New Mitsubishi Mirage....

[TurboDan]

This über-bland Mirage doesn't fit in with the Lancer and everything Mitsubishi makes should relate to the Lancer somehow, since the Lancer is their most recognizable and arguably best product.

This is part of the problem, though - the fact that the little-known-outside-of-enthusiast-boards Lancer is their most well known model. Everyone knew Mitsubishi because of the Eclipse, and their problems really began to snowball once they messed up the previous gen, then killed it off.

[93JC]

Really? If anything I'd say the Eclipse was "little-known-outside-of-enthusiasts". The Lancer's a pretty plebeian car in anything less than Ralliart trim. What killed Mitsubishi in the US was the demise of the Galant.

In 2002 they sold over 345,000 cars in the US, almost 100,000 of them Galants (~70,000 Eclipses). The proportion of Galant sales to overall sales is still about the same, so now that they only sell about 15,000 Galants a year the overall sales are only about 50,000.

[MX793]

Really? If anything I'd say the Eclipse was "little-known-outside-of-enthusiasts". The Lancer's a pretty plebeian car in anything less than Ralliart trim. What killed Mitsubishi in the US was the demise of the Galant.

In 2002 they sold over 345,000 cars in the US, almost 100,000 of them Galants (~70,000 Eclipses). The proportion of Galant sales to overall sales is still about the same, so now that they only sell about 15,000 Galants a year the overall sales are only about 50,000.

2g Eclipses were very popular.  Seemed like I saw as many of those as I saw Mustangs of the same era.  Definitely saw more 2g Eclipses (and their Eagle sibling) than I saw 240SXs, Preludes, MX-6s, or Celicas.  I think the only car in that segment that I saw more of were Ford Probes.  The 3rd gen car, which came out in 2000, I don't believe was as popular.  Especially after the first 2 years.  The 4th and final gen was a total dud.  Not sure if Eclipse sales were ever greater than the Galant during that period, but they certainly sold a lot of them.

Of course it hasn't helped that the Galant is a back-marker in its class and I believe Mitsu abandoned their "no money, no problem" sales approach a few years back which I'm sure took a dent out of sales.

[Madman]

Really? If anything I'd say the Eclipse was "little-known-outside-of-enthusiasts". The Lancer's a pretty plebeian car in anything less than Ralliart trim. What killed Mitsubishi in the US was the demise of the Galant.

In 2002 they sold over 345,000 cars in the US, almost 100,000 of them Galants (~70,000 Eclipses). The proportion of Galant sales to overall sales is still about the same, so now that they only sell about 15,000 Galants a year the overall sales are only about 50,000.

Mitsubishi isn't selling any Galants at all.  Production ended in August 2012.  Unless they have a huge stockpile of unsold cars?  Which is entirely possible, given the Galant's dismal sales these last few years.

[93JC]

649 sold YTD up to the end of March. They sold almost 14,000 of them last year.

(0 in Canada, haven't sold any since Dec. 2011.)

[Madman]

The new ad campaign has just been announced....




Yep, that pretty much sums it up! 

[veeman]

i thought mitsubishi failed/is failing in large part because they sold a bunch of cars to people who couldn't afford them around a decade ago.  all these people failed to pay their car payments because they obviously couldn't, and the company was bleeding cash.  because of this they couldn't afford to upgrade their product line-up which is a death knell. 

wikipedia:  In an effort to boost sales in the U.S. at the start of the decade, Mitsubishi began offering a "0–0–0" finance offer—0% down, 0% interest, and $0 monthly payments (all repayments deferred for 12 months). Initially, sales leapt, but at the end of the year's "grace period" numerous credit-risky buyers defaulted, leaving Mitsubishi with used vehicles for which they had received no money and which were now worth less than they cost to manufacture. The company's American credit operation, MMCA, was eventually forced to make a US$454 million provision against its 2003 accounts as a result of these losses.[31] As a result, sales plummeted to 243,000 in 2003, 139,000 in 2004, 124,000 in 2005, and 119,000 in 2006.

also mitsubishi had a bunch of huge problems in japan because of a scandal of covering up defects and japan's economic doldrums a while back causing people to buy less trucks over there. 

it seems unbelievable now, but in the early 90s, mitsubishi almost did a hostile takeover of honda.

[ifcar]

Mitsubishi poured money into "Project America" -- the Galant, Endeavor and Eclipse -- in the mid-2000s. None was a hit, and declining volumes built on themselves. Dealers closed because volume was low, and then sales dropped further because there were no dealers, and then there was no money to replace these cars, or the Lancer, with something that would sell.

[veeman]

i always liked the mitsubishi montero/pajero 3rd generation suv.  consumer reports unfairly skewered it just like they unfairly skewered the suzuki samurai a few years earlier for being supposedly tippy (like its any more tippy than the former ford explorer with firestone tires or any jeep cherokee).  also mitsubishi priced it too high trying to compete with a land cruiser or land rover discovery.  they should have kept it to its roots of more of a pathfinder type of suv (the older one, not the lame current one).

[TurboDan]

it seems unbelievable now, but in the early 90s, mitsubishi almost did a hostile takeover of honda.

Mitsubishi as a company is still much, much larger than Honda.

[NomisR]

Mitsubishi poured money into "Project America" -- the Galant, Endeavor and Eclipse -- in the mid-2000s. None was a hit, and declining volumes built on themselves. Dealers closed because volume was low, and then sales dropped further because there were no dealers, and then there was no money to replace these cars, or the Lancer, with something that would sell.

Well, because they had good products the previous generation and decided to "Americanize" them which actually killed the popularity they once had.  Only thing that they can sell is probably the Evolution..

