Used 2018 Toyota Mirai Base for sale 

The 2018 Toyota Mirai comes loaded with a whole set of creature comforts that will suit the taste of everyone. You get standard features like Steering mounted Audio, Cruise and Voice Control and Dynamic Guidelines for navigation, and Rear View Camera.

Some of the other features that haven't been listed below include Dynamic POI searching in the Navigation system, SofTex Seats, Power Lumbar Support, Powered Door Locks, Qi Wireless Charging Pad for compatible phones, Touch Control, and LED brake lights.

Buying Advice

The Mirai comes in only one trim, and hence it is the only one to go for, as Toyota does not want to confuse its prospective buyers with several trims and variants and is willing to provide a single fully loaded trim to all its buyers. The 2018 Mirai has enough comfort and safety features inside to be a worthy contender for the segment.

The 2018 Toyota Mirai sources its powertrain from the Camry Hybrid, which is a Permanent magnet AC Synchronous motor that delivers 151 horsepower and 247 lb-ft of torque. The engine feels slow to react and respond at low speeds but becomes slightly more engaging to drive at higher speeds.

Right behind the engine sits 2 high-pressure carbon fiber Hydrogen tanks that store and expand Hydrogen, respectively and a high voltage Nickel-Metal Hydride drive battery that allows for Regenerative Braking and some added boost of performance. This boost tends to somewhat mitigate the slow responding fuel cells and makes the Mirai perform like a normal city car.

With the slow responsiveness from the fuel cells known to all, one has to be prepared in advance for performing an overtaking maneuver on the highway or the city. The Honda Clarity FCV has a higher power output than that of the Mirai but lacks behind marginally in terms of torque generated.

What is the 2018 Toyota Mirai Electric's 0-60 mph Acceleration Performance?

Over 4,000 lbs of the weight of the Toyota Mirai does translate into a lethargic performance from the 151 hp electric motor. What worsens the case for the Mirai are the fuel cells that are not as quick to respond to throttle responses as one would expect from them. The slow 9.4 seconds to 60 mph and the 17.2 seconds taken for the quarter-mile are a testament to that.

But then, one does not simply buy a fuel cell car for its straight-line acceleration. 

The overall difference in performance, however, tells a different story. The Mirai falls short of the Clarity by a considerable margin, that's due to the fact that the regenerative power stored in the batteries of the Mirai provides an extra boost to the engine when the driver steps on the gas hard. The Mirai on the other hand has superior top speed. 

What is the 2018 Toyota Mirai Electric's Braking Performance?

The 2018 Mirai's low profile and skinny tires contribute to high MPG figures but compromise on handling and braking performance, as is evident in our tests. What also hampers the braking performance is the over 4,000 lbs weight of the Mirai that weakens the overall braking performance. It takes 130 ft before coming to a complete halt when braking from 60 mph. 

In terms of the feel and feedback from the brakes, we are happy to report that the responsiveness from the brakes is quite satisfactory and predictable for normal day to day driving. The responsiveness from the brakes tends to be jittery while stepping hard on the brakes at times of emergency.

Has the Ride and Handling of the 2018 Toyota Mirai Electric improved?

In terms of the ride quality, the Mirai offers a quiet and comfortable ride on most occasions, while the big glass area adds to the roominess of the cabin. Another reason for the smooth drive comes from the fact that the wheels are powered by an Electric Motor and have no transmission system as such. This eliminates any transmission vibrations or any kind of sensations that you would normally associate while changing gears.

In terms of handling, the Mirai handles pretty much like an ordinary city car, without any exceptional characteristics. The low profile tires don't inspire confidence around corners but do contribute to the overall fuel efficiency of the car. Its light steering and well-weighted chassis make for a good handler at city speeds but compromises on highway stability.

Considering the fact that the Mirai uses an Electric Motor to power itself, and with Hydrogen being the fuel of choice, the Mirai does exceptionally well in providing a good fuel economy as compared to its gas-powered rivals. The best part of burning Hydrogen powered vehicles is the fact that the only gas that is emitted out of the tailpipe is water vapor. The 66 mpg rating of the Mirai by the EPA is good enough for over 2,000 miles of running before needing to replenish the Hydrogen cells. 

In terms of the competition, the Clarity has a marginally higher fuel economy than the Toyota, and what makes the Honda sneak ahead is the overall tank capacity. On the other hand, Toyota delivers the same mileage figure in all conditions while the Clarity varies in the City and Highway but not by a huge margin.

The 2018 Toyota Mirai can only seat 4 adults inside it, but despite this, the passengers won't complain about the space on offer. The seats have been sculpted nicely, and they can be power adjusted as well on the front. There is a good amount of headroom and legroom on offer while the big glass area accentuates the overall roomy feeling inside the cabin. The materials are of decent quality and look classy while also being vaguely futuristic. Most of the interior surfaces are finished in black plastic with a gloss black or fake chrome finish to them that does not really justify the feel of a $60,000 car. 

