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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  Good Truck, Need Improvements - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By anthonyorlando - January 29 - 10:00 am

  The Dealer can no fix the alignment, everytime i bring it in, it will pull to the right or left when they are done, still need alignment to get fixed. Fuel economy is expected to be poor, try to squeeze a lot of horse power out of a small V6, but its ok, peppy. I would have thought after spending 32K on this, I would have auto headlights, and heated side mirros, but these can be improved on. Truck looks cool, great color combo. Seats are really stiff, there are other SUVs around the same price that are more comfortable.

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  Eclipse - gone bad - 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By tech2k - January 11 - 2:00 am

  With only 78000 miles and great care this car just cost me $2000 for head gasket and valve repair. The shop stated that the design was flawed and a known issue with Mitsubishi.

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  Depreciation, buyer beware! - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By AbnRanger - January 11 - 2:00 am

  Ill never buy another Mitsubishi! I traded into the Montero Sport with around 2K negative equity thinking I could absorb the 2K over time. Boy was I wrong! Ive watched the Montero decline in value below HALF of what I owe. These Montero Sports have little trade-in value...they got me hook-line- and-sinker! I have no out for a trade, I owe over 10K more than the retail value. Ill drive the damn thing till its paid for, then Ill donate it to a military target range!

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  underpowered - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By elewsader - January 8 - 3:33 pm

  This car has been overly reliable but utterly boring, weve had this car since new and its rarely had any issues which has been great, but I regret not getting the 3.5 liter as this has no power when you put people in the car, its designed for people under 510 since proper posture for anyone taller requires you to hunch over to see out the windows, you also need to squeeze into the doors, theres not enough cup holders, no ample storage. I know these are popular for off-road use and thats the only thing theyd be good for, its uncomfortable and shouldnt be allowed to transport more than three small adults.

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  No More Mitsus 4 Me - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Toyota Fan - December 23 - 2:00 am

  Hello there: I owned my 2002 Lancer a total of five months to the day. Its cold-start piston slap noise was so bad a co-worker actually called out he wasnt aware they were available with Diesel engines. The paint job was orange peeled, the brakes began squealing at approximately 5000 miles (70% of my commute is highway) and a leaking antifreeze odor had begun when I traded it in on a Toyota Echo.

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  Reliable cheap transportation - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Brian - December 18 - 5:23 am

  Purchased with 24,000 miles, formerly a rental. Plain car, cheap transportation. I bought it for $6600 and have put 125,000 miles on it with no repairs. It has been a great deal. The car rides like a cheap little car and has lots of wind noise. The seats are not real comfortable, but do offer plenty of leg and head room. Four adults can ride in the car relatively comfortably.

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  Middle of the road - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Mike - November 27 - 9:50 am

  Overall an OK car. Took 3 kids and a bunch of camping gear 1100 miles over 10 days. Everyone did OK. My son, a newer driver, doesnt like to drive it - too twitchy. I drive it to go skiing and the 4WD/AWD is solid on icy roads with all-season tires - no studs needed. Road noise is too high. It sounds and feels cheaply made.

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  10 years later - 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Christina - November 11 - 10:47 am

  I bought this car brand new off the lot in 2005. Within the first couple of years I had to have it repainted twice because it was already rusting. I had the bushings, control arms, tierods, and brakes replaced pretty much every year Ive owned this thing, since the first year I bought it. I dont mistreat my car or drive it rough because Im too paranoid something will go wrong with it. At 7 years the motor blew and the dealership refused to honor the warranty, despite it having 93,000 miles on it (well under warranty). The transmission was bad after the first year. The radiator had to be replaced after 8 years, even though it leaked since the first year I got it. The dealership wouldnt cover anything with my 10 year/100,000 mile warranty except the bushings. My window motor died after 9 years. The rear window windshield wiper died after 3 years. I feel Im replacing the lights every 6 months, and at $35 a light, it adds up real quick. Ive pretty much replaced every single thing on this car since the year I bought it, without any help from the dealership or warranty. Now its paid off, you better believe Im going to drive the hell out of it for another 10 years because Ive rebuilt the whole thing. I paid $27,000 for this car, and I refuse to let it go out of sheer stubbornness, and not wanting to have to buy another car. BUT, I sure as heck will NEVER buy another one again. Wasnt ever worth the money. And I didnt even get the nice packaged one, its just plain jane boring. I wouldnt recommend this car to anyone. Its hard to find parts for it, and everything costs a ridiculous amount.

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  It all fell apart! - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By ahinde - November 7 - 1:30 pm

  I really liked my 2003 outlander when I bought in in 2004, but soon after that I found it had many problems. Every summer water fills inside my air conditioner and causes it to short out causing a new blower motor to be replaced. This wasnt all covered by warranty and they could never figure out why it would do this. Also my entire suspension has been changed and only a year later its already squeaking. Also our temp dial doesnt rotate freely anymore, the cable designed badly and has been replaced once already. There are also numerous issues with this model and Mitsubishi wont do recalls on. Overall I would not purchase another one!

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  Cute but Sensitive to Road Conditions - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By 580 Lady - November 4 - 10:00 am

  The car is cute and perfect for commuting to/from work or even for professional moms. It was a great deal for a used car but I quickly realized that the car lost its appeal on me when I noticed how sensitive the wheels were to the road. If anyones driven on CA-580 knows the road is full of potholes, cracks, and whatever else. You must have a steady hand and heart to drive this lightweight car around the Bay Area. The car is sensitive to high winds while driving on bridges and overpasses and obviously will slip and slide all over the place when the road is not in the best shape.