When I was offered a brand new Mitsubishi Mirage sedan to put through her paces for a week, I’ll admit I was curious. I knew it was a compact sedan, perfect for mums looking for a small, affordable and economical drive. But is that where it ends?
CarsGuide claim “The best sedan money can buy – for this amount of money” but I’ve driven many small cars before and found that I was always compromising on standard features, latest technology or safety.
So to really get a great feel for what the Mirage was all about, I grabbed our GoPro camera, the kids, my husband and Mum Central’s Deputy Editor Tania over the week to put our newly nicknamed ‘Nicki Mirage’ through her paces. Check it out below!
2014 Mitsubishi Mirage – Here’s our Top 5
[mc_block_title custom_title=”1. Great Technology”]
I’m on the road a lot and I use that time to make many of my phone calls so a clear winner for me was the Bluetooth 2.0 phone connectivity & audio streaming with voice control. Once I paired my phone with the car she automatically connected every time I got into the vehicle which is incredibly convenient and incredibly safe! When I’m not on the phone, I’m listening to music and the ability to sync my iPod or iPhone to my iTunes to play my favourite tracks is awesome. The voice control and audio streaming was really impressive too. Other great features include USB input, power windows, rain sensing wipers and dusk sensing headlights. Winner!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”2. Big 5 Star ANCAP Safety Rating, Yes Siree!”]
Let’s face it, safety is a pretty high consideration when buying a motor vehicle and the 5 Star ANCAP Safety Rating of the Mirage doesn’t get any better than that. Top marks for a small car and with 6 SRS Air Bags, you know she’s going to protect you and your passengers in the event of an accident. There are even curtain airbags that drop down from the ceiling to protect you from side collision AND head on collisions!
The car also comes with anti-lock brakes and traction control which, to me, equals peace of mind. I’m no automotive expert but it’s not hard to recognise the positive impact this will have on you and your family. You can’t put a price on that!
[mc_block_title custom_title=”3. Perfect for Families”]
I was really surprised at just how spacious she was inside the cabin. Not always does small car = small space. There’s plenty of room, and I was rapt because I wasn’t sure how I could get two big carseats in the back comfortably, but I had nothing to worry about! The Mirage seats 5 adults comfortably and there was plenty of leg room in the back too.
The Mirage sedan is equipped with a choice of three tether anchorage points and two Isofix hooks and will let you fit two child seats easily.
The incredibly tight turning circle and overall handling of the Mirage was superb. The electric power steering makes city driving an absolute joy, zipping through traffic and super easy turning. I found car parks a breeze (a far cry from my big SUV) and I even braved a reverse park for the first time in years (and got it first time!!) Overall, this was one of the standout features of the car – so light to handle, turns on a dime and really, really impressive.
[mc_block_title custom_title=”4. She Packed a Punch!”]
I loved how gutsy she was! I was admittedly expecting a typical small car with a gutless motor that would struggle in the hills and with the stop/start of city driving. I couldn’t be more wrong! It took a bit of getting used to in the beginning as sometimes when I would accelerate to take off she’d take a moment to kick in, but once we hit about 25kph she took off! Then I realised that it was because of the CVT technology which means you don’t jump up gears. Instead, it speeds up with the tension and momentum like a rubber band. New technology with less moving parts = less things to go wrong! Easy.
For just a 1.2L engine, she had some grunt and really zoomed around town. Didn’t let me down at all on the power factor. In fact, I felt she had more get up and go than our other small car (which incidentally has a much larger engine than the Mirage).
[mc_block_title custom_title=”5. Did Someone Say Big Boot?”]
I like big boots and I cannot lie! For a small car, the boot is considerable. You could easily fit the pram, shopping and school bags without any trouble. I had to deliver a big 32” TV in the box and it slid right in no worries. As a busy mum, boot space is a big consideration when choosing a car and in the small car class, this one gets the big thumbs up!
There’s also a release button on the remote to open plus a release lever for the driver so really well thought out. My only warning is to be careful you don’t get too close to the boot when you open it as it ‘pops’ up and can catch you unawares – just ask my husband!! LOL
The Mirage Sedan range is competitively priced within the light car segment ranging from $15,990 to $19,485 drive away.
