2021 Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback ES

Good = The Mirage holds the honor of being the most affordable new car you can buy in America. This means it doesn’t offer much in terms of features or performance. However, a lack of features does come with a few upsides. One of those being a simplistic steering system that makes the Mirage feel like a go-kart and a light frame that results in good gas mileage. This also means the infotainment on board doesn’t do much, but what it does do is done flawlessly, which you will hear more about later in the “Inside” portion of the review. For now, let’s circle back to what this car is known as “The cheapest new car in America.”

Bad = As discussed earlier, being cheap isn’t always bad. However, in the case of the Mirage, it is certainly a double-edged sword. The exterior panels are so thin that you can flex the sheet metal with just your pinky finger and a little bit of pressure. While the handling and gas mileage aren’t the worst, the Mirage’s acceleration from a stop is mind-numbingly slow. To add insult to injury, the car’s cabin has next to no sound deadening, meaning the Mirage’s three-cylinder can be heard loud and clear any time you are attempting to enter the freeway. Even when you aren’t doing a zero-to-sixty run, the Mirage’s interior is never that comfortable, especially since you are sitting in subpar seats that provide no real support or comfort.

Inside = The cloth seats seem to be nothing more than a few slabs of stiff foam that are held together by some red stitching. At least the infotainment display was very easy to use, and Bluetooth connected every time with no issues. Even though the technology is simple, it’s executed well and earns the Mirage its one and only point from us out of five. While almost everything else is below average, the Mirage’s price is also below average! So we understand why people still go out of their way to purchase one. However, the question for you now is if you are okay with less and getting exactly what you put in or if you want to spend more to get more bang for your buck. For example, the Corolla we reviewed earlier does cost more, but it gives you way more features per dollar spent. Which should be something you seriously consider.

📷Build quality

📷Exterior look

📷Interior feel

📸Infotainment 

📷Driving experience

P.S. Thank you again to AAA and Enterprise for providing another vehicle for review!

The End.