[NomisR]

Mitsubishi as a company is still much, much larger than Honda.

Well, depends on what Mitsubishi you're talking about.. Heavy Industries, yes, but that includes Motors, Atomic, Chemical, Power Generation, and Nikon.  Just Motors by itself, no.

[TurboDan]

Well, depends on what Mitsubishi you're talking about.. Heavy Industries, yes, but that includes Motors, Atomic, Chemical, Power Generation, and Nikon.  Just Motors by itself, no.

Yeah, I meant the company as a whole, not just the motors division.

[280Z Turbo]

I hope Autoblopnik writes an article about MMNA stubbornly continuing to sell cars in America despite constantly falling sales and predictions that the company will pack up and leave.

[Madman]

Talk about low expectations.  Mitsubishi has set a goal of selling just 7,000 Mirages in America per year.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/mitsubishi-aiming-to-sell.html

That many?  I think they'll fail to meet even that low target.

BTW, the Mirage hits Mitsubishi dealers next month, assuming you can find one.  Try to contain your excitement!

[2o6]

Wow. Chevy sells about 3K ish units per month (last I checked) of the similarly sized Spark.

[TurboDan]

Wow, I just checked the Mitsu website and the closest dealer is 30 miles away from me. There used to be like, 2 or 3 within a 20 minute drive or so.

[12,000 RPM]

Talk about low expectations.  Mitsubishi has set a goal of selling just 7,000 Mirages in America per year.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/mitsubishi-aiming-to-sell.html

That many?  I think they'll fail to meet even that low target.

BTW, the Mirage hits Mitsubishi dealers next month, assuming you can find one.  Try to contain your excitement!

I believe Mitsubishi is what they call a "zombie business" in Japan

[Char]

Cheap and boring - how could you NOT like it 206.
Oh wait, it's not needlessly ugly and quirky. Nevermind.

[2o6]

Fuck off.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I have to give Mitsu credit where it is due. The new Mirage has some very attractive numbrs

- sub $13k base price
- sub 2000 lb curb weight
- combined 37 mpg manual / 40 mpg CVT (highest mpg of any non-hybrid)
-1.2 liter dohc direct injectedr I3 making 74hp/74tq
- standard pwr locks&windows, auto climate control, mp3 player, 60/40 rear seats

But I am getting 33+ mpg in my Accent now, so another 4 mpg isn't quite worth the downgrade

[2o6]

That motor isn't direct injected. It also gets a whopping 44MPG freeway, which is nice.




It's also fucking terrible.

[Eye of the Tiger]

That motor isn't direct injected. It also gets a whopping 44MPG freeway, which is nice.




It's also fucking terrible.

Sounds like it is ruined with numb electric steering and crappy suspension (not that I'd know anything about that). The suspension could be fixed (not by me, of course), but the steering is more difficult (maybe an ecu tune could alter the variable assist to one's liking.

What else is crappy? Of course it has 74hp (that is Swift territory). Bit them MPG

[2o6]

Sounds like it is ruined with numb electric steering and crappy suspension (not that I'd know anything about that). The suspension could be fixed (not by me, of course), but the steering is more difficult (maybe an ecu tune could alter the variable assist to one's liking.

What else is crappy? Of course it has 74hp (that is Swift territory). Bit them MPG

I'm going to need you to stop being asshurt in every fucking thread. No one fucking cares.



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The suspention is very soft; but it does not feel very well resolved

The steering seems like it would be more related to the geometry itself, not the assist. Heft isnt the problem, the ratio is too slow, it has a big ass on center dead spot, and there isnt much feel.

It also feels very cheap....


I actually liked the motor, its probably the only redeeming aspect of the car.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I'm going to need you to stop being asshurt in every fucking thread. No one fucking cares.



-


The suspention is very soft; but it does not feel very well resolved

The steering seems like it would be more related to the geometry itself, not the assist. Heft isnt the problem, the ratio is too slow, it has a big ass on center dead spot, and there isnt much feel.

It also feels very cheap....


I actually liked the motor, its probably the only redeeming aspect of the car.

And I am going to need you to tell me why I should trade my Accent in for this Mirage (in green?). The steering response could very well improve with different tires. Can it tow? Anything? I just need to pull 1000lb.

[2o6]

The Spark is a better car, slightly.


A new Sonic is better than both and is only a little bit more expensive.


The steering response is not a little bit bad, its extremely bad - probably the worst steering of any car on sale right now. Its very slow and non linear.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The Spark is a better car, slightly.


A new Sonic is better than both and is only a little bit more expensive.


The steering response is not a little bit bad, its extremely bad - probably the worst steering of any car on sale right now. Its very slow and non linear.

This isn't about any of those cars. This is about a Mirage that gets better fuel economy than my motorcycle. I bet it could do 40 mpg on my commute. Accent only does 33. That is a difference of 7 (even though I failed calculus!)

[AutobahnSHO]

i always liked the mitsubishi montero/pajero 3rd generation suv.  consumer reports unfairly skewered it just like they unfairly skewered the suzuki samurai a few years earlier for being supposedly tippy (like its any more tippy than the former ford explorer with firestone tires or any jeep cherokee).  also mitsubishi priced it too high trying to compete with a land cruiser or land rover discovery.  they should have kept it to its roots of more of a pathfinder type of suv (the older one, not the lame current one).

Those Mitsu SUVs sell like crazy overseas...

[2o6]

This isn't about any of those cars. This is about a Mirage that gets better fuel economy than my motorcycle. I bet it could do 40 mpg on my commute. Accent only does 33. That is a difference of 7 (even though I failed calculus!)

Fuck, do what you want. Idk

[Eye of the Tiger]

Fuck, do what you want. Idk

Why dont you like this car?