Mitsubishi Mirage vs Toyota Crown: Specs Compared

Running cost over five years: at the EPA's 15,000-mile-a-year assumption the Toyota Crown burns about $1,500 of fuel annually against $1,600 for the Mitsubishi Mirage. That $100 yearly gap compounds to roughly $500 over five years and $800 over eight — often more than the price difference between two trims of the same vehicle, and the single largest running-cost line item separating these two.

City versus highway split: the Toyota Crown is the stronger commuter at 42 mpg city, while the Mitsubishi Mirage pulls ahead on the interstate at 43 mpg highway. If most of your driving is stop-and-go traffic the city figure is the one to weigh; for long-distance highway mileage the reverse is true, and the two vehicles effectively swap places depending on how you drive.

Powertrain choice: the Mitsubishi Mirage is recorded with 1 distinct engine configuration (1.2), the Toyota Crown with 1 (SIDI & PFI; Hybrid). Across 32 recorded Mitsubishi Mirage configurations and 8 for the Toyota Crown, the wider the engine spread the more the real-world fuel efficiency depends on which version you actually buy, so check the specific model year and drivetrain rather than the headline number.

Drivetrain and class: the Mitsubishi Mirage is offered with Front-Wheel Drive, the Toyota Crown with All-Wheel Drive. All-wheel drive typically costs one to two mpg combined against the same vehicle in front- or rear-wheel drive, which is worth remembering when the gap between these two is small. The EPA classes them as Compact Cars and Midsize Cars respectively — the class drives the interior volume, cargo space and passenger space each one is measured against.

Tailpipe emissions: at their cleanest configurations the Toyota Crown emits 214 g/mile of CO2 versus 225 g/mile for the Mitsubishi Mirage. Emissions track fuel consumption almost exactly, so the cleaner vehicle here is also the cheaper one to fuel.