reason. But this is a forum dedicated to 20-year-old 3-cylinder economy hatchbacks...there's no reason a NEW 3-cylinder economy hatchback shouldn't raise a few eyebrows here. :lol

Did you drive the Mirage?

Edit: I did a little research, and Nissan has a LOT of problems with 'piston slap' on that 1.6 motor.

Edited by Cobrajet25, Dec 18 2015, 03:52 AM.
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