2013 Economical A/T Car Comparo - Vios vs City vs Jazz vs Mirage vs Accent (diesel)

**Mikemike07** · March 10th, 2013 05:35 PM

Mirage. Good fc as reported in their thread. Its small but relatively powerful compared to cars in its class and price range since it has a 1.2l engine. Its fairly new so there might be some scarcity for parts but since it has a high demand it wont be a problem in the future. Imo, its perfect for point a point b use. Reliability wont be much of a problem. Its a mitsu but we wont know for sure of course.

**ano727** · March 10th, 2013 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by niky

Amongst the gasoline cars on the list, the Mirage can't be beat. I drove a manual one for a week and traffic economy never went below 12 km/l, even on very short, short trips. I've also driven the Vios, Mazda2, Fiesta, Rio and Accent 1.4 (gas)... but the only non-hybrid gasoline cars I've driven that are more economical than the Mirage are the Eon and Alto.

Thanks sir niky!

In that case, would you recommend the Eon or Alto over Mirage?

**ano727** · March 10th, 2013 08:24 PM

Originally Posted by TheMikProject

According to my friend, his automatic Mirage gets 14km/L city driving and 17km/L highway.

Meanwhile, owners of the Accent diesel said the lowest fuel consumption they get is 12km/L city. But it's the highway part that's remarkable, most get 19-25km/L.

But sa ease of maneuvering in tight spaces, Mirage beats everything, hands down. It's so small and so easy to drive.

Thanks TMP!

Looks like this is narrowing down to a two car race between Mirage and Accent (diesel), though more expensive yung Accent tag price.

More opinions are welcome.

**cpsolt** · March 10th, 2013 08:26 PM

the alto k10 and celerio both have the same engine but alto doesn't offer AT. (but the celerio does.)

**ano727** · March 10th, 2013 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by Mikemike07

Mirage. Good fc as reported in their thread. Its small but relatively powerful compared to cars in its class and price range since it has a 1.2l engine. Its fairly new so there might be some scarcity for parts but since it has a high demand it wont be a problem in the future. Imo, its perfect for point a point b use. Reliability wont be much of a problem. Its a mitsu but we wont know for sure of course.

Thanks Mike07!

I'll visit Mitsu dealers to see this in the flesh.

**niky** · March 10th, 2013 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by ano727

Thanks sir niky!

In that case, would you recommend the Eon or Alto over Mirage?

If you'd like an answer to that, you could pick up a copy of the March issue of Top Gear Philippines, as we did the Eon, Mirage and the Geely LC for the "Big Test".

Sige na, buy. Pogi yung nagsulat ng Big Test.

But seriously, it depends on what you're looking for.

The Alto gives you very, very good city economy, but not much else. Even with the chassis upgrades for the K10, it's a noticeably dated car. Yes, the 1.0 engine in such a small body gives it great performance... for an Alto... but it's still slow compared to everything else and lacking in stuff like ABS and a modern crash structure. I love the car, it's lots of fun and it makes a great no-worries commuter, but if highway safety is a concern... no.

The Eon is even slower than the Alto. About par with the Alto 800cc, though. Despite this, it has very good legroom and the quality is superb. (except for the gearshift and clutch) Handling is very, very stable and fuel economy is exceptional. And it's great on the highway. My friend traded in his Picanto for an Eon and he's super-happy with it, even uses it to take his family on long trips. The fuel economy is never less than incredible. I have issues with the gearshift, though, and for big guys like me, it's still way too narrow. I used to be a big fan of the Eon, but now that I've driven the Mirage...

The Mirage gives you economy that's nearly as good as the Eon in the city and better at high speeds (because of the aerodynamics). It's got lots of legroom and elbow room, and the inside is as big as some compact cars of the 90's. And it weighs less than many of them. Heck, the Mirage weighs less than an D12 EG hatch. The bare Mirage is a great value, but it lacks ABS, anti-roll bars and good tires.

But since you're comparing it to the City/Jazz/Accent/Vios, you can afford the GLS.

