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Doug DeMuro rants on the Mirage
Topic Started: Dec 28 2017, 02:36 PM (1,835 Views)
suzukitom
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Tom

-power steering ( Don't need it. I like steering feel and I need the upper body workout.)

-power brakes ( Most cars have this already, including the Metro)

-automatic climate control ( I have a window that opens, and a heater temperature lever that my brain tells my hand with cold fingers to slide to the right, or hot fingers slide to the left.)

-power door locks (I like the feel of steel in the door locks. Yep, there's a lock cylinder on the outside of the passenger door and the hatch too, unlike most new cars)

-power mirrors (I like twirling the joy stick on my Metro)

-power windows (I have the desirable window crank handle feature that allows me to open my windows without the key in the ignition)

-tilt wheel (I prefer my airbag to hit me straight instead of at an angle.)

-seven airbags (I pack light)

-ABS (I am focusing on my upper body strength, but the abs could use some work too I suppose)

-traction control (I lift my foot off the gas pedal when the wheels spin, which is not often)

-TPMS (I don't suffer from PMS, (T)otally.

-rear wiper/washer (I have one of those on my car, its the LSi model)

-rear defogger (Yep, it even works, thought the lamp color on the dash is the same as the Service Engine Soon light)

-45 mpg (Yes, when I am in a hurry, but 50+ when I am not)

-CD player (I have one of those)

-USB (I have 2 of those, from the dollar store)

-remote keyless entry (I use this when it is raining outside)

-keyless ignition (Did I mention I like the feel of steel in a lock?)

-touchscreen audio with Apple Carplay and Android Auto (I don't take my eyes of the road when driving. I like the sound coming out of my non rattling Bosal muffler)

-huge warranty (I haven't had a warranty claim for 17 years. They laugh when I ask them about the hood latch recall.)

-rear backup camera (My neck can still turn from side to side, and I can see through all the windows, since the roof pillars are almost unobstructed)

-fog lights (I don't need them, through everyone else drives with them on under all weather conditions)

-cruise control (My foot on the floor lets me cruise at the legal speed under all conditions. When going downhill, I can relax my foot for a while)

-steering wheel audio controls (I have 2 audio controls with little trumpets on them)

-Bluetooth (Only when I eat certain types of pies)

-alloy wheels (Is steel an alloy?)

-leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter (I bought a cover at the auto parts store. It is pure processed leather)

-6-way adjustable driver's seat (I have the GT seat which fits my body well)

-variable interval wipers (I exercise my right fingers to create the right cadence of wiper speed. You could call it intelligent wiping)


:D
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WiscoMetro
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Seeking the Science of MPG

suzukitom
 
Is steel an alloy?

Wow Tom, how did I not think of that burn???

Of course its an alloy of iron and carbon! And occasionally other elements, chromium for stainless, etc! :rofl
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Horn


WiscoMetro
Jan 4 2018, 03:53 PM

-huge warranty, Seems nice, until you realize that it couldn't have that big of warranty if it was unreliable.
hahaha. That's what I jokingly say. When I worked in sales the managers would push to sell the extended warranty or "service agreement" as they call it. I would then say "If I'm buying a brand new item and an extended warranty, doesn't that mean I'm betting on this new item to break down? If so, then why should I buy it in the first place?". They never seemed to like that.... :lol
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Cobrajet25
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WiscoMetro
Jan 4 2018, 03:53 PM
Just for commentary Cobrajet:

-power steering, I do not lift, nor can I easily do 40 pushups, I have never had an issue turning with nonpowered steering... Harder to turn with engine off.
-power brakes, Point being? Metros had power brakes
-automatic climate control, If my feet are cold I want the fan on full blast regardless of what some thermistor detects...
-power door locks, A true good feature, prevents iced up lock in winter making you crawl through hatch issues!
-power mirrors,Power mirrors are nice, though equally as good as inside adjuster lever ones. Those you need to roll the window down when its -10 to adjust are annoying!
-power windows, Keeps windows from going back up when icy and prevent passengers from putting windows down on highway.
-tilt wheel, Useful for taking the dash out.
-seven airbags, Makes you wonder which way your head will be pinballed if you get in an accident, should you not be seated exactly as intended. Then $$$ if ever need to replace...
-ABS, Cheaper insurance rates if nothing else.
-traction control, Still probably would have slid into the ditch on Monday even if I had that.
-TPMS, Purely government forced extra complexity. Then dash light every year or two from dead batteries
-rear wiper/washer, Point being? Metros could've had that.
-rear defogger, Point being? Metros could've had that.
-45 mpg, Versus a 20 year older design still beating that at 258K miles.
-CD player, Point being? Metros could've had that.
-USB, There are these $2 things you can buy for USB power that don't make you listen to music from your phone when you just want to listen to radio and change your phone...
-remote keyless entry, Wait I included that with why power locks are good above.
-keyless ignition, Nice until you just want to listen to the radio on break...
-touchscreen audio with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, Would rather have physical buttons on radio.
-huge warranty, Seems nice, until you realize that it couldn't have that big of warranty if it was unreliable.
-rear backup camera, Look over your shoulder for the same view in 3D.
-fog lights, Would be nice.
-cruise control, As long as it isn't adaptive. The point of CC is to maintain a speed...
-steering wheel audio controls, Extra complexity necessitated by removing physical buttons from the radio itself...
-Bluetooth, Or can just have an aux port to take calls through car speakers
-alloy wheels, After a few winters you may get slowly leaking tires. Making your friend with an air pump fill them weekly...
-leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, I got nothing there, Well that makes vegans take car off their new car wishlist.
-6-way adjustable driver's seat, A simple lever for forward backward is plenty and faster to adjust.
-variable interval wipers, Another true feature, so nice to have in light rain.
None of what I posted was a sales pitch for the Mirage, nor was I trying to convince anyone to buy one. But it was suggested that this car...even at a paltry $11,000...is somehow overpriced!

