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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  Always A Diamante Driver after buying th - 2004 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By Kenneth Ringwood - November 10 - 10:00 am

  Ive had people tell me they own a Mercedes and it isnt as comfortable as my Diamante. I have different passengers frequently in my car and everyone ask what make is this car When I tell them its a mitsubishi built in Australia, they are very surprised at the ride and luxury appointments this car has to offer ,and much less than they imagined. This is my 4th mitsubishi, all from the same dealer.Very happy,service is exellent.

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  GTZ, a great car, but lacks the push - 2000 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Walrus2004 - November 10 - 10:00 am

  The GTZ is my third car, I am only 18 years old. It is next to an BMW on looks and interior, but lacks the kick and power of a BMW. I have a GTZ, which has no different engine than the V6 ES, just a sport suspension and other options included. I love the car, but if you are looking for something fast, youre looking in the wrong place. Awesome sound system and great for picking up a date!

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  Convinced - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By goosepsu - November 7 - 11:00 am

  Just bought 2002 Lancer LS in black. There were virtually none in the northeast (the dealer sent my sales rep via train and taxi to pick up the car on a snowy day... steve is my hero) but once we sat in it, we loved it. It looks, feels, and is a great car. We own a 2002 Toyota Corolla, and though the Corollas history of reliablity is golden, it is not unique. The Lancer is unique, extremely fun, and gets alot of double-takes on my morning commute. I love it.

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  Ive put the miles on my 2012 Outlander Sport 4x4! - 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By Carrie Hoeisng - November 7 - 5:23 am

  I bought my 2012 Outlander Sport brand new and now, 3 years later, have 85,000 miles on it. Yes, I love to travel. I loved traveling in my Ford Expedition much better but this little Outlander Sport is much more affordable to drive! The front seats fit larger folks, no problem. With the front seats fully back the leg room in the back seats is a little tight. And this is a 4 passenger vehicle, not 5, unless it is 3 small kids in the back seat without car seats! The total weight limit of passengers and cargo is 875 lbs so keep that in mind if you are larger. I have taken this car into the mountains on snow and ice and it did well for a smaller vehicle. It has decent acceleration for a small car. On my longer road trips I get around 30 mpg. Short driving around town knocks that down to about 23. I have never used the paddle shifters, cruise control, remote start, or blue tooth (I have a dumb phone) but can tell you that the seat warmers are a godsend on cold mornings! At about 60,000 miles the car developed a squeal (at over 25 mph) that changing the s-belt did not cure. The noise has changed to more of a chirpy noise now. My Mitsu mechanic thinks it is the belt pulley. Guess this is a known problem with the 2011 model but they are not covering it under warranty for the 2012. That upsets me a bit as I feel that because I am a high mileage user I am being penalized. By the time this may come out as a recall issue I will already be out of miles on my 100,000 mile drive train warranty. This is my 2nd Mitsubishi product. I also owed a 1991 Mirage that I drove 8 years and put 250,000 miles on it. It was a great little car and I am hoping that my 2012 Outlander Sport does as good over the long haul.

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  Lancer mania - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By karl27 - November 6 - 2:00 am

  Lancer can be a formidable opponent of Honda and Toyota. The quiet engine, the functional power controls inside the cabin, and the cabin space itself makes the car cozy and fun to drive. I should say that making those sharp corner turns amazed me how this car kept itself on the ground and stable. The driver-adaptive shift technology on the other hand seems to not matter at all. I didnt feel the difference between this technology and a regular automatic transmission equipped car. But for the price and the features of this car, its worth driving.

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  Best Car for the Value! - 1999 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Quickster - November 3 - 11:10 pm

  Bought this car used with 108,000 miles for only $4,000. This car is fully loaded and is beautiful! Everything was in excellent condition. I now have roughly 123,000 miles and only have done two oil changes, replaced the tires and changed out the belts. This car runs so smoothly. Quick acceleration, very quiet. Stereo is great! Very comfortable. This car is a head turner! Everyone envies me of this car. It looks and feels like a luxury sedan, and looks like it would be worth tons more. I highly recommend this car!

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  Great small SUV - 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By cn - November 3 - 1:40 pm

  I have had my 09 Outlander for 2 weeks now and its great. Handling is very good, I like the steering. Navigation is good but sometimes complicated to use, stereo has great sound strong bass. Fuel economy is just ok, but I expected that, I average around 23- 26MPG (highway). I enjoy driving it to work and all the features work great so far, glad I decided to buy it.

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  Back to the drawing board - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Poor mans car - November 3 - 2:50 am

  Well where do I start, engine and trans are good, radio excellent, seats are are comfy but the material is awful. Like the drop down tailgate. Had the protection package put on to spruce it up otherwise it looked too plain.

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  Fun Car - 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Andi82 - November 2 - 7:13 am

  I love to drive my car but it is having an issue and the dealer does not know whats wrong because there are not codes. The good thing is that my warranty is not up till 12/09. Its not a fast car but its a blast to drive it corners great and has tones of low end power.

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  Surprisingly Good - 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By RandyWakeman - November 2 - 2:23 am

  This is an SUV that I didnt plan on buying, but after an ocean of test drives with other vehicles...I really tried to find a reason NOT to buy it, but I couldnt. Im was pleasantly surprised at how peppy the 2.4L MIVEC engine is - it sure feels like more than a 4-cyl., and has a lot more zip than some 6-cyl. vehicles that I tested. It is extremely stable at high-speed; at 105 mph there is still some juice left (top end is about 120 mph). It has no problem keeping up with traffic when fully loaded. Its easy / fun to drive, comfotable, easy to park, and the cargo area becomes a cargo area by just dropping the seats - no headrests need to be removed. Just driving, no special attention nets me 22 mpg.