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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  A Lot of Car for a Little Money - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By TKO - November 4 - 2:00 am

  I have only had the car for a short time, but I haggled about what to buy for three weeks, test driving all kinds of cars. The only one I could compare this drive to would be the Subaru Tribeca, which was like $5,000 more expensive and took premium gas. I dont think you could get a vehicle filled with more features that drives as well as this for the same money. Dont be scared off by the estimated gas mileage either, I have been averaging around 22 MPG, which is not that bad.

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  Endeavor - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By John David Morgan - November 3 - 10:00 am

  Good car, but have had some trouble with mine and is less than a month old, however the dealership has been on top of it and taken great care of me.

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  In most cases, a solid vehicle - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By bborrelli - November 1 - 10:00 am

  My dad and I bought a black 03 Mitsubishi Galant ES with the fun and sun package. It currently has about 114,000 miles on it and honestly, I wish I could say it runs well. When we purchased it, we noticed the paint was degrading in areas on the roof, hood, and upper quarter-panels. We had it repainted at MAACO (Presidential service) for maybe around $299? Well after that, I began noticing a "bump" while the car shifted from gear to gear. Recently, Ive been getting around 16 miles per gallon, city and highway driving. I got the transmission fixed , but it seems the engines shaky idle is affecting it. I love this car so much, but Ive spent too much money fixing it. :(

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  Almost perfect - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By cmartino - October 30 - 9:40 pm

  I have had this car approx. 18 months and it has been a great car. The V6 engine has an incredible power band. No 4 cylinder out there (Honda, Toyota, Nissan) no matter what type of valve tricks they do, can compare to the smooth power delivery of this engine. The only area that the Eclipse could be improved is handling. It handles well, and is tuned to satisfy most, but I would prefer a little more aggressive suspension.

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  FUN AND COMFORTABLE - 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By KAREN SANDERS - October 28 - 2:00 am

  GREAT CAR FOR A TRIP OR AROUND TOWN. HAS PLENTY OF POWER AND IS ONE OF THE QUIETEST CARS WE DROVE, INCLUDING THE AVALON, LINCOLN LS, CAMARY, AND THE PASSAT.CONTRARY TO OTHER REVIEWS, IT DOES HAVE A REAR SEAT PASSTHROUGH AND A SOFT RIDE, JUST WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM A TRUE LUXURY CAR.THIS CAR HAS A GREAT STEREO AND AGAIN CONTRARY TO OTHER REVIEWS, THE STEREO IS WELL LIT AND EASY TO USE AT NIGHT AT BASE AND STEERING WHEEL.

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  The best from what I could find/afford - 2003 Mitsubishi Montero
  By LeoSp - October 28 - 2:00 am

  I pick Montero Ltd, after previous accident where I was rear-ended my back was to sensative and not too many SUVs seats would make me comfortable. I sat and test drove many SUVs in mid-/high- 30Ks range and none of them could make comfortable a 62" man. The only one that I like was a Toyota Landcruiser those seat were perfect but price of $58K quickly spook me away. Mitsubishi delear was extremely sweet and I was able to get a loaded Montero Ltd with prefer package for $31K. Plus I got an execelent value on my trade-off. It is approximatelly 2 months since I own my Montero and I am completely satisfied.

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  Outlander 2003 - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Karian - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Gets out in Traffic very well and takes hills better than expected

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  Nice little sedan - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By EW1328 - October 28 - 2:00 am

  Good handling. Not the fastest in its class but very quick off the line. Love the styling. The car feels bigger than it is on the highway, very stable and quite if you keep it under 110km/h (70mph). Impressive standard equipment. One bonus is you dont see youself come and go on the road like civic or corolla. Best kept secret in the small car market.

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  LOVE This Car But... - 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By bermusia - October 26 - 10:00 pm

  I love this car it is wonderful. Stylish, fast, and just great. The only problem is they dont tell you how fast it depreciates. I bought it new and its not worth a quarter of what I am still paying. So I do recommend buying a used or older year.

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  Great Good Looking Car - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By loveshercar - October 26 - 6:06 am

  This car was purchased when my daughter was learning to drive. We liked it so much that we took it on most trips to sporting tournaments, etc. The red color is so pretty going down the road, and we liked the way you could see everything better riding up higher compared to the cars. This cars has been trouble free and we have almost 100K. Nice engine power and ride. My daughter is loving it at college now. It should last her even after that!