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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  Nice Ride - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Jackson Murphy - September 21 - 10:00 am

  Ive had this car for close to two years now and Ive got nothing but praise to say. Ive never had to take it into the shop for anything but an oil change, and it still drives smooth as the day I purchased it. If youre after a sporty car with some punch then I highly reccomend it.

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  Initial feelings - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By gparkjr - September 20 - 2:00 am

  Very pleased thus far. All the amenities I ever wanted. Went through 3 dealers for the Limited and none would come close to the invoice price posted at Edmunds. Do not know how feasable it is to get invoice price. Power leaves something to be desired, but love everything else on the vehicle. Comparing to other like models, I feel this is the best deal.

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  Good buy - 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By leopard - September 20 - 2:00 am

  I bought the car in 2000 with sunroof and rear spoiler, and ahd a low interest loan on it. I drove 100 miles a day for the first a year and half, it never gave me any problem, just regular maintenance. It made my 2 hour commute a fun instead of a boring long driving. Now I have 50K on this car and still runs like new.

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  OK Overall, But 3 Warranty Visits in 1yr - 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Tanya1921 - September 19 - 2:00 am

  Overall, the Outlander is great. Awesome sound system (stock), but the doors dont automatically lock, and I have taken it in 3x in a year for warranty repairs: molding on kick plate came off, A/C adapter stopped working, and excess glue on the windshield which was causing all the wiring to be exposed. My Hondas never had problems like this. It gets time consuming and my time is worth something. Paddle shifters are useless- no one really uses them in a 4 cylinder SUV. I have to yell at the bluetooth speaker to be heard.

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  Inexpensive but has design issues - 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By danb61 - September 14 - 6:26 pm

  The Pros-good looking, simple but functional interior, comfortable seating, 2WD/AWD/4WD simple switch, good visibility, AWD/4WD worked very well in snow, smooth 6 speed transmission, inexpensive, good visibility The Cons-gas mileage lower than advertised, drops dramatically over 60 mph, engine struggles at higher interstate speeds, excessive road noise, wonders on the interstate, large pillars are blind spots, A/C causes engine to drop to 400 rpm, idling rough, surges to 1500 rpm with A/C on and causes vehicle to accelerate, difficult starting, stong, outgassing new car smell

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  Fun, but economical? - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By catfeeder - September 14 - 5:10 am

  Ive put about 4000 miles on my Lancer so far. It was a bit of an impulse buy, but Im happy and I have no regrets; Ill cover the few things I dont like. After driving stickshifts for years, I decided to go for an automatic. I knew Id lose some power and efficiency. The car is not particularly fast and Im OK with that, but for a slow car Im disappointed with the fuel economy. I expected high 20s or low 30s for MPG; I get low-mid 20s. One other complaint about the automatic is that its not decisive on its shifts. The shifts are not firm (sort of mushy) and if you mash the pedal down, the car has to think about it a bit longer than I care to wait for the downshift to occur.

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  A Serious Owners Review - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Michael - September 13 - 3:46 pm

  I have had this truck for under a year. Within the first 2,000 miles after driving a 3 hour continuous ride the truck overheated - next I have been fighting with my dealer for 10 months to get the LOUD rattling of the poorly designed and poorly secured rubber bumper to be fixed. They say its the design and normal noise. If I paid all this money for a MAJOR loud rattle I would have gotten a cheap used car - under a year, also the molding around the wheel flares are ALL getting unglued. I am going to proceed with my lemon lawsuit (DO NOT PURCHASE ONE!)

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  Excellent Car - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By IA - September 10 - 10:00 am

  This is an excellent car. Good solid comfortable ride, handling and sleek styling. It could use some minor changes in the design of its interior for example, the cup holders are at a petty uncomfortable place and it needs a sunglass compartment and some coat hangers.

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  Fun Commuter - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By //Scrypt - September 3 - 2:00 am

  The OZ Rally may look like its Rally cousin, but is more distant than its appearance and name may suggest. If you are expecting a sports car, look elsewhere. If you are looking for an economical commuter that looks good and is fun to drive, this is your car! Its quiet, roomy, smooth, predictable, and comfortable.

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  Nice GT Ride - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By XYZ - August 22 - 2:46 am

  The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse GT is a nice ride. I have only done city driving, I cant wait for a mountain ride this weekend. It has lots of low end torque, and it pulls it to the right when pressing the acceleration. The sporty ride is comfortable for long jaunts and the 6-speed manual transmission is very very fun to drive. The interiors, are clean, minimalistic, and functional, including the back seat. You can only fit two adults comfortably, however you can fold the split rear seats for cargo space. Its a little wide, however its a Galant with a different body, and sportier suspension, which is not a bad thing. The body style is modern, its an American sized GT coupe. I am looking forward to a road trip to try it out.