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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  My Lancer OZ - 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Brad - July 23 - 9:16 pm

  The only problem I have had with my Lancer now at 15,000 miles is that theres no aftermarket following for these cars. It will be very difficult to try to customise your Lancer and you WILL pay for your individualty. As is, it is an excellent car for the money. But if youre looking for a tuner car go ahead and move on or at least consider the Ralliart version.

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  46,000 trouble free miles - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By zio - July 21 - 2:13 am

  We bought our Mitsubishi Montero Sport new in 2003 as a 2002 leftover model. We drove several different brands, Nissan, Toyota, even a big Chevy & Ford, and the big Montero. I liked the way this truck drove best. But I do like a "tight" chassis better than a swaying, "unconnected" feeling ride. I got that from the Toyota & big SUVs. Its accelleration is good. We have never had a problem with onramps or passing uphill. And I like the transmission. It downshifts when I want it to, and holds the gear for as long as I want it to (almost reads my mind). I hate automatics that upshift too early. The build quality seems to be top notch, too, almost comparable to our 2002 Honda Odyssey. There are no rattles, odd noises, or anything to complain about.

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  Decent Car - 2000 Mitsubishi Galant
  By MJ - July 4 - 4:46 pm

  Ive been driving the Galant for about 4 years now. No major repairs, so I cant complain.

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  very reliable - 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By scott.76 - July 4 - 1:16 am

  Its been a very solid vehicle. Not a single mechanical issue. It now has 85,000 miles on it. Some complaints I have are that after about an hour of driving Ive got to get out and stretch my legs. The seat height is too low. Its definitely not a vehicle designed for a tall person. The roof is also quite low. The side steps arent really functional so my seat is wearing because I essentially have to slide in and out. It handles great in the snow and does well off road. My sister bought an 03 Jeep grand Cherokee at the same time we bought our MS. Theyve had nothing but trouble with it. Theres something to be said for the simple design of MS. Not a whole lot of gadgets that can break.

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  mits galant 2000 - 2000 Mitsubishi Galant
  By kshwetz - June 26 - 10:00 am

  the only vbad thing about this car is the value drops fast.

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  Underpowered - 2018 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Wally - June 20 - 1:33 am

  Outlander is a nice vehicle but is sluggish to drive. To upgrade to a 6 cylinder brings the price up too high. There are other vehicles available for less money. Also to get the safety options you have to pay more. The base models dont have them.

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  Owner - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By Mangham - June 18 - 12:46 am

  This car is an excellent value. Too bad they quit making it. It has been extremely reliable. I have spend virtually nothing on maintenance after 60 months. The USA could learn something from this car designed in Japan and built by the our Australian friends. QMI used with this vehicle since new. At speeds of 70-75 mph I have been averaging 27 mpg.

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  Take another look. - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Jeff W. - June 16 - 5:32 am

  This is as honest as a car gets. Theres no flashy advertising, no crazy hamsters driving it around, you get the picture. I bought this when we traded in our 2011 GMC Terrain. Our Terrain was loaded to the gills with options but it was becoming unreliable. We got the Outlander SEL with AWD and the safety package which comes with rain sensing wipers, automatic headlights, adaptive cruise and collision mitigation. I was surprised when we were shopping to learn that this was a top safety pick, so we gave it a shot. So far it has been great in this Buffalo winter and has had no issues in the slop that populates the roadway this time of year. No heavy snow yet but Im confident this will be fine. The rear seat fits both our car seats with ease and I dont have to have my seat all the way forward for them to be comfortable (Im 64"). The passenger seat could use some more room for us tall folk but that seems to be the norm for this segment. The warranty cant be beaten since its bumper to bumper for 60k for 5 years and it includes free roadside during that time as well. The financing options are very good also. We have average credit and were able to get 3.5% for 65 months with the option to turn the car in at 48 months with 60k miles and just walk away. (We had some negative equity on the GMC) So if youre sitting there thinking you cant afford a new car, you really can and it will be worth it to have a warranty for 60k miles. Overall you cant beat what you get for the money with this car. If youre in the market for a crossover that gets decent gas mileage, take another look at Mitsubishi. Youll be surprised what you find.

