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 Car! - 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Azza - September 24 - 9:10 pm

  This car is actually used as an all- rounder and it must be said that its an Australian version of the CH Lancer LS, its our family car come weekend & the commuter during the week. Each day of the working week the car travels at least 130 km or around 82 miles each way to work and back, over 800 miles a week! The car is flawless in its reliability, performance and features. Its great to look at & has plenty of personality like its predecessor (a CE Lancer which we traded after a problem free 5 years and 200,000 miles / 320,000 km). We travel fairly large distances every year and appreciate the equipment, reliability & refinement that is found in these vehicles!

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  2009 Lancer - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Chris - September 24 - 10:13 am

  Positive: Very stylish with nice exterior and interior, great handling and braking. The ac works great. Fuel economy around 25 mpg in mix driving. Negative: Noisy, acceleration could be better

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  Great driving - 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By xe2ac - September 22 - 5:40 pm

  After doing a careful driving tests with competing brands (Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Xterra). The best driving experience was with the Mitsubishi model I decided for this vehicle because I rarely drive on dirt roads and needed more cubic space than the Toyota. The CRV and Xterra are driven by a lot of women and the Outlander has a more muscular view. Problem on my city is the large amount of speed bumps and a lot of rugged asphalt which the suspension filters out very well.

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  Great Car - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By rate it - September 21 - 10:00 am

  Incredible vehicle...not one problem with 60k+ on the car...great power, handles great, incredibly smooth ride, fuel/mileage incredible... Blows the Cougar and Celica out of the water...not even in the same class!

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  Love our Limited - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By lemonjeep2 - September 21 - 10:00 am

  This is a dynamite vehicle. Very comfortable and enjoyable to drive. We test drove lots and lots of cars and did some research, but the choice was easy. This vehicle just felt much better from the drivers seat. It handles well, has great AC and stereo, and the seating is comfortable. The rear cargo area has a fair amount of room. I was concerned about the dash after looking at photos, but is is really attractive when you see it in person. I previously had a Mitsubishi truck that I beat up for over 200,000 miles and it never broke down, so I hope this one runs as well. So far our mileage has been good, around 20 mpg for mixed use.

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  Great - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Brian Stamper - September 21 - 10:00 am

  I really like how well the car handles and performs. The only thing that i would like to see is that there be more performance upgrades for the new models because the older ones have a ton but the news have very little.

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  Good Ride - 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Mitsu08 - September 21 - 5:50 am

  I have my Outlander for about 4 months. I was looking for a small SUV to change it for my Honda Civic. I found the Outlander for excellent price. Love the exteriors; interiors are ok. I have the base model and I love it. The outlander is good in gas, no problem with that, little change from my Honda. Has lot of space front and back seats. Little exterior noises, may bother sometimes. Overall is a good purchase, no regrets.

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  Hot car, bad mechanics - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By flowerstar333 - September 20 - 8:57 am

  This is my first car. I bought it at 79k miles used. 6 thousand miles later, weve put $6000 from the day I got it. Dealer sold it with the wrong transmission in it. That was 4000. Something with the steering wasnt right and a few other things that costed 1000. For a few months it was ok. During the summer when I turned it on, it just died after a few seconds. That hasnt happened since. I noticed a creaking sound to the right. It had a worn upper engine mount and transmission mount and a oil gasket leak which all costed 1200 to fix. I wouldnt suggest this for a first especially if you only have a min wage job! Its so much fun to drive but is that really worth all my money?

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  Solid car - very pleased - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Jane - September 20 - 12:13 am

  We purchased our car 1 year used with about 12000 miles on it. Weve been very happy with it. Like any car that is now 6 or so years old, it has a few rattles and such, but not many. It has not had any major issues (regular maintenance only), other than a known issue with the dash AC/Heat selector. Now I must switch from AC to heat from under the dash or pay to fix it (around $1500, so I wont do it). Mileage is right around 20mpg for mix of around town and highway. Its very comfortable to drive and ride in - we regularly make 8+ hour treks in the car and find it very comfy. The car has held up well over the years. Very happy with it.

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  Dont buy this car you will be sorry. - 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By Rojas - September 19 - 6:17 pm

  The car has a metallic chain noise that comes and goes intermittently as you take off or when your going up hills or driving low. You have to use expensive gas 89 the dealership will tell you and you will still hear the noise chain (makes me think of a bike chain dragging) noise after. The dealership even told me to get the fuel injector cleaned and I still get the same noise with that done a few times and with octane boost put in with the gas. Dont buy this car. I want back to the dealer and I was told that the motor is making the SUV make that sound with all the power it need to run the car and it will always make that noise and it would only get worst in the winter time and get louder. I got a new car to have a problem free car not have a lot of new problems. The material that the seats are made with are cheap and the moldings at the bottom of the seats where made very cheap and will come off if you tap them and break. The SUV basically has no trunks you just have a cargo cover over your make shift trunk area and the bluetooth system is horrible you will be frustrated after the car asks you like four times whats the name of the person you want to call and then asks you actually want to call them over and over again. The radio is hard to navigate if you get the radio stereo stuck on repeat or shuffle you have to play with it a long time to get it off. Good luck and dont choose this problem car I want to trade this car in for something that isnt Mitsubishi now. First and last time buying a Mitsubishi. BUYER BEWARE. Dont buy it you will be sorry and in for a big head ache and disappointment.