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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  drives nice, but do not touch - 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By ultrarunner - April 10 - 10:00 am

  this suv, but it is really a small station wagon, handles great, rides smooth, but scratches very easily. If you put a fingernail on it, you will get a scratch. if you buy one, get a light color like silver or white. Mileage is very poor compared to other similar sized vehicles. i dont think they were truthful saying 20/27. I get 19/22, if i donot run the air

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  Good ride after 4 years. - 1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Robman8565 - April 7 - 2:00 am

  I dont know what these other guys are talking about. If your thinking of buying a nice SUV that wont break your bank and looks good, then this is it. I bought mine at 3 years old with over 60k on it (as a second vehicle for towing) and it runs fantastic. Ive travelled from Florida to NY three times with it in 4 months and the only noticeable problem is a slight shudder between 2nd and 3rd gears (its automatic) if the RPMs are Very low. I feel this maybe twice a week. If all I have to do to a vehicle with this many miles on it Im thankful.

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  ENGINE KNOCK - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By stargazer32 - April 7 - 2:00 am

  I for the most part enjoy the car, but after 6000 miles I have a engine knock when cold the dealer says its the injectors that are making the noise...yeah right this is the same dealership that scratched the heck out of the right front alloy wheel then saying they didnt do it cause they have no curbs..hum I will see just how good Mitsubishi Corp will handle the complaint. Will wait and see if they stand behind the customer or thier franchise owners.

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  Like the Car - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By dkh5a - April 7 - 2:00 am

  I boughth this car as a cheap 4-door car that got decent gas mileage because of my commute. It has lived up to all of those expectations and "knock-on- wood" has been the most reliable car I have ever had.

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  Updated review, 10,000 miles later - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By SixFeetDeep - April 6 - 12:46 am

  My first review was under the name Adam S. Just an FYI to all reading this. The car has been holding up pretty well. My only issues with the car has been the stock Dunlops which the dealership swapped out. They had a pulling issue from day 1 & they put on Pirelli P-Zero Neros instead. Now the car doesnt handle quite as well. Hopefully they will be better in the winter. The Dunlops were pretty scary! The paint on this car chips very easily! The front & right behind the rear doors my car looks awful! The Navi system is only current up to 2006! That is ridiculous! Mitsus customer service has been quite poor. But overall, 10K later, the car has never given me any trouble. A+ for that.

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  Good Car Overall but had minor issues - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By luke12321 - April 3 - 1:01 am

  I bought this car in 2006, it had around 45k on it. I drove the car for about 100k miles when I owned it. First, the car says to run premium only but I never did. I ran regular in it the entire time and it never gave me any issues. Issues with car: Replaced 02 sensor, transmission was making a clicking noise, but never gave me any issues. Sunroof gave me trouble with jumping, jerking, really rough to open. I just stopped using it soon after buying it. Back hatch would not stay up when opened. Dash is cheap, it was cracked when I bought it. Wasnt starting well, I didnt want to deal with any longer so I sold it. Glad I owned it, good car and low maintenance.

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  Awesome Car - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Nic231 - March 30 - 3:46 pm

  I do have to agree with the snow thing. I live in Chicago and this car sucked on even a dusting of snow. But other than that this car rocks! I love the sound sys. Love the nav. Looks are good but the tires. Be careful not to bump the curb with these rims. It will grind up the rims. Car dose need more hp and the 16 more for 09 aint cutting it!

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  They are on to something here... - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By ColoTracy - March 27 - 10:00 am

  I have always loved the look of this car and I really fell in love with the 0% financing. This car is right on the edge of being something really special with a few minor refinements. Overall, the car is a solid contender in the introductory luxury car market. With a some engineering and design checnges in the future it could rule its class!!!

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  Rally Red Lancer GTS CVT - 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By skater69 - March 26 - 12:28 am

  CVT takes a little getting used to. Its much quicker using the paddle shifters or manual mode if you want to jet off the line. I put a Takeda SRI intake-cheap/easy mod and it wakes it up a little bit/sounds great The GTS handles extremely well. It really does feel like a sport sedan in the curves and its fun to use the paddles on the back roads. Steering is great. Cruises effortlessly on the freeway at 80+. Seats are very comfortable. Interior is nice if not spectacular. My only gripe with my GTS is I find the gas pedal angle kind of uncomfortable. Its too short or something. I got some larger RAZO aftermaket pedals which Ill be installing soon to help alleviate.

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  Great First Car - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Samira - March 16 - 12:36 pm

  Overall this is an excellent beginners car. I have owned this car for five years and before I got it, it had 17000 miles on it from a rental car company. I havent had any problems with it other than standard repairs (oil changes, brake pads, new tires, etc). It is almost 6 years old now and it has just under 60000 miles on it. It is completely reliable and easy to maintain on my own and Im a do-it-yourself kinda girl without much mechanic experience. My only complaints about this car are primarily superficial. The only thing I need to fix is the ac/heat knob bc it wont turn to heat. Read my suggested improvements (which I think got fixed in future models, the 2009s are really nice)!