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:

• 

  Good Car for 18000 - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By rustbucket - March 23 - 2:00 am

  This car took out my wifes new mustang gt on the highway in 3rd gear. If ur considering the mustang gt think again. After driving the mustang u will know just how good the gearing in the eclipse really is. This car is responsive on turns and doesnt slide easily. Drives well in the rain because of the front wheel drive. Not as much wheel tug as u would think on quick acceleration from stop. I would have like the mazda rx-8 but this car is the best price to car ratio and the monthly is not a mortgage payment.

• 

  CVT sucks - 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By germanwolf41 - March 18 - 11:30 am

  My CVT transmission seized at 137,500 miles. NO mention to change the fluid in the owners manual, just check fluid every 30k miles. Mitsubishi also fails to tell you they expect you to have the MIVEC motor valves to be adjusted every 30k miles (a $400-ish job) Due to limited Mitsubishi dealers Id advise against buying any Mitsubishi. Also, the CVT fluid is $19.50 per quart, 6qt roughly to change fluid once. The ONLY place you can get the Diaqueen J4 tranny fluid IS at Mitsubishi. NOT worth the hassle. Odd size for the 18" wheels, hard to find & expensive to replace tires. Only 4 choices

• 

  What a fun car! - 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By musclehead - March 16 - 2:00 am

  This car has served me well through several yers of outside sales work. It is fun to drive; unique and sharp to look at; easy to get in and out of; sound system is awesome; low maintenance and the quality in workmanship is good.

• 

  gas guzzler with a little 4 cyl - 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By mixe - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Its a great "MINI SUV" the only downfall that I have experienced is it gets HORRIBLE gas mileage.. I have a Ford Explored with a 4.0 6 cyl that does equal or better on gas..

• 

  NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Impulse buyer - March 16 - 2:00 am

  Handling is excellent. Drives like a car. But driving in freeway is annoying. Wind noise, you have to put the radio to higher volume just to muff the noise from the wind. I drove different suvs, but nothing compared to this one as far as wind noise. Hope Mitsubishi will do a recall on this kind of problem.

• 

  love my truck - 1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Meli - March 15 - 10:00 am

  leased my SUV in 1999. considering buying out my lease. Very realiable, drove cross country no problems. Lots of space for moving. fun to drive and looks sharp.

• 

  Worth a look - 2005 Mitsubishi Galant
  By jeff - March 13 - 5:33 pm

  I have had my GTS for just under 4 years. Its fun to drive (very quick), pretty quiet, good interior room( and looks good too, decent trunk space, handles well. Average fuel economy for an engine this size. My ONLY complaint about this is the turning radius is just a little to large. If they fixed that, it would be close to perfect. I have owned Camrys, Accords, and American sedans and this is as good as any and better than most. Warranty is much better than most also. I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun to drive sedan.

• 

  Good SUV - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Jennifer - March 12 - 7:10 am

  Ive had my Outlander for almost two years and I am very happy with it. Its very reliable and the performance is good. It is easy to get in and out of and the trunk compartment is easily accessible.

• 

  Nice SUV - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Pib - March 9 - 2:00 pm

  I hadnt planned on looking at the Outlander as Id never heard of it. Im glad that I found out about it! Compared it with CR-V, RAV4, Santa Fe, etc...which are all fine vehicles, the Outlander hit all the right points on what I was looking for. What I especially like is that it gives me almost all the things I would want in a larger SUV in a smaller and more fuel-efficient size.

• 

  Its a blast - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By BWV565 - March 9 - 10:00 am

  I purchased this car in 10/2000 with ABS, leather seats, sunroof, 4-CD in- dash changer, power drivers seat, fog lights, etc. I have put on 33K miles on the car.