It’s the beginning of October, and that means the auto manufacturers are releasing their third-quarter sales figures. Of particular note for me is Mitsubishi. For Q3 of 2024, its sales are markedly up, and that includes sales of one of the least expensive vehicles on the market, the Mirage. It’s sales are up a shocking 152.3% vs Q3 of last year. In fact, all of Mitsubishi’s models have had Q3 and YTD sales increases. Is this a sign Americans are wanting inexpensive cars again?

Mitsubishi Mirage: An Inexpensive Car On Its Way Up and Out

Mitsubishi already announced the Mirage will be departing the line after the 2024 model year. Yet, sales are currently very strong. Year-to-date sales figures are up 114.3% to 20,024, which includes the hatchback and G4 Sedan. While that’s not a massive number of cars, it’s a big jump for this car.

The Mirage is one of the most inexpensive vehicles for sale in the U.S. at $17,840 for an ES model with a CVT, the only transmission available these days. (I had a 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage with the five-speed manual, but that gearbox was axed a couple years ago.) You also get power everything, air conditioning, all of the airbags and safety features, and so on—pretty much most things you’d expect on a car from this century.

No, the Mirage is not rapid transit nor is it terribly refined. The 1.2-liter three-cylinder makes just 78 horsepower, but the vehicle weighs only 2,084 lbs. so there isn’t much of it to move. It’s a bit loud and raucous, but hey—this thing is inexpensive for a new vehicle. Plus you get a 10 year, 100,000 mile powertrain warranty and 5-year, 60,000 miles bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Yes, you could argue this was a $12,000 car (or less) several years ago, and it was. I bought our 2017 Mirage ES with the manual transmission for $9,600 out the door (only to sell it to Carmax for $9,400 three years later). But it’s not 2017 anymore and the average price of a car is over $47,000. If you want frugal, cheap, and warrantied wheels, it’s hard to beat the Mirage.

That being said, it’s not going to be around after this model year. As I stated on our sister site, Subcompact Culture, if you want one, you’d better hurry. If you venture over to Subcompact Culture, you’ll also notice the Nissan Versa, which has a starting price that’s $20 cheaper than the Mirage, making it the least expensive new vehicle for sale in the U.S., is also selling very well and is up over 64% vs. 2023. It too will be dead after MY2025.

The Rest of the Mitsubishi Lineup: All Above Q3 2023 Numbers

While the Mirage might have had the largest sales increase within Mitsubishi’s lineup for Q3 of 2024, it’s not the only one with increased sales. In fact, every model they offer—the Outlander, Outlander PHEV, Eclipse Cross, and even the ancient Outlander Sport—all posted better numbers than last year at this time. Overall year-to-date sales are at 82,718, a full 22% above 2023. And guess what? All these cars have starting prices below $47,870 the current average price of a new car in the U.S.A. FYI, the peak average price was $49,929 in December, 2022.

You might be thinking, yeah, but Mitsubishi’s lineup isn’t exactly super appealing these days, perhaps sans the very good Outlander/Outlander PHEV. And that may be the case for some, but did I mention they’re inexpensive and all posting improved Q3 numbers? Only the musty (albeit, trusty) Outlander Sport isn’t exceeding the YTD numbers, but it’s close.

I mean, you can get into an all-wheel-drive Eclipse Cross for $28,435 including freight. That’ll get you a turbo engine, the company’s excellent S-AWC system, and a nice feature-laden interior. I wrote a 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Review for GearJunkie a couple of years ago, and it’s very similar to the 2024 model.

Inexpensive Cars: Are the Mitsubishi Mirage and Nissan Versa Telling Us Something or Not?

So the entire Mitsubishi lineup—including the skyrocketing Mirage, which may fizzle out like a shooting star—are all increasing in sales numbers and all under average price. Also, the cheapest car in America, the Nissan Versa, is doing exceptionally well, too. Is this a sign automakers might make a return to selling less-expensive vehicles?

Right now the Mirage and Versa are the only vehicles under $20,000 in the U.S.A. After MY2025, neither will be available new, either. Once gone, the next cheapest car is the Kia Forte at $21,145, then the Hyundai Venue at $21,295 (2024 pricing listed). I’m certain prices will increase for 2025 on most cars, and I will doubt any company will rush to fill the Mirage and Versa’s entry-level spots. But it begs the question: is there a desire for cheap new wheels in America?

Time will tell. With subcompact cars all but gone (sans Mirage, Versa, MINI, 500e, and a few subcompact crossovers), I doubt we’ll see many new small cars. But there might be a growing market of cars under $25,000. Even the 2025 Nissan Kicks will start off around $23,000 and not much more for AWD.

I’ll be continuing to follow the Mitsubishi saga in North America and to see if inexpensive cars start to return. Personally, I’m rooting for a comeback.