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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  mitsu-review - 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By chris - June 27 - 5:23 pm

  3.5liter engine has good power and acceleration. Very dependable; no problems at all up to 52k. Room in the front seats is fine for my wife who is 56" but for me --6 ft it is a little cramped on long distance driving.

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  go get one - 2000 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Mr. Ern - June 25 - 10:00 am

  I highly recomend this vehicle. I never had one problem with this car with the mileage I put on it. The only thing you have to do is change the fluids and go. After about 30,000 miles the engine became nosier but still pleasant.

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  Reliable but not as fast as it looks - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By jrod - June 21 - 3:26 pm

  Just recently bought my 03 gs eclipse, its a 4 cylinder so less power, better gas mileage. I thought with slight mods it would be a lot faster than what it is. Hasnt stalled or broken down on me once, and it is still fun to drive, and just by painting the rims and spoiler you WILL be completely satisfied with the look. I give it 80% outta a hundred.

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  Montero Sport LS 2WD - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Simon Marchant - June 19 - 10:00 am

  Looks great, could use more power. I tow a 21 ft boat around with it without any trouble. Decent fuel mileage for an SUV. Dealership are crooks. Told me the brakes were almost worn out at 18000 miles and they actually lasted another 30000 after that. Has been very reliable - I have had no problems with the car in 48000 miles.

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  Powertrain Problems - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Mitsi Problems - June 18 - 10:36 am

  We bought this GTS in Oct 08 from Northside Mitsubishi in Edmonton. The car looked great and seemed to be fairly tight. We were pretty excited being our first new car for my wife. at 4000km, the rear main engine seal half way through a 1200km trip. The engine needed to be pulled and the seal replaced. Roadside assistance did nothing for us and we limped 600km to the dealership, filling oil every 50km. At 6400 the transmission started packing it in and will be going in for replacement on April 13th 2009. The company will do nothing for us other then repairing the major issues even when they struggle in todays market. Replacing the vehicle would be the solution, which they declined.

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  disapointed - 2004 Mitsubishi Montero
  By maciek - June 15 - 10:00 am

  underpower , week exterior , front bumper damage in 20 mph crash .power window mechanizm freez up in winter , rear doors bottom part over rear fender dirt collector , srs slip controll system somthing like abs prewenting from good off road capabiity spetialy on snow .great interior , center consol all instruments right location , third row seat to small , children size like .

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  Great truck - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By T-bone - June 13 - 10:00 am

  This is a well-built, powerful, comfortable vehicle. It has a huge cargo area, especially with the seats folded. It is a very comfortable highway cruiser yet remains very capable off road. It gets gets good mileage for a 2 ton truck.

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  Better than the reviews Ive read - 2009 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Jamie in Las Vegas - June 12 - 6:23 pm

  Ive had a 98 Jeep Wrangler for a decade. So moving to a sedan is an upgrade in most ways. Interior, styling, ride, acceleration; ALL are an improvement for me. I know a Camry or Accord might be better outfitted, but so far, Im digging it. It is at once distinctive AND doesnt call attention to itself. 2009 restyle fixes design incongruities from earlier models. 4 cyl engine does much better than I thought it would. Im very pleased. If you are moving from a lesser car you wont have many complaints. I test drove a 2010 Kia Optima before this one, and the 2009 Galant kicks its behind. But then, I guess it should. Love it right now. Well see if I feel the same after 9 years.

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  i miss mine - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By charity - June 10 - 10:00 am

  I loved my 98 mitsu but i had a car accident the car was very reliable and fun to drive and it held up very well in the accident unfortunately it was a total due to cost of airbags i loved it so much and it had been such a good car for me i bought a 2004 mitsu lancer and i love it too brandon mitsu has always been great to deal with after i had mine and it held up so good in the accident i dont think i could buy anything but a mitsubishi

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  Objective review, I won this car in a drawing. - 2016 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By Lucky 7 - June 6 - 7:36 pm

  I was not in the market for a small SUV and it is not really my thing. I just sold an S2000 sports car, drive a BMW 328i and was shopping for a new Boxster so the Outlander sport was not really in my wheelhouse. And then a telephone call came that I was a finalist to win one in a drawing I had entered online. I went to the final drawing and won the car. I had been helping my sister shop for a small SUV so I was very familiar with the Rav4, CRV, Mazda CX4 and the Escape having looked at all of them with her very recently. We did not look at the Outlander Sport and that was probably a mistake, and the big mistake comes in value for your money. After I won the base model 2.0 I was allowed to drive a loaded GT model with the larger engine. First, skip the base 2.0 and go straight to the 2.4. I drove around and the car did not have as much power for what I was used to and I had never personally driven a CVT car but it was decent. I am used to cars with lots of power and thought I would be severely disappointed, but I wasnt. I dont drive like a maniac and for a car to commute comfortably in, this car will do fine. I spent some additional money to upgrade my base model to an SEL model which the dealer sells for No haggle at $23,500 with the current rebate structure. It has proximity keyless entry, leather seats, a backup camera, a decent touchscreen audio system, bluetooth, the larger engine and all the other common features like power windows and cruise, and I almost forgot, AWD. The only features I did not pay extra for were the panoramic roof (kinda cool) upgraded stereo and Nav. So the car was pretty loaded for a low price compared to the competition and has a very comprehensive warranty (10 years 100,000 miles on the engine and transmission, 5 year 60,000 bumper to bumper). The car rides and drives well, is fairly comfortable, and has lots of features for the price. There had been some quality issues in the past from a factory here in the US that was closed, and all Outlander Sports now come from Japan and the quality seems very good. Of the competition, most have better engines, better fuel economy, some have better interiors, maybe a little more space, or drive sportier. But the Outlander Sport offers a pretty good little car for a very low price with lots of content and a top notch warranty. I was going to trade mine but I am keeping it. It is a neat little car that does a lot really well, just not very fast. It could do with about 15 more horsepower and 4 more miles per gallon to better compete but those are my major gripes. If you are in the market for a small SUV/Crossover and want a lot on a small budget, give it a look. You might be very pleasantly surprised. Just be sure to get the 2.4 liter engine.