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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  2003 Diamante vs. 1998 Diamante - 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By kat - April 18 - 8:33 pm

  This is my second Diamante. Also own a 1998. When comparing the 2003 to 1998, Mitsubishi has cheapened up on the interior. Lower quality leather & poorer sounding stereo. Problems with highway driving when tractor trailers are in front of me. The front end tends to shift back and forth as if there are aerodynamics & traction control issues. Electrical system does crazy things. For example, doors lock by themselves. I say, stick with the older models. They are more comfortable and give a better ride. More like what you would expect for a $30,000 car.

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  My First Car!! - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By KoNi - April 6 - 5:46 am

  I purchased this car a few months after graduation! As my first car, the Lancer was a great investment. I havent had any problems at all for the past 2 years, even though I bought it used. Just keep them tuned and in good shape and your Lancer should last you with no problem.

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  Worst car I have ever owned!! Hate, hate, hate it!!! - 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By okcowner - February 26 - 6:02 am

  Mitsubishi has lost many sales as people have seen all of the problems that I have had with my car. I have had the car for a little more than four years. The transmission went out around 90K and was very expensive to fix. The air conditioner compressor does not work. The roof leaks and my radio will not work. I had to replace the rims because they ALL cracked. The life of the tires is always short even with regular alignments and balancing. My gear shift broke and is made up of cheap plastic pieces. The dashboard is cracked and rattles when I get above 50 mph. About a year into owning the car, I discovered that when it is cold the car will not shift out of park. Total junk!!!

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  Best Vehicle We Have Owned out of 29. - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Mike - February 4 - 4:16 pm

  Bought my wifes 2004 Endeavor new in Oct 2003 for $26k (great price!). Has 311,000 miles now. I do 95% of maintenance and keep up with everything regularly. I change the Mobil 1 synthetic oil every 6k miles of mostly HW driving (23.5k a year). Wish I could buy another one just like it. The only issues were the A/C condensation leaking into the drivers side floor and the P0431 code for catalytic converter slow to warm which causes the check engine light to illuminate. For the AC fix, I had to remove the seats and carpet and clean everything then added the extension hose to the A/C drain under the SUV per the TSB. All is fine now and has been for many years. One set of Firestone Destination LE tires ran 100,525 miles! I wish it didnt need premium gas. Best vehicle we ever owned. Plan to drive another 100,000 miles or more. We will buy a new SUV around March as a back up vehicle since we paid off our house after 18 years.

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  GREAT LOOK NOT GREAT RUNNING - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By tthomas - January 29 - 10:00 am

  I have had my Mitsubishi lancer for 1 year and it has been back to the shop 3 times since its purchase all major problem 1 the axle went 2 the radiator went 3 the material on the door panels is lifting and will need to be replaced I love this car for everything else but its mechanical problems

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  2011 Outlander GT - 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By daver10 - January 13 - 4:34 pm

  We had a 2004 Durango Limited and down sized to the GT Outlander. Overall it is unique looking, handles like a sports car, and in the snow it feels secure. And the MPG has been decent as Ive hit 30MPG at 60mph. The thing we really like is that it has a lay flat rear "bed". Cool truck, not everyone has one!

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  PERFER CAMRY!!!!! - 2000 Mitsubishi Galant
  By KDUB - December 24 - 2:00 am

  HAD 97 CAMRY AND LOVED IT, GOT TOTALED IN ACCIDENT. IN ITS PLACE GOT 00 GALANT ES. INTERIOR NOT COFORTABLE FOR 6 FOOT PLUS INDIVIDUAL. KIDS NOTICED DIFFERENCE IN BACK SEAT, NO ROOM. HAVING PROBLEM WITH DOME LIGHT, WONT SHUT OFF AFTER CLOSING DOOR. THATS ENOUGH DONT GET ME STARTED.

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  So so disappointed - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By 20vcq - December 12 - 12:13 pm

  Disappointment growing - lame awd - poor paint quality and road noise.

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  Overpriced and Uncomfortable - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By bradpepsi - October 22 - 2:00 am

  This has got to be the most uncomfortable car Ive ever driven. The driver is very cramped and the gas pedal is far too sensitive. The problem is you dont notice things like that on a test drive, its only when you go on a drive more than 30 minutes or so that you notice how uncomfortable it is. Performance is much better than the reviews for it indicate, but the gas mileage is pathetic for a car with a 115 HP 4 cylinder engine (about 23 mpg in the city). At $17,300 for the automatic version, Mitsubishi is out of their mind. Ive had mine for only two months and am already looking to get rid of it.

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  Not worth it if theres problems... - 1999 Mitsubishi Galant
  By reson8 - September 28 - 8:00 am

  4 days after I purchased the car, I needed both front & rear brakes. The explanation was that it had been sitting on the docks in California for two months before I bought it and that the salt water probably caused corrosion of the calipers, rotors, etc. Unacceptable (IMHO)!!! Other problems here and there. Looking back on it, I did not get my moneys worth for what I paid ($26k+). I would not have purchased this car back then...but hey...I didnt know better (I was young- only 25).