Good morning! Since we’ve got a weird week with a big Santa-shaped hole right in the middle of it, we’re going to do a grab-bag of silly themes and just see where they go. Today, for your consideration, I have the oldest and newest cars I could find, in a reasonable amount of time, that both feature three-cylinder engines.
On Friday, we looked back at last week’s winners to decide which one would be best suited for picking up an in-law from the airport, and I couldn’t be more proud of you all for the results. Obviously, the Voyager minivan was the most logical choice, but most of you told logic to get bent and voted for the big black Lincoln, which is, of course, the correct choice.
Seeing that car in the context of holiday travel reminds me of a Thanksgiving long ago, when I met an old girlfriend’s parents, and her dad drove the whole family to Thanksgiving dinner in his ’75 Chrysler New Yorker coupe. Her little brother rode shotgun, and her mom sat between us in the back seat, while we went exactly 55 miles an hour in total silence. He wouldn’t allow music in the car, and didn’t much like talking, either. It was weird. Not that that has anything to do with this Lincoln, of course, but since when has that stopped me from relating some anecdote or other?
Before the rise of the hybrid powertrain, and the implementation of today’s strict crash standards, the most surefire way for automakers to crank up their corporate average fuel economy numbers was to offer a really small car, with a really small engine. Many of these made do with only three cylinders, like the Subaru Justy. As hybrid technology took over, larger cars could hit the same mileage numbers, even with larger four-cylinder engines, and the idea of a tiny inline three fell out of favor – except in cheap, loss-leader cars like the Mitsubishi Mirage. I found a Justy for sale, and went looking for the newest Mirage for sale in our price range, just for the sake of comparison. Let’s check them out.
1989 Subaru Justy DL – $1,500
Engine/drivetrain: 1.2-liter overhead cam inline 3, five-speed manual, FWD
Location: Blackfoot, ID
Odometer reading: 65,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Subaru made its name in the US selling small, tough cars that were up for anything. The original 360 was a little too small, and not nearly tough enough, but the Leone, sold here without a model name, created a legacy – and led to the Legacy. But when the Leone grew and moved upmarket in the mid-80s, an opening was created in Subaru’s lineup for something smaller. Enter the Justy, which hit US shores with a clever marketing campaign to make sure everyone knew it was up to the task.
In contrast to Subaru’s traditional aluminum flat-four mounted longitudinally, the Justy features an inline 3 with a cast-iron block and a more small-car-typical transverse layout. This car is one year shy of the conversion to electronic fuel injection, so it still uses a carburetor. Some Justys have four-wheel-drive, but this one sends power to the front wheels only through a five-speed manual gearbox. It runs and drives well, according to the dealership selling it. The odometer reads 65,000, but it has only five digits, so there’s a good chance it has rolled over.
It’s typical ’80s small-car Spartan on the inside, with vinyl seats, minimal features, and lots of exposed painted steel on the door panels. It looks a little beat-up and dirty, but it’s all there, and the beauty of an interior this simple is that there’s not much to break.
Little hatchbacks like these all kind of look the same, especially from this era. It’s honest, if nothing else. This one looks like it has seen better days, but it’s still holding together. The big brush guard is an interesting choice; it makes me wonder if this car was used as a runabout on a ranch or something.
2018 Mitsubishi Mirage – $3,950
Engine/drivetrain: 1.2-liter dual overhead cam inline 3, CVT automatic, FWD
Location: Ventura, CA
Odometer reading: 150,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
The little Mitsubishi Mirage has been the butt of near-constant jokes since it re-emerged in its current form in 2014, mainly for being cheap. That has always bothered me, and I know I’m not the only one, because being inexpensive and basic should not be seen as a negative. And as far as I’ve been able to tell, the Mirage is actually a really good little car. I saw quite a few of them on the Interstate during my cross-country drives this summer, and every time I saw one, it was hauling ass in the left lane. People thrash the hell out of these little cars, and they seem to keep coming back for more.
Like the Justy, the Mirage uses an inline three-cylinder engine, but with thirty years of improvements. It’s a twin-cam design with variable valve timing, putting out a whopping 78 horsepower to the front wheels. You could get a Mirage with a five-speed stick, and of course that’s the transmission I think most of us would choose, but this one comes with a CVT, which was such a commonly-ordered option that Mitsubishi dropped the manual a couple of years ago. We don’t get much information about its condition, but the ad does say that it runs great and passed a smog test.
