The Mitsubishi Mirage: A Little Car With a High Fatality Rate
The Mitsubishi Mirage has been on the market since the late 1970’s. However, the car buying public has never really considered the car among the best sedans. This is the case for many reasons, but perhaps the most important is its lack of safety. Unfortunately, the Mitsubishi Mirage G4 is considered the most dangerous car when it comes to deaths per million registered vehicles. Automakers typically love breaking records, but this one makes the Mirage worse than most people previously thought.
The Mitsubishi Mirage is not one of the best sedans for safety
People buy the Mitsubishi Mirage for a few specific reasons. For one, it’s relatively inexpensive, which makes it approachable for many buyers. Additionally, it has a quirky look that stands out from other nameplates on the market. However, one thing the Mirage is not, is one of the best sedans for safety. This is the case as MotorTrend reports that the Mirage has about 205 deaths per million registered models.
Unfortunately, this figure makes the Mitsubishi Mirage the most dangerous car in this regard. Buyers should note that the Hatchback version has about 183 deaths per million registered models. This number for a vehicle as slow as the Mirage is shocking. For comparison, the Dodge Challenger is third on the list, with 154 deaths based on the same criteria.
What makes the Mirage dangerous
A few issues with the Mitsubishi Mirage make it an unsafe car. There are reports of the airbags not deploying as they should, which is a huge safety concern. Additionally, some owners have reported that the front brakes wear out prematurely. This means owners have to be diligent in having them checked. Overall, the car’s design doesn’t allow for much protection in the unfortunate event of a crash.
The Mitsubishi Mirage is also not one of the best sedans for performance. This makes it a less-than-safe vehicle because defensive driving is nearly impossible. For context, the 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage uses a 1.2-liter inline-three engine that only makes 76 horsepower. This is also a slow car, as it takes between 10.6 and 12.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour.
It is important to point out that the 2023 Mirage has decent safety ratings. Additionally, The Drive reports that Mitsubishi Motors of North America recently had this to say in response to the study, “The Mitsubishi Mirage and Mirage G4 both meet or exceed each and every federal crash-test requirement. Additionally, all Mirage models from 2021 onward include Forward Collision Mitigation with Pedestrian Detection as standard.”
Still, despite the safety ratings and the statement from Mitsubishi, this is a car buyers should think twice about.
