By Chad Haire

Purchasing a fuel-saving hybrid vehicle is an excellent way to keep the gas bills low, but with most new prices starting about $23K, this can be a deal killer. Fortunately, there are a few non-hybrid cars that deliver similar high fuel economy figures, yet cost far less. The Mitsubishi Mirage is an example.

The Mirage is made in Thailand, and has been a good seller there for ages. Its advantage here in the USA is the starting base price of about $12 thousand for the hatchback and $13 thousand for the sedan style shown here. That tiny 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine won’t win any race contests with its weak 78 horsepower output, but overall vehicle weight is only 2,100 pounds. This gives an economical rating of 35 mpg city, 42 highway, with 37 overall.

It has plenty of advantages in city commuting. The suspension provides a very soft ride, unusual on such a small platform. The steering is quick and responsive. The seats are comfortable. That horrible CVT automatic transmission sucks the life out of engine power, but you can solve this by staying with the base 5-speed manual gearbox. Fitting this vehicle into a parking space is a breeze. In city driving, we got 35 mpg, and at 55/60 mph valley expressway commuting, we reached 40 mpg. It is a pleasant city car.

On the contrary side, this is not a pleasant highway car. The driver has to floor the throttle to keep at 75 mph, and passing other vehicles is not going to happen. At this speed, the wind pushing against the body not only drowns out the radio audio but causes excess drag, reducing the real MPG down to 32. This is one of the reasons that consumer magazines have given bad scores to the Mirage, but I don’t think it is fair. Remember, this rig was designed for driving conditions in Thailand, where cars rarely travel at these high speeds. Drivers who want a vehicle for low-speed city commuting, and don’t plan any out of town trips won’t have an issue with these disadvantages.

My particular test car was loaded up with all factory options, so ended up with a staggering $17,830 price tag! If you are a buyer who wants a leather trim, upgraded stereo, and every power goodie on a small Asian go-cart, here it is. I think a stripped model at the $13K price makes more sense for those on a budget. In any case, there is a 10 year or 100 thousand-mile warranty for those planning on keeping a Mirage for the long term.