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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  wifes new toy - 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By TGolf - August 15 - 2:13 am

  After 3 Chevy Astro vans driving this car is fun. The gas mileage in town is about 20mpg and about 23mpg on the hwy. The sun and sound package is a great addition. It looks like a Lexus from the rear and a Pontiac from the front.

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  Not too bad. actually pretty good - 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport
  By MOHAMMAD MOHAMMAD - August 14 - 11:20 pm

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  2000 GT - 146,000 miles - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Michelle - August 13 - 11:56 pm

  I bought this car in 2002 with 35,000 on it. It has been a really good car. Just breaks and tires. The fuel pump did go out in 2009 and so did a bearing for my wheel. My hatch does stick, need 2 hands to open, plus the sunroof needs a hand popping open, that was like that when I bought it. I drive on the expressway to work back and forth 60 miles a day. Not too bad in the snow for being a sports car, but looking into getting a SUV for next winter. All and all got real lucky with this car, no major problems!

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  Wake Up and Drive! - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Gloria Caldas - August 12 - 10:00 am

  I just traded in my 2001 Diamante for the 2004.5 Endeavor and for the first time in my life, I havent suffered from buyers remorse after a major purchase. Id wanted a mid-sized SUV for some time and have test driven quite a few. Finally went to Mitsubishe to check out the Endeavor and was extremely pleased by the way it handles. Feels more like a car than a truck. The Endeavor is brand new so Ill be back after a couple of months to let you know how its behaving!

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  Eclepse RS Hatchback - 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Nima - August 10 - 2:36 pm

  The car drives great. Watch for bumps though. Smooth steering, but a little trouble with quick acceleration. The car looks nice though. Ive had it 2 days, Ive already had over 10 people staring and 2 people stop completely, go in reverse and check it out. Great low priced car. Easy Stereo hook up, looks great with rims.2 Thumbs Up

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  The best looking car for under $35 K - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By john bell - August 7 - 5:23 pm

  It looks great, has a lot of features for the price but it really really needs more power!! The engine is small and very noisy! Every time you try to accelerate from a traffic stop or even worse, at the toll booth the poor engine screams. Except for this, the car is really great. The CVT is nice, the paddle shifters are even nicer and in my opinion the next better looking car on the road is in the $35/40k zone . The Lancer is really a head-turner, stylish, sporty, remarkable!

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  Diamante - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By Tribefire - August 3 - 11:23 am

  The Mitsubishi Diamante Vr-X is a fun fast ride but since I purchased it I have had to put a lot of money into it... the heater core went around 75k, and its conveniently place on the firewall so the job itself is a nightmare, I havent met a Diamante driver past 80k who didnt have to do the same, now Im having trouble with the 02 sensors, I replaced 3 last year and this year the fourth went. Id say the car would be worth it if it didnt cost so much to maintain. About 1500$ for the heater core repair and about the same for the o2 sensor work.

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  Mitsubishi need to fix this car - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By gseclipse03 - August 3 - 10:53 am

  Owned the car for almost 6 yrs, this is my send eclipse had a 94, the quality in product has gone down and if it wasnt paid off I would sell it cause with 70k miles it parts are breaking that shouldnt. I wouldnt buy another Mitsubishi

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  Disappointing - 2001 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By kmess - August 3 - 2:00 am

  Very disappointing vehicle. Poor assembly. Average Reliability. Recommend you look at other vehicles.

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  More People Should Check This CUV Out - 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By IPC - August 1 - 11:16 pm

  3 Months of ownership with no issues at all. Comfortable, rides smooth, responsive steering, fantastic sound system and great cargo space. Looked at/test drove the Rav4, Santa Fe, CRV, XL7, Rogue, Equinox and have no regrets on buying the Outlander.