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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  Whats the deal? - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By JHope - June 13 - 10:00 am

  So far I havent found any reviews online of the 2003 GTS, and the old reviews seem to find the eclipse inadequate and "not fun to drive" compared to other cars in its class. I test drove a handful and found the eclipse GTS the only car to put a smile on my face. The pickup is excellent and it maintains speed easily - the car hits 100 like its no big deal, no excess noise or vibrations. Ride is very smooth and I love it for my long highway co

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  Better than the reviews Ive read - 2009 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Jamie in Las Vegas - June 12 - 6:23 pm

  Ive had a 98 Jeep Wrangler for a decade. So moving to a sedan is an upgrade in most ways. Interior, styling, ride, acceleration; ALL are an improvement for me. I know a Camry or Accord might be better outfitted, but so far, Im digging it. It is at once distinctive AND doesnt call attention to itself. 2009 restyle fixes design incongruities from earlier models. 4 cyl engine does much better than I thought it would. Im very pleased. If you are moving from a lesser car you wont have many complaints. I test drove a 2010 Kia Optima before this one, and the 2009 Galant kicks its behind. But then, I guess it should. Love it right now. Well see if I feel the same after 9 years.

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  Great Car for the Money - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Cheap Milwaukeean - June 12 - 4:30 pm

  Have owned the car for 3 weeks now and put fuel in it twice. I am averaging 27.5 mpg in a city/hwy mix while being rather aggressive with the throttle. Not as good as I could get with a smaller car but I am 6-4 300 lbs and Im comfortable in the Lancer. The car has plenty of HP and torque. I have found myself doing 90mph on the freeway without much effort. Getting around town is effortless. At 64" I actually have the drivers seat up a notch which surprised me. The back seat provides enough room for 2 kids (1 in a car seat). Seats are comfortable too. The gauges are laid out well and the car performs all the functions that it should rather well. I need more room to write the review

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  5 years old and running great - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Viener.Vanker - June 10 - 2:26 pm

  Purchased 10/2005 with 48,000 miles. Now (10/2007) has 75,000 miles. No issues whatsoever. 29 miles per gallon mixed driving. Does what a 4 door 4 banger econobox is supposed to do and does it well.

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  i miss mine - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By charity - June 10 - 10:00 am

  I loved my 98 mitsu but i had a car accident the car was very reliable and fun to drive and it held up very well in the accident unfortunately it was a total due to cost of airbags i loved it so much and it had been such a good car for me i bought a 2004 mitsu lancer and i love it too brandon mitsu has always been great to deal with after i had mine and it held up so good in the accident i dont think i could buy anything but a mitsubishi

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  Less than impressed after a year - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By HK416 - June 7 - 12:33 pm

  I have had my Lancer GTS for nearly a year and lets just say - it is going away. The power is not bad; but heaven forbid you have to use the A/C. It sucks SO much power from the engine. Mileage is as expected, but I cant get over the complete lack of power in this thing. Interior is not all bad; seats could be a bit more comfortable on longer trips. The NAV system is alright; but how about some updates for the maps? My house is over 2 yrs old and my street doesnt even show up. When I called Mitsubishi about updates; they told me this summer w/ a cost of $100 - are you serious? It will be a happy day when she is gone from my garage.

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  Shouldnt have bought this SUV - 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By applepie237 - June 7 - 9:55 am

  Just hit 3,000 miles and mileage is more like 17-25 mpg. Doors are really light, back gate doesnt always open, a # of features are stripped out in the SE so some things you would expect arent included. Bluetooth doesnt always work so I make a call, they hear me but I dont know its even connected. Wipers spray over the windshield/crooked. Remote start is a joke, need to start again when in car. The only comfortable spot for the steering wheel will block your dash. Two days after leasing, had major mechanical issue. Second lease payment they didnt notify me of automatic payments starting so I made a payment and then they pulled as well, overdrafted my account for following directions.

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  Objective review, I won this car in a drawing. - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By Lucky 7 - June 6 - 7:36 pm

  I was not in the market for a small SUV and it is not really my thing. I just sold an S2000 sports car, drive a BMW 328i and was shopping for a new Boxster so the Outlander sport was not really in my wheelhouse. And then a telephone call came that I was a finalist to win one in a drawing I had entered online. I went to the final drawing and won the car. I had been helping my sister shop for a small SUV so I was very familiar with the Rav4, CRV, Mazda CX4 and the Escape having looked at all of them with her very recently. We did not look at the Outlander Sport and that was probably a mistake, and the big mistake comes in value for your money. After I won the base model 2.0 I was allowed to drive a loaded GT model with the larger engine. First, skip the base 2.0 and go straight to the 2.4. I drove around and the car did not have as much power for what I was used to and I had never personally driven a CVT car but it was decent. I am used to cars with lots of power and thought I would be severely disappointed, but I wasnt. I dont drive like a maniac and for a car to commute comfortably in, this car will do fine. I spent some additional money to upgrade my base model to an SEL model which the dealer sells for No haggle at $23,500 with the current rebate structure. It has proximity keyless entry, leather seats, a backup camera, a decent touchscreen audio system, bluetooth, the larger engine and all the other common features like power windows and cruise, and I almost forgot, AWD. The only features I did not pay extra for were the panoramic roof (kinda cool) upgraded stereo and Nav. So the car was pretty loaded for a low price compared to the competition and has a very comprehensive warranty (10 years 100,000 miles on the engine and transmission, 5 year 60,000 bumper to bumper). The car rides and drives well, is fairly comfortable, and has lots of features for the price. There had been some quality issues in the past from a factory here in the US that was closed, and all Outlander Sports now come from Japan and the quality seems very good. Of the competition, most have better engines, better fuel economy, some have better interiors, maybe a little more space, or drive sportier. But the Outlander Sport offers a pretty good little car for a very low price with lots of content and a top notch warranty. I was going to trade mine but I am keeping it. It is a neat little car that does a lot really well, just not very fast. It could do with about 15 more horsepower and 4 more miles per gallon to better compete but those are my major gripes. If you are in the market for a small SUV/Crossover and want a lot on a small budget, give it a look. You might be very pleasantly surprised. Just be sure to get the 2.4 liter engine.

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  Competes with the rest of class. - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By falsesmall - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Havent had it long but already I can tell you this car handles as well if not better than my old Passatt. Very nimble and plenty potent for a 4 cyl. Quiet ride. I keep reading it hasnt kept up with the styling improvements of its competition. The Dover Pearl White with the the Gold Package lettering looks pretty damn good to me. Plenty of standard features.

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  Smooth and Practical - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By supervic - June 6 - 2:00 am

  Before last weekend, I never thought that I would get a Mitsubishi car in my life. The precise control is similar to and the ride is much smoother than my last car-93 Nissan Altima. I did some research and compared it to Accord, Camery, Altima & Torus that interest me. In my opinion, Galant ES V6 is a practical family car with excellent performance and is the best bang for the buck. Since not too many people desire Galant, there is much room to negotiate the price with the dealer. What impulsived me to get a Galant is because of its 0% Finance plan for 60 months.