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  The 2016 Highlander SEL is well worth a look - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Jon - June 14 - 12:54 pm

  I had done my research and test drove a few of the SUVs that I thought were worth my consideration and at first, Mitsubishi was not on my list. Ive heard nothing but unkind things about the Outlander and Mitsubishi in general to even think about looking at them, but Im glad I did. My list of vehicles were as follows: Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Buick Encore and even the Kia Soul. As you can see, the Outlander wasnt on my list. I just happened across an article while doing my research that mentioned the Mitsubishi had made over 100 updates to the 2016 model. My first thought was, "Of course they did, they had to to try and keep relevant in the market." So that made me go ahead and look into it. The reviews I came across were very mixed, some good some bad and some in between. So the only way to tell would be to go take a test drive and see it in person. At this point I had already test drove all the other vehicles on my list. A big plus for any of these vehicles was if they offered adaptive cruise control, backup camera, lane departure warning, blind spot alert and brake assist. Only a couple of these features could be found in any one of these vehicles and some had none of them or just a back up camera. All of the vehicles on my list are worthy of purchasing, but some more than others. They each had their own pluses and minuses, but when I had calculated features, comfort, mileage and price the Outlander came out as the victor. The Outlander didnt hit all the top marks, but it hit most of them and was never at the bottom of my scorecard. I know beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but I really like the looks of the 2016 Outlander. The front grill is ok, but the rest of the vehicle to me is very well done. The Outlander as stated, didt hit the high marks on most of my list, but overall scored best. For exterior styling, I give it a 8 of 10, the interior has been upgraded, but still not going to blow you away, but it does well in my comparison test and I score it a 7 of 10. One of the places it did score high with me, was how you fold the seats down to extend the cargo space. It cant get any easier and all the seats (3rd row included) fold very flat for easy loading of whatever you need to load. The features that are available on the Outlander SEL level are great. Mitsubishi is one of very few car makers that have separated the safety tech you can buy from the sound/sunroof packages most cars bundle now. The 3 packages they offer are: Premium Package $1900 -inc: SEL , Power Glass Sunroof, Power Remote Tailgate, Power Folding Side View Mirrors, Front Windshield Wiper De-Icer, Radio: AM/FM Rockford-Fosgate Premium Sound System 710-watt, 9 speakers, FUSE Handsfree Link system w/USB port, 6.1 inch touch panel display and SiriusXM satellite radio w/3-month subscription Safety Package $1550 -inc: SEL , Adaptive Cruise Control, Power Folding Side View Mirrors, Front Windshield Wiper De-Icer, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Mitigation, Auto Headlamp Control, Rain Sensing Wipers Touring Package $5,250 -inc: SEL , Adaptive Cruise Control, Power Glass Sunroof, Power Remote Tailgate, Power Folding Side View Mirrors, Front Windshield Wiper De-Icer, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Mitigation, Radio: AM/FM Rockford-Fosgate Premium Sound System 710-watt, 9 speakers, FUSE Handsfree Link system w/USB port, 6.1 inch touch panel display and SiriusXM satellite radio w/3-month subscription, MMCS Navigation System, 2 annual Mapcare updates (replaces audio head unit), Auto Headlamp Control, Rain Sensing Wipers I really only wanted the safety package, I use my phone for GPS and Music and I dont care for a sunroof, but of course since these cars are just rolling out, they didnt have one with only the safety package. So I got the fully loaded Touring Package, but I negotiated the $5,200 package down to $2,500. I will admit I do like the hands free tailgate feature that I wouldnt of had had I only bought the safety package. The Outlander drives well for its size. It wont win any races, but it moves along just fine. The 4 cylinder is pretty smooth considering it has a CVT (not a huge fan of them...yet) and it does have a "Sport" setting which holds the gears to a higher RPM, but I dont use it much. Ive just turned the 1000 mile mark (Ive owned it for two weeks) and Im averaging about 27/28 mpg, not too bad for this size of vehicle. The cabin is quiet enough, Id give it a 7 of 10 and the sound system once set up is a 8 of 10. The adaptive cruise control is excellent, 10 of 10 and the other tech all works well too. I really enjoy the comfort of the drivers seat although it lacks a lumbar support setting. Also, for a vehicle in this price range, Id expect the passenger side seat to also be electric but its not. Another thing that I would of added was heated and cooled seats, but you can only get heated.

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  Get it used, folks! - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By ballistic - June 4 - 10:00 am

  This was my first car purchase, and economic value was at the top of my list. All the comments on Edmunds went something like, ``Great car, but it loses all its value, dangit! I put two and two together, and decided to get it used. Im getting 22.4 miles to the gallon on a 2.4 liter 4 cylinder, which I would expect to be closer to 6-cylinder territory. In any case, its a bit low, given the relatively poor performance Im getting from the car. On the up side, it handles nicely, and it looks pretty sleek. I would have preferred a manual transmission car, but nothing about this Galant is compatible with the manual transmission ``feel.