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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  What Resale Value??????? - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By ejmickens - October 21 - 2:00 am

  I have no complaints about the actual car itself, except maybe the leg room in the front seat. My complaint is the way this car depreciates. I am currently about $8000 upside down. Who wants to try and buy a new car when you are facing those kinds of numbers. And as a former Honda owner this is the one thing that will make me go back to Honda. In addition I made the mistake of getting into a smart buy (aka: we tricked you - low car note now, pay out the rear later) so I will have to pay for wear and tear as well as mileage if I dont get out of the car soon.

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  Some fun eh? - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Rustaman - October 21 - 2:00 am

  First the nits. No Power! Needs a turbo bad! Youll need a calendar to clock 0 to 60 times. The Infinity stereo is horrible. FM reception reaches only about 40 miles. The speakers are just bad. The DC outlet is only powered when the car is on - my cell phone is always dead. Brake and gas pedals kind of close sometimes I hit both with my size 9 feet. The Sportronic trans is just a gimmick. Gas mileage is a disappointing 17mpg in mixed driving. BUT (really big but) this puppy is fun to drive. It handles like a sports car and loves curves. Goes fine in ice and snow too. Even with all the minor annoyances I love driving this car. Now, if it only had a turbo!

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  Driving a Road Less Traveled... - 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Bennett - October 19 - 5:50 pm

  Bought AWD Outlander GT at Chicagoland dealership (live in MI... vehicle STILL very difficult to find here in upper-level trims)... at first underwhelmed by Rally Red color- first choice was Quartz Brown with lighter interior- but Im coming around to appreciate this classic "mid-life-crisis" colored vehicle. Looks fantastic in overcast skies: for some reason brings out its subtleties and various hues. Mileage is WAY better than expected(about 2500 miles on it already). My commute is long- 95 miles each way- across varieties of roads, including city stop-and-go, 2-lane highways(55mph) and freeways (70mph). Averaging on trip computer mpg 27-29!!! Also love its gadgetry, tailgate/storage.

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  One month real review - 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By mitsport - October 19 - 10:11 am

  Purchased 12/2013 brand new outlander sport. Tried the cvt and didnt like the way it shifted at all. Got the white 5 speed es model. I keep seeing reviews saying its slow, not sport to drive- Really??? its a 2.0 148 hp mini suv- its not a wrx or evo . Perfect for well under 20grand- i get 27.2-27.8 mpg every tank, it is not hard to park in a mall, its ez to keep clean, decent storage. and one of the longest warrenties out their.

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  Good, but not great - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Galant owner - October 19 - 12:13 am

  I bought this car brand-new. Ive never had accidents with it except one fender-bender where the side panel got bent (cosmetic damage only). Though I got a V6 for more power (gas wasnt as expensive back then), the car is very weak at low gears with SUV like fuel efficiency. But on the highways, the car is fun to drive and gets respectable efficiency (about 27-30 mpg). Hasnt given me any major problems yet, maybe due to the low mileage. Overall, this car is very solid, but is not very appealing. I bought it because of great financing options at the time. Probably wouldnt buy it if I had to do it all over again.

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  Built for ME! - 2003 Mitsubishi Montero
  By mdp - October 18 - 10:13 pm

  This SUV is the most fun auto Ive ever owned! I love the interior styling and comfort. People ask me about it all the time. I tell them Id rather have this than spend 80k for a few more bells and whistles on a Lexus, its just as nice inside! It has plenty of pep and I have hauled trailers full of stuff.

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  new purchase - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By kordic - October 15 - 10:00 am

  Found the Mitsu Lancer superior in terms of performace, and sport handling than my second choice, the Toyota Corolla. So far, the car has performed admirably. I continue to enjoy driving it.

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  Love Monteros - 2005 Mitsubishi Montero
  By hard2please - October 15 - 2:10 am

  The only gripe I have is this vehicle should be two inches wider and two inches shorter. I am not a boulevard cruiser and use this vehicle to get me to some pretty rough terrain here in Oregon. This is my fourth one and I will snub Mitsubishi for not keeping this line going. It is a tough truck with a quality build and it holds up well on USFS roads and trails, unlike the Endeavor, which cannot clear rocks and ruts. Who supplies the paint for these vehicles? It has a deep finish and holds up to backroad rocks. Good job on the Monteros, Mitsubishi!

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  Never Again - 2004 Mitsubishi Galant
  By 04MitsuGalant - October 14 - 10:20 pm

  The Mitsubishi Galant is not as great of a car as I thought. Its brakes have been a constant problem since 12,000 miles. It has 29,000 miles now. The brakes squeak 70% percent of the time. The dealer says there is nothing wrong and thats normal. I had the brakes replaced after 25,000 miles and they still squeak. Also, the interior rattles. My car doesnt even always start the first time. The sunroof scrapes when its closing. It doesnt have good pick up when trying to go from 60 to 80. It takes a few seconds to actually pick the speed up when doing that. Mitsubishi dealer service is terrible. The hubcaps get dirty quickly

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  Very Reliable SUV - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By joe.arismendy@yahoo.com - October 14 - 5:54 am

  In terms of reliability this vehicle is tops, got it used with about 73k miles has been very reliable with no major problems did replace the front brake rotors and pads at about 90k miles but other thant just the basic service oil changes filters etc. the only problem has been the front door windshield gaskets let in a lot of road noise at speed have seen this reported by other people here and the turnn signal need a chime because they will remain on if you dont notice, again not so much to worry about with this vehicle and mileage is good for a V6. Update Sold it but my dad has same year XLS model his has 83k miles still going strong!