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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  I love this car - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Mcdonald - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Hi guys i just wanted to let yall know that i love my lancer it was my first car and ill def. get anotherone in a couple of years this is a great car for city traveling. MATT

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  Attention getter - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By good to go - December 23 - 11:13 am

  My car prior to this was a 95 Saturn sc so you can imagine the power jump. Since then I have done little things to mod it; intake, headers, and ground effects for a clean look and it has been nothing but easy to work with. Two other buddies and I took it to fl from wi and we averaged 35 mpg, the person in the back had to suffer but it made for a very successful spring break. Now it has about 70,000 and there has not been a problem with it yet! Also I have always owned manuals all of my life and this one has a weird gear set up which makes shifting from 1st gear to second gear hard for a smooth ride but I still have had no complaints haha.

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  Dont let the experts fool you, this is the best crossover suv to get - 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By researchmommy - December 23 - 8:53 am

  Im a mom of 2 kids who used to drive a 2000 Toyota Sienna van and needed a change. I test drove the Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V, Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue, Toyota RAV 4, Mazda CX-7, Chevrolet Equinox and they just dont have the ride comfort of the Outback Sport. I drive my kids to school everyday and have minimal highway miles traveled, but no matter where I go I cant help but smile because I paid less for a car I feel gives you more standard and even with some options added on, is a better value than the cars mentioned above. Dont let the reviews on the engine noise sway you from test driving this vehicle. In the end that is the true test of if a vehicle is right for you or not.

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  Best kept secret in the USA electric car market - 2012 Mitsubishi I-MiEV
  By carefulbuyer4 - December 22 - 12:45 pm

  Had this car for nearly two years 10,000 miles. Better than expected. At the price, if Mitsubishi and its dealers had a clue how to sell these it should be the best selling EV in the USA. Worldwide there are more of these on the road (and have been on the road years longer) than any other commercial serious electric car. In my opinion, if youre shopping for an electric car in the under $33K range if youre lucky enough to be able to find one of these youd do well to grab it. The demand is low because of lack of public knowledge of this car, but so is supply.

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  Great for dad and kids in the city - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By John - December 20 - 3:21 pm

  I needed a car with a third row for occasional use by young children (depending on how many kids Im commuting with). The car needed to be not huge -- something I can comfortably drive in traffic and park in tight spots. I was happy with my venerable stick-shift Ford Focus, but its now too small. (At first I really wanted to get the 2014 Mazda5 6-speed manual, but crash test scores made me reconsider.) After deciding that the Acura MDX was too expensive and the Dodge Journey a bit too bulky, I considered the Outlander along with the Nissan Rogue and the Kia Sorento. Heres why I picked Outlander: - Adding the 3rd row in the Rogue (family package) or 4-cyl Sorento (convenience package) adds roughly $1K to MSRP and rules out leather. Maybe its standard on the V6 Sorento. The cloth on the Sorento is very sturdy, the Rogue and the Outlander pretty basic. All the third rows are small (and fold away), but the Rogues was extra small with very little vertical leg room (so knees go up). The Outlanders third row is maybe slightly smaller than the Sorentos (but standard). - The warranty is better than Nissan (5 yrs > 3) and on par with Kia (slight edge to Mitsubishi on roadside assistance) - During the test drive, the Outlander delivered comparable acceleration with less CVT screaming than the Rogue. Power and handling seemed comparable to the base Sorento, but with somewhat less snap around center steering. The Sorento also offers a turbo 4-cyl but without third row seat (sigh). - Its just a good looking car. I really liked the "cosmic blue" and the "quartz brown." The Sorento has a nice "dark cherry" though. - Better standard sound system with HD radio. - If you like 4WD, it has selectable active 4WD vs the passive AWD I believe you get on the Rogue and Outlander. Im just leaving it on "eco" until it snows or something. Heres how Mitsubishi could make me like the Outlander even more: - One-push turn signal for lane changes (see the Sorento) - Make auto on/off headlights standard (currently only with safety package or GT trim, I believe) - Theres a lot of empty space under the hood. Maybe this space is used by the GT model, or by right-hand steering on Japanese versions? Maybe it could be shifted for greater front leg room. - Provide a non-CVT option (below GT trim) - It was hard to find an SEL trim with FWD. I wound up getting a 4WD I didnt really need just due to pricing and inventory. - At least with Kia and Nissan you get final assembly in USA. Mitsubishi just closed its only USA factory. Its definitely bigger than what I drove before, but the kids and I enjoy it. We were saving up for it, so I paid cash (theres a cash back incentive or zero APR, but not both -- also a nice military rebate) and still had a little left over for their college savings!

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  Survived thanks to my Mirage - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By survivor in Houston - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Hmm, just ran across this website. To let you all know, I just survived a run in with TWO 18 wheelers on a very major highway. My little Mirage withheld the impact of TWO, yes TWO 18- wheelers spinning me around on the highway. I take some offense to those who say the car is built poorly. I will miss my car, which is obviously totaled. Now to deal with the unfortunate resale value my insurance company is going to offer me. Well, with the money, I dont mind buying another Mirage if I had to.

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  Zoom Zoom This - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By scott2hot06 - December 19 - 10:00 am

  Drove to the dealership with no intentions of buying a car, but after the test drive there was no way i was leaving that dealership without that car. We sat down and talked the numbers over the price was right and i drove it off the lot.

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  Great little runabout. - 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Alex Schaf - December 19 - 4:42 am

  Dont just believe enthusiast reviews, do yourself a favor and text drive it for yourself. I live in Portland, which is full of hills and thick traffic. My Mirage has no problem keeping up and passing traffic. The interior has great fit and finish, and the Android Auto is awesome. It is much larger inside than the outside gives off. I am regularly getting over 44 mpg each tank. If youre looking for a race car look elsewhere, if youre looking for a great runabout, this is it.

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  Great little runabout. - 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Alex Schaf - December 19 - 4:41 am

  Dont just believe enthusiast reviews, do yourself a favor and text drive it for yourself. I live in Portland, which is full of hills and thick traffic. My Mirage has no problem keeping up and passing traffic. The interior has great fit and finish, and the Android Auto is awesome. It is much larger inside than the outside gives off. I am regularly getting over 44 mpg each tank. If youre looking for a race car look elsewhere, if youre looking for a great runabout, this is it.

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  good to the last drop - 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By kgb108 - December 19 - 2:00 am

  I like this SUV, its comfortable, fun to drive, looks good, runs good. Handles the curves better than any other truck or SUV ive ever driven. And when it snows...no problem at all. The ABS have saved my a** a few times and the AWD can handle the worst weather better than anything else Ive ever seen.