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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  Galant #1 - 1999 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Suzanne117 - December 29 - 12:13 pm

  This car handles beautifully on all road conditions. I love the luxury interior design (very comfortable). Although the car is a 99, I still get comments about how new the body looks. Some people even think it is new.

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  held up well - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By rsr72 - December 27 - 2:00 am

  We have had the Montero Sport for three years now. It has held up well. Great interior, seats, and excellent paint quality. The gold paint looks almost as good as when it was new. Decent power, low wind noise and acceptable ride for a truck-based SUV. The Montero compares favorably to the other vehicles we have recently owned - a Toyota Tundra (poor gas mileage, horrible seats and so-so paint quality) and a Honda Civic (poor paint quality, interior rattles.

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  Wake Up & Drive! - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By jwk1960 - December 27 - 2:00 am

  We leased a 2000 Montero Sport for 3 1/2 years and loved it. When the time came to turn it in we had a hard time deciding whether to buy out the lease or not. Since we had such luck with the Montero we decided to test drive some of Mitsus other products first before making a decision. My wife drove the Outlander first and it was all over. We left the dealership with one and didnt get out of it the rest of the weekend.

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  Great value and best towing in class - 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Fish - December 25 - 5:23 pm

  Ive had my LS 4wd for a month and I feel I made a good purchase. The performance is only average. It isnt nearly as fun to drive as the Mazda CX-7 that I test-drove. But I think the Outlander is a much better overall value.

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  Eclipse GT 5 sp mt - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By rx8rotary04 - December 24 - 11:45 pm

  this was my first 5 sp mt car. it was a blast to drive for a first semi sports car. the handling was fantastic as well as the power (for what it is). a buddy of mine has the same car with not many major issues but i on the other hand got the lemon of all eclipses. bad belt bad motor mount bad tranny mount bad ebrake cable and many other things. before i sold it something would clunk and make the whole car feel as if it was about to fall into pieces but no one could figure out what it was so i had to sell the car and take a huge loss.

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  Good car - 2001 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Vik2001 - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This is an excelent vehicle to drive. With its 1.8l engine is ti powerfull enough to give you confidence and strenght in traffic. Its fun to drive and you save on gas a lot.

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  Great Car - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By ryans93 - December 20 - 11:38 am

  We have owned the Lancer since it was new and it has been a fantastic car. It still looks great, gets good gas mileage, is fun to drive, and little has gone wrong with it. The build quality is excellent and the interior has held up extremely well with almost no rattles and still tight after 9 years and 150k. Other than regular maintenance, few problems have arisen on the car, and its been very reliable.

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  Love this car - 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By Dennis Castor - December 20 - 8:30 am

  I love the way this car handles and the power it has when needed. It still looks better than most cars on the road today. If I had to do it again I would still buy it. The mileage on the hwy is a respectible 22 mpgs...The only downfall is in the city where it drops to about 12 mpgs.

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  Love! - 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Emma - December 19 - 7:23 am

  I absolutely love this vehicle. The technical features are outrageous. It handles more like a car, not an SUV. Have driven on snow and ice and feel very confident in this vehicle. Very roomy in the back with the back seats folded. Love the look, especially from the front. Wouldnt trade it for anything. By-the-way, this vehicle tells you if you need to switch from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive when it senses a wheel spin or slip, how COOL is that?

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  2014 Mitsubishi Outlander SE Great Value - 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By austintech - December 18 - 8:45 pm

  When you compare any vehicle priced under $25k that comes with 5/60 bumper to bumper warranty, 10/100k power train warranty, comes with back up camera, heated seats, bluetooth, roominess and 26 mpg combined, there arent many that can compare. With the 2014 Outlander SE, you get all this and reliability of Mitsubishi. Yes, its not a sports car. Yes, it doesnt have cutting edge design. Unlike other vehicles in its class, its very quiet, is comfortable, handles reasonably well, and has all the safety features youd expect for lots more. We researched lots of vehicles for what we needed and couldnt come up with a better solution for the money.