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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  Good Car - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By asa0526 - December 23 - 2:00 am

  So far, have driven the vehicle for 1000 miles... mostly highway driving up/down mountains and through city traffic. The car is a pleasant surprise for me. Good acceleration ... low revving, excellent ergonomics, excellent interior room, comfortable ride.

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  Beats Altima - 2005 Mitsubishi Galant
  By doogienj - December 12 - 11:26 am

  I work in the car rental business, so I often change cars that I use as company cars. My previous car was the Pontiac Grand Prix. The V4 engine is a bit sluggish with the acceleration, like there is a delay when you floor it. But when you get it up to speed, it performs great and you are very comfortably at 80 mph. The breaks are great right off the bat. Im not sure if it has traction control or not. If it does, its not great. So its a bit tough to accelerate from wet pavement. I have previously driven the Nissan Altima as a company car and Im not sure why its hailed as the category leader. Its nosier than the Galant, feels much lighter and flimsier.

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  Happy With the Car. - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By BartD - December 6 - 5:23 am

  I have had the car for almost 2 years. I have had no mechanical problems with it and still has the same power as when I got it from the dealer. The only problem was my driver seat motor broke, and squeaky brakes. But all were replaced under warranty. Im happy with the car, but I am getting tired of squeezing passengers in. The road/wind noise is also starting to get to me. When you first purchase the car your notice the wheel gap is huge. While on the mitsu posters/commercials there is none. Lower the car to make it look better. I have gotten nothing but compliments for this car. It is great,strong engine, quality seats, and fun to drive but it is not very economical

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  2010 Galant - 2010 Mitsubishi Galant
  By JAY - December 4 - 10:00 am

  This is my first Mitsubishi, its a decent car, Nice smooth ride with quality sounds system

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  Big Engine, Sloppy Car - 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By fiveskin - December 1 - 4:36 pm

  This was engineered as more of a pretty car than a useful one. It weighs too much for a sport coupe(>3500 lb), the turning circle is ridiculously wide (40 ft) and thats pretty much SUV territory. It also has numerous blind spots such as wide pillars and tiny side windows. The side mirrors are also too small. You will definitely have problems parking this car in a tight space. There is a noticeable under steer. The interior also suffers from cheap looking materials even with the leather option. The plastics are all over the place such as the door handle and middle dash, it almost feels like youre sitting in a toy-car. The rear seat is expectedly only useful for storage. It needs a new design.

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  Very reliable - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By markr307 - November 26 - 1:46 pm

  I have a 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage, manual transmission. 160,000 miles on it, Ive had it for 2 years, and the occasional repairs are just wear and tear - break pads, spark plugs. A basic but very reliable car.

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  Dont expect to much - 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By gfish556 - November 25 - 1:04 pm

  Does not get great MPG! I only get 16 MPG running around town. Traded in a large 6.0 yukon that got 13 MPG thinking this would do better. Noisy and cheap, They put 18" tires hoping to give it a better ride but sill rides rough. Its a compact car trying to be a crossover SUV. But for a cheap 4x4 its worth the money. It does has a great warranty. The SE is way better inside than the ES, But the ES is cheaper to. Dont expect to wow! anyone with this car. Nothing great about it? Except you cant by a cheaper 4x4 for the price. And no towing at all! No class 2 hitch for bikes are allowed, voids the warranty. So forget about taking bikes and kids someplace.

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  An SUV to consider - 2004 Mitsubishi Montero
  By mitsudriver - November 23 - 2:00 am

  Nice Styling graceful looks and commanding cabin

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  Horrible resale...Not a luxury sedan - 2001 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By msb507 - November 23 - 2:00 am

  The car looks great and we get many compliments. However, no autodimming rear view mirror, no compass, ac/heat console is cheesy. Tire wear is bad...Had to replace after 30k miles. Road noise is not what I expected from a so-called luxery sedan. Worst of all, the resale value is horrible. A $28,000 car should not be worth $12,000 after 3 yrs.

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  Great Value - 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By fazzster - November 19 - 10:20 pm

  My number one priority for this class is the availability of a manual transmission. Which narrows it down to CX5, Tiguan, 500L and Forester. I already have a brilliant 500L so i dont need 2. I drive 30k miles per year so the VW (having owned a few in the past) are not the most reliable for the long run. The Forester is a solid buy but pricey and boring to drive. CX5 is overall more polished and "funner" to drive. Bottom line, my Mitsu has a warranty that makes sense for a high mileage driver and $18k out the door is a very good deal. It drives very smooth and handles quite well for the class. I see 29-32mpg with out even trying and have achieved 34-35mpg on some short stints.