The GLS comes with ABS and much better tires, and braking is superb. Better than anything else at this price and better than many cars costing twice as much. Handling is also much better, despite the suspension still being soft and the kit and equipment are mind boggling. You get power everything. You get a better suspension and tires. You get an aerodynamic spoiler that improves highway economy (can't be fitted to the GLX because of the integrated third brake light). You get keyless entry and a touchscreen Navi entertainment system. Nothing else is this loaded at this price.

Of course... go for the GLS CVT and you can afford the cheapest Vios and Rio, but aside from the slightly bigger backseat, they don't offer you anywhere near this much stuff. And... economy. 20 km/l easy at 100 km/h, 25+ at 80. What more could you want?

*Photos by Mikko David. More car action shots here at the Car of the Year Philippines Facebook Page.

**jut703** · March 10th, 2013 11:20 PM

My friend gets 12 km/L in city driving on his Mirage GLS CVT, which I get to drive frequently.

I concur with what niky said regarding the Mirage - unlike all other microcars, this is something that doesn't feel compromised. My previous favorite microcar, the Celerio, is nowhere as good a package as the Mirage. The latter is simply more refined, more modern, more spacious, more loaded, and ultimately, more of a car.

Unlike a Vios J, or a Picanto (or any microcar for that matter), when you drive a Mirage GLS, it's not as if you simply didn't have the budget for a more expensive car. It's so good that it's respectable on its own, as opposed to being a budget-meal choice. In fact I ask a lot of new car buyers, what else do you need that's not in the Mirage? Aside from space, there's really not much else to ask.

**ano727** · March 11th, 2013 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by niky

If you'd like an answer to that, you could pick up a copy of the March issue of Top Gear Philippines, as we did the Eon, Mirage and the Geely LC for the "Big Test".

Sige na, buy. Pogi yung nagsulat ng Big Test.

But seriously, it depends on what you're looking for.

The Alto gives you very, very good city economy, but not much else. Even with the chassis upgrades for the K10, it's a noticeably dated car. Yes, the 1.0 engine in such a small body gives it great performance... for an Alto... but it's still slow compared to everything else and lacking in stuff like ABS and a modern crash structure. I love the car, it's lots of fun and it makes a great no-worries commuter, but if highway safety is a concern... no.

The Eon is even slower than the Alto. About par with the Alto 800cc, though. Despite this, it has very good legroom and the quality is superb. (except for the gearshift and clutch) Handling is very, very stable and fuel economy is exceptional. And it's great on the highway. My friend traded in his Picanto for an Eon and he's super-happy with it, even uses it to take his family on long trips. The fuel economy is never less than incredible. I have issues with the gearshift, though, and for big guys like me, it's still way too narrow. I used to be a big fan of the Eon, but now that I've driven the Mirage...

The Mirage gives you economy that's nearly as good as the Eon in the city and better at high speeds (because of the aerodynamics). It's got lots of legroom and elbow room, and the inside is as big as some compact cars of the 90's. And it weighs less than many of them. Heck, the Mirage weighs less than an D12 EG hatch. The bare Mirage is a great value, but it lacks ABS, anti-roll bars and good tires.

But since you're comparing it to the City/Jazz/Accent/Vios, you can afford the GLS.

The GLS comes with ABS and much better tires, and braking is superb. Better than anything else at this price and better than many cars costing twice as much. Handling is also much better, despite the suspension still being soft and the kit and equipment are mind boggling. You get power everything. You get a better suspension and tires. You get an aerodynamic spoiler that improves highway economy (can't be fitted to the GLX because of the integrated third brake light). You get keyless entry and a touchscreen Navi entertainment system. Nothing else is this loaded at this price.

Of course... go for the GLS CVT and you can afford the cheapest Vios and Rio, but aside from the slightly bigger backseat, they don't offer you anywhere near this much stuff. And... economy. 20 km/l easy at 100 km/h, 25+ at 80. What more could you want?

*Photos by Mikko David. More car action shots here at the Car of the Year Philippines Facebook Page.

Thanks *niky, makes me want to read the rest of the review sa TGP March Issue.

Will buy one. Agad agad!