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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  The best car ever made! - 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Me - February 14 - 3:53 pm

  I have had several cars in my days American and imports. And by far this is my favorite. Im a Tech for VW so i know my cars very well. you cant beat an All Wheel Drive turbo car with a manual trans. its so much fun, its so reliable and its one of the nicest looking cars ever made. from the mean look of the front end to the wing (spoiler) in the back. its so easy to squeeze out 350 hp or even more out of this car and cheap too. All in all i think this car is by far one of the best still out there 2008.

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  Happy overall - 2005 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Tommy - February 11 - 11:06 am

  I can fit all three car seats in the back and still have room in between to buckle the buckels, and still can shut the doors with out hitting or bumping any of the car seats. It gets up and goes when you need to get out of the way of anything. Great gas mileage when you are traveling...but not around town. It is very sturdy and feels safe. The sensor for the airbag in the passager seat is great, since I do have little ones that sometimes have to sit in that seat.

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  HONESTLY - 1997 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By pA TEL - February 8 - 10:00 am

  i wouldnt buy it brand new. i think its the best used car to buy because of its resale value. i bought mine 97 diamante for 10k [only 50k miles on it]. if you can find a better value than that let me know! i sounds great when you step on it. i do wish it had stronger brakes. i love the transmission it adjusts to drivers driving habits its kind of cool. its one of the best looking cars [like all mitsus]

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  WOW! - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Mohammed Habib - February 3 - 3:38 pm

  I spent 6 months researching cars. We rent a tiny little parking space in NYC width wise, and we were restricted to a car that is less than 75" wide. The family also got a little larger, and we needed a car with at least 6 seats. SO logically I went and researched the top most 7 seat SUVs, which were the Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder and the Nissan Rogue. To be completely honest, a 5-10 minute test drive of each of those cars, they felt the same. After seeing the width of Highlander, pilot and pathfinder, I realized none of these will do. I went at the nissan dealer, got a final cost of a rogue which with tax came out to almost $31,500. The rogue came with cloth seats, navigation and some extra stuff. Then out of nowhere saw an advertisement for outlander. We went to go see it, and instantly fell in love with it. Now all those negative reviews on different websites, where did they come from? I am driving a FAMILY SUV, I DEFINITELY dont need it to go from 0-60 in 3 seconds, I am completely fine with it going in 8 seconds. I have the AWC, but keep it off most of the time because I want to save gas. I love the leather, especially since it has on every part of the trim. I opted in for the SEL AWC. One thing that is lacking is the screen. Nower days the cars come with touch screen vs buttons, but I will gladly press buttons and pay 6k less. All honesty this car feels and drives like its worth $35,000. I got 3k miles on it, and took a 900 mile road trip and everything worked wonderfully. ONE very little thing is the paint chip and scratches. You just gotta be careful how you drive the car thats all, and take any paint chip issues straight to the dealer and they will fix it right away.

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  2001 Mitsubishi Galant - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Ichiban - February 2 - 10:23 pm

  I have owned this car for five and a half year and have enjoyed it every time I drive. I havent experienced any problems with the engine or transmission. The only problem that I encountered was a broken air conditioner clutch and air conditioner fan at 81,400 miles. I have no complaints with my Galant.

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  First truck - 2008 Mitsubishi Raider
  By 1truck - January 27 - 7:46 pm

  This is my first truck and I like it. So as for the mileage still trying to get a handle on it but it seems to be around 17 or 18 in town. I thought the 40/20/40 bench seat would be awful but it surprised me and makes you believe that you have bucket seats. Like the storage in the armrest. So far I am happy with it and it looks good.

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  My Endeavor - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By rebcurless - January 27 - 10:00 am

  Great car-like SUV. Attractive styling, good handling and good gas mileage for an SUV. Nice audio equipment. However, Ive only had the vehicle for 4 weeks, and already the power windows have failed and an interior storage compartment has broken.

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  Overall Excellent - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By NS - January 27 - 3:40 am

  My 2007 Endeavor XLS is an excellent drive. It has a very smooth transmission. It provides excellent handling around the corners, almost like a car.

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  I love this ride - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
  By Vic Diddy - January 21 - 2:00 am

  This car is very fun to drive. It has pretty good pickup on the streets, handles well and looks pretty spiffy. its definately NOT a soccer mom car as so many say.

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  My Car - 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By tawny - January 21 - 2:00 am

  Handles well, nice interior and looks sharp.