As many new cars become more spacious and more expensive, shoppers living in tightly packed urban areas or those still seeking value in an economy car have fewer choices. Truly subcompact cars like the 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage continue to offer modern amenities and impressive fuel efficiency. The current generation has been around since 2012, receiving a facelift for 2017 and carrying over for 2019.

The Mirage is available as a 5-passenger hatchback or a conventional 4-door sedan, called the G4, which is covered as a separate model. The hatchback Mirage is powered by a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine making 78 horsepower and 74 pound-feet of torque. Power gets sent to the front wheels through either a 5-speed manual or an available continuously variable transmission (CVT). Fuel economy with the manual transmission is 33 mpg city, 41 highway, 36 combined. With the CVT, fuel economy is 36, 43, 39.

The Mirage’s tall hatchback layout provides an upright greenhouse with good visibility and plenty of headroom, even for tall passengers. It also provides 47 cubic feet of total cargo space with the rear seat folded. With that seat upright, it still provides 17.2 cubic feet.

Trims for the Mirage include ES, SE, and LE. There’s also the range-topping GT. Last year, the Mirage gained Bluetooth, a reversing camera, and a 7-inch touchscreen as standard equipment. This year, the Mirage gains more standard content, including cruise control, a driver’s seat height adjustment, and handsome silver seat stitching on all trims. Other standard features on the ES include a rear spoiler, LED taillights, and chrome grille surround. It also features a variable wiper for the rear window and keyless entry.

Moving up to the SE adds 14-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, fog lights, a center driver’s-seat armrest, and passive keyless entry with push-button start. It also comes with an upgraded touchscreen. At 6.5 inches, it’s technically smaller than the one found in the ES, but more advanced, and it features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The new-for-2019 LE, or Limited Edition, adds 15-inch black alloy wheels, heated front seats, and red interior accents. It also adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a shift knob with red accents, and black side mirrors. The range-topping GT adds some visual flair with 15-inch two-tone alloy wheels and HID automatic on-off headlights.

The Mirage comes with stability control, a tire-pressure monitoring system, an engine-immobilizer theft deterrent system, and Mitsubishi’s crash cell construction. The Mirage is backed by a fully transferable 5-year, 60,000-mile new vehicle limited warranty, and an impressive 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty. The National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Mirage 4 stars overall.

There was a time when subcompact cars meant serious compromise. But with an impressive warranty, even more impressive fuel efficiency, and the latest infotainment features, the 2019 Mitsubishi Mirage is a small car that won’t make you regret going on a budget.