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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  Eclipse Design Saved My Teen Driver - 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Eppie - December 29 - 4:56 pm

  My daughter was in a horrible accident yesterday in her 2008 Eclipse. I bought the car for the safety rating and airbags. She and her passenger flipped end over end 3 times before coming to a rest 50 ft from the highway on the roof of the vehicle. They were going 75 (the speed limit on this hwy). They both walked away with minor scratches. THANK YOU Mitsubishi for your excellent car - it saved my kids life.

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  My Second Eclipse - 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Sandi Lubisco - December 29 - 3:03 pm

  I Traded an 01 for the 07 Eclipse. I loved my 01 model, but had to trade it in. My new car handles easily and is very sleek. The 07 Eclipse is not just for the young, but for anyone. I am 61 years old I know I will love my new car as much as my old one.

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  Galant #1 - 1999 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Suzanne117 - December 29 - 12:13 pm

  This car handles beautifully on all road conditions. I love the luxury interior design (very comfortable). Although the car is a 99, I still get comments about how new the body looks. Some people even think it is new.

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  held up well - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By rsr72 - December 27 - 2:00 am

  We have had the Montero Sport for three years now. It has held up well. Great interior, seats, and excellent paint quality. The gold paint looks almost as good as when it was new. Decent power, low wind noise and acceptable ride for a truck-based SUV. The Montero compares favorably to the other vehicles we have recently owned - a Toyota Tundra (poor gas mileage, horrible seats and so-so paint quality) and a Honda Civic (poor paint quality, interior rattles.

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  Wake Up & Drive! - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By jwk1960 - December 27 - 2:00 am

  We leased a 2000 Montero Sport for 3 1/2 years and loved it. When the time came to turn it in we had a hard time deciding whether to buy out the lease or not. Since we had such luck with the Montero we decided to test drive some of Mitsus other products first before making a decision. My wife drove the Outlander first and it was all over. We left the dealership with one and didnt get out of it the rest of the weekend.

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  Great value and best towing in class - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Fish - December 25 - 5:23 pm

  Ive had my LS 4wd for a month and I feel I made a good purchase. The performance is only average. It isnt nearly as fun to drive as the Mazda CX-7 that I test-drove. But I think the Outlander is a much better overall value.

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  Good car - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Vik2001 - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This is an excelent vehicle to drive. With its 1.8l engine is ti powerfull enough to give you confidence and strenght in traffic. Its fun to drive and you save on gas a lot.

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  Love! - 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Emma - December 19 - 7:23 am

  I absolutely love this vehicle. The technical features are outrageous. It handles more like a car, not an SUV. Have driven on snow and ice and feel very confident in this vehicle. Very roomy in the back with the back seats folded. Love the look, especially from the front. Wouldnt trade it for anything. By-the-way, this vehicle tells you if you need to switch from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive when it senses a wheel spin or slip, how COOL is that?

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  Love technology? Youll love this car! - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By egiardie - December 18 - 4:06 pm

  Absolutely the best bang for the buck out there! I purchased a 2007 XLS, with the three upgrade packages (luxury, sun/sound, and nav packages) during Christmas week (got a great end of year deal - payed only $28k!) and I couldnt be happier with this car. The engineering, attention to detail, and high tech appeal is just unbeatable for the price - not to mention the 5 year/60k mile warranty! Beats the competition hands down! Do the research, take a test drive, and youll probably end up buying this car - I did!

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  Great Car - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Rob - December 18 - 11:00 am

  Just bought it about a month ago, I got it with the mud flaps and hood deflector. The hood deflector looks sexy (adds a touch of design at the front while it protects). No stone chips at all from me driving but it did have 2 or 3 at the front from the previous owner who did not put a hood protector or mud flaps on. It is the CVT auto and I dont know why people say it doesnt have enough power, its plenty and when I switch to the manual sports mode, it goes well enough. Unless you want to race with this car, its gonna cut it, plenty. It has more power than my old 96 civic which still had a lot of HP left. The paint job, might be a little fragile but it should technically hold out.