It's cute, but not very reliable.

Author's Rating:

Pros: inexpensive, cute, comfortable

Cons: unreliable

Author's Review
I bought a 1992 Mitsubishi Mirage when I was in high school. The car was roomy inside, but compact enough to park easily. This is a valuable feature if you do a lot of parallel parking. It seemed to be the perfect car for someone my age. For a few years, I did not have any problems with the car. It was fun to drive, and the seats were comfortably plush for road trips.

In about 1996, the problems began (right after the warranty ended). Oil would leak out the bottom of the car, and I was constantly refilling the oil tank. In addition, the location of the oil tank in the car is very inconvenient. I found it virtually impossible to check the oil. Even my friend, who had experience with the inner workings of cars, found it difficult to check.

Another symptom of the problem was that foul-smelling, black smoke would come out of the tailpipe. This would occur most often when I was sitting in the car with the engine running, but not moving (i.e. drive through line at a fast food restaurant or car wash). I repeatedly took the car to various mechanics, including the Mitsubishi dealership, but no one was ever able to identify the exact source of the problem. I was told by the dealership that this was a problem commonly found in 1992 Mirages, yet no fix was available.

I became frustrated eventually and sold the car. This is a cute car, but I would not recommend it for the long haul. The primary advantages of the Mirage are its size, comfort, and price. You really can get a lot of features often found in higher priced cars for much less money. My model has cruise control, which was a really handy feature until it broke. The main point to keep in mind about this review is that I may have just gotten a lemon. That is entirely possible, but based on my experience, I cannot in good conscience recommend this car. To be fair though, I must tell you that I did not maintain my car as well as I could have, and I have two friends who have not had any problems with their Mitsubishi Mirages.