This an interesting thread. I just don't mess with the Mirage stereo for a few reasons. I certainly don't want to spend money on the Mirage (outside of maintenance). My goal is to make an effort to use the Mirage in its intended purpose. To be inexpensive transportation. So if I spend money on it, I side step that mission. And secondly, I have an LS 460L with the Mark Levinson reference surround sound system (I think it's called). I don't know what the last 3 words really mean, outside of that it must mean that it sounds real good.
But let me say that, under certain circumstances, the sound is so phenomenal that it makes me tear up from my astonishment on how some people (musicians) can be so naturally friggin talented. I can be cruising at 80 mph and the ML system is unbelievably outstanding. Back to the Mirage, I could never make it sound that good so I just leave it alone. I've noticed that at interstate speeds, I'm either at or near max volume (45) in order to overcome the road noise. No complaints. That's to be expected between an $85k car in 2009 and an $11k car in 2020. No, I didn't pay anywhere near $85k for it (in 2014). $85k in 2009 is about the equivalent of $102k in 2020, more like $120k now.
Movin2stereo - If you like car audio stuff, you would have been in hog-heaven at the Toyota Technical Center. Supplier's would come in and show off their wares. I don't remember if it were ML or another audio manufacturer that modified (probably) a Camry and brought it into our building. They could change up the sound dynamics to make it sound like the stereo system was playing evenly directly into your ear holes. Then they could change it to an average stereo set-up. The difference was amazing. They could have it set up to play into all 4 passengers ear holes evenly. And the fidelity ... ohhhhh the fidelity. It was just a matter of money. The ML system in my LS is really daggone close to the capability they were demonstrating. But Toyota puts more money into the Lexus than they do the Camry.
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View my fuel log 2020 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.4 mpg (US) ... 18.0 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 50.9 mpg (Imp)