Compare the2023 Kia RioVS 2023 Mitsubishi Mirage

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Rio S with its optional rear seat reminder are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Mirage doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Rio S’ optional driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Mirage doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Rio offers optional 911 Connect, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Mirage doesn’t offer a GPS response system, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Rio and the Mirage have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes and lane departure warning systems.

The Kia Rio weighs 568 to 672 pounds more than the Mitsubishi Mirage. The NHTSA advises that heavier cars are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts. Crosswinds also affect lighter cars more.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Kia Rio Sedan is safer than the Mirage Hatchback:

For its top level performance in IIHS driver-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, rear impact and roof-crush tests, with its optional front crash prevention system, its “Acceptable” rating in the new passenger-side small overlap crash test, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Rio the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2019, a rating granted to only 191 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Mirage was not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2016.

There are over 2 times as many Kia dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Rio’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Rio has a standard 130-amp alternator. The Mirage’s 85-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Rio second among small cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Mirage isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 70 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 28th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 38 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 14th.

The Rio’s 1.6 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 44 more horsepower (120 vs. 76) and 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (112 vs. 74) than the Mirage’s 1.2 DOHC 3-cylinder.

The Rio has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Mirage (11.9 vs. 9.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Rio’s brake rotors and drums are larger than those on the Mirage:

The Rio S offers optional antilock four-wheel disc brakes for better stopping power and improved directional control in poor weather. Only rear drums come on the Mirage. Drums can heat up and make stops longer, especially with antilock brakes that work much harder than conventional brakes.

For better traction, the Rio has larger tires than the Mirage (185/65R15 vs. 165/65R14). The Rio’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Mirage (185/65R15 vs. 175/55R15).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Rio has standard 15-inch wheels. Smaller 14-inch wheels are standard on the Mirage.

The Rio has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Mirage’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Rio’s wheelbase is longer than on the Mirage:

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Rio is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 4.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Mirage.

The Rio 5-Door handles at .79 G’s, while the Mirage ES Hatchback pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Rio Sedan has .7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mirage G4 (89.9 vs. 89.2). The Rio 5-Door has 4.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Mirage Hatchback (90.5 vs. 86.2).

The Rio Sedan has .4 inches more front legroom, 4.1 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 5.7 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mirage G4.

The Rio 5-Door has .4 inches more front legroom, 4.1 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 6 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Mirage Hatchback.

The Rio Sedan has a much larger trunk than the Mirage G4 (13.7 vs. 12.4 cubic feet).

The Rio 5-Door has a larger cargo volume than the Mirage Hatchback with its rear seat up (17.4 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

The Rio has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The Mirage doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

The engine computer on the Rio automatically engages the starter until the car starts with one twist of the key and disables the starter while the engine is running. The Mirage’s starter can be accidentally engaged while the engine is running, making a grinding noise and possibly damaging the starter and ring gear.

The power windows standard on both the Rio and the Mirage have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Rio is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Mirage prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Mirage’s standard power locks don’t automatically lock the doors. The Rio’s standard doors lock when the transmission is engaged. This is an important feature for occupant safety. Locked doors are proven to open less often in collisions, and they are also effective in preventing crime at traffic lights. (The power lock’s automatic feature may have to be activated by your dealer.)

The Rio S’ optional LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Mirage SE’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

The Rio has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Mirage has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/Black Edition.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Rio has standard extendable sun visors. The Mirage doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Rio’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Mirage doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

The Rio’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Mirage’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Rio is less expensive to operate than the Mirage because typical repairs cost much less on the Rio than the Mirage, including $194 less for a water pump, $19 less for front brake pads, $141 less for a starter, $54 less for fuel injection, $29 less for front struts, $5 less for a timing belt/chain and $711 less for a power steering pump.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Rio second among small cars in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Mirage isn’t in the top three.