The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Long warranty
- Under $20K
- Standard touchscreen
Dislikes
- Dismal acceleration
- Miserable CVT
- Nervous ride
- Uncomfortable interior
Buying tip
features & specs
A good deal on a used car may be a better buy than the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage? What does it compare to?
For 2024, the Mitsubishi Mirage is one of the few subcompact cars soldiering on, in two body styles, no less. This shrinking class also includes the Nissan Versa and Kia Rio.
Is the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage a good car?
Nope. In fact, it’s rare that we don’t recommend a car, but that’s the case with the 2024 Mirage. Comprehensive warranty coverage and above-average fuel economy are its only virtues, resulting in a 3.8 out of 10 TCC Rating. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage?
Mitsubishi beefs up the impressive standard warranty with two years of limited scheduled maintenance. The LE trim adds a driver’s seat armrest, automatic headlights, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. Also, Mitsubishi swaps Graphite Gray for Mercury Gray and Jet Black for Mystic Black.
Hatchback and sedan models carry over. Hatchbacks are cheaper and have more useful space, while sedans are a little longer overall. The hatches look better, too. Both feature a 78-hp 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine and a slushy CVT that does that engine no favors. It’s OK around town, but highway driving is a chore, with terrible acceleration and no tolerance for crosswinds.
If you manage to avoid flogging the throttle, hatchback models should return almost 40 mpg, perhaps the Mirage’s biggest virtue.
The cabin is dull, cheap, and cramped. The hatchback offers 17 cubic feet of storage, while the sedan’s trunk space is nearly negligible.
Automatic emergency braking comes standard, which is great, but also, if you care about safety, competitors are still much better.
If you’re comparing the Mirage to used cars with no warranty, the 5-year/60,000-mile basic coverage, plus the newly added scheduled maintenance for two years, is a plus.
How much does the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage cost?
Mitsubishi hasn’t yet revealed pricing for the 2024 lineup, but we can’t imagine big increases. That means the ES trim will run you about $18,000 to start, with adaptive cruise control and a 7.0-inch touchscreen.
Where is the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage made?
Thailand.
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage Styling
The 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage wears its cheapness like a badge of honor.
Is the Mitsubishi Mirage a good-looking car?
From the front end, the Mirage looks OK, but awkward proportions and cheap cabin each sacrifice points, rating just a 3 here.The hatchback is clearly the better-looking of the two, despite clumsy lines, tiny wheel wells, and a short rear overhang, but the G4 sedan aspires to new levels of awkward by combining short deck lids and a high stance. It’s no better inside, with generic designs executed in dull materials.
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage Performance
It’s hard to imagine that a new car can be as slow as the Mitsubishi Mirage.
A tiny engine, a frustrating transmission, a nervous ride, and terrible passing power combine to earn the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage a 1 out of 10.
Is the Mitsubishi Mirage 4WD?
Only front-wheel drive is available.
How fast is the Mitsubishi Mirage?
Not at all. It struggles at both city and highway speeds, with just 78 hp from its 3-cylinder engine and clunky CVT. It’s quick enough from a stop, but struggles to pass and to maintain 70 mph on flat and hilly roads alike. The CVT works too hard to keep the engine from working too hard, which yields constant underhood buzzing.
Narrow tires discourage any athletic aspirations, and the ride is nervous and busy overall. We’d avoid driving a Mirage on a road trip.
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage Comfort & Quality
There are many cars more comfortable than the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage.
Small cars can be elegant, but this isn’t one of them. The 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage is just a 3 here, with two points subtracted for its tiny second row and cheap interior design and finish. Even with some grace afforded for the low price tag, it’s not good. Seating is acceptable for the driver and front passenger, but the back row can barely fit one passenger, never mind the three advertised. If you appreciate constant reminders of your frugality, the poor quality materials might actually work in your favor.
Hatchback models offer up decent cargo space of 17 cubic feet, which opens up to 47 cubic feet with the rear row folded. That’s another reason to pick the cheaper and more efficient hatchback over the tiny-trunked sedan.
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage Safety
Poor crash-test scores don’t inspire confidence in the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage.
How safe is the Mitsubishi Mirage?
There are better choices, even with automatic emergency braking as standard fare. The NHTSA awards just four stars overall, and the IIHS dings the Mirage with a troubling “Marginal” rating for the front small-overlap crash simulation. It’s a 5 here, with a point added for safety tech and deducted for crash-test scores.
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage Features
The 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage falls a little short of expectations for value, aside from the long warranty.
Mitsubishi’s smallest model includes a decent list of features, but a minimalist lineup leaves few options. We add a point each for features and warranty coverage, but deduct one for mediocre value, adding up to a 6 here.
The Mirage ES includes power features, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and automatic emergency braking. Mitsubishi’s standard warranty coverage is a high point here with a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and new for 2024, two years of limited maintenance.
Which Mitsubishi Mirage should I buy?
The base ES hatchback is the best value for about $17,500. The sedan costs about $1,000 more and uses more fuel.
How much is a fully loaded Mitsubishi Mirage?
The 2024 Mirage SE will cost about $20,000 and adds keyless start, heated seats, lane-departure warnings, LED lighting, and alloy wheels. That’s more than you’ll get in a compact car like the Volkswagen Jetta’s and Toyota Corolla’s base trim, but those cars feel less like a penalty box overall for slightly more money.
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage Fuel Economy
You’ll probably save fuel with the 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage.
Is the Mitsubishi Mirage good on gas?
Yes, though we’d expect its tiny engine to be even better. The hatchback 2024 Mirage returns 36 mpg city, 43 highway, 39 combined according to the EPA, while the G4 sedan, with more wind resistance, drops to 35/41/37 mpg. That’s a 5 here.
