2024 Mitsubishi Mirage G4

Overview

Cheap? Yes. Cheerful? Not so much. The 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage G4 is one of the cheapest sedans on the market, and the subcompact sedan feels every bit of its low, low price. Under the hood is a weakling of an engine: A 1.2-liter three-cylinder with just 78 horsepower that it shares with the hatchback Mirage (reviewed separately). Acceleration is as poky as you’d think, but it’s frugal at the gas pump. The G4’s cabin provides good head- and legroom, but it’s narrow and elbows may rub, so pick your passengers wisely. The rest of the interior is decked out with plenty of black plastic, which is common in this class of car. At least the Mirage comes with a competitive set of standard features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic climate control, cruise control, and automated emergency braking. Unfortunately, the 2024 Mirage G4 ultimately is less than the sum of its parts. It might seem like a good deal on paper, but in this case, you truly get what you pay for.

Where This Vehicle Ranks

#2 in Best Subcompact Cars

1

Nissan Versa

STARTING AT: $17,820

2

Mitsubishi Mirage G4

STARTING AT: $19,115

3

Mitsubishi Mirage

STARTING AT: $18,015

What's New for 2024?

Talk about luxury: The Mirage G4’s LE trim gains a driver’s seat armrest, automatic headlamps, and rain-sensing windshield wipers as standard equipment for 2024. Graphite Gray and Jet Black have been added to the exterior color palette, and a two-year complimentary scheduled maintenance plan is now included on all 2024 models.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

To its credit, the Mirage G4 comes with some worthwhile standard features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and an automatic climate-control system. We'd suggest sticking with the base model rather than upgrading to a more expensive trim, as those prices put the Mirage G4 in contention with better cars from the subcompact segment.

Engine, Transmission, and Performance

There's no way around it: relative to rival models, the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 is dealing with a severe horsepower deficit. Mitsubishi equips the little Mirage G4 with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that generates just 78 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque. You'll get a lot more muscle under the hood of the similarly sized Nissan Versa (122 hp and 114 pound-fet). All Mirage G4 models come with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive. In everyday driving, the pocket-sized sedan exhibits tepid acceleration. This is especially noticeable on the freeway, where heavy throttle inputs are necessary to muster the power needed for passing maneuvers. In addition to being underpowered, the engine sounds coarse and gets noisy at high speeds.

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Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Fuel efficiency is one of this sedan's key strengths. According to the EPA, the Mirage G4 achieves fuel economy figures of 35/41 mpg city/highway. With those numbers, this sedan gets better mileage than the Versa (up to 32/40 mpg). For more information about the Mirage G4's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.

Interior, Comfort, and Cargo

With some economy cars, the cabin design transcends the expectations that you might have for a vehicle that's modestly priced, but this isn't the case with the Mirage G4. In terms of its design and the quality of materials used, the Mirage G4’s cabin is unambitious. Relative to its hatchback sibling, the sedan provides an extra 3 inches of rear-seat legroom. Of the two models, this is the one to get if you need to comfortably seat passengers in both rows. The Mirage G4’s trunk offers less than 13 cubic feet of cargo space. The Versa, on the other hand, offers up to 15 cubic feet of cargo space.

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Infotainment and Connectivity

Every Mirage G4 comes with standard Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free phone calls. Base models feature a four-speaker audio system and HD radio, as well as a front USB port and an auxiliary audio-input jack. Additionally, a 7.0-inch display screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility is standard. If you need a more premium sound system, you can upgrade to an available Rockford Fosgate setup.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

While the Mirage G4 comes standard with automated emergency braking, most advanced driver-assistance features are absent from the car's options sheet. For more information about the Mirage G4's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
• Available lane-departure warning
• Available automatic high-beam headlamps

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Mitsubishi's warranty coverage beats the warranty protection offered for the Nissan Versa. Notably, the Mirage G4 now includes complimentary scheduled maintenance.

• Limited warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 10 years or 100,000 miles
• Complimentary maintenance is covered for two years or 30,000 miles

Specifications

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED: $17,830 (base price: $14,830)

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 12-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection

Displacement: 73 cu in, 1193 cc
Power: 78 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 74 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSION: continuously variable automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 100.4 in
Length: 169.5 in
Width: 65.7 in Height: 59.2 in
Passenger volume: 90 cu ft
Cargo volume: 12 cu ft
Curb weight: 2193 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 12.8 sec
Zero to 90 mph: 35.6 sec
Rolling start, 5-60 mph: 12.7 sec
Top gear, 30-50 mph: 6.2 sec
Top gear, 50-70 mph: 8.8 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 19.5 sec @ 73 mph
Top speed (C/D est): 100 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 170 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.78 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 35/42 mpg
C/D observed: 33 mpg

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