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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  Fun Car - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Kevin T - November 19 - 10:00 am

  We bought the LS brand new and we are not sorry we did. Great car. Growing family wanted something sporty safe and with a little more room. I would recommend a Galant.

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  Under-rated - 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Mayham - November 14 - 12:33 pm

  I acutally purchased my Endeavor in the Fall, 2003. It was a great value at the time and I have not been disappointed. This is a neat mid-SUV with all the amenities that I need without extras I wont use. I love it! This is my third fourth Mitsubishi and I will continue coming back...they are well built vehicles for much less cost than competitors.

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  GTZ, a great car, but lacks the push - 2000 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Walrus2004 - November 10 - 10:00 am

  The GTZ is my third car, I am only 18 years old. It is next to an BMW on looks and interior, but lacks the kick and power of a BMW. I have a GTZ, which has no different engine than the V6 ES, just a sport suspension and other options included. I love the car, but if you are looking for something fast, youre looking in the wrong place. Awesome sound system and great for picking up a date!

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  Ive put the miles on my 2012 Outlander Sport 4x4! - 2012 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By Carrie Hoeisng - November 7 - 5:23 am

  I bought my 2012 Outlander Sport brand new and now, 3 years later, have 85,000 miles on it. Yes, I love to travel. I loved traveling in my Ford Expedition much better but this little Outlander Sport is much more affordable to drive! The front seats fit larger folks, no problem. With the front seats fully back the leg room in the back seats is a little tight. And this is a 4 passenger vehicle, not 5, unless it is 3 small kids in the back seat without car seats! The total weight limit of passengers and cargo is 875 lbs so keep that in mind if you are larger. I have taken this car into the mountains on snow and ice and it did well for a smaller vehicle. It has decent acceleration for a small car. On my longer road trips I get around 30 mpg. Short driving around town knocks that down to about 23. I have never used the paddle shifters, cruise control, remote start, or blue tooth (I have a dumb phone) but can tell you that the seat warmers are a godsend on cold mornings! At about 60,000 miles the car developed a squeal (at over 25 mph) that changing the s-belt did not cure. The noise has changed to more of a chirpy noise now. My Mitsu mechanic thinks it is the belt pulley. Guess this is a known problem with the 2011 model but they are not covering it under warranty for the 2012. That upsets me a bit as I feel that because I am a high mileage user I am being penalized. By the time this may come out as a recall issue I will already be out of miles on my 100,000 mile drive train warranty. This is my 2nd Mitsubishi product. I also owed a 1991 Mirage that I drove 8 years and put 250,000 miles on it. It was a great little car and I am hoping that my 2012 Outlander Sport does as good over the long haul.

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  Great small SUV - 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By cn - November 3 - 1:40 pm

  I have had my 09 Outlander for 2 weeks now and its great. Handling is very good, I like the steering. Navigation is good but sometimes complicated to use, stereo has great sound strong bass. Fuel economy is just ok, but I expected that, I average around 23- 26MPG (highway). I enjoy driving it to work and all the features work great so far, glad I decided to buy it.

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  Back to the drawing board - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Poor mans car - November 3 - 2:50 am

  Well where do I start, engine and trans are good, radio excellent, seats are are comfy but the material is awful. Like the drop down tailgate. Had the protection package put on to spruce it up otherwise it looked too plain.

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  Fun Car - 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Andi82 - November 2 - 7:13 am

  I love to drive my car but it is having an issue and the dealer does not know whats wrong because there are not codes. The good thing is that my warranty is not up till 12/09. Its not a fast car but its a blast to drive it corners great and has tones of low end power.

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  Go ahead be different - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By whale - October 29 - 1:33 pm

  As said in the title of this review, dont be like your neighbors and everyone else and buy an Accord or Camry, get the Galant. You will not fall asleep looking at it. Its less expensive, more fun to drive, and better looking. Its amazing how many people look as you drive down the street. Ive had it for almost 2 months, bought new, the only problem is the front headlight gasket came loose on the right side, but it was quickly repaired under warranty.

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  2007 Mitsubishi Galant Ralliart is expensive to maintain - 2007 Mitsubishi Galant
  By bbod78 - October 25 - 3:40 pm

  I purchased my 2007 Mitsubishi Galant Ralliart as a second owner when the vehicle only had 11,000 miles on it. The car is amazingly fun to drive with excellent acceleration and handling, it is also amazingly expensive to maintain. The parts and labor associated with fixing this vehicle are out of control and difficult to locate. The gas mileage is unacceptable for todays gas prices (I average about 16 MPG city/22 MPG highway, non-aggressive driving). The tires, too, that come standard with this car cost nearly $200 a tire and last only approximately 30,000 miles. Frequently stores dont even have the tires in stock and have to special order them! This car was too much of an expensive.

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  Great Value - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Bob20vcq - October 18 - 11:40 pm

  4000 km drive to "break it in" showed that the road noise a little higher than we expected; the auto trans can be a little annoying, and it can scoot along with the best of them. The paddle shifter is a fun toy. In auto mode the damn thing is always trying to save gas with a very annoying rpm drop after every up shift. It drops off 500 rpm after the shift?! This is a truck and when I forget that and go romping into a corner at nine tenths it reminds me in in a controlled certain manner. But when dialed back to normal rate this is a very respectable handler well worth the money. Tried all the competitors and this is the best value. No regrets at all.