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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  Work horse - 2004 Mitsubishi Montero
  By FrankP - May 20 - 4:40 pm

  I purchased my 04 Montero with about 10K miles on it. It now has 191,000 and still going strong. I have been very strict with the oil changes - every 5k and most of the other suggested maintenance. The vehicle has never left me stranded. It is excellent off road with great clearance and easily goes where other mid-size utes wont dare. The highway ride is good too and it does a decent job towing my camper. Very comfortable seats except 3rd row is for small kids only. Ive had to replace the catalytic converter twice very $$$ and had the manifolds off both sides of the engine develop heat cracks which had to be repaired - other wise no issues. Trans, 4WD and motor no issues at all.

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  "Fun Car" - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By peanut1jp - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun and looks good too! I have very few complaints about this vehicle except that the interior is a bit "cheap" looking and there is limited space in the rear. Overall, I am very pleased with my decision to purchase this vehicle.

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  Long-time owner - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Vince - May 10 - 11:43 am

  I purchased my Mirage LS new in May of 1998 and have enjoyed owning it ever since. My only regret is that Mitsubishi no longer manufactures the Mirage. I now have 120,000 miles on it and other than routine maintenance it has not cost me a dime. The highway mileage has never been less than 32 miles per gallon. It has been a great little car.

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  Great toys for the money - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By blu5092 - May 6 - 1:50 pm

  This car has lots of features that would cost some serious green with other competitors. The Nav and sound system alone is good enough for a purchase. The car itself, unfortunately could have have been better. I found it sluggish. The CVT is almost unbearable. It feels like its being pushed to catch up with the engine. The car screams to get going from a starting position. I think that a regular automatic would have been a better choice. This engine is supposed to be lighter and have impressive HP for its size. My Suzuki Reno is faster getting to 60. Other CVTs in the market dont feel like this. I crank the radio up so I dont hear the motor. It also gets poor gas mileage on hard acceleration.

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  After 3 Years - 2007 Mitsubishi Raider
  By WorldBeFree321 - May 4 - 10:03 am

  I have had my Raider truck now for exactly 3 years, I have grown attached to it by now. Last year the lights on the dash went out and the dealer had to replace the entire gadget board. Then about 3 months ago the steering locked, the chip on the key was not longer being recognized by the computer and the steering column had to be removed. It was not the chip on the key it was the computer ion the steering. The worst part is that the Mitsubishi dealer in Fresno, went out of business and closed and the nearest dealer is now about 30 minutes away. I still love my truck, but I probably would get a different truck because of all the trouble that I had with this one.

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  Mitsubishi is coming around - 1999 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Layton - May 3 - 10:00 am

  Im still pleased with this car at 60k mi. Ive experienced one bad and one good dealership -- same experience with Ford and Dodge. It has great styling. This car hasnt given me one bit of mechanical trouble. There were a couple of loose panels that rattled, but that was an easy fix. With only 3 recalls for the first year of the body style, its been great!

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  Very pleased - 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Sarah - May 1 - 8:13 am

  This car is a perfect daily driver. Fuel consumption is actually fairly decent, I average 26-33 mpg. Its a perfectly comfortable drive, even with 4 people in the car. Although somewhat boring (its just THAT easy to drive--almost drives itself!), I still like my little Lancer. I havent had a single problem.

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  Love This Car - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Jole - April 30 - 8:33 am

  Since 2002 I was driving an OZ verzion of the Lancer and I was not aware of what I was missing until I took the Ralliart for a test drive. This car is priced way under its value. The drive is pure luxury with a touch of performance. I had to buy it even though I did not need a new one. It was hard to beleive what improvements Mitsubishi made with this car. Some of the improvements include: a sunroof, 320 watt Infinity sound system, short shifter, 16" wheels, rear discs brakes, ABS, a suspension that is out of this world, the MIVEC engine, fog lights, a super-sounding Muffler, a Rrlly trunk net, and sport seats. There are cars out there which are selling for $15,000 more and are still a great buy, but this car will perform better.

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  My 07 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By starflare21 - April 26 - 2:20 pm

  This vehicles "ups" are the paddle shifters which make for fun spirited runs, aggressive styling cues both in and out, and a fairly decent engine. The "downs" are I personally do not like the choice of interior fabric. It is said to be better for stains, but in fact it attracts more lint and holds in stains/marks worse and takes much more effort to clean and to keep it that way. The 3rd row seat is useless and horribly uncomfortable. Other than the these things, I love that you can fold the rear seats for better room (though I wish they kept the power folding rear seats thats on the Japanese OEM model). Overall Im satisfied with my purchase though its a shame my local dealer is really rude and continues to be.

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  Mitsubishi Raider - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By truck boy - April 18 - 4:56 pm

  I called many dealers and got a killer deal on my Mitsubishi Raider in Rosevile, CA. I had to get it. As far as looks go it is the meanest looking truck out there, but the motor feels a little weak for the V6. It only has 210 HP but I need the better gas mileage. It rides like a car but feels like a truck