Overview & Reviews

Mitsubishi has built its brand in the United States with a selection of cars and SUVs that tend to offer above-average performance and style. The parent company has its roots in producing commercial vehicles for its home market of Japan.

A Japanese word meaning "three diamonds," Mitsubishi was founded in by Yataro Iwasaki, a descendant of samurais, in the early 1870s. The company's initial focus was on shipping, but it quickly diversified into areas such as mining and ship repair. In 1917, Mitsubishi unveiled the Model A, Japan's first series production passenger car.

It wasn't until 1960, with the launch of the compact Mitsubishi 500, that the company began producing passenger vehicles on a large scale. That decade also saw the launch of other Mitsubishi light passenger vehicles like the 360 Van and 360 Pickup. The company also distinguished itself on the racetrack during this decade, taking top honors in Japan's Grand Prix.

Mitsubishi's automobile production arm was officially spun off into a company of its own with the establishment of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in 1970. The company's Colt made its way to American shores in 1971, the same year in which Chrysler purchased a 15 percent stake in the new company. However, the Colt wasn't sold under the Mitsubishi name, but rather under the Dodge brand, reflecting Chrysler's interest in the company. By the end of the decade, Mitsubishi was producing more than 1 million cars per year.

In 1982, Mitsubishi began selling cars in the U.S. under its own name. Through the '80s it offered a variety of cars for the states, including the subcompact Mirage, turbocharged Starion sports car and midsize Galant sedan. Mitsubishi hit its stride in the '90s, thanks to the popularity of the Eclipse sport coupe and 3000GT sports car in the U.S. and the turbocharged Lancer Evolution in other parts of the world.

Chrysler made the most of its partnership, as it used Mitsubishi platforms under many of its models. The Eclipse, in particular, was a key vehicle produced by the Diamond Star Motors partnership. In 1998, Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz to become DaimlerChrysler. Mitsubishi's partnership continued with DaimlerChrysler for a few years but was financially terminated by 2003.

The new millennium has been a struggle for Mitsubishi. Its vehicles have grown stale with consumers and sales have wavered. At one point the company was forced to admit that it had systematically covered up vehicle defects in Japan. On the upside, though, the company's compact, high-performance sedan, the Lancer Evolution, has been a continuing success in the United States. Going forward, Mitsubishi plans to revitalize its brand by developing environmentally friendly vehicles (such as its all-electric "i" hatchback) that are still fun to drive.

User Reviews:

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  Fun to Drive SUV - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By SJM - July 23 - 6:33 am

  My 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor Limited 4WD is a great truck. I have already put 10,000 miles on it in my first three months of ownership It has sufficient power and torque in the hills. Its steering is great too. I would definitely purchase this truck again. It is roomy and has great style in interior as well as the exterior. I picked this truck over the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Nissan Murano, and Chrysler Pacifica. Edmunds long-term test was very helpful. This is a great site with lots of good intelligent information. My family members (passengers) never complian about this truck, and so far it has been trouble free. A test drive is a must to get the feel and experience of what this cross-over SUV is doing right. Looking forward the Ralliart edition.

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  Nice Crossover - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By USMC VET - July 21 - 10:10 pm

  This Crossover is great. No major problems. I bought it used and it was in great condition. Handles well with great pick up on the Highway. The City MPG is bad but on the highway it is great. I am currently thinking about buying one for myself.

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  Good SUV, but a few small things... - 2001 Mitsubishi Montero
  By bgov1 - July 15 - 5:40 am

  I purchased this car at auction from someone who took very good care of it. bought with around 60-70k, now have 89k miles. Eats gas- on a long trip I got 14 mpg with the standard off road tires it comes with- which make for a rough, kind of loud ride. GREAT car in snow! Can plow through just about anything you give it. Great through mud, over logs, and some water! As another person mentioned, the front right bearing went out. The glove box comes loose and rattles around, especially in very cold weather. The headliner scratches VERY easily. and the seat belt clips that hold the belts in the third row (from banging around) break off VERY easily if you dont remember to take belts out.

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  Not a bad ride. - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By IdleWanderlust - July 4 - 2:33 pm

  Bought a fully loaded Lancer GTS manual with sun and sound package and navigation, Love it, car gets better fuel economy that I expected, combined city/hwy of 29.3mpg and straight hwy at about 34 or so. Not bad when usually traveling at about 75mph. The only complaint I have is the car pulls slightly to the left and my dealership has stated there is no issue. I am hoping they will get it resolved soon as I went back and test drove another GTS and found no noticeable pull. I am starting to think that the suspension might need adjustment as the other GTS I tested had a much tighter steering which I preferred.

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  not bad - 2002 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Kevin A - July 4 - 2:00 am

  very cheap, affordable

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  Superb Value - 2009 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Placenshow - July 3 - 2:00 am

  Just purchased a used 2009 Galant ES with 49,xxx miles for $9991, brand new, this car was $22k! Traded in a 1999 Camry LE, which we loved, but were looking for a new model family sedan. So far so good. Plenty of space, decent acceleration for a 4 cylinder, and driver seat is quite comfortable. Doesnt have all the bells & whistles of Camry/Accord but pricing is a definite plus and reliability is above avg from what Ive read on numerous sites. Looking forward to many happy years of worry free driving.

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  Im sad to see it go! - 1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By mia masi - July 2 - 3:10 pm

  I have had this suv for over 4 yrs and with 76000 miles it runs great. With regular oil changes, it has been wonderful to me. We did put the larger tires on it which made it look and feel better. I shop a lot and having that cargo space is great for me (not for my bank account... or my husband). We are now passing her on to a family member, so we will still be able to visit.

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  Great work truck - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By qtcountrybo - June 29 - 3:54 pm

  Bought my 06 Raider brand new and finally got rid of it with just over 101,000 worry free miles. It was a good truck and very relaible. The only complaint that I ever had was the not so good mpgs which averaged only 15 to 16 no matter how I drove. Maybe a five or six speed auto would have made that better.

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  sport - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By pcyh - June 28 - 10:00 am

  The lady of the house loved the styling of this thing, my only issue with her buying any new vehicle was it must be capable of towing our boat of 3,000 plus pounds. So since she loved the styling of this suv, and it would tow this boat better than my ford taurus, i signed for it.

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  Id rather drive this than a Camry... - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By RStudley - June 24 - 10:00 am

  Bought an 02 Diamante ES new for a couple reasons... I owned a 97 Diamante - a good comfortable ride. I also like that I dont see myself coming and going - its sort of a poor mans exclusive ride. I like the power, but fun-to-drive quotient is not high - it wanders like a puppy, and has a bit too much body lean. Even so, it is competent and well behaved (at least in normal driving). The real reason I bought it was price, and unbeatable financing. It also came with a 100K mile warranty, and auto alarm... Summary - not bad if your thing is to get "there" in relative comfort and style.