The fake carbon surface plastic also doesn’t feel as good, whereas the synthetic leather chosen by Toyota over a genuine one is also a disappointment with the Mirai. On the contrary, the individual cushioning of the seats is top-notch, while the rear seats themselves come in a bucket seat type configuration.

The seats also come with a heating functionality, while the cabin doesn't allow many roads or tire noise to filter into the cabin even at high speeds.

The Clarity is a proper sedan as it can seat 5 passengers comfortably in its cabin, while the Mirai is rated to seat only 4 occupants. Honda also provides a lot more space for rear-seat passengers with wider seats and is definitely the more spacious one amongst the two. Few key features include-

• 8-way adjustable front bucket seats
• Power Adjust for the Heated Driver Seats and Lumbar support in the front
• Heated Rear Seats with Soft-Tex Trimming
• Heated Steering Wheel and Windshield Wiper/De-icer
• Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Control
• Push Button Start and remote Illuminated Entry

How is the 2018 Toyota Mirai Electric’s infotainment system?

Just like the future-ready powertrain of the Mirai, the infotainment system of the Mirai is ready for the future as well. You get features like a premium Entune audio system with an 11-speaker JBL setup that includes a subwoofer and an amplifier. The Dynamic Real-Time Navigation can guide you to the nearest Hydrogen Filling Station, and there is also an App Suite that supports multiple Apps from the Phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto Integration.

Other features include-

• Entune 3.0 Premium JBL Audio system
• Entune 3.0 dynamic navigation with 3-year complimentary trial
• Entune 3.0 connected services with safety connect (3-year complimentary trial)
• Touch Controls to modulate the Audio and Climate Control System
• Verizon powered 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot (6-month complimentary trial)
• Wireless Charging Pad for compatible phones
• Dynamic Voice Recognition with SiriusXM Radio compatibility
• Integrated Rear View Camera with Adaptive Guidelines

How much is the 2018 Toyota Mirai Electric’s Cargo capacity?

There isn't much to talk about when we come to the topic of Cargo Space. The Toyota Mirai offers around 12.8 cu. ft. of space in its trunk and manages to beat the spacious Honda in this respect, albeit by a very small margin.

Other than the space you see in the cargo, there aren't many avenues of increasing the space behind as the rear seats can't be folded for providing additional space. In terms of keeping smaller items like phones or bottles, Toyota has provided sufficient cubby holes and bottle holders for keeping the same.

In terms of the exterior design, the designers at Toyota haven't done their best in terms of styling the Mirai handsomely. The Mirai resembles its other siblings when it comes to the front end, while the side profiles would look "Hideous" to most. Bits of the Mirai's fastback shape seem to glide over different bits, with a black recess isolating the hood from the bumpers and progressively glossy black on the back columns, to give the rooftop a suspending appearance over the windows.

The big intakes feed air to the compressor and other auxiliaries for the fuel cell powertrain.The 2018 Toyota Mirai resembles other gas-powered sedans in terms of the exterior dimensions. It doesn't look small or overly big and has decent proportions overall.

The Mirai is taller than the Clarity and has a lesser wider stance than the same. The width, however, doesn't make a lot of difference, as on the inside, the Mirai is spacious and offers generous space. In terms of the wheelbase, the 2018 Mirai has a higher specification than the Clarity, and that gives it an edge while doing high-speed stints on the motorway. The elongated wheelbase liberates more space for passengers in the back and adds to the overall stability of the Car.

Neither the government nor the private testing agencies, that is the NHTSA or the IIHS, have crash-tested this sort of one of a kind fuel cell car yet. But we do know that Toyota puts safety as one of its top priorities when designing and introducing new cars into the Market, and the 2018 Mirai is no exception to the same. One gets a lot of State of the Art safety features bundled inside the Mirai. The Standard Safety Features include

• 8 Airbags
• LATCH Setting on Rear Seats
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Vehicle Proximity Notification System
• Front and Rear Parking Assist SONAR
• Anti-Theft System with Engine Immobilizer
• Toyota Safety Sense
• Star Safety System
• Safety Connect System

2018 Toyota Mirai Electric vs Honda Clarity

It should be made clear that both Honda and Toyota have taken a big step in possibly showing us a future that involves Hydrogen rather than charging stations. The Honda Clarity was one of the first few cars in the segment to usher in the change with the Fuel Cell Technology. With the current generation of Clarity, you get a more superior and sophisticated powertrain and Fuel Cell Technology with even higher efficiency.

Both Honda and Toyota are equally matched in terms of what they offer, but if you have to make a choice, it just comes down to the exteriors and which one you like the most.

The Toyota Mirai does showcase to us the possibility of how the future may look like. With its edgy "out of the box" exterior design, sharp-looking Interiors, a good set of standard safety features, and a Hydrogen powertrain, the Mirai does tick all the boxes in terms of what the perfect electric car should be like. Leave aside the availability of the Mirai only in California presently and the limited number of Hydrogen filling stations in the US, and you will find the Mirai to be a force to be reckoned with and benchmark for the others to follow.