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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  2002 Montero sport - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Kinsella - September 13 - 7:13 pm

  This has been a great SUV for my family. Very reliable and fun to drive. I wish they would bring back the design.

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  2000 Montero Sport XLS 2WD - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By HawaiiIsla - September 8 - 10:00 am

  This SUV offers a lot more than you would expect. It rides more like a car than a truck, smooth. Power is more than adequate. The handling is great. The styling is wonderful. Very comfortable interior.

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  MY FAMILY CAR - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By STACY RUTECKI - September 8 - 10:00 am

  THIS CAR IS FUN TO DRIVE. I AM VERY PLEASES WITH THE FUEL USAGE AND RELIABILITY. THE ONLY THING I WOULD CHANGE IS THE INTERIOR DESIGN (A LITTLE).

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  Give me a RAIDER! - 2006 Mitsubishi Raider
  By Todd Bonsang - September 8 - 8:20 am

  I just recently purchased my Raider and the very next day I had a cat-back exhaust custom built for it and WOW what a difference. The timid sounding Raider opened WIDE! I also put a k&n filter on it, 33-2175. It costs about $40 for the k&n. Shortly after instaliing the goodies, the performance probably jumped easily 20-25 h.p. So forget about the bigger h.p. Dakota or even the more h.p. V6 Tacoma and Frontier. Because the bottom line is that torque=power and the Raider beats them both stock. And do a mod or two and youll smoke em. I contacted Hypertech about a power programmer also. I cant wait! Another 25-30 horses await. But the bottom line is that you see a Tacoma, Frontier and Dakota on every corner.

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  Watch Out for the Heater Core! - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By justin - September 5 - 3:23 am

  I LOVE this car. It has great style and great reliability - except for the infamous heater core that Mitsubishi refuses to recall. Make sure there is no syrup smell to the Diamante you are looking to purchase.

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  Huge Turning Radius - 2008 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Keith - September 4 - 9:00 pm

  Overall, I am very happy with this vehicle. I think the interior could be "spiffed up" a bit, but generally it is ok. The blue dash is great at night. The only real issue I have is that for being such a small car, it weighs a lot, and the turning radius is that of a Super Duty Pickup. Allow yourself plenty of swing when trying to fit into a parking space!

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  Galant GTZ - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By KS - September 3 - 8:16 pm

  This car is comfortable, reliable, fast and safe. My infant is as happy in the back as I am driving or riding in the front.

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  greaat car but... - 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
  By mr.joshua - September 2 - 4:46 pm

  i had my 2010 lancer gts sportback for a week and i started to hear grinding noise coming from the engine; then the low oil pressure light came on. so i had my car towed in to the dealer. they told me oil pump went out, short engine block needed to be replaced, and an over laping valve. omg!!!!!! a brand new car right off the truck with only 2 miles has all those problem. so the dealer has had my car for 2weeks now. i believe and i know mitsubishis cars are reliable i just got the rare 1 -1000 but overall its a great car and i cant wait to get it back.

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  2001 ES Gallanat - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Martin F - August 31 - 10:00 am

  We have had the car for six months now with absolutely no troubles. The only weakness so far is road noise, and lack of take off power.

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  This car is ok... - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By yeo_yeo - August 31 - 10:00 am

  Ill give the OZ some credit...where credit is due. Its not a bad car, just not my kind of car. Ive been driving Trans Ams all my life and the OZ just doesnt have the power that Im used to. I really like the wheels, although 16s or 17s would be better, and the look of the car is just furocious.