2018 Mitsubishi Mirage review

What We Like

Fuel economy: Rated at 39 mpg combined by the EPA with the optional continuously variable transmission, fuel economy is one of the Mirage's high points and the small car is the most efficient in its class.

Fuel economy drops slightly with the standard manual transmission. Unfortunately, the performance trade-off is drastic. The Mirage is woefully underpowered and has to work hard just to accelerate to highway speed.

Utility: The Mirage provides a reasonable level of utility—more so than some of its competitors—with 17.2 cubic feet of storage space behind the rear seats. The rear seats are split and easily fold flat to increase the total cargo area to 47 cubic feet, with plenty of room to accommodate some larger items. Storage space in the cabin is less impressive, with no standard center console storage and little bin space for smaller items.

Technology: Mitsubishi added a larger 7-inch display screen to the base-level ES trim for 2018, but oddly enough, Apple CarPlay^® and Android Auto^™ connectivity requires upgrading to the smaller 6.5-inch screen. With either display, navigation is not available—in-car directions require a smartphone connection. Bluetooth connectivity is standard across the board, and there are steering wheel controls for audio and communications.

What Needs Improvement

Comfort: The Mirage's cabin is very noisy, with a loud engine that sounds rough at idle and considerable road noise at speed. There seems to be a complete lack of sound deadening, and there are some noticeable rattles when the pavement gets rough. The front seats are relatively comfortable, with decent legroom and headroom, but rear passengers will find the space cramped, especially for adults.