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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  Best Vehicle Ive Ever Owned - 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By harry stewart - June 5 - 6:13 pm

  I love my 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor. I have owned Lincolns, Cadallacs, and lots of other cars in the past, but this is the best driving vehicle I have ever owned. I have 56,000 miles on it and have never rotated or balanced the tires, and it still hits the road like a dream. The only time its has been in the shop is for oil changes.

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  Great car thus far - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By btotherich06 - June 5 - 10:00 am

  I bought this car just recently with just under 76,000 miles, and am very impressed so far. Only major defect I had was the moonroof motor was falling apart, which happened five days after I bought it. Thankfully my auto broker paid for the repair. Even though I have only had this car for almost a month, I can picture myself driving this car until well over 200k miles!

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  Good Little Car - 1999 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Todd Wagner - June 3 - 1:23 am

  Just bought a 1999 Mitsubishi Galant last year for my daughter from "A little old lady . . .", it had only 39k mi on it. Its gas mileage is great, nearly 30 mpg on average. It has great pep too. The engine and tranny are very good, nice and smooth. One thing that I am disappointed about is the vibrating breaks - it must be those warped rotors. I am looking into higher quality replacements. Also, the car has some noise in rear end when turning, this may be more problems in supsension. Overall though seems to be a good car.

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  Excellent Small Car - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By michaelg21 - June 1 - 2:00 am

  I have owned my Mirage for over 3 years and have never had a problem with it. Mitsubishi makes some excellent cars but are still relatively unknown by alot of people-quality wise, they are just as well built as any Toyota or Honda out there but are $1000s less. They give you far more for your money.Unfortunatly the resale value is poor-I think it is because many people are not convinced they are as good as a Honda or Toyota but for the money-I think they are better! Anyone who buys one will agree.

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  Reliable Reliable Reliable !!! - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Michael Graham - May 31 - 8:33 am

  I drove this car for 9 years without a hitch. The only money I spent was on Tires 1x Spark plugs 1x Brakes 1x Shocks 1X OIl Changes Filters etc. 117000 miles and never needed a repair. The only reason I did not buy a new one is they no longer have a V6 only a 2.0 liter four cylinder or a 2.4 liter four cylinder. I loved the reliability of this car. I never owned a car for 9 years before usually buy new one every three years.

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  eclipse - 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By andrea - May 30 - 10:00 am

  I love it so much....its the best car ive ever driven

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  Great Car! - 2004 Mitsubishi Galant
  By gloria62 - May 29 - 8:17 am

  I bought my Galant brand new in 2004. Its one of the very best cars I have ever owned! After 8 yrs and over 100K miles, she still runs great! The only repairs done have been one window motor, a leak in the floorboard and regular maintenance. I love this car!

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  Excellent Vehicle! - 2001 Mitsubishi Montero
  By Mike - May 29 - 2:00 am

  Purchased this SUV in 2005 for my wife as she liked the body style and size. Became my daily vehicle 1 year later. Purchased it with 64,000 miles and just buying another set of tires at 180,000!!! Have had minimal work done, mostly oil changes and basic maintenance. Use it mostly for business hauling clients to lunch and golf...excellent storage for long trips! Ride is great, could use new shocks now but all in all once this one meets its end I will look for another one with at least 75,000 miles and drive it until it falls too...

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  Near luxury at a Fantastic Price - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Mitsu convert - May 28 - 11:16 am

  I did lots of research before buying my Outlander. In a nutshell, I found that for about $10,000-$15,000 more you could get a luxury SUV with SLIGHTLY better performance, SLIGHTLY better handling, a SLIGHTLY better interior (if you like the fake wood look), and similar technology and safety features. I figured Id keep the 50% premium and get a great small SUV with beautiful styling (like a Lexus RX 300 with a boxier rear), great tech features (NAV, Bluetooth, phenomenal stereo w/Music Server!), a clean, simple dash and interior, all the handling/power/safety features I required, and the space and features I wanted (3rd row, lots of storage). The 07 Outlander is a fantastic vehicle, I highly recommend it.

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  Best 4 Cyl Car - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Juan Rodriguez - May 26 - 12:26 pm

  Ive had this car for over 4 years now and I burn it up. Its 6 years old and it has the mileage of a 10 year old car and its still driving like a car of the year. Let me tell you, I floor it a lot too and this car has had no problems. Overall, the Lancer has made me stick to Mitsubishi pride. My next car, which wont be soon since my babys still kicking, will definitely be another Lancer. :)