Can you buy a stripper Kia for a "few grand more"? Sure. But "a few grand more" ALWAYS gets you a better car. The entire auto industry is dedicated to getting you to spend that extra money.

My comments were more about value-for-the-money, which would seem to be something we are collectively concerned about here.

To me, anyway, it's just amazing how far 'cheap cars' have come. :thumb
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Cobrajet25
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1DCGUY
Jan 4 2018, 04:01 PM
WiscoMetro
Jan 4 2018, 03:53 PM
-rear backup camera, Look over your shoulder for the same view in 3D.
OMG Clive, this one made me laugh!!! :rofl :rofl :rofl
The camera is for seeing things behind you that are below your line-of-sight. Small children, animals, etc. Unless you can see through your rear seat and steel portion of your back hatch? :lol
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

Cobrajet25
Jan 5 2018, 07:26 AM
WiscoMetro
Jan 4 2018, 03:53 PM
Just for commentary Cobrajet:

-power steering, I do not lift, nor can I easily do 40 pushups, I have never had an issue turning with nonpowered steering... Harder to turn with engine off.
-power brakes, Point being? Metros had power brakes
-automatic climate control, If my feet are cold I want the fan on full blast regardless of what some thermistor detects...
-power door locks, A true good feature, prevents iced up lock in winter making you crawl through hatch issues!
-power mirrors,Power mirrors are nice, though equally as good as inside adjuster lever ones. Those you need to roll the window down when its -10 to adjust are annoying!
-power windows, Keeps windows from going back up when icy and prevent passengers from putting windows down on highway.
-tilt wheel, Useful for taking the dash out.
-seven airbags, Makes you wonder which way your head will be pinballed if you get in an accident, should you not be seated exactly as intended. Then $$$ if ever need to replace...
-ABS, Cheaper insurance rates if nothing else.
-traction control, Still probably would have slid into the ditch on Monday even if I had that.
-TPMS, Purely government forced extra complexity. Then dash light every year or two from dead batteries
-rear wiper/washer, Point being? Metros could've had that.
-rear defogger, Point being? Metros could've had that.
-45 mpg, Versus a 20 year older design still beating that at 258K miles.
-CD player, Point being? Metros could've had that.
-USB, There are these $2 things you can buy for USB power that don't make you listen to music from your phone when you just want to listen to radio and change your phone...
-remote keyless entry, Wait I included that with why power locks are good above.
-keyless ignition, Nice until you just want to listen to the radio on break...
-touchscreen audio with Apple Carplay and Android Auto, Would rather have physical buttons on radio.
-huge warranty, Seems nice, until you realize that it couldn't have that big of warranty if it was unreliable.
-rear backup camera, Look over your shoulder for the same view in 3D.
-fog lights, Would be nice.
-cruise control, As long as it isn't adaptive. The point of CC is to maintain a speed...
-steering wheel audio controls, Extra complexity necessitated by removing physical buttons from the radio itself...
-Bluetooth, Or can just have an aux port to take calls through car speakers
-alloy wheels, After a few winters you may get slowly leaking tires. Making your friend with an air pump fill them weekly...
-leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, I got nothing there, Well that makes vegans take car off their new car wishlist.
-6-way adjustable driver's seat, A simple lever for forward backward is plenty and faster to adjust.
-variable interval wipers, Another true feature, so nice to have in light rain.
None of what I posted was a sales pitch for the Mirage, nor was I trying to convince anyone to buy one. But it was suggested that this car...even at a paltry $11,000...is somehow overpriced!

Can you buy a stripper Kia for a "few grand more"? Sure. But "a few grand more" ALWAYS gets you a better car. The entire auto industry is dedicated to getting you to spend that extra money.

My comments were more about value-for-the-money, which would seem to be something we are collectively concerned about here.

