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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  Id buy it all over again! - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Rob Raff - April 8 - 10:00 am

  My wife and I were in the market for an SUV, as my 00 Eclipse was ending its lease in June. I looked closely at the Explorer, but refused to support Ford after the 2 Lemon Cougars (1999 and 2000) that Ive owned I saw an early advertisement for the Endeavor. Based on the photos and multimedia demos that I saw, I knew my wife would love it. A day after it came off of the truck, we visited our Mitsu dealer and test drove a Silver XLS. We bought it that night. I was amazed at the job the Mitsu pulled off. My wife really loved the deep dashboard and radio controls on the steering wheel. I really dig the styling, handling, and power.

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  Awesome - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Me - April 8 - 2:33 am

  Bought the car yesterday, didnt want a dull looking family sedan. Wow, turns heads, stereo and navi is awesome. Black with tint and all options. Love it.

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  Great Car - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Chris - April 8 - 12:03 am

  Ive had the car for about 3 weeks now and could not be happier. Was able to get the 0% financing promo too, which saved me thousands over the term of the loan. The car handles great and is just fun to drive. I highly recommend the manual transmission, its smooth hydraulic clutch and short throw shifts really add some fun to the daily drives to work. Also the appearance package is a must, it gives the car a great aggressive look. The leather wrapped steering wheel has a great feel and quality to it. I think there is plenty of pickup to the 2.0. I passed on the GTS because of the 18in rims and performance tires. I live in NY I didnt want to have to buy snow tires and switch them on every year.

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  My endeavor - 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Walter Sprowl - April 5 - 9:56 am

  It is turning out to be the best vehicle that I have owned and this is about my 8th Mitsubishi.

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  Excellent 4 Door Sport Sedan - 2006 Mitsubishi Galant
  By JDeauseault - April 4 - 10:46 am

  My driving experience has been excellent: good road feel, firm, not stiff or jarring ride. I would and will buy Mitsubishi vehicles from now on due to this being my 4th purchased from the manufacturer. All have had the same qualities: excellent fit and finish, above average powertrains with power and efficiency, outstanding, unique styling (many compliments from friends and strangers alike).

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  My Second One - 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By vermontergirl - April 3 - 9:43 pm

  Before the two Montero Sports, I drove a Volvo 850. This truck has only needed one minor thing in its 60,000 mile history. Just change the oil and go. One winter (I run studded Nokians), it made it up the last 600 of my very steep driveway with 22" of unplowed snow! It took about four passes, but did it. My driving is split between city and highway. For mileage, I usually get 21 mpg in the summer and slightly less in the winter (studded tires). This is not bad for a big SUV. Of course, if you want to go 75 mph all day you wont get the same results. The 2003s are really AWD all the time (90/10), which probably accounts for the decent gas mileage, and lock into 4HI+LO when needed.

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  2004 Eclipse - 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Cody - April 2 - 6:13 pm

  Went to test drive the car and immediately feel in love with it. We wanted to see how the handling was, and found going 65 around a 40 mph curve is a breeze. It pulled right into the curve, and didnt make me adjust at all. All in all, wow!

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  Not Bad! - 2010 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Chet Baker - April 2 - 9:53 am

  I do agree with Edmunds regarding comparison with other vehicles in the 24K range, but lets put things into perspective... Mitsubishi is letting these cars go for about the same price that you would pay for a well equipped Civic! I was able to purchase the SE model for 18K. For the money, I know that a reliable, fun to drive, and not bad looking car was purchased. The warranty cant be beat. I do wish that the gas mileage was a little better, but its not terrible.

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  Car-lotta for Fun and Value - 2003 Mitsubishi Montero
  By El Greco - April 2 - 2:00 am

  Great all-around SUV,esp.off-road.Ive owned Pajeros/Monteros since 84 in Saudi,China,Europe and USA.Theyre indestructible,provided you follow mfctrs maintenance schedule.I still have my 95 LS,and a new03 Ltd.The new one has a better engine/overall performance/comfort.However,it also has a useless side-board,puny horn,and,as the old one,not-exactly- useful 3rd row seats(at least they can disappear!).

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  OverPriced - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Marc Staval;e - March 31 - 10:00 am

  This car is a bit overpriced for what you get. I owned a previous Jeep GC and it had a lot more options for the price. The 0 down, 0 interest 0 payments for 1 yrs got me in but that was it. The car needs the XLS package at the LS price. This is what the other SUVs offer. Not as wide as the others.