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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  A Very Decent Automobile! - 2006 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Gerald Zymet - July 15 - 2:10 pm

  This was my second purchase of a Mitsubishi Galant GTS and probably my last. Mitsubishi has poor quality control as both vehicles had major factory defects at under 1,000 miles. The car does handle and drive very well, though the engine does give you some wallop when you accelerate.

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  I will not buy another Mitsubishi - 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By deb - July 14 - 8:13 am

  The 2007 eclipse has 2 problems: some of the models sunroofs do not open all the way (mine does not) and my air conditioner has not worked properly and the dealership does not resolve my issue, only makes excuses. I will not buy another Mitsubishi; their engineers do a poor job in my opinion and that of the service rep I spoke with. BEWARE!

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  A lot of car for a little less money - 2005 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Mark m - July 14 - 12:00 am

  I walked into showroom after seeing the car I wanted, sat down and the Eclipse caught my eye. I had to have fun looking car for little money. I took it for test rive and knew right away it was me. It gets good gas mileage, pretty good giddy up and go for a 4 cylinder. I am very happy and feel like a kid again.

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  This car is great - 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By sirarmanichap - July 11 - 2:00 am

  Every thing on this car is awsome. The only downfall is that it sucks on the freeway.

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  Awesome ride - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By clr5671 - July 11 - 2:00 am

  From the timew a test drove it, I loved it. It is a great ride. Comfortable interior with plenty of room. I have gotten a lot of compliments on the exterior and interior design. The performance I like as well, specially when taking a turn.

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  Fun car.. air bag problems... - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By chinoloco93 - July 9 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my GTZ for a year and I have the SRS light on. It appears that the passenger side air bag is a known issue (at least that is what the dealership told me) and its a ongoing problem. So far however, its a fun car to drive. The engine on the GTZ really sucks because its the same as the ES V6. I mean, its got less HP than a V6 accord and this car is screaming to have like 225HP. The suspension/handling on the GTZ is just super and very true. I can zip in and out of traffic with little problems and going up in the mountains, I feel very confident in the tight turning parts of I-80 into Reno.

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  Best Bang for Your Buck - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Christian - July 8 - 12:57 pm

  As many others have said, the so-called "experts" seem to miss the true appeal of the Outlander -- an AFFORDABLE, RELIABLE, SAFE, FUEL-EFFICIENT family SUV with a load of features that would easily cost you thousands more elsewhere. We were able to get our 2016 Outlander SEL for $25,000, and that was WITH 0% financing for 72 months. Shop around, and you wont find another SUV in its class that comes even close when you factor in the features Mitsubishi includes as standard with the SEL trim level. So, what do you get for the money? Well, for starters we are routinely getting 31+ mpg on the highway, and up to 36 mpg in some instances. On hilly back roads and in town, you will run pretty close to the 24/25 mpg advertised mileage, which is still fine for a vehicle of this size. In addition to the economy, youre getting a 5-star safety rating, a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper to bumper warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. Again, Toyota, Mazda, Nissan and all the U.S. auto makers dont even come close on warranty. And if you compare similar vehicles from Hyundai and Kia with the features you are getting from Mitsubishi, the price isnt close. So, on top of the economy, safety and reliability, now you can add a nicely appointed leather interior, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, 6-inch color touch screen entertainment display with integrated Bluetooth for your phone, fog lights, keyless entry, power drivers seat, 18-inch allow wheels, LED brake lights and daytime running lights and more. And as other reviewers have mentioned, the all-wheel drive on the Outlander is a full-featured system that allows you to switch to various modes and even lock the wheels. We havent had any poor weather yet to truly test the AWD system, but based on other drivers reviews, I am confident it will serve us well this winter on the mountain roads around our Pennsylvania home. As for the third-row seats, yes, they ARE tiny. You certainly would not want to ride across the country in them. However, I imagine most families are like ours and the third-row seats are not for everyday use but rather for occasional use when the kids have a couple friends along or when grandma and grandpa visit and we want to go out to dinner without the need to drive two vehicles. In such instances, the rear seats are more than adequate and represent a real convenience that most other vehicles in this class dont even offer, or charge $1,000 for as an upgrade. Plus, when the third-row seats are folded down, the Outlander offers generous cargo capacity, and with the second row seats folded, there is plenty of room for hauling even large, bulky objects. As for the driving performance, it is true that the 4-cylinder engine is a bit underpowered. Acceleration is sluggish, but thats the tradeoff for the great fuel economy. Besides, my wife and I arent race car drivers, and we find the overall performance more than adequate. The overall comfort of the leather seats (first and second rows) is very good, the standard sound system is quite good and road noise is quite good. We are only a couple months in, but so far so good with the Outlander. Honestly, I feel this vehicle represents, by far, the best family SUV value on the market, and after looking at MANY other options, I just could not get away from the fact that Mitsubishi offers consumers a lot more for their money than other manufacturers. Add in the great warranty and I am confident that this Outlander will serve our familys needs for many years.

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  In love with this car. - 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By johnny1apples - July 8 - 12:10 am

  This car is everything I wanted since the 2008 Lancers came out. I have a 2011, and it makes me super happy to finally drive one! It is mean looking, and aggressive. For being completely stock, I have won plenty of races, and my car is still stock. So if you want a car that is great on gas, relatively cheap, amazing looks on the inside and out, and can go quick for stock, Id highly recommend either the GTS, or the Ralliart.

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  Buyer beware - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By BURNTLANCER - July 7 - 1:46 am

  I purchased this lancer b/c of fuel economy and style, Mits is a good name (so I thought) & 6 year 60,000 bumper to bumper helped. 6 weeks ago on a normal day with the car only running maybe 5 min as I made a left turn the car just shuts off. Next thing I know the engine is on fire - fire department comes & puts the fire out. Car is still under warranty so I call Mits -- they deny claim with out even looking at the car. They do not stand behind their cars nor do they honor the warranty. I would not buy any car from this company.

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  Love the Car, Hate the Paint - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Roberto - July 6 - 11:03 pm

  The car is excellent however, I had paint issues from the beginning. The black roof and hood is now nearly white. The car is garaged but the paint continues to wash away.