The Mitsubishi Mirage doesn’t have to take a back seat when it comes to high-rise fuel economy. Nor does this five-door subcompact need to stand in another car’s shadow during parking and other tight-quarter maneuvers. Mirage does a really fine job of handling certain driving tasks. But for drivers wanting unabated power, the Mirage simply doesn’t come close to being a performance maverick. Even though the current design/engineering package debuted in the 2014 model year, Mirage’s new-for-2015 features on the ES trim include side mirrors with turn indicators, different seat fabrics as well as a rear-mounted short pole antenna on both the base DE trim and the ES trim.

Powering the Mirage is a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine that produces 74 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 74 pounds-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. The engine mates to a standard 5-speed manual transmission or an optional continuously variable transmission (CVT). During a one-week test drive, the Mirage’s standard electric power steering and its small 96.5-inch wheelbase parlayed into easy turning for parking tasks. Mirage provides 17.2 cubic feet of cargo stow space with rear seat upright and 47 cubic feet with the 60/40 split fold rear seat folded down. The 1,973-pound Mirage ES hatchback with CVT collects estimated mpg of 37 city/44 highway and carries a MSRP of $15,395.