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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  Quality - 2004 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By alaina risner - June 18 - 10:00 am

  This is a good, reliable, and well built SUV. For the price is cant be matched. For a city SUV or for light labor it is a great choice. Fuel economy is the same as all SUVs, they use more fuel. The interior is nice, but could be a little more modern and stylish. Overall I give this a great buy status due to the price and quality of the build which will be years of dependability.

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  great car - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By robert - June 17 - 3:20 am

  I drive the car daily to work it is great fun to drive and handles great, also took it on a couple of road trips it did great in highway, mountains, rain, uneven roads, and slippery roads. Really dependable will highly recommend good acceleration and good break response. Never had chipping problems or any other issues.

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  Dont hesitate on this one.... - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By NoMore Fords - June 16 - 10:00 am

  I traded my POS 01 Mustang GT in for this car after Ford refused to fix my transmission with 6800 mi. This car is great. Refined, elegant, and sporty. The GTSs variable induction V6 is strong and with the tranny in sport mode the acceleration is felt. The car feels slow sometimes because the engine is so smooth and quiet but then you realize you are doing 85 or 90mph. Noticed some vibration at the steering wheel when at speed, some torque steer, a rattle on the passenger side and the passenger seat shakes some. I will have the dealership look into these. Other than that great car.

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  Great compact SUV and great value! - 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By cooljw - June 15 - 9:20 am

  I considered all the other vehicles in this class including the RAV4 and CR-V before choosing the Outlander. The Outlander clearly has the others beat on style and utility. The Outlander makes the CR-V and RAV4 look boring. Plus you can get it better equipped for thousands less than the competition. The long warranty provides great peace of mind. The handling is quite sporty with little body lean when cornering. The 4 cylinder provides plenty of power for me with good fuel economy and I can use the paddle shifters if I need to downshift quickly. Overall I am very pleased with this vehicle and might just be a Mitsubishi convert considering its the first one Ive ever owned.

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  2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Chris - June 10 - 6:16 pm

  This vehicle gets everyones attention. Im stopped all the time and even asked if they can photograph my Eclipse because its so sporty and appealing.

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  Awesome Suv - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By GREAT SUV - June 9 - 4:00 am

  Went in to actually buy a kia sportage and test drove the 2007 outlander 4 door 4wd and loved it, best decision I could of made. Reliable, fun to drive, lots of space and the back opens up from the top and the tail gate comes down, great stereo system, the only thing I can say is the gas is not as good as the paper said on the window. It gets about 22-23 miles to the gallon not 25-30 like it says. Comfortable when you have others with you and just a all around great vehicle. I do not see many of these on the road but I bet they catch on this year!

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  Value - 2004 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By MDS LV - June 7 - 10:00 am

  This is the second LS I have had. The car just plain delivers. BMW comfort, performance and quality at bargin prices. Only draw back is poor blue book for some reason. In any case dealer made my trade in work with incentives etc. I love the car.

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  You wont find better small SUV for price - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Found a best buy - June 5 - 9:30 pm

  With over 22,000 miles, it is flawless. I test drove everything from BMW X3 to Rav & nothing in this class will match the Outlander in all categories. I traveled routinely through the worst winter conditions imaginable & this vehicle is an awesome snow machine, even with the wide/street Goodyears. The exterior design is perfect & it stands far above the rest in looks. There are some minor quirks such as the torque steer which is easily fixed by putting in AWD or adjusting your starts. The Goodyears wore fast & need replacing soon. Anyone in winter conditions will experience lower "sandblasting" problems to the paint (apply addit clear protection & no problems or wait till 2008-fixed.

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  On par with Toyota and Honda - 2000 Mitsubishi Galant
  By SarahG - June 5 - 6:26 am

  This vehicle has been in my family for approximately 10 years now, and has given us no major problems. Acceleration is better than adequate, handling is excellent, and fuel mileage is good. It was my mothers to start, and then when it turned 8 years old, she gave it to my brother, who has a tendency to break things. He hasnt broken this yet, which is amazing. Neither my mother nor my brother have taken care of it as they should. I cant even remember the last time its been in for an oil change. My brother only had to replace the shifter cable @ 130,000 miles, and the radiator @ 135,000. Other than that, only regular maintenance, or lack thereof. I will only go foreign.

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  Super Reliable! - 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By jwmatten - June 4 - 9:07 pm

  I bought my 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander used in 2006 with 20,000 miles on it. Ive never had ANY issues with this car other than the scheduled maintenance. I only gave it a 4/5 on performance because the 4-cylinder makes it hard to drive up hills.