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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  i love my rage(1.8L es 4dr - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By almae - March 4 - 10:06 pm

  I am the third owner of this car, my sis bought on 2001, then my bro took over, then I bought from my bro, it has almost 150,000 miles now and its running strong, very good on gas. I get about 31-32 mpg w/city/hwy combined and running on 17inch wheels. Ive had no major problems w/this car, just only minor maintenance, I will keep this car as long as its alive.

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  Great vehicle - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By FST - March 4 - 1:03 am

  Bought as a leftover model. Had a 2003 previously. Love the keyless entry & ignition. Key never comes out of my pocket. Getting 24 + for mileage. 3rd row seating useless for us, may never be used. Our 2 dogs like all the room available with the 2nd row seats folded. Liked the spare (2003-2006) up inside rather than under as with the models with the 3rd seat. We like the styling , and it is comfortable to take a trip with.

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  Outlander excellent, auto media reviews are biased - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By PK - March 2 - 4:21 pm

  Biased and disconnected auto media... Why do the Edmunds owner reviews not reflect this horrible car you profess? Your credibility is doo-doo. Real proactive lockable 4WD with torque vectoring and major ground clearance (~2+ inches more than most). You only get this grade 4WD (~Quadra Drive II) as a spendy option on a Limited or better Grand Cherokee. $50k for starters. Not even available with most other mfgers. You could stick with the cheapo reactive 4WD (a simple ABS mod actually) where it kicks in after the wheels slip. Great! AWD kicks in -AFTER- youre already sliding into the ditch! Shame on you Subaru for going this route to bump your fuel ratings. Oh well, join the club then. OMG, doesnt handle like a CX5? No kidding, its biased for 4x4 capability, not car-like compromise. Unfortunately you cant evaluate 4WD capability in the ten minutes the auto journalists spend with the car in southern California. 3rd row seating is tight? How many SUVs in this class have 3rd row? Right, its not a Suburban, why compare it to one? Low on power? Acceleration is the same as prior model Toyotas and Hondas, but nothing was said about them at the time. Ill take tried and true power train over "experimental" systems that boost power at the cost of reliability (widespread direct injection teething problems, Chrysler 9 speed transmissions, etc). Its criticized that Mitsubishi has the lowest output V6 available. How many of the small SUVs are available with a V6? Almost none. And the power to weight ratio is the same as a Grand Cherokee with the Pentastar, which is panned as "more than adequate" power. Notice the 100% "built in Japan"? That means all parts are high quality. Look at US built cars. 70% US parts, with 30% coming from Vietnam,China, etc.. Have to offset the cost of the good stuff with some crap. Oh, and the crap is the stuff the mfgr has no warranty or accountability for. Wear parts; Shocks, brakes, ball joints, tires, tied rods,etc.. Plan on replacing those at 30k miles. The Fosgate audio system gets criticized hard too. Give me a break. Its the best sounding system out there. It destroys the Logic 7 in my old BMW. The head unit isnt a technical wonder, but oh, the sound... My biggest problem is that they are comparing MSRP to MSRP. To compare apples to apples you should compare -actual- average purchase price. What they are selling for, not what theyd like to sell them for. Throw in the 60k/10 year bumper to bumper and its an easy choice for a lot of people. Problem is they dont even drive one after they read the 5 minute test drive review from the guy who re-printed the previous year review, who just got out of a Land Rover and a Corvette. This vehicle needs a proper review, unbiased, with attention to detail, with no comparisons to vehicles that are dissimilar. Mitsubishi is not getting a fair shake here.

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  So Far So Good! - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Troy - March 2 - 11:00 am

  Weve had our Lancer for six months. So far, not one complaint. No problems of any kind, and more importantly, we love to drive! Its got a tight ride, (glued to the road), takes a beating on terrible city roads, is peppy and looks sexy. It has more than adequate power and with the kicking sound system, its more than fun to drive. Ive bought 8 cars new since my 1982 drivers license, and by far Im happiest with this one the most.

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  Good for commuting - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Tunnel - March 1 - 9:23 pm

  I am not sure how I ended up with this Lancer, but I dont consider it a mistake. You can find them used very cheap. Mine has been perfectly reliable. Get the 5-speed manual, because it will remind you of its bread-and-butter nature, and, ultimately, the reason you bought it in the first place. We could all finance better cars; you dont buy a Lancer because you necessarily -want- one (except of course the Evo). You buy a Lancer because you found a good deal.

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  outlander - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By joel - March 1 - 5:35 pm

  good price

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  excellent - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By angel ,serrano - February 24 - 10:00 am

  the mitsubishi montero sport is a excellent suv is excellent on gas milage in a fun suv to drive also is a buitiful vehicle .

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  eclipse gt - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By luke - February 24 - 10:00 am

  over all very nice car. Got 40k on it. Drives nice. Very fast and sporty. gets attention. Quiet, and nice to drive. Problems if any so far is the paint. Had to buy some touch up pain. Mitsubishi should use batter pain quality and make the seats more comftable. Over view much better then the 99 cougar and Honda prelude. Traded my 99 prelude had to many problems to list.

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  This is a great safe car! - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Brittni - February 22 - 2:00 pm

  Im 19 and I purchased my 09 lancer a little over a year ago and I was so happy with the car. Recently i was in a 4 car accident and I was hit from behind, and also had front collision. Not only did i enjoy and love the car but it did extremely well holding up in the accident. All the airbags went off accordingly, and I was very happy with the safety of the car so much Im going to get another!!!

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  Had an 08 Now 09 - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By idlewanderlust - February 22 - 5:33 am

  Traded in my 08 Lancer GTS for the 09 GTS, this is a much improved Lancer over the year. The HP gain is nice but what really helps is the torque gain. The care will actually pull you from a stop and has the needed thrust when entering the highway.