2014 Mitsubishi Mirage Six-Month Update: Great MPG, Great Fun

It happens so quickly: They learn to crawl, and then walk, and before you know it, you're helping them do their first oil change in their first new car.

A little more than six months ago, I contributed an article on my car shopping experiences with my daughter Priscilla.

Those ended with her purchase of a brand-new 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage in Sapphire Blue.

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The Mirage was a totally new car in the American market then.

Its light weight (less than 2000 pounds), low price (starting around $13,000), and less-known brand led a lot of people to ask me how the car has worked out.

The short answer: Great. Priscilla has enjoyed the freedom of movement that only car ownership provides. Her days of relying solely on public transportation, Zipcars, and the abiding patience of her boyfriend have passed.

While public transportation and her own feet still play their part, she has learned the joys of car ownership and how gracefully the Mirage zips around in city traffic.

With one exception, the car has been trouble-free for its first six months. At about 1500 miles, a warning light came on.

It indicated a problem with the SRS (supplemental restraint system, aka airbags) or possibly the seat-belt pre-tensioners--and it required a trip back to the dealer.

Cryptically, the technician said the fault was with the front-left airbag (there are seven airbags altogether), which is usually caused by a faulty wire.

But the technician also said nothing appeared to be wrong with the wire--so the shop turned the airbag back on.

In any case, the fault has not recurred, and Priscilla's baby has avoided the dealership since.

Of course, the little Mirage isn't an electric car, so its oil needed to be changed at 3000 miles.

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