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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  Peppy enough for me, stylish and nice features. - 2011 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By cdt2833 - October 25 - 1:26 pm

  Job location change increased my commute to nearly 80miles round trip. Traded in my heavy, thirsty truck for something a bit sporty, comfortable and CUV-like in terms of cargo capacity. Test drove several Hyundai products including the Tucson and went to the Mitsu dealer last. Nice features on the ES at the sub 20k price point including handsfree phone integration via FUSE system, telescoping steering wheel, full complement of steering wheel controls including magnesium paddle shifters for the CVT. Some soft touch surfaces on the dash and door panels. The 4B11 2.0L is not a hot rod but once you become accustomed to the acceleration with CVT it is more than enough for typical driving.

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  Best car ever owned - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By james - October 25 - 10:03 am

  Ive owned over 20 cars during my life, and the Mitsubishi Lancer O-Z Rally is the best yet. Its fun to drive, reliable, gets great gas mileage, and handles the highway and country roads equally well.

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  Incredibly reliable, a blast to drive! - 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By jazket - October 25 - 9:00 am

  I bought a Lancer Ralliart in February 2009 and I now have 20,000 miles on it. I just cant stop driving it. Its impressive for 26,000 I paid I got A LOT of car. I rather drive my Ralliart than my brothers Benz C300 (unless Im on a road trip of course) its incredibly fun. Mitsubishi is really overlooked as a brand, and this car should be on your list when searching for a sporty sedan, it took last years IntelliChoce for Best Overall Sport Sedan under $35,000, and well deserved! If youre into modding you wont be let down unless you really want to go big which is where the marvelous TC-SST fails, its still in its early stages and it wont hold more than 300wlbs-torque!

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  One of the BEST vehicles I have owned - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Kevin - October 24 - 11:17 pm

  Me and my wife purchased ours in 2008, a 2004 Silver XLS model with 30k when we purchased it. It was used as our primary vehicle and traveled ALOT of miles since we lived just outside of Orlando and due to family and work we had to travel a average of 50-60 miles round trip for just work/family. During our ownership we had no issue with the Endeavor other than a rear drivers side window actuator going out which was only $70 in parts and extremely easy to fix yourself. The engine didnt give us a single issue and the transmission shifted smoothly like the day we got it. Interior materials are not high end quality, but still very good quality. The paint on the side mirrors and door handles are bit thin and showed fade/oxidation even though I hand washed and wax and sealed the vehicle. Interior cargo room is amazing...able to transport decent size furniture from Ikea many times and packing for long vacation trips with no issue and easy access too. Unfortunately a Toyota Tundra hydroplaned through 3 lanes on the opposite direction of traffic, crossed the median and slammed into our Endeavor during rain. Our Endeavor was totalled but did its job to protect my wife, mother in law and my 2 year old son who was sleeping when the Tundra hit us. We walked out with no major injuries..just a couple bruises but my son and mother in law walked away without a scratch. My wife loved the Endeavor and still after they discontinued them would like another one. Great vehicle and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a affordable dependable SUV.

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  the review - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By jddyr - October 24 - 10:00 am

  i just love my new car. it runs so smoothly and it rides like a sports car.

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  Bang for the Buck - 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
  By mitsu12 - October 24 - 9:12 am

  I wish that Edmunds would have been fair on the review of the Lancer GT Sportback. Maybe they can explain why no Data is shown for performance times and braking distances. While I do agree that the CVT Trans feels different, why dont we let the performance numbers do the talking. If you want the vehicle to feel like a normal transmission just use the auto stick or the paddles and you will feel right at home. The car rides firm but smooth, the brakes are excellant, the back seat room destroys the competition, the cargo area with the rear seats down is class leading. Warranty is GREAT and the number one reason to buy a GT is of course its great looks!!! and you wont see one at every light

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  So Comfortable to Drive! Roomy! - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By So Comfortable! - October 22 - 9:50 pm

  Very comfortable. Love the large area under the windshield, gives feeling of even more roominess. The center button behind steering wheel works intermittently, seems like when vehicle heats up, button gets issues. AC still blows pretty strongly when system turned to off - unusual. Back bumper paint scratches and dings easily, plastic bumper tread raised and attaching hooks broke off, but still intact. Black area just in front of trunk window area lost color (spotty), but covered under warranty. Middle display for music and vents is a bit too dark - brighter should be standard. Great smooth and quiet ride and sound system. Nice noticably different exterior design.

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  Great performance, great value - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Brett - October 22 - 4:33 pm

  Have been driving my 2007 Outlander ES for a while now. Styling is exactly what Id always liked and build quality seems solid so far. Interior appointments are excellent even on my base model. A real pleasant surprise is all Outlanders come with car alarm standard (good for saving on insurance). Long warranty is generous and transferable to 2nd owner. Performance is the best part and what makes this SUV stands out from other compact to midsized SUVs. Its got enough zoom and zip to make driving fun. Great compact SUV!

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  Great car, but do your homework. - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Slowrider - October 19 - 10:23 pm

  This is not a car for beginners and shorter folks. The gas mileage is decent usually 20-25 mpg, if you want v6 power you get v6 mileage. Make sure you understand repair cost if you decide to purchase this car for the long run. For instance timing belt is usually $300-500 depending on where you get it done and the MAF sensor is between $110-625 depending on where you go. It does take time to get used to seeing properly. If you are a good driver itll take about a week. The car does understeer and takes some time to get use to but it can take bumps and bad roads fairly well.

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  Lancer GTS is a Fun Vehicle to Drive - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By terrynconnct - October 19 - 11:20 am

  The vehicle has a unique look that sets it apart from other vehicles. It has a great pickup for a 4 cyl 2.0 engine and with the optional paddle shift, it provides even greater excitement. The on-board LCD display with GPS navigation and high end sound system just adds to greater enjoyment.