The Mitsubishi Mirage is a small and straightforward five-door hatchback which has its four wheels planted firmly in the world of practical motoring. And that's where its strength is.

If you want a good-looking car to get the pulse racing or go posing in, you won't find it here. What you will find is a low-frills practical run around with good fuel economy, reasonable power for the size of the engine, a useful load bay and very low emissions. For a car such as this it's your head, not your heart, which will part you with your cash.

The Mirage faces lots of competition, including the Nissan Micra, Kia Picanto and the Volkswagen Up! plus its siblings the Skoda Citigo and SEAT Mii.

Performance

The Mirage is available with two small petrol engines, and the standard unit is a 1.0-litre unit delivering 70bhp and mated to a five-speed manual transmission. It takes 13.6 seconds to cover the 0-62mph sprint.

We tested the Mirage’s more powerful engine, a three-cylinder 1.2-litre unit that turns out 79bhp and can be hooked up with either the same manual ‘box or an automatic transmission. It takes 11.7 seconds to reach 62mph in manual form, or 12.8 seconds with the automatic ‘box. These figures look modest but are respectable next to other city cars including the Volkswagen Up! and its siblings (the SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo).

The Mirage performs well out on the road within its limited parameters. It pulls well even on uphill sections, and the gearshift is quick and smooth. There is a lot of engine and wind noise when you push the car hard but it doesn’t feel too intrusive.

Ride and Handling

In comparison, some rivals like the Up! and the Picanto feel more composed and refined especially at higher speed.

The steering is well-weighted and precise and you'll find the turning circle is small so it's manoeuvrable in tight car parks or heavy traffic. However, the front and rear parking sensors, which are optional with all specifications but the range-topper, are recommended to make parking less stressful. This is because although the car’s small, the view through the small back window is pretty limited. Another thing that hampers the drive is the soft suspension, which is fine when cruising through town, but on higher speed country roads there’s a lot of body roll. In comparison, some rivals like the Up! and the Picanto feel more composed and refined especially at higher speed.

Interior and Equipment

Since 1978, the Mirage name has been used for different cars with a wide variety of bodystyles including coupe, saloon and estate.

There are three trim levels for the Mirage (simply titled 1, 2 and 3) and equipment is incredibly sparse for the starting trim. You’ll need to at least go for the mid-range model to get features like air conditioning, rear electric windows and keyless entry. One instrument that's fun to play with is called the "Eco drive assist indicator". It tells you, in an easy-to-read way, how economically you're driving, and it really works in making you try to do better. As for the cabin, the design does have a budget feel to it but its comfy enough in the front and it’s easy to find a good driving position. That’s despite the fact the steering wheel is only adjustable for height and not for reach, perhaps because the seat adjusts for height. The back seat is a flat bench with three three-point seatbelts though there's only really room for two adults. Legroom is adequate all-round, but headroom at the back is cramped. We recommend only seating adults in the back for short journeys. The cargo space in the boot has a ten-inch lip to lug your shopping over and the entrance is narrower than the internal width. However, the back of the rear seats folds forwards to extend the space if you need it. Boot capacity is measured at 235 litres as standard which is about average for the class. It has more than the Picanto and Suzuki Splash, but less than the Nissan Micra and VW Up!

Cost

All specifications in the Mirage line-up emit less than 100g/km in CO2, which means you won’t pay for Vehicle Excise Duty.

The Mirage is efficient, thanks in part to the standard stop-start engine technology, which turns off the engine when you're sitting in neutral in traffic. All specifications in the Mirage line-up emit less than 100g/km in CO2, which means you won’t pay for Vehicle Excise Duty. The combined fuel economy recorded ranges between 67.3mpg and 68.9mpg depending on engine choice, and these figure are competitive next to rivals. Pricing for the whole Mirage range compares favourably as well, with the standard model priced just below £9k. It is actually undercut, however, by rivals including the VW Up! and especially its cheaper siblings.

Our Verdict

The Mitsubishi Mirage is an affordable, economical and practical little car which, on paper and in the real world, does everything you should reasonably ask of it. It is not a car for thrills but for taking the family into town and the shopping back out. It doesn't cost too much to buy and it'll keep you comfortable in town. However, while it’s undoubtedly cheap, there are other city cars around which can perform the same tasks just as well if not better for a similar price. The Mirage is competent enough, but there’s a lot of strong competition nowadays which makes it harder to recommend.