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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  Do not buy any new mitsubishis - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By st966z5d - October 30 - 10:00 am

  dont do what I did, buy a brand new mitsubishi with a low finance rate. afterwards i find out that the car that cost me 23k brand new is now worth 11- 13 k the following year! you lose half of what its is worth. its a big scam, dont buy new, buy used! :(

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  Replacing brakes as maintenance? - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By fccm - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Beware of their warranty!! We were just informed that we had to replace the brakes and that it was not covered since it is considered "maintenance" despite having only 20,000 miles. Wish I had bought something else

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  Stay away! - 2002 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By idl1975 - September 11 - 10:00 am

  Depreciation is horribe: my car has cost me $5k MORE so far than the 99 BMW M3 I was considering, and the used BMW would have come with a _better_ warranty. The V6 cars esp. have reliability issues, including a clutch/throw-out-brg issue. Check the web owners groups to see. Mitsus warranty coverage is a joke - said owners groups are full of reports of people refused warranty repairs. Despite advertising claims, its no sports car, just a Galant with a body kit. If you must buy front-wheel-drive, try an Acura RSX. Otherwise a certified-used German sedan with a good warranty will depreciate less and deliver a lot more fun.

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  Cant wait to sell it - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Puglove - September 9 - 8:20 pm

  I bought my Eclipse new and the second week I had a tick in the engine and my exhaust rattled. The dealer had no explanation for the tick except to change the oil...did nothing. My CD changer went out in year 3. The air conditioning controls also went out...the fan works but no cold air except for #1 on the dial. I now also have some loud rubbing noise coming from the back end. When driving it sounds like something is open as you hear all road noises. When it rains something in the hatch leaks. The gas mileage is good however and this car has pep even with the air on (if the air works that is). This is my first foreign car and will be my last. Mits has made me frown on foreign.

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  Heater Core went out!!! - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By whatanabe - August 27 - 5:06 am

  Granted I bought my 03 Galant used with approx. 32,000 miles. No major problems until a few weeks ago. Heater core went out along with the drivers side window motor. Dealership said the cost would be over $900. I said no way! Never been happy with the design... a huge lackluster.

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  Its Getting Long in the Tooth - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By gsemike - August 11 - 2:00 am

  Maybe it was a sharp design in 98, but now it looks old and boring inside and out. Ive been looking for a 6 cyl sedan, and it only took a few minutes for me to know that the Galant wouldnt cut it. How did it get up to $23,800 and still have cloth seats? Im still shopping, but the Galant is definately behind the Chrysler Sebring and Mazda6. The Chrysler and Mazda dealers were far more willing to deal and both cars are new designs and feel more solid. Even though I asked twice, Wantaugh Mitsubishi never let me know what invoice was on the car.

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  Not Very Powerful - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By KC4967 - July 30 - 10:00 am

  My Montero runs pretty smoothly on the highway and when going high speeds. Problem is that it is hard to pick up speed, and it seems to struggle when I am acclerating. When my car is idle, the engine sounds like it is working very hard even though it is doing nothing.Good thing is that you cant hear it very welll from inside the car unless the windows are down. Overall it has a comfortable ride, but very useless 3rd row seats.

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  I Would NEVER Buy it Again - 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
  By Tony Sam - May 5 - 6:20 pm

  The ride is awful - it’s the worst I have ever experienced in any car I’ve driven in the last 40 years. Very small bumps are okay and smooth roads great. But any other size bumps are bad jolts and very uncomfortable. Road noise is pronounced because poor insulation. The rear view is awful - obstructed by low hatchback, head rests in the back seats, and if people sit in the back seat, its hard to see anything. And this causes problems parking and backing up and can cause the car to be accident prone. The stability control is not perfected as it doesnt always stop straight. Fuel economy is well below competitors, Toyota, Honda, Kia, etc. The cheap plastics on the dashboard cause easy scratches.

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  A decent car - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By jldude - April 4 - 3:53 am

  This is a car that grows on you and the more you own it, the more attached you get. Its nothing spectacular in any area, but its sufficient. The best thing about it is the quiet engine and smooth transaxle. It rides like a more luxurious car. I can squeeze 31 mpg on the highway so thats not so bad. Mine does feel a little cheaply made, thats probably the biggest turn off. The doors close like theyre 10 years old and the shocks feel likewise, but it has a good loud factory cd player and despite the threatening rust in the engine bay from midwest use, it is still quiet and smooth and everything works. The brakes do squeal pretty bad though. If it had more modern technology it would be great.

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  So-so - 1999 Mitsubishi Galant
  By illuzions - February 4 - 10:00 am

  "Decent" car with nice styling. Tons of complaints about how great it looks, and thats why I bought it. Didnt realize though that this 4 cylinder has no motivation at all, the tranny takes forever to downshift sometimes, and passing people is a joke. It does cruise nicely at 85-95 mph but getting there can be frustrating. The interior is comfortable but there are quite a few obnoxious rattles (dash, passenger door/window, glovebox....) Breaks are also mediocre