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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  Disappointed - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Denise - January 28 - 6:13 pm

  I love the look of the car but the interior is very cheaply put together. The trunk area almost looks like it’s not finished from the factory. I live in Ohio and this is my first winter - lets just say its going to be a long five years with this car. It definitely needs traction control. I neglected to ask about that when I purchased the car, needless to say had I known how poorly it would handle in the snow and ice would have never purchased it.

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  Chick car - 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By kukusa - January 28 - 12:04 am

  My wife and I purchased a fully loaded RVR (as they call it here in Canada) in the summer of 2012. It was mostly me rather than my wife who was sold on this cars styling. However, in less than a year, we decided to traded it in for a european station wagon and it turned out to be our best car purchasing decision. Having said that, our biggest complain was actually the ride height. The Mitsubishi is in fact a well put together package at a bargain price. We had drove the new Escape, MX-5 and Forester prior to the Mitsubishi but we didnt like any of them even they are more expensive. We didnt pick the wrong crossover, we simply picked the wrong car segment.

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  Eclipse reborn - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Alejandro - January 26 - 6:46 pm

  The new Eclipse has been reborn and it brought the fun back. It has been improved for the better. It provides good control, good response, and has a nice design. The automatic transmision responds well as the does the manual. The 263 horsepower makes this almost as pleasant as the Mitsubishi Evolution. It has really comfortable seats and more interior space.

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  I dont understand the bad reviews - 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By db1980 - January 25 - 11:46 pm

  Seems like car reviewers focus on how horrible the car is. Depends on what you are looking for. I hate the big bloated heavy cars everyone seems to love. I wanted a warranty, cheap to buy and cheap to drive. Car scores huge on all points there. It also has nice features for the price. I reccomend the ES manual with no extra options. CVT is for the lazy, and it adds a lot to the price of the car. It has a growly engine sound (I find this a positive not a negative). Handling can be improved greatly by adding a $200 rear sway bar. Styling is so so. Interior is hard plastic but seems like there is very little to break. It is designed to be practical and durable. No defects so far

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  You get your moneys worth - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By pratman - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this vehicle for just about a year now. The ride is very comfortable, the performance is uncanny, and the looks are..well..worth a thousand words. Great buy..!!

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  Good deal...except for... - 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By MitsuDude - January 24 - 10:00 am

  4wd, torque and stability are superb. Ride comfort...the seats are better than youll find in most luxury vehicles. Unless you have a 3.5l engine, youll find the Montero Sport is severely underpowered. I have had numerous nagging electrical problems: -replaced headlamps (bulbs) 6 times -replaced right headlamp -replaced front parkign lamps -replaced all brake lamps -replaced taillamps -4wd switch malfunctioned, replaced -interior lighting shorted, repaired -antenna needed replacing I have had to replace brake pads more often than I would like. The chrome grille began to peel, but my dealer replaced it for free.

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  Going strong - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By shep - January 21 - 2:03 pm

  I bought this in 2003 with 28k miles. Always get regular service done on this car and I now have 104k miles on it. The car has held up well and it still looks great compared to others on the road. I plan to keep it going as long as I can unless something major turns up. Its been reliable and is still fun to drive.

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  Smooth Move - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Lance A Lot - January 17 - 10:00 am

  I got this car after a lot of research into reliabilty and safety, but the 0/0/0 for a year is one of the main reasons I got it. So far i have had ZERO problems with this car, and think it was a pretty good deal for the 14,400 I paid (xtra: keyless entry, plus whatever else I needed to get keyless entry). The handling is good for a boring sedan, and the engine is the smoothest I have ever driven. The clutch is also good but 1st is too sensitive. Good power output at the higher end. Excellent saftey rating. That is probably why I ended up going for it, too, since I have a young daughter.

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  New Ride :) - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By DRUPPYWORLD - January 17 - 10:00 am

  Great car, love interior features... doesnt have awesome pick-up. I own automatic... After hitting the full pedal... I hit major lag around 40 something... and there is slow recovery another very minor lag at around 60.. Once on crusing speed great control... On freeways gets little.. Well it is lightweight.. Brakes are Great And Drove 300 miles other day... in 8.6 gallons.. Thats better then company stated.. I dont know how is that possible...

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  Good Overall Car - 2004 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By Toya - January 16 - 3:43 pm

  The Mitsubishi Diamante has great acceleration, but it doesnt handle curves all that well. I also wish that it would have a temperature guage for the outside. The comfort level inside is superb. I can never go back to cloth, and manual seats again. This car has spoiled me without being too pricey.