Osamu Suzuki, Who Led Japanese Carmaker for Over 4 Decades, Dies at 94 - The New York Times no paywall
Yet another company whose automobiles were, to a large degree, considered inferior and undesirable here, yet did quite well in various other markets 
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Who can forget their X-90, one of the weirdest, most-pointless carsā¦ ever?
Iām not sure if this was even popular in their overseas markets.
I quite like its appearance. And the small size would make maneuvering and parking a complete doodle. Iād prefer a hard-top. And Iād lose the rear spoiler. Manual trans is a must.
IMO it is an example of a kei car, popular in Japan.
Lower insurance rates and lower taxes too? Yet another big plus.
I remember when these existed. I thought it was a good idea at the time, a RWD subcompact sports car, with T-tops, etc. This vehicle would certainly be as useful as a Corvette or a BMW roadster, and it would be more fuel efficient and easier to maintain. I am not surprised that it sold poorly here, but I am very surprised that it sold so poorly in the Japanese home market.
Then again, I am surprised that the current Mitsubishi Mirage hatchback isnāt one of the top-selling vehicles here right now. Considering that family sizes are shrinking, and costs of living have soared, one would think that an economy car like the Mirage would be the solution for 99% of what people use a vehicle for in real life.
Logical, but outward appearances are becoming more and more important in US culture.
Edmunds Review:
2024 Mitsubishi Mirage
Pros
- Impressive fuel economy
- Long warranty
- One of the least expensive cars on sale
Cons
- Acceleration is very slow
- The engine is noisy and unrefined
- Excessive road noise at highway speeds
- Low-buck interior, even for this class of car
Seems only suitable for people with no kids that never drive in locations with speed limits over 35MPH.
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The X90 is actually bigger than a Kei car, which has a much smaller engines, and is both narrower and shorter, by law.
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No, I think less important, have you seen some of the offerings from BMW and Lexus? Fugly
For an econobox, the Mirage is fairly decent looking.
Plus, in general, few cars available Ford only offers one: Mustang, last Lincolns were the long gone Town Car and Zephyr. I have not search the other manufacturers, off hand I think Mazda is down to the Miata, Buick none.
Mostly SUV/CUVs.
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How do you like its standard AWD?
I donāt. I prefer FWD in a car like that. If the only option was AWD, that would be a big negative, probably a complete show-stopper.
Technically, they were available in the US in either AWD or RWD , but one of the magazine reviews I remember reading said something along the lines ofā¦ good luck finding one that isnāt AWD on a dealerās lot.
But, you have to admit that Suzuki cornered the market on low-powered (0-60 = 14 seconds), convertible, AWD, 2 seaters with mediocre handling (based on the raised suspension). Doesnāt that describe what an off-roader is really seeking in a vehicle?
Mitsubishi is a [crappy] little car.
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It could be the 78 HP engine. 
For the looks of the Mirage to be tolerable, you need to spend $20K. The lower trim levels have wheel covers that make it look very cheap. Once youāre at $20K, youāre not far from $25K and for the extra $5K you get A LOT better vehicles in that range: Subaru Crosstrek/Impreza and Toyota Corolla for example.
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Do you think most car buyers use the engine power as an important criteria to select which car to buy?
In most of the world, no. Here, perhaps. However, horsepower isnāt what gets you moving from a standstillālow-end torque does that. For that reason, older cars with much less horsepower than modern vehicles, such as a 1988-1992 Toyota Corolla with less than 100 hp, a 1989-1994 Dodge Shadow with less than 110 hp, etc felt fast, because those engines delivered a lot of torque at low RPMs.
I have never driven a current-generation Mitsubishi Mirage, so I canāt attest to its performance. I see them on the road fairly often, and they appear to be a decent, comfortable vehicle. As long as the engine is designed to provide reasonable low-end torque, and the transmission is geared appropriately, thereās no reason why a 78 HP 3-cylinder could not provide decent performance.
I doubt many car buyer use that as a selection parameter either. Do you mean many buyers would notice the car doesnāt accelerate quickly enough from a stop during a test drive? Iād definitely notice that if it was a problem. My prior VW Rabbitās accel from a stop was one of its best features.
I donāt know. A new car purchase decision is a combination of many factors and power is one of them. I donāt think the average new car buyer is too concerned with power - unless itās noticeably under-powered. I would put the Mirage in that category.