Mitsubishi Mirage (2013 – 2021) Review

The Mitsubishi Mirage should have been an enticing prospect for cost-conscious buyers when new, given the Japanese brand’s reputation for reliable cars. However, a dull cabin and little driving appeal meant it just couldn’t compete with the likes of the SEAT Ibiza, big-selling Ford Fiesta or ever popular Volkswagen Polo. Read on for our full Mitsubishi Mirage review.

The firm went back to the drawing board when it came to its Mitsubishi Colt replacement, ditching the upright styling and injecting some much needed flair into its small car range.

Lighter and faster than its predecessor, the Mitsubishi Mirage was the most aerodynamic small car when it was launched in 2013. Even so, it didn’t excite many buyers and remains a rarity in the used car market.

The car weighed just 845kg thanks to the use of high-tensile steel in the body, while power comes from either a 71PS 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine with 88Nm of torque, or an 80PS 1.2-litre with 106Nm of torque.

The highlight was the fuel economy. The 1.2-litre model has an automatic engine start/stop system, and all models get low rolling resistance tyres and regenerative braking.

As a result, the Mitsubishi Mirage claimed fuel consumption from 67.3mpg for the entry-level 1.0-litre engine, stretching to 68.9mpg for the 1.2.

The cabin has plenty of space and gets five doors as standard. Boot capacity is a decent 235 litres, which increases to 600 with the seats folded.

There were three trims on offer – the Mitsubishi Mirage 1, 2 or 3 – and top-spec models have 15-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and automatic air-con. The CVT automatic is also available with the Mitsubishi Mirage 3.

Fancy a second opinion? Read heycar’s Mitsubishi Mirage review here.

The Mitsubishi Mirage’s steering and handling are both disappointing.

The first issue is with the steering: it is slow and short on any meaningful feedback, which makes cornering an unnerving experience. In fact, tackle a corner at pace, and you’ll find yourself guessing at how much lock you need, such is the lack of feeling in the wheel. 

Things get worse at roundabouts, where full lock is needed to persuade the car around each turn, as the Mitsubishi Mirage’s lack of front-end grip become all too apparent.

The problems are compounded by the car's soft suspension, which results in copious amounts of body roll.

Admittedly, the suspension isn’t too problematic in a town or city, but head out on to the open road and the Mitsubishi Mirage will wobble and lurch in all but the slightest of bends.

The suspension also takes an instant dislike to any undulations in the road, crashing heavily on potholes and bouncing over drain covers.

The Mitsubishi Mirage has two strong petrol engines – a 1.0-litre and 1.2-litre – and both return good economy and impressive power.

The better engine of the two is the 1.2, which presses along with purpose. It has 106Nm of torque, which pulls strongly through the gears with a nice three-cylinder thrum.

The five-speed manual gearbox is slick too, although the power delivery isn’t the smoothest we’ve experienced, with a number of stutters evident as we went up the powerband.

When Euro NCAP tested the Mitsubishi Mirage in 2013, it scored a four-star rating, which is not as good as many of the other cars in this class managed.

Every Mitsubishi Mirage comes with six airbags, as well as anti-lock brakes, ESP traction and stability control, and twin Isofix child seat mounts in the back seat.

Due to its light weight, the Mitsubishi Mirage is not rated for towing either an unbraked or braked trailer.

The cheap and cheerful approach taken with the seat fabrics means they are not the best we’ve ever experienced. They’re not uncomfortable per se, but are rather unpleasant to the touch.

On the plus side, the Mitsubishi Mirage will easily accommodate four adults, and everyone gets plenty of headroom and legroom.

The rear seats are particularly impressive and will prove adequate for carrying six-footers on long trips. The Mitsubishi Mirage also comes with five doors as standard, which means your passengers will not have to scramble in and out, leaving muddy footprints on the back of your seats.

There’s no shortage of practical storage spaces either, with an abundance of bins and cubby holes to store drinks, maps and anything else you want to travel with.

The boot is a decent size, with a 235-litre capacity, but there’s no double-layer floor – like you get in the Volkswagen Up – and the carpet floor is rather flimsy.

It’s worth noting that the Mitsubishi Mirage doesn’t get a spare wheel either.

There’s a simple approach taken to the cabin design of the Mitsubishi Mirage, which gives the dashboard a clean and purposeful appearance.

All of the controls are easy to find and there’s no scattergun approach to the button layout, as with many of the newer cars on the market. 

On the downside, the quality of the plastics is poor, and despite the sensible layout, the dashboard feels cheap and tinny.

Only later versions of the Mitsubishi Mirage gained a touchscreen infotainment set-up and it was far from the last word in sophistication or ease of use.

However, it did bring Bluetooth connectivity and a USB charge point.

There’s a wide range of prices you can pay for a Mitsubishi Mirage, starting at around £3500 for an 11-year-old car with 75,000 miles under its wheels.

If you fancy a later version, you’ll be looking at spending as much as £10,000 for a low-mileage four-year-old example with the CVT automatic gearbox.

The Mitsubishi Mirage claimed strong fuel economy when new, and the good news is that the car gets very close to these impressive numbers in reality.

Our Real MPG data shows the 1.0-litre engine, which claimed 67.3mpg, offers a true 64mpg. The 1.2 with a manual gearbox had an official figure of up to 68.9mpg and delivers in the mid-50s in normal driving, while the CVT version made the same claimed figure and offers a real-world 58mpg.

All three engine/transmission combinations deliver sub-100g/km carbon dioxide emissions, so you’ll pay nothing in road tax for any Mitsubishi Mirage registered prior to 1 April 2017. After that date, you will have to pay the flat rate road tax of £190 per year.

Even so, the Mitsubishi Mirage will be cheap to service and maintain, and insurance should be fine for most drivers with a few years of experience, as the car sits in groups 15 to 17.

However, that does make it a bit pricey for new drivers compared with rivals that generally sit several groups lower down the insurance order.

At its launch, the range kicked off with the Mitsubishi Mirage 1, which has electric front windows, split and fold rear seats and daytime running lights. It also has six airbags, ABS brakes and ESP traction control.

The Mitsubishi Mirage 2 model added remote central locking, automatic windscreen wipers, air-conditioning and an uprated stereo with CD player.

For the Mitsubishi Mirage 3 trim, Mitsubishi provided front fog lights, alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, climate control and a leather-bound steering wheel.

In 2019, the range was revised to comprise just two trims, with the updated Mitsubishi Mirage 3 coming with 14-inch alloy wheels, LED rear lamps and a rear spoiler.

The interior features air-conditioning, a leather steering wheel and Bluetooth with music streaming, plus a four-speaker audio system.

This Mitsubishi Mirage 3 also comes with automatic rain sensors, a keyless entry operating system with push button start and an Auto Stop and Go (AS&G) system.

The updated Mitsubishi Mirage 4 adds MGN (Mitsubishi Global Navigation) which includes integrated satellite navigation and DAB audio, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

It also includes climate control, cruise control and heated front seats, Bi-Xenon front headlamps, rear parking sensors and 15-inch alloy wheels.