1998 Mitsubishi Mirage Review
Price Estimate: $1,040 - $1,733

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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Attractive, roomy, and sporty
Cons
- Traction control is not available
What’s new
Some new colors to choose from and a new heavy-duty starter and battery make the Mirage more reliable.
For sale near South Burlington, VT
Vehicle overview
Do our eyes deceive us, or is there something different about this latest Mirage? Nope, just some new colors for 1998. But that's understandable, as the Mirage received a major overhaul just last year.
Available as a coupe or sedan, in DE and LS trim levels, the Mirage is now better-equipped to do battle with sales favorites like the Honda Civic and the Ford Escort.
The most noticeable changes of recent memory are to the interior, where Mitsubishi replaced all-vinyl seats with cloth and vinyl upholstery. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but anyone who has spent a summer stuck to the interior of their car will know that we are serious when we say that this is one of the most important improvements made to the Mirage.
As previously mentioned, the Mirage is available in two trims; the entry-level DE which has a 95 horsepower 1.5-liter engine mated to either a five-speed manual transmission or four-speed automatic. The DE sedan has a front stabilizer bar that helps the car move nimbly between potholes and slow-moving traffic, and both the DE coupe and sedan have a four-wheel independent suspension. LS models, which are meant to appear to a more fashion conscious crowd, have a larger engine which displaces 1.8 liters and makes 113 horsepower. Other upgrades include alloy wheels, a chrome-tipped exhaust, tilt steering, a stereo with integrated CD controls and a covered center armrest.
We have always liked the Mirage, thinking it one of the better entry-level cars on the market today. The redesigned version hasn't diminished our thoughts about the car at all. The Mirage of our choice is the LS coupe equipped with ABS and the LS Value Package; with these options, the Mirage has almost every conceivable convenience, costs well under $15,000 and doesn't look like every other car parked at the mall.
Reliability
The 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage has 5 recalls. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.
Recalls
5 recalls foundChecking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.
If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).
- Recall Number:
- 97V179000
- Manufactured from:
- 1997-06-18 to 1997-08-28
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 31
- Defect Description:
- VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A POORLY MANUFACTURED VACUUM CHECK VALVE IN THE VACUUM HOSE BETWEEN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND THE BRAKE VACUUM BOOSTER. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED, THE VACUUM BOOSTER CHECK VALVE CAN STICK TO THE VALVE BODY.
- Defect Consequence:
- THIS CONDITION WOULD RESULT IN REDUCTION OR LOSS OF VACUUM BOOST, REDUCING BRAKE EFFICIENCY.
- Corrective Action:
- DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE BRAKE VACUUM HOSE.
- Recall Number:
- 09E025000
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 42540
- Defect Description:
- DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
- Defect Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Corrective Action:
- DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
- Recall Number:
- 09E012000
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 16270
- Defect Description:
- SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.
- Defect Consequence:
- DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
- Corrective Action:
- SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
- Recall Number:
- 06E026000
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 61944
- Defect Description:
- CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
- Defect Consequence:
- WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
- Corrective Action:
- PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
- Recall Number:
- 00V311001
- Manufactured from:
- 1996-03-01 to 1999-02-28
- Number of vehicles affected:
- 210000
- Defect Description:
- VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES: MIRAGE MODEL VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.5L ENGINES; MONTERO SPORT MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES; AND MONTERO MODELS EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES. THE BOLT SECURING THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY CAN BECOME LOOSE AND THE PULLEY COULD FALL OFF THE VEHICLE.
- Defect Consequence:
- THE CONDITION CAN RESULT IN A LOSS OF POWER STEERING ASSIST, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- Corrective Action:
- ON THE MIRAGE VEHICLES, THE DEALERS WILL INSTALL A NEW, IMPROVED CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT ON THE OLDER ENGINES. ON NEW ENGINES WHICH ALREADY HAVE THE IMPROVED BOLT, THE DEALER WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATION. ON THE MONTERO MODELS, DEALERS WILL TIGHTEN THE CRANKSHAFT PULLEY BOLT TO THE CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS. IF THE BOLT IS DAMAGED, IT WILL BE REPLACED.
Mitsubishi Mirage Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Can't justify getting rid of it.
4.25 out of 5 starskirk, 05/19/2010
1998 Mitsubishi Mirage DE 4dr Sedan
Have had my 98 for about 8 yrs. Averaged 34 mpg, and have seen 45 mpg on straight highway driving. Put on a cold air intake and now it sounds more throaty. Very reliable. Never been in the shop. Lots of room to work on engine. (it's smaller than some motorcycles engines). I always talk about the mileage. Why get a hybrid, is what I Wonder.
Super reliable
5 out of 5 starsDylan Singleton, 12/25/2015
1998 Mitsubishi Mirage DE 4dr Sedan
My mirage has over 136,000 on it anx it always starts instantly no matter what season. It has never given me any issues. It turns on a dime get unbeeleivable mpgs. And i used it to tow my friends full sized oldsmobile and it did it fine. This car can do anything you want it to. I highly recomend it to anyone.
Long-time owner
4.5 out of 5 starsVince, 03/06/2006
1998 Mitsubishi Mirage LS 2dr Coupe
I purchased my Mirage LS new in May of 1998 and have enjoyed owning it ever since. My only regret is that Mitsubishi no longer manufactures the Mirage. I now have 120,000 miles on it and other than routine maintenance it has not cost me a dime. The highway mileage has never been less than 32 miles per gallon. It has been a great little car.
It gets you were you want to go
4.38 out of 5 starst2c4u, 04/15/2002
1998 Mitsubishi Mirage DE 4dr Sedan
Its not the flashies, fastest, or
funest, but it gets you were you want
to go very cheeply. I'm getting 40mpg
with the standard. And its pretty
confortable to drive. Great first time
car.
1998 Mirage Highlights
Sedan
DE
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 31 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $127/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 11.5 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalPoor
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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