The year 2014 appears to be very successful for Japanese automakers, at least in the United States. After the 2014 Nissan Versa Note became one of the 10 coolest cars under $ 18,000, now the 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage has been named "the most affordable vehicle shoppers can buy" by Cars.com. The title has been awarded by following guidelines that include equipment, destination fees and anticipated 5-year fuel costs to find the most affordable vehicle to buy and own at the same time.

The 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage DE, in particular, is the winner. The car comes with a CTV transmission, a Bluetooth capability and a price of USD 15 115, which is savings of more than USD 1300 over the car that came in second. The fuel efficiency of the 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage was also a factor – the car achieves US 40 mpg (5.88 liters per 100 km) of fuel consumption, which means owners will likely spend USD 7000 on fuel in five years, which is USD 500 less than the second-place vehicle.

"When we considered the most affordable cars, it was important that we looked only at models equipped with basic but important options like an automatic transmission and power windows and locks," said Joe Wiesenfelder, Cars.com's Executive Editor. "We wanted to help consumers who want an incredibly affordable car find one that also includes the niceties that almost every shopper has come to expect."

The 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage is based around a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder DOHC engine and offers a 5-speed manual gearbox or the more advanced continuously-variable transmission (CVT). Standard safety features include seven air bags and the Mirage features one of the best protection plans in the entire industry: a 10-year/100 000-mile powertrain limited warranty, a fully transferrable 5-year/60 000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, a 7-year/100 000 mile anti-corrosion/perforation limited warranty and a 5-year/unlimited mileage roadside assistance program.

Interested in the 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage? Then go and take a look at the car at a Mitsubishi dealer near you.

Source: Mitsubishi