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:

• 

  Pretty solid - 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By ohiodoug - November 1 - 1:35 pm

  I bought this car at the very end of 2012 after my previous car was totaled and I had to make a decision pretty quick. I really hadnt thought of a CUV, but this was advertised right at 19K as a leftover 2012. I really liked to storage and room in the front and rear, and the ride seemed comfortable. Overall a much better value than just a sedan for someone who needs to haul stuff from time to time. So far (19 months in) the reliability has been excellent. No problems at all! Fuel economy is about as advertised 23/28, with better city mileage than that under some circumstances. However, if your highway speeds get up much above 70mph, the economy seems to drop off sharply.

• 

  You better watch out! - 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Mario - October 30 - 6:46 am

  This Outlander is exactly what you paid for, you saved a couple of grand over Honda and Toyota and you get cheap plastic all over, cheap tires and a wind noise inside once you hit 65. Over all solid, powerful and predictable vehicle. Almost forgot the carpet is the worst I have seen in a while. I own a 2003 CRV and let me tell you this one is a keeper, as soon as we are done paying for the outlander its out of here. Back to Honda it is not worth saving a couple of grand if you plan to keep your car for more than 10 years.

• 

  With Help...a Great Little Car - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By tuner77 - October 29 - 4:13 pm

  I purchased my manual 2003 O-Z Lancer new in Dec. of 2002 and have 52,000 miles on it. The only problem I have noticed is a delay in staring in the summer months...due to the higher concentration of ethanol in the gas. It has no problems when driving, just starting. I put in NGK Iridium plugs a few months back and that seemed to have corrected that. If your not having the problem, I would not recommend those plugs, they are too expensive and the gain is minimal. Mostly though the car is a great everyday driver. Comfort-wise, its a very good deal for the money. Its performance is lacking, but with the help of the automotive aftermarket and a $1,000 investment, anyone with a tool set can remedy that.

• 

  Love At First Sight - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By GraceOKC - October 29 - 2:00 am

  My friends tease that I am the only person they know who goes in for an oil change and drives away in a new car. I couldnt help it, it was love at first sight. We first met last Christmas. The Endeavor was parked under a huge Christmas tree at a strip mall and after staring at it for over 15 minutes, I had to ask the owner about its performance. She was pleased and I was drooling. In keeping with the rules of infatuation, I got home and looked up all the info I could about the object of my affection. Almost 3 months later, I take my 1 year old car in for an oil change and drive home in my new Endeavor.

• 

  The Best Coupe <$30,000 for Snowy Areas - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By imvho - October 29 - 1:53 am

  Id love a BMW Z4, Honda S2000, or Nissan 350Z, but since I live in a snowy, hilly region (and I have to get to work no matter the weather), the Mitsubishi Eclipse GTS has been a great choice. Ive owned it for almost 5 trouble-free years now, and have loved it. It got me up a steeeeeep, winding, thickly-snowed & untreated hill last winter (passing other, struggling cars), and on nice dry days it has plenty of muscle beneath the pedal when I need it (although the torque-steer took some getting used to). This car is also perfect for short people (like me): the "butt" part allows quite a bit of vertical movement, so you can sit much higher than in other sporty cars.

• 

  Peppy enough for me, stylish and nice features. - 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By cdt2833 - October 25 - 1:26 pm

  Job location change increased my commute to nearly 80miles round trip. Traded in my heavy, thirsty truck for something a bit sporty, comfortable and CUV-like in terms of cargo capacity. Test drove several Hyundai products including the Tucson and went to the Mitsu dealer last. Nice features on the ES at the sub 20k price point including handsfree phone integration via FUSE system, telescoping steering wheel, full complement of steering wheel controls including magnesium paddle shifters for the CVT. Some soft touch surfaces on the dash and door panels. The 4B11 2.0L is not a hot rod but once you become accustomed to the acceleration with CVT it is more than enough for typical driving.

• 

  Incredibly reliable, a blast to drive! - 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By jazket - October 25 - 9:00 am

  I bought a Lancer Ralliart in February 2009 and I now have 20,000 miles on it. I just cant stop driving it. Its impressive for 26,000 I paid I got A LOT of car. I rather drive my Ralliart than my brothers Benz C300 (unless Im on a road trip of course) its incredibly fun. Mitsubishi is really overlooked as a brand, and this car should be on your list when searching for a sporty sedan, it took last years IntelliChoce for Best Overall Sport Sedan under $35,000, and well deserved! If youre into modding you wont be let down unless you really want to go big which is where the marvelous TC-SST fails, its still in its early stages and it wont hold more than 300wlbs-torque!

• 

  Bang for the Buck - 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
  By mitsu12 - October 24 - 9:12 am

  I wish that Edmunds would have been fair on the review of the Lancer GT Sportback. Maybe they can explain why no Data is shown for performance times and braking distances. While I do agree that the CVT Trans feels different, why dont we let the performance numbers do the talking. If you want the vehicle to feel like a normal transmission just use the auto stick or the paddles and you will feel right at home. The car rides firm but smooth, the brakes are excellant, the back seat room destroys the competition, the cargo area with the rear seats down is class leading. Warranty is GREAT and the number one reason to buy a GT is of course its great looks!!! and you wont see one at every light

• 

  So Comfortable to Drive! Roomy! - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By So Comfortable! - October 22 - 9:50 pm

  Very comfortable. Love the large area under the windshield, gives feeling of even more roominess. The center button behind steering wheel works intermittently, seems like when vehicle heats up, button gets issues. AC still blows pretty strongly when system turned to off - unusual. Back bumper paint scratches and dings easily, plastic bumper tread raised and attaching hooks broke off, but still intact. Black area just in front of trunk window area lost color (spotty), but covered under warranty. Middle display for music and vents is a bit too dark - brighter should be standard. Great smooth and quiet ride and sound system. Nice noticably different exterior design.

• 

  A year old - great buy! - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Vikas - October 15 - 8:10 pm

  I bought this car a year old off of a dealership. I got the car about 40% cheaper than what it would have been brand new. I like the exterior styling of the car, the front looks aggressive and the back looks a bit like the older BMWs. I have had this car for about 16 months now and have been very happy with it. Only a couple of compaints: 1) as mileage in the city stinks. 2) when I try accelerating aggressively it does this weird thing where it gets caught when the engine is revving at around 4,000 rpm. The Galant depreciates pretty quick for the quality of the car. I would rate it just behind the camry and the accord, but for the money you save, I would rather get this car. Great Buy!