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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  Great all-around package!!! - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Octane - December 3 - 4:06 pm

  I just purchased the 2009 Lancer GTS with CVT transmission, navigation system, and Rockford Fosgate sound system. The car handles like a dream, is so fun to drive it is unreal, and the fuel economy is great so far. Mitsubishi has developed this car with excellent design inside and out. The tech features are amazing for this price range. I am very happy with this car!

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  Overall is a good car - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Dimitry - December 2 - 2:20 pm

  I bought it used 1.5 years ago. In general, I am very satisfied - it has 65,500 and is still very reliable. City mileage is not great. I get only about 20 mpg, but on a highway its about 35-37 mpg. I did only general maintenance and changed the belts - at 60K they started to develop cracks (not timing belt yet).

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  I will definitely buy another Galant - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By recruitclaudia - November 30 - 10:00 am

  This car has been very dependable and has seasoned nicely; I now get better highway gas mileage than when it was new. I have nothing but good things to say about this car but will caution that the back seat is very uncomfortable for long distance driving.

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  Take - A - Look - 2004 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Glenn Debeljak - November 30 - 10:00 am

  This is my 1st Foreign car I bought. I looked at many before I made my decision. The power out of a 4 cyl was and still is impressive. Im a V8 guy. But this 4 cyl works fine. The Galant has a Neat look and clean interior. I fun car to drive in the city & on the highway. A car worth the Look-&-Drive Glenn from Ohio

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  Fun to Drive! - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By sara_huntley - November 29 - 9:50 pm

  I bought my Eclipse from a private seller in Aug 2012 with 119, 990 miles on it which turned to 120,000 on the way home. The guy didnt tell me all of the problems that came with it but that was expected. The car was over 100k and obviously needed some repairs due to its age. They were all minor fixes that were neglected. Throughout the couple months of fixing these things the car ran very well. I have never been stuck on the side of the road! I love that it came with the power shift for accelerating even with a 4-cyl. With regular maintenance this car can go for 200k+ miles!

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  Fun but costly - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By CoupeDriver - November 29 - 8:20 pm

  I just sold my Mitsubishi Eclipse after owning it for 2.5 years. The repair costs for this car in the 2.5 years I owned it were equal to 90% of the purchase price of the car. I loved the car but just couldnt afford to keep paying for everything it needed done to it. At least it never stranded me. I miss my car; it was so much fun to drive.

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  A good used car - 2002 Mitsubishi Galant
  By gps - November 28 - 4:10 pm

  I picked up a 2002 with 78,000 miles for around $5500. Car has decent/good performance for its class. As others have commented, the fuel economy could be better. Still for the price (about $3k less than a comparable Honda/Toyota) it was hard to beat. Ive had no issues at in in the last six months and odometer reads 82,500. Having driven an Eclipse for the past decade (finally died at 172,000) I was comfortable with the brand. For everyday commuting etc. Its a great car. I didnt buy it to turn heads. I wanted something reliable w/out paying a premium and this car was it.

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  So so - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By varand - November 27 - 7:10 pm

  I had that car for 21 month. When I bought it it got 176,000 miles and it was ok. It was good car at first year and I didnt spend that much as maintenance. But at second year it broke me down every thing was going wrong and I wasted too much money on it and finally i gave it to carmax . (dont buy any gallant with high mileage).

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  Awesome! - 2005 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Jessica - November 27 - 11:03 am

  My experience is great. This is my first car and its a 97. I love it , the way it drives ad accelerates and stuff like that. Its awsome, I wouldnt change it for anything esle.

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  best japanese mid size - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By mr.galant - November 27 - 2:00 am

  this was the best car i ever tried and buyed!