Reviewers and renters alike have complained about the Mirage’s plain-Jane interior, but compared to that old Justy, this thing is downright opulent. It has power windows and locks, air conditioning, and a touch-screen infotainment system, stuff not even available in economy cars back when that Justy was built. You’d have to step up to a Buick Riviera to get a car that well-equipped in 1989. This one is in good shape, if you can look past the silly shift knob.
The Mirage is another one of those cars that has a really great color palette available, but the original owner of this one chose plain white. Someone added racing stripes to the hood, but they’re subtle and don’t do much. Speaking of not doing much, I think I see those stick-on air diffuser thingies on the roof as well.
Looking at these two side-by-side, you can see how much small cars have changed in thirty years – and how much they haven’t. The fact that these two are so close in specification shows that the formula works; if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. But they also show that the market has placed certain demands on cars that have made it difficult for cheap simple cars like these to succeed. There’s no way you could market a car as plain and simple as that Justy these days; the Mirage is the bare minimum that most buyers demand, and even it is a dying breed. There is a huge price and condition gap here, I know, but I think the cars themselves can be compared pretty directly. So what’ll it be – old-school simplicity, or modern convenience?
(Image credits: sellers)
The Justy is more interesting to me than the Mirage, but it’s pretty beat for its price. The Mirage isn’t cheap, but it’s a decent car that will get your around for a while. A manual and any color might’ve made it a keeper, even.
The Justy for me at $1.5k. I just can’t go for the overpriced Mirage. I’ve had to drive those and they suck. The CVT is particularly painful. The stupid add-ons don’t help. The air diffusers. shift lever and somebody did a half-ass tint job on the whole car including the front windshield. So Subie for me today.
If I’m going to be down on power that badly, I’m going to need a manual to wring out every last drop. Give me the Justy.
The Justy’s doing better than I thought it would be or thought the comments reflected, and I get why – it has a certain simple and squared-off charm and it won a Car and Driver comparison test with a Chevy Sprint (I think it was pre-Metro) and a plush-but-slow Daihatsu Charade. But the dealer didn’t even rinse it off, it looks like there may be rust around the wheel arches and probably more underneath, and it’s in Idaho,. I’d much rather go to Ventura to pick a car up, and I’m much less likely to get shot by a member of one of the fine militias of the Mountain Time Zone. (Consider the bumper sticker, although you can find those everywhere and it’s not the poor car’s fault.) I could use a commuter right now, air conditioning is far more useful where I live than the four-wheel-drive this Justy lacks would be, and I’d get the extra money’s worth out of the Mirage.
Man you going to Ventura and think you are more likely to get shot in Idaho? Hell in Ventura it isn’t if you will get shot but how many times you will get shot.
Justy because it has a 5-speed, I’ll take the Subaru.
You forgot to mention the Justy’s other famous option–the CVT 😛
Of course, this example doesn’t have it, but the CVT was quite notable for the time. Unfortunately, the Justy CVT had lots of problems.
The Justy also got over 30 mpg, something Subaru wouldn’t be able to do again until 20 years later when they brought back the CVT.
The Justy is one of the best Subarus ever made, but this one isn’t in great shape, and it’s not worth $1500. Maybe $500.
I voted for the Mirage because it’s in better shape and has 4 doors. While the Jatco CVT gets hate, the Mirage has no problems with it because it less less torque to deal with from the smaller engine 🙂
If it’s not my only ride, I’ll take the Subaru. The 5-speed makes it interesting to head to the grocery store and zip around doing errands. Avoid freeways!
My appreciation for a crusty old shitbox of a car has met its match today. In reality I’ll bet the dealership would hurl the keys and paper napkin title at you if you waved 8 Benjamins in their face. $1,500 is way too much to ask for that heap. The Mirage is a pretty good deal for someone in need of a cheap car. You might even survive a crash in it too!
I’ll take the Mirage, but, holy cow, that feels like too much money.
Mitsubishi, please, he said incredulously.
Overall it just looks like it has been loved, whereas the Subaru has… not. The primer on the left front fender and door makes me think it was in a collision, and the windshield is cracked in the lower driver’s-side corner (as seen in the VIN pic) which may or may not be related but is an additional issue to resolve.
Also the Mirage appears to have a backup camera installed on the hatch, to the left of the lift handle, and the racing stripe adds 5hp.
