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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  Love my Montero Sport - 1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By RECON - October 7 - 2:00 am

  Bought my 99 Montero Sport used with 18,000 miles in late 2000. Truck now has 54,000 miles on it. Have had two minor problems with it. Easy fix by dealer. Did have locks taken off the wheels (saw that one comming!). Drives solid and smooth. Style is great, looks better then most other new SUVs. Use mine off road for hunting. It will go most any where! Love it!

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  The Best Car Ever! - 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By MOONITE - October 7 - 2:00 am

  I bought this car in 12/02. I was so excited to have a brand new car as my first car ever. This car is amazing. Everyone I ran into cant help but admire my beautiful car. I love it. It runs smooth and I get great milage.

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  Need Performance Boost - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By bizhorse - October 6 - 10:00 am

  It is not a bad deal for a $20,000 car, yet I have always struggled with the poor performance. Like another review from a magazine:"It looks a lot sportier than it drives". Everything else is not bad except for the noise. It gets really loud on the highway, I could barely hear my radio.

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  Endeavors Advantages & Disadvantges - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By GMO - October 1 - 2:00 am

  Excess oil usage, adds approx 1 1/2 quarts between oil changes, discovered blue smoke coming from tailpipe, dealership unable to pinpoint problem, averages approx 17 miles on the highway. However, smooth ride, very comfortable & fun to drive, but concerned about reliability, will trade- in after 2 years.

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  I love it !!! - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Rei Fonseca - September 27 - 9:30 am

  Its been a hard decision for me to choose between aerio or galant ... but once I test drive it, I fall in love with galant. so smooth and great price.

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  A great value purchase - 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Vik - September 23 - 7:00 am

  We bought this to replace a 3-series BMW sedan. With a growing, athletic son and two large dogs, we needed to return to having an SUV for toting everyone around. Having previously owned both a Pathfinder and a Highlander, we were familiar with the virtues/vices of both truck- and car- based SUVs. We researched the Outlander thoroughly, and this model is recommended by both Edmunds and Consumer Reports. In fact, this model gets the nod over the 6 cyl, and we agree with that assessment. It is truly a great value purchase: fun to drive, very good technology, comfortable, and highly useful. The vehicle is thoughtfully designed. Yes, they could have used nicer interrior materials.

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  Hasnt Let Me Down Yet - 2000 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By mitmit - September 22 - 6:53 pm

  My 2000 Mitsubishi Diamante has been extremely reliable and fun to drive. Ive always liked the styling of the Diamantes, and you get a really nice car for a reasonable price. The only disadvantages Ive observed are their poor resale value, and some components could be of higher quality. For example, I was told at 38,000 miles that my struts were going to need to be replaced soon. (However, I havent replaced them, and it still rides fine.) The other quality issues were more cosmetic in nature, like a trim piece that peeled.

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  Galant review - 2004 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Mthomas - September 20 - 10:00 am

  Great car so far. My other car was a 1996 galant, no major problems. This is why I chose to stick with the new galants. I enjoyed the car, it was easy to handle and manuever with great ease.

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  Best sports sedan under $25K - 2004 Mitsubishi Galant
  By DN743559 - September 20 - 10:00 am

  Ive had Infinitis and Audis in the past, but this car beats them in overall performance and build quality (especially the piece of junk Audi). Its very quick with great handling and balance on a solid and rattle-free body and suspension. The interior is great too; I particularly like the well shaped and firm power seat, great sound system, and everything within easy reach. On top of all this, a 5 yr/50K bumper-to-bumper mile warranty with free maintenance for 3 yrs/45K miles.

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  its no BMW - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By stuart - September 18 - 2:00 am

  I have had my car now 10 months and drove it across USA on vacation with no real complaints. I have had the roters turned once. I bought the GTZ which is nice as it comes with a lot of features for the $. I also looked at the Altima and to load that out the same way would have cost me $29,000 and change. I paid $24.750 for the Mitsubishi. It could have done with a little stiffer suspension as you feel roll when driving hard. Also I think Mitsubishi should have put more horsepower in the GTZ. Considering you are paying considerably more than the other Galant V6s but have the same engine,