2023 Mitsubishi Mirage Performance

Not much at all should be expected from the Mirage in terms of straight-line performance with its efficiency-minded powertrain. This comprises a small 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine and either a five-speed manual gearbox or CVT automatic gearbox in the ES, with the latter gearbox standard in all other models. With measly outputs of 76 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque, the Mirage is the least powerful vehicle on sale in the US, and also one of the slowest, meandering from 0-60 mph in nearly 11 seconds according to independent tests; its top speed is limited to no more than 105 mph. That translates to an incredibly monotonous driving experience.

The Mirage is excruciatingly slow; acceleration from a standstill is tortoise-like and from there, power delivery is deficient and painfully gradual. When being worked hard and when (eventually) at higher speeds, the engine quickly begins to feel and sound intensely strained, almost completely losing impetus up even minor inclines and droning loudly at highway speeds. Driving the Mirage feels like a chore in the city, let alone attempting highway overtakes - its engine simply feels incapable of doing what's asked of it, even with the Mirage being a relatively lightweight subcompact hatch. The Mirage's class rivals, the Kia Rio with its 120-hp engine, offer far better performance overall, from their off-the-line acceleration to power delivery at higher speeds.

The Mirage is equipped with a 1.2-liter three-pot engine that produces 76 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque. All models come solely equipped with the CVT automatic gearbox, and all models are front-wheel drive only.

The 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage is a lightweight vehicle, and therefore rather fuel-efficient; it is, in fact, the most fuel-efficient gas car in the States, this side of a hybrid. With the standard CVT, it returns EPA estimates of 36/43/39 mpg city/highway/combined. The Kia Rio hatchback CVT manages 33/41/36 mpg. The small Mirage only carries 9.2 gallons of gas, which gives the Mirage a maximum range of 358 miles before running dry.