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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  Excellent Choice - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By McGee - November 7 - 10:00 am

  Sure there are lots of SUVs to choose from, but no other manufacturer offers the kind of incentive to purchase that Mitsubishi does. I also like the fact that there are (currently) relatively few Montero Sports on the road (as opposed to the over-abundance of Explorers & Xterras...yawn). Additionally, theres plenty of cargo space & passenger room in the rear. Its been said before, the power is not where it needs to be (e,g., the unacceptable lag time when you press the accelerator), but other than that, after four months, Im still pleased with my decision.

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  Bloody Amazing! - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By ccmike25 - October 21 - 12:15 pm

  This car is amazing and it still suprises me when people have never heard of it. First of all it gets great gas mileage and secondly its like an indestructable tank I have had this car for years when I bought it it had 70K miles on it at current it has 215K miles on it and have never had to replace anything other than standard maintainance. It may be small and cramped (or I am just way to big) but it makes up for it in reliability and ease of care i have had no problem doing all the maintainance to this car myself and it is a breeze.

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  Some fun eh? - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Rustaman - October 21 - 2:00 am

  First the nits. No Power! Needs a turbo bad! Youll need a calendar to clock 0 to 60 times. The Infinity stereo is horrible. FM reception reaches only about 40 miles. The speakers are just bad. The DC outlet is only powered when the car is on - my cell phone is always dead. Brake and gas pedals kind of close sometimes I hit both with my size 9 feet. The Sportronic trans is just a gimmick. Gas mileage is a disappointing 17mpg in mixed driving. BUT (really big but) this puppy is fun to drive. It handles like a sports car and loves curves. Goes fine in ice and snow too. Even with all the minor annoyances I love driving this car. Now, if it only had a turbo!

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  One month real review - 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By mitsport - October 19 - 10:11 am

  Purchased 12/2013 brand new outlander sport. Tried the cvt and didnt like the way it shifted at all. Got the white 5 speed es model. I keep seeing reviews saying its slow, not sport to drive- Really??? its a 2.0 148 hp mini suv- its not a wrx or evo . Perfect for well under 20grand- i get 27.2-27.8 mpg every tank, it is not hard to park in a mall, its ez to keep clean, decent storage. and one of the longest warrenties out their.

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  Good, but not great - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Galant owner - October 19 - 12:13 am

  I bought this car brand-new. Ive never had accidents with it except one fender-bender where the side panel got bent (cosmetic damage only). Though I got a V6 for more power (gas wasnt as expensive back then), the car is very weak at low gears with SUV like fuel efficiency. But on the highways, the car is fun to drive and gets respectable efficiency (about 27-30 mpg). Hasnt given me any major problems yet, maybe due to the low mileage. Overall, this car is very solid, but is not very appealing. I bought it because of great financing options at the time. Probably wouldnt buy it if I had to do it all over again.

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  new purchase - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By kordic - October 15 - 10:00 am

  Found the Mitsu Lancer superior in terms of performace, and sport handling than my second choice, the Toyota Corolla. So far, the car has performed admirably. I continue to enjoy driving it.

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  Love Monteros - 2005 Mitsubishi Montero
  By hard2please - October 15 - 2:10 am

  The only gripe I have is this vehicle should be two inches wider and two inches shorter. I am not a boulevard cruiser and use this vehicle to get me to some pretty rough terrain here in Oregon. This is my fourth one and I will snub Mitsubishi for not keeping this line going. It is a tough truck with a quality build and it holds up well on USFS roads and trails, unlike the Endeavor, which cannot clear rocks and ruts. Who supplies the paint for these vehicles? It has a deep finish and holds up to backroad rocks. Good job on the Monteros, Mitsubishi!

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  Very Reliable SUV - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By joe.arismendy@yahoo.com - October 14 - 5:54 am

  In terms of reliability this vehicle is tops, got it used with about 73k miles has been very reliable with no major problems did replace the front brake rotors and pads at about 90k miles but other thant just the basic service oil changes filters etc. the only problem has been the front door windshield gaskets let in a lot of road noise at speed have seen this reported by other people here and the turnn signal need a chime because they will remain on if you dont notice, again not so much to worry about with this vehicle and mileage is good for a V6. Update Sold it but my dad has same year XLS model his has 83k miles still going strong!

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  Needs Improvement - 2007 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Stephen - September 28 - 1:09 am

  Mine leaks on passenger side when it rains,or my A/C condensate leaks on to passenger side rug.Had to remove drain plug under carpet to drain water out of passenger side

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  Great Car! - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By ANGEL - September 27 - 5:36 am

  I love my Lancer. I went to the dealership not thinking that this car would be what I wanted, and I actually had an appt. with an Infiniti dealer the same day. After test driving this car I fell in love with it. The pickup is great in the 2.4 and the ride is quiet. I have the dark gray and people think its the small BMW! I trade my cars in every 2-3 year (lease) and always went for the high end 6 cylinder cars. This car is just as good if not better. I love driving it, the ride is really wonderful!