For its second model year, Mitsubishi’s subcompact sedan has improved technology, with an upgraded touchscreen display and smartphone integration. At $14,395, the sedan version of the Mirage remains one of the most affordable cars on sale in America.
CarsDirect Pricing Insider
What you must know before buying the Mitsubishi Mirage G4- 2018 Mirage G4 selection looks great
- Factory rebate steady at $1,000
- Lease from $199 for 36 months
- Get 0% APR for 48 months + $1,250 bonus
Priced to sell:
The 2018 Mirage G4 sedan joins the hatchback as Mitsubishi's bargain offerings.
The G4 is priced about $1,000 higher than the regular Mirage, but maintains its stellar fuel economy. In fact, the G4 is one of the most affordable high-efficiency vehicles you can buy.
Supplies are more than adequate and will probably remain so in the months ahead.We expect the 2019 G4 to arrive next month.
Current factory offers are available nationally and will remain in effect until November 30, 2018.
Steady cash off the top:
The factory rebate on the 2018 G4 stands at $1,000. However, you can get more cash when you finance through Mitsubishi at 0% (see below).
As usual, current Mitsubishi customers will also get a $250 loyalty bonus.
Leasing looks the same:
The 2018 G4 with automatic is offered from $199 for 36 months (12,000 miles year) with $3,398 due at signing. This is virtually identical to previous offers.
The effective monthly cost of this lease is $293. That's very expensive for a car priced at just $16,585. The Mirage is a much better value when purchased.
Pay no interest:
Instead of the standard rebate, you can take advantage of 0% financing for 48 months, which is almost always available on the Mirage. You also get $1,250 in bonus cash, which makes for an outstanding purchase deal.
Priced to sell:
The 2018 Mirage G4 sedan joins the hatchback as Mitsubishi's bargain offerings.
The G4 is priced about $1,000 higher than the regular Mirage, but maintains its stellar fuel economy. In fact, the G4 is one of the most affordable high-efficiency vehicles you can buy.
Supplies are more than adequate and will probably remain so in the months ahead.We expect the 2019 G4 to arrive next month.
Current factory offers are available nationally and will remain in effect until November 30, 2018.
Steady cash off the top:
The factory rebate on the 2018 G4 stands at $1,000. However, you can get more cash when you finance through Mitsubishi at 0% (see below).
As usual, current Mitsubishi customers will also get a $250 loyalty bonus.
Leasing looks the same:
The 2018 G4 with automatic is offered from $199 for 36 months (12,000 miles year) with $3,398 due at signing. This is virtually identical to previous offers.
The effective monthly cost of this lease is $293. That's very expensive for a car priced at just $16,585. The Mirage is a much better value when purchased.
Pay no interest:
Instead of the standard rebate, you can take advantage of 0% financing for 48 months, which is almost always available on the Mirage. You also get $1,250 in bonus cash, which makes for an outstanding purchase deal.
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2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 Overview
Neil Cumins, Automotive EditorWhat's New for 2018
The 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 now features an upgraded seven-inch touchscreen display, used to display the rearview camera. Bluetooth audio streaming is supported through steering wheel switches. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay now provide full smartphone integration on SE trim (optional on ES.)
Choosing Your Mirage G4
The Mirage G4 is a budget buy, with only two trim levels and transmissions to choose from. Both models are powered by a 78-horsepower, 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine generating 74 pound-feet of torque.
Base ES models are fitted with a five-speed manual transmission delivering 33 mpg city and 40 highway. It’s a $1,200 option to add the continuously variable automatic transmission to the ES, although it's fitted as standard to the SE. The CVT boosts economy to 35/41 city/highway, though it further diminishes the engine’s meager output.
As well as bargain basement prices, Mirage G4s receive comprehensive warranties. Owners get a five-year manufacturer warranty and roadside assistance policy, with a ten-year limited warranty on the powertrain.
ES
For the money, the $14,395 ES is reasonably well equipped. Alongside its new touchscreen display and rear view camera, there’s a digital radio with steering wheel controls, air conditioning, keyless entry, and hill start assist.
Several SE-level specifications can be added to the ES as options. These include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a CD/MP3 audio system and cruise control.
SE
The $17,095 SE offers some welcome spec upgrades on the ES. These include a six-way adjustable driver’s seat (as opposed to the ES’s four-way), plus greater use of chrome and leather throughout the cabin. The 14-inch steel wheels on ES give way to more flattering 15-inch chrome alloys on SE models.
Some options are SE-exclusive. These include an auto-dimming rearview mirror, climate control, push button start and folding side-view mirrors. However, the $1,095 airdam package seems superfluous on a car that takes almost 13 seconds to hit 60 mph. Paying $395 for rear parking sensors also seems unnecessary, given the G4’s standard-fit reversing camera.