I have to point out that ugly wart of a camera is factory installed that way lol, looks the definition of after thought
Wow, that’s pretty bad – thanks for the info!
That Subaru commercial really took me back. It’s hilarious now that because it was so inexpensive the assumption was it ran on batteries. Silly 1989 humans. Anyway I choose the Mirage just because I would rather put my trust in an airbag than a brush guard
In my experience (admittedly some years back), if you’re driving an absolute shitbox with a contrasting brush guard, most people assume you DGAF and give you a bit of room. Paint the guard white, and I’m down to ride.
-course, there were way fewer brodozers back then
I could make an argument for either.
The Justy is interesting. It could be fun as an occasional use vehicle, or something to take to car shows as a rare “ordinary car.” It also looks like something that could be fun to off road, race, and otherwise beat on until it breaks. If I bought this car, I would drive/show it until I was bored with it, then beat on it until it breaks, and then sell it for scrap for $100. I think I could easily get $1,400 worth of enjoyment out of this car.
The Mirage is not interesting, cool, desirable, nice looking, or generally something I would want to drive in ideal or even moderately less than ideal circumstances. Still, it seems like a fabulous deal. It is a cheap, barbaric car, but it is a cheap, barbaric car with 2018 safety and reliability. It also looks well kept and it presumably is mechanically sound if it can pass CA emissions testing.
I ended up voting for the Mirage. While a cheap car to beat on could be a lot of fun, it would be hard to turn down a modern car in good condition for less than $4k.
I can’t believe I voted Mirage (with a CVT no less, ugh), and I LIKE Justys, but I had to go clean > beat.
Samesies
In today’s bro-dozer environment, the safety features in the newer car are worth it. However, as others have said below, if the Subaru was all wheel drive this would be a much tougher decision.
For the price you get the Justy for you can buy a Confederate flag and an AK-47 and brodozers be damned.
Forget logic, I want the Subaru. I already have a practical daily.
Heck no. Old compacts are some of the worst driving experiences. I don’t love the Mirage but I’d take it in a second. Plus it has some actual features that I’d want in a car, and it’s arguably going to be just as reliable if not more than the Subaru.
You also might survive a crash. Not so much in the Justy.
One of my childhood best friend’s mom was a down on her luck gal who’s first big purchase as she was pulling herself and her boy out of poverty, was a Subaru Justy. Hers was an auto, she had only just learned to drive, so learning to drive a manual in her 30’s was a bridge too far, but it served them well for many years. We bombed around in that thing a bunch, and I have a lot of good memories of that Justy.
I’d happily bomb around in and rallycross a FWD stick shift Justy for $1500.
If the Justy was a 4×4 it would be interesting enough to buy and abuse. But as just a generic FWD it’s just a beat up old shitbox with crappy interior, crappy exterior, damn all in the way of comfort and safety equipment and I really don’t want to think of what it probably smells like in there. Its pretty much ready to be rolled into a ditch somewhere and abandoned.
The Mirage is at least a (generally) modern, if tiny and generic, car and will get you to your destination with at least a modicum of comfort and safety.
The Justy is cooler but too much trashed. Never buy something that makes you look like a meth-head.
I’ve been driven in countles Mirages of the era. Boring, but will do the job for pennies until the end of the world, and I bet even with a CVT you can have slow-car-fast fun.
“Never buy something that makes you look like a meth-head.”
So no 1982 Monte Carlos, got it.
How about an Aztek, the ride of choice for aspiring meth kingpins?
Then it’s an ambiguous cultural reference, given the Autopian appropiation of the symbol. I guess.
If the Justy was 4WD, I’d lean towards it, but without that, more modern practicality wins out.
That old Justy is too rough for my taste. So the Mitsubishi gets my vote.
I knew a guy in college who bought a Justy new on a five-year note, and at the time I thought that was silly. But maybe it was a wiser investment than I thought?
Anyway, I’ll take the Subaru; perfect for scaring the bejeezus out of people in the Whole Foods parking lot.
That Subaru has passed beyond selling prices. It’s the kind of car you give to someone for free, and apologize for doing so.
The carbureted Justy will run after the nuclear apocalypse.
The Mirage looks like a car, but it’s… not.
Neither. The crumple zones are where my kids would sit. It’s like the opposite of a van, where I shift the risk to my children.
That said, I’d love to take the Justy offroading. Looks like the current owner agrees.