The Automotive Advantage Car of the Year
Cheap and lame vs. expensive and insane. Plus Fast News, an EV weight alert, and more...
The Automotive Advantage Car of the Year Award (kinda)
It’s that time of year again… Well, no it’s not, but we are so certain on this one that we are jumping the gun by about four months. Ladies and gentlemen of our The Automotive Advantage readership, we proudly present to you our 2023 Car of the Year. The one, the only, the 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage!
At this point, most automotive news outlets would go over a long list of features, benefits, and selling points that make this car better than anything else you can buy. For us, it boils down to one critical fact that only the Mirage owns… It is the only new car in the United States that you can buy for under twenty large at $19,205. So, congratulations to the entire Mitsubishi team on this huge victory.
Accepting the award for Mitsubishi was their Director of Internet Communications, Steven B. Reels. “Thank you for drawing attention to our team of designers and engineers”, said Mr. Reels.
We also want to acknowledge our list of honorable mentions: Kia Rio ($20,157), Nissan Versa ($20,763), Hyundai Venue ($23,971), and the Nissan Sentra ($23,994). While we are bummed that a domestic automaker didn’t make it into the running for our coveted award, we do want to thank them for at least giving it an effort to produce cars that average Americans can afford to purchase.
For the Mirage buyer, just think about the potential. For $20,000, you get the car, but for another $20,000 you can build it into a rally racer, a hot hatch road racer, or just a weekend autocross champ. With this low cost entry point, the sky is the limit. Have fun Mirage owners… we’ll see you out there.
The Mirage? I literally didn’t even know this existed until “Car of the Year” came up for debate. But, I mean, this thing must suck, right? You know what, I don’t even care enough about the Mirage to discuss this any further.
Our editorial team is split on this one. Here’s the other side of this coin…
My Car of the Year vote goes to the Koenigsegg Gemera, a totally practical and absolutely normal “mega car” built for four. Unlike the Mirage, which does not feature a 6-phase, 800 horsepower Raxial Flux Dark Matter E-Motor, the Gemera is a true hybrid, which pairs EV power with an environmentally friendly 3-cylinder engine. You see, this is a car that appeals to the practical and environmentally conscious among us.
True, we would option it with the slightly larger 5.0L Twin Turbo V8, which boasts 1500 horsepower and 1500 lb-ft of torque but again, this is a hybrid and that makes it all okay. It’s likely safer than the Mirage, too, thanks to its 4-wheel drive and 4-wheel torque vectoring system and the Light Speed Tourbillion Transmission. That’s the LSTT for those of you not up to speed yet. It also has Apple CarPlay, like the Mirage, and again, room for four.
By my calculations you could have 1 Koenigsegg Gemera or 101 Mitsubishi Mirages, which just seems extremely impractical and, honestly, not very environmentally friendly at all. I’ll take 1 Gemera for Car of the Year, please.
American (Cars) are FAT!
It is as American as baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and diabetes. Despite decades of telling us to eat smart and stay in shape, the average American still can’t keep themselves from sitting on the couch (Netflix!) while eating a second piece of bumpy cake. And, so it seems that our automobiles are following that same trend. Factor in regulated safety equipment, the high expectations for high-tech electronics, and the nearly 10% market share for EV vehicles, and we have a problem.
Word got out last week that the average weight of a new vehicle sold in the US last year topped 4,300 pounds. That’s up 1,000 pounds since 1980. This trend is driven by an insatiable appetite (see what we did there?) for larger and larger vehicles, SUVs, and now EVs. Figure up to a ton for the EV battery and drive gear alone, and things only look worst. When GM’s Hummer topped 10,000 pounds, the rule makers started opening debating a limit to passenger car weight.
The outliers like the Hummer and Cybertruck aren’t the real issue. It’s the push to bring EV to the full-size pickup market that has everyone concerned. Again, these are the best selling vehicles in the US, they see the most miles per segment, and they haul and tow even more weight around. Consider the increased tax burden for road damage. Then, think about the safety concern when your “regular” 5,000 pound truck gets hammered by a EV-equipped tanker.
The flip side is that people feel safer in bigger and bigger cars. Perhaps, the weight increase is a selling point. That’s what a casual conversation with one of our dealership guys told us. For a smaller driver looking to “feel safe” going down the road, maybe a four ton missle is just what they need in the driveway.
Fast News
Our boy Sage “DONKMASTER” Thomas is still into the skinny pedal, currently preparing for the FIRST ever 4 Wide Big Wheel race at Street Car Super Nationals in Las Vegas. His team will also be featured in an episode of Kevin Hart’s Car club that’s airing later this year on Motortrend and they will have cars in several big booths at the SEMA Show this year. You love to see it!
Gadget of the Week
It’s still hot as balls out there, and car people everywhere are looking for some relief. Well, take a look at this little slice of Heaven! Just image pulling up to the local car spot with a hundred gallons of cool refreshing water in the bed of your mid-sized truck. Talk about a traveling frat house… here you go. Please, remember to not attempt a slalom run while fulling inflated and filled, but if you do, record that stunt!