To me, anyway, it's just amazing how far 'cheap cars' have come. :thumb
I have always been a little amazed by the hate for convenience and safety features here. It's as if these things are causing the downfall of American civilization. Oh my god, power windows, they'll surely break and I'll have to pay more to fix them but I won't be able to do it myself because my arm will have atrophied from not having to roll down the window...
The thing that really cracks me up is we will talk about how horrible other drivers are and then complain about all the gizmos that are designed to make it less likely they will kill you.
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suzukitom
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Tom

Quote:
 
The thing that really cracks me up is we will talk about how horrible other drivers are and then complain about all the gizmos that are designed to make it less likely they will kill you.


I'm not sure that those modern safety gizmos have an altruistic intent, which is my main problem with changes in technology, which reward preoccupied, un-attentive drivers. I will agree that the safety gear is intended to save occupants of armored personal carrier vehicles modern cars at the drivers of Metro like cars other fine person's expense.

Look at year to year changes to late model pick up trucks. Each year, trucks get taller, wider, with rising bumper heights, and with blinding unfocused LED headlights meant to save you while tailgating and riding up over older cars. Ouch.
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suzukitom
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Tom

1993 F150 vs. 2017 F150 (if you can even buy a regular cab!)
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Metromightymouse
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Powdercoat Wizard

Except that those distracted bad drivers have always been there. These features may create a few more, but the vast majority are just bad drivers and these features help protect the rest of us.
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Horn


Cobrajet, all I was implying is that people have a cut off on prices for certain types of cars. Can't really go crazy when someone says "anymore than this and I'm not buying"....That's exactly the attitude someone should have when they are buying a car or anything expensive. If not, then what is stopping you from spending $13k on a mirage? Well if you will spend that, then why not $1k more to $14k? Heck, if you will do $14k, why not $15k? See where I am going?

The mirage drops value like crazy. Sorry, but I'm less likely to pay something more than the bare minimum for an econobox car that will only be worth half in a few years. Again, I like the mirage at a certain price. That's it.
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Cobrajet25
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Horn
Jan 5 2018, 06:44 PM
Cobrajet, all I was implying is that people have a cut off on prices for certain types of cars. Can't really go crazy when someone says "anymore than this and I'm not buying"....That's exactly the attitude someone should have when they are buying a car or anything expensive. If not, then what is stopping you from spending $13k on a mirage? Well if you will spend that, then why not $1k more to $14k? Heck, if you will do $14k, why not $15k? See where I am going?

The mirage drops value like crazy. Sorry, but I'm less likely to pay something more than the bare minimum for an econobox car that will only be worth half in a few years. Again, I like the mirage at a certain price. That's it.
ALL NEW CARS ARE LIKE THIS. They depreciate like crazy! It's part of buying a new car. Some vehicles hold their value pretty well. Economy cars do not. You think that Kia you'd buy instead of the Mirage is going to be worth 80% of what you paid in three years?

Buy a new Chrysler minivan for $50,000 and tell me how much it's worth two years later. The depreciation alone would be enough to buy TWO Mirages.

I did pay $14k for my Mirage. And I have put 84,000 trouble-free miles on it. Is the car only worth about $5,000-6,000 now? Sure...but that's because it has 84,000 miles on it! :thumb

Most of us here buy well-used cars with values that have 'bottomed out' over the course of decades. "Depreciation" isn't a concept we are too familiar with. Nothing wrong with that.
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Horn


I never said I would buy a kia or hyundai. I was just saying for a few more K, there are nicer cars. Also with the cost, I have found Mirages in that price range with significantly fewer miles:
https://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/d/2014-mitsubishi-mirage/6448957624.html
https://columbia.craigslist.org/cto/d/2015-mitsubishi-mirage/6408723803.html
https://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/d/mitsubishi-mirage/6418760996.html
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Cobrajet25
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Horn
Jan 5 2018, 11:24 PM
I was talking more about retail price from a car lot just in case it gets totaled. Doesn't really much matter to me how much it's worth, it's paid for and I am never selling it anyway! :lol

Resale value only matters if or when you...well, resale it!

I bought this car with the intention of driving it until the wheels fall off.
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Woodie
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Agreed, I've never considered depreciation or resale value in any way. I buy a car for me, not for the next guy. Try buying a Kizashi new off the lot. $25,000 car that's worth $5,000 five years down the line. Don't care, it's the greatest car I've ever driven. Plus I benefited from that steep depreciation curve, bought it for $18,000 with 10K miles, it's every bit equivalent to a small BMW or Audi (but reliable).
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Horn


I agree with Cobrajet. If you keep it forever than it's no big deal.

Woodie - you may not buy the car for the next person, but you sure as hell want the next person to give you as much money as possible. Well, maybe you don't. I don't know.

Also, I'm speaking for the general consumer. Not the one off metro owner that bought his car in 1995 and is still driving it (BTW, I'm not saying the metro owner is stupid. They are the smart one, but not that many people are smart and would rather have a new car every 3 years and rack up debt.)
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