Faults:

Mostly because of human error.

Crankshaft pulley had to be fixed due to the ineptness of the previous mechanic.

Water pump needed replacing because I did not use enough concentration of coolant.

Windscreen cracked and needed replacing. O'Briens gave a great service for this.

Wheel camber went due to bad Sydney streets.

Oil leaks fixed; probably gaskets replaced without overhauling.

General Comments:

Solidly reliable despite a raft of human errors servicing it.

Short distance driving economy is horrible; 300km from one tank. Long distance is great at 600km from one tank of RON91 ethanol.

Rubber bits like seals and bushings are starting to go.

Never had to worry getting stuck on the streets.

Safety is a concern because it locks quite easily on greasy surfaces, and it probably cannot challenge heavy Aussie cars in a head on collision.

Overall an excellent car for budget minded people who are seasoned drivers, and drive from time to time.

Faults:

I replaced the wiper motor and starter. That's it, in 8 years! Everything else is just normal wear and tear repairs like tires, oil/fluid changes, tune-up and brakes.

General Comments:

This car is fun to drive with the 5 speed! My mechanic buddy calls it the "Little Thumper!".

Great vision from inside the car. The steering is tight, yet it's easy to make turns with only one finger on the steering wheel.

The ride is nice, especially with newer tires on it. Not exactly the most comfortable car on your butt, especially on long road trips, however this car will run and run forever, if you take care of it!

Best car by far, that I have ever owned!

Faults:

Started to get engine knock at 110,000km, however it's just timing; very easily fixed and only appears on startup when cold.

General Comments:

The Mirage is an excellent little gem. Reliability is awesome, keep up with oil and water like usual and this car will reward. Never had a problem since the day it was bought.

The car's performance is slightly better than average for other manufacturers of the same capacity. My car does not have air-con or power teering; however other than that the Mirage is very comfortable and feels sporty as the car sits so low. Mirages sit very low.

For any people buying a first car, definitely go with the Mirage.

Installation of stereo/speakers/amps etc is very easy, with the front components being easy to remove.

Faults:

Nothing, just general maintenance of battery, tyres and brakes in 5 years, and a replacement cam belt - our choice to do this.

General Comments:

We bought this car just for Dad to go to work in. It has been extremely reliable and economical to run. OK it's small and not a family vehicle, but has been brilliant for what we wanted.

Car has now been passed onto our kids; one thinks it's a little bit under powered, but the other thinks it's a great town car and easy to park.

Tiptronic gears are a bit jerky, but this could be our sons driving!

We found it to be a speedy little car, but struggles when fully loaded.

Mitsubishi's are an underrated brand, but drive one and you'll be surprised at how great they really are.

Faults:

The only things I see are.

Water pump at 137000 miles.

Paint is starting to fade at 135000 miles.

Once or twice battery cable came loose.

Normal tires and brakes (front brakes only!)

Oil leaks a little started about 145000 miles.

Consumes 1 quart of oil every 3000 miles.

General Comments:

Hello people, I am Gilbert from California USA.

YES YOU HEARD ME RIGHT... Mitsubishi KNOWS how to make a car! This is a "J" car. Why I say "J" car?? It's cause it's one of those cars that has a letter "J" for the first letter on it's VIN number. Now for these cars, I have heard that these are definitely from Japan. Cause American OR import name, If the first letter is NOT a "J", it's not made in Japan. I try avoiding buying used cars that don't have a "J" as the first letter. This is cause for me, Japanese cars HAVE BEEN PROVEN to me to be FAR better quality than american made cars.

As far as I'm concerned, Mitsubishi are GOOD cars. They are well made and lots of quality.

My 1997 Mitsubishi Mirage is as good of quality as a Toyota or Honda, BUT they are as BORING in style as a mid 90's Ford Contours or Ford Tempo.

I had replace my dud 1994 Ford Escort which died at 133k miles. What I really like about my 97 Mitsubishi IS THE QUALITY!!!

This 97 Mitsubishi Mirage has gone 65000 miles since I bought it. I had NEVER NEVER had major problems! No engine, or transmission issues whatsoever!!!

I NEVER even had any problems (EVER) with passing the smog inspections every other year, NEVER had "Check Engine" lights.

The only biggest problem was the water pump! THAT'S IT! So far anyway.

What's funny here, is that I BEAT UP my car too! I drive it HARD! "pedal to metal" 3/4 of the time! I use this car for my job of a delivery driver. 250 miles a day!!! Yes 250 a day!!!

I may "beat up" my car, but I DO still keep up all oil changes etc. I replaced transmission fluid once only.

As of now, my car loses or consumes a little oil, I do see a small puddle of oil on the floor.

I do notice that my car stresses a little on the SUPER hot days. That's about all the issues I'm having with my Mirage.

So overall quality is A1!!!

What I DON'T like my 97 Mirage, the ride is very choppy. This is a BORING style of car. It's TOO typical and everyday looking.