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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  overall great - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By rick - June 17 - 2:56 am

  Overall reliable, always gets me there. Only two mechanical problems costing less than $100. Very roomy.

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  Great Vehicle - Tons of Technology Features - 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By nyame - June 15 - 3:55 pm

  I purchased the vehicle about 3 months ago and I have logged just over 3,300 miles on it. It has a galore of technology features, comparable to any of the luxury vehicles out there, at a much affordable price. It looks great from the exterior and drives very smooth. The mpg rating for this vehicle is 24/31/27 but I am now averaging a combined mpg of 32, better than the official rating of 27. I calculate my mpg by dividing the total mileage travelled for a fill up by the amount of gas needed to bring the gas tank back to another fill up and I have done this 3 times. Of course, my city driving is only 20%, back-roads is 60% and highways is 20%.

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  The Endeavor Has Arrived! - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By dazzle - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I really love my 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor XLS. It looks very fresh and unique from the outside and sophisticated and elegant in the inside. The ride is smooth and quiet, and the handle is exceptional. It is definitely a safer vehicle with a wider wheelbase. The interior is very comfortable with a large leg room. And when your in the need for speed and power, the Endeavor is equipped with 215-250 hp of pure thrill and excitement.

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  Great GT - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By pierre - June 15 - 10:00 am

  The GT is fun to drive and everyone looks at the car.I admit it is not a sport car.But it was not built for that.For the money you get a lot and i would buy another one.

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  Fun to drive is an understatement! - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Jellyfishian - June 14 - 6:40 am

  Well I have owned my car a week shy of a year and have put about 19K miles on it bringing it to around 73,500 today. I am 20 years old and in college so I need a reliable, economic, fun, inexpensive car to drive and my OZ Rally Lancer is just that! I bought the car from a dealer and it was a one owner with a clean history and had great service records. I have only had one issue with it and that was with the A/C and my warranty took care of that. This car is a blast to drive and I get around 30 MPG with my spirited Driving. I have taken it out of state, to the beach, and to the mountains and it never lets me down! It will be with me a long time!

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  Good mid size SUV - 2007 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By horsen1 - June 13 - 10:00 am

  Really like the exterior of the vehicle. Comfortable seats (have leather), love the heated leather seats in the winter. Fun to drive, outperformed the Pilot. Like the folding seats, prefer to the Escape where you have to remove the headrest. Fits two large dogs comfortably in the back (the main attraction for me as the dogs go everywhere). Love satellite radio. Wish that the wiper blades were quicker to respond to increase speed changes (live in the rainy Northwest, would love to have auto-adjusting wipers). Bought the ipod adapter - hate it!! It takes control from your ipod and is impossible to find your music once its hooked up. Would rather have mp3 input jack.

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  Been a very nice car - 2005 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Knights81381 - June 13 - 10:00 am

  Bought my car used at 23,000 miles. I have literally have 0 problems with it. It has been one of the greatest cars i have ever owned.

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  Blocked visibility - 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By blocked vision - June 13 - 10:00 am

  After 6 weeks, sun visors fail. When in use, they will drift down, blocking forward vision. Mitsubishi dealer replaced my visors with new ones. After about 4 weeks, they do the same thing. I find it hard to drive toward the sun, holding the visor in position with one hand and steering, shifting and using turn signals with the other hand. Other Mitsubishi models have better visors. Mitsubishi seems uninterested in fixing this problem on the Lancer.

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  Sporty Crossover - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Rick - June 12 - 11:32 pm

  I drove a lot of crossovers before buying my Outlander. It was the most fun to drive with great handling and awesome acceleration . It has also been one of the most Reliable vehicles I have ever owned . Ive only had it in for repairs for a minor exhaust problem, otherwise just routine maintenance .

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  Great car - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Bob Mc - June 11 - 3:16 am

  Still cant believe the good fortune of getting this car (sept 03) for such a great price. Just drove SE Pennsylvania to Atlanta and back and got 32/33 MPG. Car has been flawless. Deal was so good, I wish Id bought two.