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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  Mitusubishi Lancer ES - Excellent Value - 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Tanzeem - January 3 - 5:46 am

  The Lancer is an excellent value! It has Japanese build quality, feels substantial, gets good fuel economy, has an above average sound sytem, and it absorbs bumps with ease. So far my car has been very reliable. I drove a 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer MX-Extra 1.5 4cylinder in Asia for 4 years and put 178,000 trouble free miles even under extremely heat, stress, and stop and go traffic. My brother is still driving it. The 2006 Lancer feels much stiffer, has more power, interior room and should easily last 250,000 miles+ if maintained according to the owners manual. Overall this is one of the best Japanese Econo Sedans money can buy. It has a solid build quality. The best value is the ES. Go for the Ralliart if you want to go 0-100 fast and then back down to 0 with all round disc and the 2.4L engine.

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  This Car Rocks! - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By bsant54 - January 3 - 2:00 am

  Amazing acceleration, very comfortable (Im 6 ft tall), excellent combination of ride and handling and you get a lot of looks on the road - superb value for the money.

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  Loose manufacturing - 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By Need new car - January 1 - 1:51 pm

  Resale terrible. Only 15500 miles and not even worth $11G’s. A-post cover was loose, transmission recall for programming, driver door window came loose, ESP was acting up. Getting in back seat is tight. Do like rear parking sensors. Original tires not good in snow. Put Goodyear Assurances on much better. Interior post drive frost build up is terrible, have to scrape inside if in a hurry. Purchased after Suzuki left US. Traded from a Grand Vitara. Trying to ride out the resale devalue until I trade up. Great dealer maintenance!!!!!

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  Fun car... but - 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
  By maxima155 - December 31 - 6:41 pm

  Purchased my Certified Pre-Owned Lancer GTS Sportback Ralliart iin 2013 with 28,000 miles. So far, great car to drive. 4WD is amazing. Drove this winter in Indianapolis with 8+ inches of snow and past countless SUVs and trucks. Turbo is great so far and no issues. A few problems: The car has a sport pack option which includes an aluminum gas tank cover. If you live in a colder region, avoid this option. The gas tank cover does freeze under 25F. The Rockford navigation system is a bit awkward and takes some time to adjust. Voice command inside the car is hopeless. Also the rear window in the sport back has poor visibility.

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  Good SUV... but - 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By dude2 - December 31 - 12:23 pm

  Overall my 05 Limited Endeavor has been a pretty good vehicle, but the initial quality issues I encountered have killed my opinion of the brand. I had the thing into the shop eight times in the first couple months.. since then Ive had no issues. It drives awesome.

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  Montero Sport Praise - 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Thomas Birdsall - December 30 - 5:13 am

  My Montero Sport has not had any unexpected mechanical problems. I have been very happy overall with this vehicle. Its handling is agile and, in a way, fun, espescially for an SUV. The engine used to squeak occasionally, but the problem was cleared up easily and deeemed not to be a design flaw.

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  Started out ok - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By bconboy - December 28 - 1:43 am

  In its early years this car was a good car, some maintenance as expected I guess (but pretty pricy for this imported car). But as others have said, once things started going, they went fast. Had to replace alternator, muffler, tires (worn on inside) and I dont know what else in a pretty short amount of time, and now it sometimes wont even start. Ive asked around and no one knows why, we replaced the magnet at the end of the crankshaft, because it had actually blinked out and died on me while driving, but seemed to be only a temporary solution.

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  Love this car! - 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Delissa - December 27 - 7:56 pm

  Two weeks ago we traded our 2006 Eclipse GT in on a 2009 Eclipse GT. I really like the looks of the dual exhaust. Our old Eclipse had the automatic transmission and this time we opted for the 6-speed standard. It seems to have so much more power than the automatic. I dont know if they have made the back window larger, but it seems easier to see behind you when backing. I feel sure we will enjoy the sun-roof when the weather is nicer and the Rockford-Fosgate stereo absolutely rocks! I love this car and think Im hooked on Eclipses forever!

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  Sweet - 2007 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By dave4408 - December 26 - 8:03 am

  This car is very fun to drive. The sportronic transmission resembles a ratchet shifter for an early model hot rod or muscle car in efficiency and the low-end stereo is quite sufficient for for most people. I only wish there was performance enhancers to make it that much faster.

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  2004 Mits Endeavor XLS - 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Melissa - December 23 - 4:36 pm

  I like it a lot - great on gas for an SUV. Sometimes not thrilled with a loose sounding noise from the engine when accelerating, and the interior has a ton of wind noise. Also having minor problem with the trim on the bumper (under the liftgate.) But overall a nice car. Depreciated WAY too fast though - unsure why.