The 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 SE enters the review line up with a few new components and great fuel economy.
Source: Victoria Mason
When the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 SE arrived earlier this month I was surprised. I was expecting a hatchback, not a compact sedan with 15-inch wheels. Still, I was game to tackle this type of sedan and see what it had to offer me during its week-long stay.
At First Glance
The Mitsubishi Mirage G4 in the SE trim comes standard with a push-button ignition, which is located on the left side. I never did get used that. Climate control, steering wheel mounted audio controls, a back up camera, heated cloth seats, cruise control and remote locks are all included in the SE trim package. There is a 6.5-inch touchscreen display and some seriously tiny knobs (I had to take my gloves off to turn them) to tune the radio. There is no navigation, but so many of us use our phones with the Waze app these days that it didn’t matter to me.
A Week on the Inside
During my time with the Mirage I was pleasantly surprised by a few things. First, the latch for child safety seats are very prominent in the backseat. There will be no digging around or finding small latches. There is also a rather roomy trunk in the Mirage with 12.3 cubic feet of storage. That’s under its competitors, but for a car this size it still felt large. All of this gave me an idea regarding who would drive this car.
The Mitsubishi Mirage G4 SE with its compact size, four door sedan style, and 37 mpg (combined) is definitely good for short commutes to work and getting from point A to B, but what about students and nannies? Before you scoff at me on that last one this is certainly an option. I was given a car to drive much like this one for the same job many years ago. It gave the family piece of mind that comes with a new vehicle. It also didn’t pose the problem of finding a family car that was available all the time. There was a designated nanny car and it was mine.
With the Mirage the addition of the new longer wheelbase an added 3.9 inches to its overall 20.7 inch size provides a bigger backseat for the kids. The fuel economy makes gas affordable. The automatic locks with child safety locks and multiple airbags (5 seats, 7 airbags) located throughout the sedan offer the option of providing a live-in nanny or college student a new car that is both safe and reliable. There’s also a 10-year, 100,000 mile warranty.
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The Drive
So how does this 1.2L, 3-Cylinder sedan drive? Not fast is the answer. Acceleration is sluggish and requires the driver to handle with care. They need to be aware when trying to cross multiple lanes of traffic. Merging onto the highway and driving on it for long distances isn’t easy or fun.
It has a lot of road noise too. The higher the speed the louder the engine and the wind noise, which we all know that I am not a fan of at any time. I wasn’t surprised by it with a car of this size and price point. It does however handle small parking spots, tight angles and urban areas well due to its size.
Overall, the 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 will get you where you need to go and do so safely with a good warranty. Even with all the bells and whistles this is still an economy car. You should be in that mindset when checking it out. MSRP as tested is $17,830 with 35 mpg city/42 mpg highway. Base models start at $13,995.
*Disclosure: TMC was not paid for this post. Opinions are 100% my own. Cars provided by Driveshop.
