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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  Overall, very satisifed - 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Nick - February 8 - 12:06 pm

  My wife and I bought our Mitsubishi Outlander as our first child was about to be born and both of us had coupes. We searched and searched and found ours. Neither of us like the big gas guzzling SUVs, but needed something with a little more space and access, The Outlander has just enough of everything...gas mileage / space / style.

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  The ALL purpose Montero - 2006 Mitsubishi Montero
  By mrhouse - February 5 - 6:23 pm

  This is my third Montero. I love these vehicles and they have a great history. Classy and rugged at the same time.

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  Best Vehicle We Have Owned out of 29. - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Mike - February 4 - 4:16 pm

  Bought my wifes 2004 Endeavor new in Oct 2003 for $26k (great price!). Has 311,000 miles now. I do 95% of maintenance and keep up with everything regularly. I change the Mobil 1 synthetic oil every 6k miles of mostly HW driving (23.5k a year). Wish I could buy another one just like it. The only issues were the A/C condensation leaking into the drivers side floor and the P0431 code for catalytic converter slow to warm which causes the check engine light to illuminate. For the AC fix, I had to remove the seats and carpet and clean everything then added the extension hose to the A/C drain under the SUV per the TSB. All is fine now and has been for many years. One set of Firestone Destination LE tires ran 100,525 miles! I wish it didnt need premium gas. Best vehicle we ever owned. Plan to drive another 100,000 miles or more. We will buy a new SUV around March as a back up vehicle since we paid off our house after 18 years.

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  The Best SUV for the money!!! - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By DonMitsu - February 3 - 10:00 am

  Nothing like it for less than $40K

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  Test drive - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By Leod - February 3 - 10:00 am

  I just got the Limited for the test drive. I like the way the vehicle looks, but I expected the interior quality to be a little bit better, especially the plastics and the switches on the front doors. I would prefer the spare tire to be stored somewhere else, because it makes the vehicle look a bit too long. The driving was good, acceleration and handling was sufficient. For me this vehicle is a little to big, but at the other hand the gas milage is comparable to my Grand Cherokee with I6 engine.

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  Powerful, comfortable, and reliable! - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By GT OWNER - February 3 - 10:00 am

  I was trying to decide between this car and the Acura RSX (not the Type S). But for the same price, I felt I got a little more style, 40 additional horses, a wider selection in color and a reliable car that I can trust as much as the Acura.

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  great crossover worth repeating - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Colin - February 1 - 9:25 am

  Trade in a V6-GT and got a 2016 SEL. Ride is improved, the sport mode work great, and I did not miss the V6. We own CRV, and Forester, and tested RAV4 and Escape. The winner is the Outlander. It is more than just better value. It is a very good car. The car is made in Japan, and except brake and tire, there are no service needed for the 105K drive. 2016 Outlander ride is better than the forester. The acceleration is better than CRV. It is not muddy like the RAV4. Mazda is always louder than all the above. The 2016 SEL did not have HID headlight, but still plenty bright. The Bluetooth is not the best, but it work. It did not have big sun-roof like the Outlander sport or forester, but not deal breaker. The y are selling well, so we settle one in black. Overall, a happy repeat buyer after two weeks.

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  my first - 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Eric Fleming - January 31 - 10:00 am

  i bought this car a few months ago for my wife, and i have since fell in love with it. we plan on taking out on camping trips very soon. i would recommend this car to anyone looking for the conviences of an all around SUV with utmost in styling and design. not to mention the price.

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  2D One - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By screens123 - January 31 - 10:00 am

  This is my second one,this is for the wife,Blk/Blk V-RX great handling w/sport look and power to boot....

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  Excellent - We Love It! - 2004 Mitsubishi Galant
  By jepherson - January 31 - 10:00 am

  We were veering towards a camry or an accord, but good thing we stopped over a mitsubishi dealership first so my brother can get an eclipse and thats when my wife and I saw the 2004 Galant GTS dove white and we immediately fell in love with it. I enjoy the head turning on the street up to now, the unique headlight assembly combined with euro tail lights is just sweet! Standard with 17" alloy wheels. Infinity 8 spkr Audio system and blue interior lighting is really cool! 3.8 liter V6 AutoShift trans. that can take on the V6 Accord or Camry anytime! And get this, a 10yr/100,000 mile warranty comes STANDARD!