Any bike can be used for touring, kinda, sorta. The Mirage would be one of the worst choices. The Cycle Spectrum in my neighborhood sells them. Very light duty rims. Low cost components. It is a "campus" bike, for riding to school or around campus. A good buy for that kind of thing.
The cheapest bike truly built for loaded touring is a Fuji. Although Cycle Spectrum, and its affiliates, may be among the largest Fuji dealers in the USA, I have never seen a Fuji tourer in one of their stores. Probably, no one sees a market for an "under $1,000" loaded touring bike. (I see one...bike stores don't).