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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  Its just OK - 2009 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Chuck - June 12 - 8:03 am

  Mitsubishi did a good job on the rear end of the 09, but hardly did anything to the front. The Sports Edition that I have does have the chrome top to the grill and darkened headlights but thats it. Its ok on gas and ok on comfort. On a recent trip, my backside really got sore so I assume the seats could have been made better. I do not like the waffle like dash, I can already see where dust settles on it. When in idle, you cant turn the headlights off, like when youre waiting for someone. To me thats irritating. There is not an accessory adapter in the console like the prior years did. Engine is very noisy compared to my 08 Camry, and the doors sound tinny compared to the Camry.

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  Poor build quality - 2001 Mitsubishi Montero
  By Dan McKane - June 11 - 2:00 am

  This is a nice looking & riding SUV. Its heavy and under powered with the 200 hp V6. It is well equiped and well thought out. The build quality and manufacturer warranty are not acceptable. I have had a few problems: the paint on the lower part of the SUV was peeling/falling off, a part for the anti-lock brake system - it is on its 3rd one, the aluminum wheels were badly pitted after just on winter. I had to wait more than 3 mo. to get the district service manager to look at the wheels and they were finally replaced. (they are pitting again) Not what I would expect from a $36,000 vehicle.

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  My Montero - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By Deelo - June 11 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my Montero for 15 months now and im unpleased with its performance and resale value. This vehicle is seriously underpowered and tends to be tipsy. Ill never buy another Montero!

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  o.k. rather have an acura - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By rmlf1 - June 11 - 2:00 am

  had to get this car because of the triple zero deal, i dont hate it but dont love it either. blind spots in rear quarter are the worst ive seen, the great infinity 7 speaker sound package is not as loud as i like(i can max it out and still be comfortable).i am 59" and my head almost skims the roof, when sunroof is open, my hair blows in my eyes(i HATE that).and no quick take offs at all, slow acceleration, if i hadnt needed a car so badly at the time and they hadnt offered the triple zero deal, i probably wouldve gotten the acura.

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  Issues - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Todd - May 29 - 1:20 am

  Although I liked my Mitsubishi Montero Sport for the most part, I dont belive it was constructed well. Ive had a large number of problems with this vehicle. Initially it was a little oil leak, which always seem to take a while to fix. After it was repaired, some lifters were getting stuck. After several failed attempts to get this fixed, I ended up getting a new short block. With that repair, they damaged the bolt that one of the tension pulleys is mounted to, causing it to shear off a month or so later. Now I have additionaloil leaks, from the head gasket to the cam plug o-rigns. Other issues include poor shifiting from 3rd to 4th when accelerating quickly.

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  it is fine - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By raiser - March 30 - 10:00 am

  not back for basic transport, but even mitsu dealer pays $3500 for a 12k miles car makes ppl leave mitsu bad resale value , dun buy this car a penny above invoice

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  Buy it if it is cheap - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
  By MD driver - March 29 - 4:03 pm

  When you need a cargo space, there is no better choice than this car, really. Mivech works great and runs surprisingly good for a wagon. In reliability and built quality, this car will not be as good as any other major Japanese makers, but again, this car got cargo space that no other matches, at least with good gas mileage of a car instead of an SUV. So, there is only 2 reason to buy this car, cargo space, cheaper price, at least in used market, Mitsubishi goes way cheaper than Toyota or Honda. If money and cargo space is important to you, this car is for you.

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  Real Review - 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Will Deal - March 19 - 6:42 am

  I purchased the 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander SEL trim with the SAWC. Its a 4 cyl, and that part of the deal makes the vehicle light on performance. Its got this grind when taking off from a dead stop if youre on the gas, and in my honest opinion its just slow. The vehicle does offer a lot of bang for the buck, but not in the performance department. It is a stylish vehicle and i like that. The tech is outstanding! Youd pay a lot more cash for many of the standard options that come with the vehicle. If I had to do it over again I would not buy the 4 cly, Id get the V6 hands down which is about 4-5G more. That may have come down some since I purchased mine back in December 2016. Oh, the paint is another problem. You will get paint chips when you first hit the road. I have the cosmic blue and the paint chipping stands out like a soar thumb. I plan to buy the hood protector, but Mitsubishi could have done a much better job with the paint coat, at least for the hood area. Trust me that issue really ticks me off. Like others have commented it is a very nice vehicle for the money, but look around before you buy this vehicle. I would recommend the vehicle to anyone is looking for nice standards, reasonable cost, outstanding warranty and a great stereo system this car gets five stars in those categories. Mostly everything else is about middle of the road, and performance is not great.

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  Could have been better - 2009 Mitsubishi Galant
  By nick_ole - March 10 - 12:34 am

  I bought the base version of this car... Its very plastic, especially the trunk that sounds like a tin-can when you close it. Vehicle has lots of blind spots but for the money, its still okay to drive. One morning, transmission started shifting heavy, took it to the dealer and after 2 days I find out that a squirrel had chewed off a wire that was supplying power to the onboard computer.. My question is, whey leave such an important cable exposed to the element through the vehicle design in the 1st place. Most annoying issue was the squeal of the car when I reverse right after starting the vehicle. Dealer says is happens to all Gallants. Just traded in...

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  Test drive - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By tomcat14 - February 3 - 2:00 am

  Rides like a car, nice interior, lots of places for storage. Did not like how break pedal works. Very soft and has to be pressed all the way down. And now comes the bad news: VERY UNDERPOWERED. Driving a 6 cyl. Maxima now, I would expect different performance from the 4 cyl. car, but 140 HP (even with highly advertised torque) just enough for this car. The engine made a noise and struggled when I tried to merge into highway from an exit. At 55mph it was hard to find extra power boost for passing other cars.