CarsDirect Tip
The Mirage G4 is a car we'd only recommend to someone that's desperate to purchase a brand-new vehicle or who needs the best fuel economy without resorting to a hybrid. Otherwise, it lacks the equipment, refinement, style, or driving enjoyment possessed by much of the competition.
Our Take: 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4
Steve Cypher, Contributing Writer
It may return excellent fuel economy and be a snap to park in the city, but that's all the upside there is to the 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4. It's underpowered and noisy, with a cheap-looking interior and upper trims priced dangerously close to larger competitors that are superior in every way.
Best Value
The 2018 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 sedan (the hatchback is marketed separately) starts at $15,290 (including the $895 destination charge) for a five-speed manual ES and rises to $17,990 for an SE equipped with a CVT automatic. Compared to the hatchback, that represents a $1,000 premium for the "luxury" of a separate trunk.
Although the Mirage's raison d'être is price, most buyers will shun the manual, which means an additional $1,200 for a CVT-equipped ES (the SE is only available with the CVT). Other than steel wheels, the base equipment list is fairly complete with power windows and locks, air conditioning, keyless entry, a rear view camera, and even a standard seven-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth phone and audio capability.
The sole option (and one we strongly recommend) is the $800 Smartphone Display Package. Bizarrely, it downgrades the touchscreen to just 6.5 inches diagonally, but adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as cruise control, 15-inch alloy wheels instead of steelies, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. While the Mirage rarely feels like a bargain, this package is the exception.
Here's how we'd have it:
- Model: Mitsubishi Mirage G4 ES
- Engine: 1.2-liter three-cylinder
- Output: 78 hp / 74 lb-ft
- Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
- Drivetrain: Front-wheel drive
- MPG: 35 City / 41 Hwy
- Options: Smartphone Display Package ($800, 6.5-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, cruise control, 15-inch wheels, leather-wrapped steering wheel)
- Base Price:$16,490 (including an $895 destination fee)
- Best Value Price:$17,290
Performance
The CVT automatic steps off more quickly than the five-speed manual and returns higher fuel economy numbers – an EPA-estimated 35 miles per gallon in the city, 41 on the highway, and 37 combined. At the same time, a tight 30.2-foot turning circle is ideal for grabbing those elusive urban parking spots. But the good news ends there.
The 1.2-liter three-pot under the hood is unrefined and cacophonous when prodded – but offers little in the way of adequate acceleration. Even with a mere 2,000 pounds to pull, hills are a struggle, while a executing freeway passes requires a week's worth of planning.
Adding insult to injury is a suspension that - even around town - is barely up to the task of keeping the chassis planted. It rolls like a dinghy in a storm Press it above fifty miles per hour and things really get interesting as the Mirage has a tendency to wander off center rather than maintain a straight line – veering, lurching, and wallowing – and upholding a reputation as among the very worst handling cars on the market.
Style
Other than an awkwardly high trunk and tiny wheels set deep in large wheel wells, the Mirage G4's exterior is largely inoffensive and envelops a surprisingly large cabin considering its small footprint. There's enough room for four adults, the simple instrument cluster consists of two gauges, and the radio and ventilation knobs are large and straightforward. Cargo volume isn't as copious as the hatchback, but it's still a usable 12.3 cu ft, with a pass-through to the cabin via flip-and-fold rear seatbacks.
But the downsides are many. The front seat cushions are too short, the steering wheel lacks a tilt function and, even at this price point, there's no excuse for the skimpy rear seat covered in cheap-looking thin material. The rest of the interior flaunts cheap, hard, bargain basement plastic trim, the driver's seat lacks an armrest, and there's no bin between the front seats. The thumps and crashes over irregular pavement echo throughout the cabin, and are joined by the screaming of the overworked engine at anything close to highway speeds.
The Best and Worst Things
The Mirage G4's excellent fuel economy and small footprint make it attractive for urban jaunts.
Like the hatchback, the worst thing about the Mirage G4 is pretty much everything else. It's so poor in every other metric that it's difficult to pinpoint which one – or ones – might be the worst.
Right For? Wrong For?
An attractive base price and outstanding fuel economy should appeal to value-oriented urban dwellers that plan on sticking close to home.
Everyone else. The Mirage is amongst the most disappointing new vehicles on sale today. Customers can walk in to literally any other mainstream automaker's showroom and find a better value, either in this class or in the one above it. You should consider a used car before taking delivery of a Mirage.
The Bottom Line
While it succeeds with excellent fuel economy, skillful urban dexterity, and surprising cabin space, the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 flounders when compared to rivals – such as the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Spark, and Toyota Yaris – that cost not much more, and are, in all other facets, far superior vehicles.
