Canadian Press article about Mirage, last sub $20k new car

[Mark]

I see. If your Mirage, hypothetically speaking, ever get totaled today, what would be your next replacement?

2019 ES manual (manual climate controls & factory cruise control) for under $10,000 or a used Honda Fit for under $12,000. I don't look at these cars as being my primary vehicles. They save wear & tear on my primary vehicle. If Mirages weren't selling for under $10,000 brand new, I would have never bought a new one. The great deals really caught my attention, and I am glad they did!

I have too many other interests. I'd rather buy a newer tractor to replace my old one than buy a car right now. New Mirages almost doubled in price in the past couple years. So have other things doubled in price. I don't buy some of those things now. Owning two vehicles is a bit of a luxury. I wouldn't have to replace my Mirage either.

[jonesboro]

I work for a Mitsubishi dealer and we've been emailed letting us know that despite the article(s), we're still selling the Mirage for the foreseeable future.

Do you see Mirages selling out as they arrive like other dealers have told forum users? There's a running discussion on whether Mitsu is truthful on low stocks being due to demand or supply issues.

[Dirk Diggler]

Good luck finding a 5speed Versa on any lots out there. I seem to remember reading that only 500 or so manual 2023 Versas even for sale in NA.

[mirthmobile]

Do you see Mirages selling out as they arrive like other dealers have told forum users? There's a running discussion on whether Mitsu is truthful on low stocks being due to demand or supply issues.

Yes. They leave as quickly as they arrive. Got 2 Friday end of day, they sold today. I'm pretty sure our salesmen have a list of people waiting for one.

My 23 was ordered by someone else and they put down a deposit and everything, but ended up backing out of the deal. I wouldn't have gotten one for many months if I didn't, and probably not a 23 by that point.

[7milesout]

I work for a Mitsubishi dealer and we've been emailed letting us know that despite the article(s), we're still selling the Mirage for the foreseeable future.

mirthmobile - Did you see / receive this email firsthand?

[Wallythacker]

I read an article quite generic about car/truck sales and the gist was people are quite willing to pay $1,000 month on a new $60k car or truck. Then still pay fuel, insurance, cleaning bringing the average monthly tab to $1500.

I have a nice 4 br house, raised ranch, finished basement, 2500 ft. sq. and my mortgage payment was half that, and it was in the late 80's when rates were 9%. i paid it off in 97 maybe and been mortgage free since.

The thought of a $1,500 hit for a car makes me sh*t my pants.

All the G8 nations are so deep in debt the only way out is bankruptcy, which is impossible these days for a country, OR deflate away the currency letting inflation run rampant and prices of everything go to the moon. Anyone can see that's the approach both America and Canada have chosen.

With mortgage rates @ 7% even if both partners work, say as teachers where I live, that's a $200K income. The old metric of 2.5x salary for a house purchase is impossible. Houses suitable for that couple would easily start @ $850K. Sorry to rant, just seeing the games our "leaders" are using to screw us is so obvious and sad because all the idiot sheeple don't realize they are being bent over, without LUBE.

[jonesboro]

I read an article quite generic about car/truck sales and the gist was people are quite willing to pay $1,000 month on a new $60k car or truck. Then still pay fuel, insurance, cleaning bringing the average monthly tab to $1500.

I have a nice 4 br house, raised ranch, finished basement, 2500 ft. sq. and my mortgage payment was half that, and it was in the late 80's when rates were 9%. i paid it off in 97 maybe and been mortgage free since.

The thought of a $1,500 hit for a car makes me sh*t my pants.

All the G8 nations are so deep in debt the only way out is bankruptcy, which is impossible these days for a country, OR deflate away the currency letting inflation run rampant and prices of everything go to the moon. Anyone can see that's the approach both America and Canada have chosen.

With mortgage rates @ 7% even if both partners work, say as teachers where I live, that's a $200K income. The old metric of 2.5x salary for a house purchase is impossible. Houses suitable for that couple would easily start @ $850K. Sorry to rant, just seeing the games our "leaders" are using to screw us is so obvious and sad because all the idiot sheeple don't realize they are being bent over, without LUBE.

Thank you for admitting economic conditions have changed and my generation isn't just too lazy to make it. I mentioned my generation is getting priced out of just about everything to my mom and she laughs the laugh of someone out of touch with reality.

They don't work for a haypenny in New Delhi or Beijing anymore like the last century. There aren't infinite resources in all directions anymore. Bad debt comes home to roost and when you're trading in air you eventually have to admit it's just air. All of this manifests in reality as what we're seeing right now.

[MetroMPG]

I've seen this story ALL OVER the interwebs in the last couple of weeks. It's been run by major media as well. To Mitsubishi, it's probably worth hundreds of thousands of dollars of free advertising for the Mirage.

Too bad for them they don't seem to have any to sell!

Though in their last quarterly sales report (July 3), the US division said:

...Mirage availability expected to increase in the coming months.

https://media.mitsubishicars.com/en-...-q2-2023-sales

Wasn't there some cheap Nissan model sold in Canada?

Yeah, both the Nissan Micra & Chevy Spark were available for $9999 in Canada in base (no A/C) trim. The Micra was discontinued after 2019 & the Spark a couple of years ago.

We still have this choice [Nissan Versa] in the US...which is less expensive than a Mirage and it has a manual transmission...

edit - A Kio Rio is also less than $20,000 in the US.

True, that's MSRP. But the story reports on average transaction price, not MSRP. The Mirage is the only one coming in under $20k by that metric.

Reflects the fact that the Versa/Rio base trim MSRP is mainly used as a scammy marketing tactic, and dealers don't actually stock them. (Or supply is severely limited.)

[Mark]

Mirage sales were growing each year prior to COVID. I can understand sales dropping in 2020, & that carrying over into 2022. Given the increase in gas prices & lack of small competition, you would think Mirage sales would take off in 2023?

2019 (April/May/June quarter) = 6,659 Mirages sold

2023 (April/May/June quarter) = 1,975 Mirages sold

1,975/6,659 = 29.66% (less than 30%)

You really want to put things into perspective -

2016 (April/May/June quarter) = 6,941 Mirages sold

A 2016 Mirage doesn't even exist, & the leftover 2014-15 Mirages were selling way better than this year's model. 2016 out sold 2015 even though they skipped a year before the 2017 update appeared.

Numbers taken from - https://www.goodcarbadcar.net/mitsub...es-usa-canada/

[MetroMPG]

Only if they have cars to sell!