Cars and Drivers

The Slowest Car In America

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: December 3, 2023 8:29 am

Among the things most car buyers examine when they buy a new car are price, reliability, fuel range, MPG, and horsepower (hp). Some people want fast cars. They look at engine size, performance, and how fast a car travels from zero to 60 miles per hour, which is usually the speed yardstick. A fast car can travel from zero to 60 in five seconds. An extremely fast one covers the same ground in under three seconds. Based on these speed metrics, some cars are remarkably slow. The slowest one in America is the Mitsubishi Mirage, which takes 12.1 seconds to make the short trip.

According to CarHP, the Mirage has a 1.4 liter, 3 IH. That means it has an engine with three cylinders in one line. The engine puts out 78 hp. It is rare to see a car that is under 100. According to CarHP, the Mirage did not come with an automatic transmission. Rather, it has a five-speed, manual transmission. Its top speed is 102 mph. Many American cars top out at 120 or even higher.

Mitsubishi Motors does not sell many cars in the US. Last year, the total was 85,810 vehicles, down from 102,037 in 2021. Mitsubishi sold 15,816 Mirage units, down from 22,741 the year before. These are the best-selling cars in America.

The Mirage is priced under $18,000, less than half what most new cars sell for. It has a 10-year warranty, which is unusually long. Mitsubishi recently replaced the five-speed manual transmission with a much more common automatic.

The Mirage tends to get poor reviews. Car and Driver gives it a grade of 2.5 out of 5. Its reviewers write, “Interior furnishings reflective of the price, is that an engine or are those gerbils under the hood?”

The Mirage is slow but a good way to save money on the price and great gas mileage.