The 2025 Mitsubishi Mirage continues its tradition of offering practicality and affordability in the subcompact car segment. If you’re in the market for an economical and efficient city car, this hatchback could be the perfect fit for your daily commute. Here’s an in-depth look at why the 2025 Mirage deserves your attention.
2025 Mitsubishi Mirage Fuel Efficiency
One of the biggest draws of the 2025 Mirage is its exceptional fuel efficiency. Powered by a 1.2-liter, 3-cylinder engine that delivers 78 horsepower, this car isn’t designed for speed, but it excels in fuel economy.
The Mirage achieves up to 36 MPG in the city and 43 MPG on the highway, making it one of the most efficient non-hybrid vehicles available in its class. This is great news for drivers looking to keep their fuel costs down, especially with rising fuel prices.
Compact Design, Big Interior
Despite its small footprint, the Mirage offers more interior space than you might expect. The cabin comfortably seats up to five passengers, and the rear seats can fold down to expand cargo space when needed. With 17.1 cubic feet of cargo space in the hatch, you’ll have enough room for groceries, luggage, or daily essentials. The cabin may not be luxurious, but it is functional, with easy-to-use controls and a simple dashboard layout.
Modern Design and Tech Upgrades
For 2025, the Mirage gets a refreshed exterior, featuring a larger front grille with chrome accents that gives the car a more premium and aggressive look. The LED headlights not only enhance its modern appearance but also improve nighttime visibility. Alloy wheels, available in multiple sizes, add a stylish touch while improving handling.
On the tech side, the Mirage comes equipped with features like Bluetooth connectivity, a touchscreen infotainment system, and smartphone integration as standard, ensuring drivers stay connected on the go. Safety features like traction control, collision warning, and pedestrian detection are also included in higher trims, offering peace of mind even in a budget-friendly vehicle.
Affordability and Cost of Ownership
One of the Mirage’s key advantages is its low starting price. The 2025 model is expected to start at around $16,245 and can go up to $18,145, depending on trim levels and optional features. This makes it one of the most affordable new cars on the market.
Additionally, with Mitsubishi’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, the Mirage offers excellent long-term value, ensuring low maintenance costs.
Performance and Driving Experience
While the Mirage’s 78 horsepower engine isn’t built for high performance, it’s more than adequate for city driving and daily commutes. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) option ensures smooth gear changes and helps maximize fuel efficiency.
The Mirage’s small size also makes it easy to maneuver through tight urban spaces, making parking and navigating busy streets a breeze.
Release Date & Potential Discontinuation
The 2025 Mitsubishi Mirage is expected to be discontinued, with production ending by late 2025. Mitsubishi has not officially confirmed the exact production stop date, but the Mirage will likely remain available through dealerships until inventory is depleted, potentially stretching into mid-2025.
As one of the few remaining budget-friendly cars under $20,000, its exit marks the end of an era for affordable subcompact vehicles, with consumers increasingly shifting toward SUVs and crossovers.
Exterior Dimensions & Cargo Space
The 2025 Mitsubishi Mirage is a compact hatchback that offers a practical design with dimensions ideal for city driving. Its exterior measures 151.4 inches in overall length, with a width of 65.6 inches and a height of 59.4 inches. These dimensions make it a nimble car for urban environments, easy to park and maneuver in tight spaces. The wheelbase stands at 96.5 inches, contributing to its stability on the road.
When it comes to cargo space, the Mirage offers decent capacity for a subcompact car. With the rear seats up, you get 17.1 cubic feet of space, which expands to an impressive 47 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down. This makes the Mirage a solid choice for anyone needing extra space for luggage or groceries while keeping a compact profile.
Competitors of 2025 Mitsubishi Mirage
The 2025 Mitsubishi Mirage is expected to be one of the last models available in the subcompact car segment, a category that is rapidly shrinking. The competition for this affordable, fuel-efficient car is becoming limited as manufacturers phase out small, budget-friendly cars in favor of crossovers and SUVs. However, a few key competitors remain in the market, including the Nissan Versa, Mini Cooper, and Fiat 500e.
1. Nissan Versa (2024 Model)
The Nissan Versa offers a slightly more powerful engine than the Mirage with a 1.6L 4-cylinder that generates 122 horsepower, compared to the Mirage’s 78-hp 1.2L 3-cylinder engine. This gives the Versa better acceleration and highway performance.
It also comes with more refined interiors and additional safety features, like automatic emergency braking and rear automatic braking. However, the Versa’s fuel economy (up to 35 mpg combined) is slightly lower than the Mirage, which boasts 39 mpg combined.
2. Mini Cooper Hardtop (2025)
The Mini Cooper Hardtop is a more premium competitor to the Mirage, featuring a turbocharged 1.5L 3-cylinder engine that delivers 134 horsepower, far exceeding the Mirage’s performance.
While the Mini is significantly more expensive, it offers a more engaging driving experience, better handling, and a much higher quality interior. However, it sacrifices fuel economy, with the base model getting around 32 mpg combined, which is lower than the Mirage’s impressive numbers.
3. Fiat 500e (2025)
For buyers interested in electric options, the Fiat 500e is a compelling alternative. As an EV, it offers emissions-free driving and significant savings in fuel costs over time. While details on the 2025 model’s range and performance are still emerging, it is expected to offer at least 150 miles of range per charge.
While this does make it a higher upfront investment, the long-term savings and sustainability appeal may attract customers away from the Mirage, which relies on traditional gasoline engines.
Fuel Efficiency
The 2025 Mitsubishi Mirage, like its predecessors, is expected to be one of the most fuel-efficient non-hybrid vehicles in its class. It will likely continue to use the same 1.2-liter 3-cylinder DOHC engine that produces around 78 horsepower, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). This engine, while not known for high performance, excels in efficiency, offering an impressive fuel economy.
For the 2024 model, the Mirage achieved EPA ratings of 36 mpg in the city, 43 mpg on the highway, and 39 mpg combined, and it’s expected that the 2025 version will maintain similar numbers. This makes it a great option for budget-conscious drivers who prioritize fuel savings.
Though Mitsubishi has announced plans to discontinue the Mirage in North America by 2025, it remains a top choice for those looking for affordability and exceptional fuel efficiency in a subcompact car.
Expected 0-60 Time
The 2025 Mitsubishi Mirage is expected to continue the trend of its predecessors with a focus on affordability and fuel efficiency rather than speed. The latest models, such as the 2021 Mitsubishi Mirage, are powered by a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that generates about 78 horsepower. This results in a modest 0-60 mph acceleration time of approximately 12.8 seconds, which is typical for this type of vehicle.
Older versions of the Mirage, such as the 1994 LS Coupe, offered a slightly faster performance, with a 0-60 mph time of around 8.7 seconds, thanks to a larger engine.
However, over the years, the focus of the Mirage shifted from performance to providing an economical and reliable option for budget-conscious buyers. The slower acceleration times seen in more recent models reflect this shift.
For the 2025 model, no major upgrades have been announced, meaning the 0-60 mph time is likely to stay in the same range as the 2021 version—around 12 seconds. While not a high-performance vehicle, the Mirage is ideal for those seeking fuel efficiency and practicality in city driving conditions.