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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  "Fun Car" - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By peanut1jp - May 17 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun and looks good too! I have very few complaints about this vehicle except that the interior is a bit "cheap" looking and there is limited space in the rear. Overall, I am very pleased with my decision to purchase this vehicle.

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  A great all round car - 2004 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By Grant stockdale - May 14 - 6:56 pm

  This is my Third Diamante just love them Ive had this one lowered 50 mm [2 inches] the standard rims replaced with 18 inch mags and low profile tires. WOW she looks so smart makes her just that little bit different than other Diamantes The car is a wee bit heavy on gas around town but I get great highway miles in absolute comfort good dash features and a good quality CD player stereo etc the one fault would be a little too much road noise above 50 mph the car has awesome mid range acceleration and is confident and sure on the road a good car for the family or put it in the "sport mode" and become 18 again WOOF WOOF

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  Great Car!!! - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By RRR - May 12 - 9:00 pm

  Excellent car for the price. Handles well in snow and all has all the goodies for the price.

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  Long-time owner - 1998 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Vince - May 10 - 11:43 am

  I purchased my Mirage LS new in May of 1998 and have enjoyed owning it ever since. My only regret is that Mitsubishi no longer manufactures the Mirage. I now have 120,000 miles on it and other than routine maintenance it has not cost me a dime. The highway mileage has never been less than 32 miles per gallon. It has been a great little car.

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  Best For Value - 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By m bloom - May 10 - 10:00 am

  The looks of this car first got my attention. After a test drive I was hooked. You cant touch the performance or amenities in another car unless you want to shell out another 10 gs. This car truly is Americas best kept automotive secret. I just hope it stays that way so prices will stay as reasonable as they are.

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  Sleeper SUV of the year - 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By DD - May 10 - 6:26 am

  After gas hit $4+ we decided a big SUV was no longer an option for us and traded our Mitsubishi Montero Limited. After driving an Outlander demo for the weekend, we picked an XLS (need 3rd row seats) and had them add dealer installed leather. This allowed us to forgo the forced combo pkgs and pick the primary features we wanted. Having driven large SUVs for many years and having a Honda Accord for our "other" car the Outlander is a pleasant complement to our familys fleet. We enjoy the overall stability, quality feel, and overall look of the car. Before you buy an SUV you owe it to yourself to drive one of these.

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  Good vehicle - 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Tom Picciani - May 9 - 3:26 pm

  Overall this is a great SUV. Its snappy. Its manuverable. It handles 75 cu ft. of cargo and it has good visiblity our all windows. Overall I love this vehicle! Ill get another when I tire of this one.

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  Test to BEAT UP as HELL! - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Mitsubishi Galant 03 - May 8 - 10:00 am

  Great Car! ive Been beat up everyday to use it and road trip calf to NY then return. run great and fine nothing wrong with it, I have been go off the road often and still fine. go high speed still fine, high rpm still fine a least I use oil is amsoil! dont forget that if you dont use amsoil your engine will be died with high rpm. mostly I trust Chevy & Ford but I realized keep broke down whenever going to but mitsh galant never died on me since I driving TOO MUCH still great run

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  Great toys for the money - 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By blu5092 - May 6 - 1:50 pm

  This car has lots of features that would cost some serious green with other competitors. The Nav and sound system alone is good enough for a purchase. The car itself, unfortunately could have have been better. I found it sluggish. The CVT is almost unbearable. It feels like its being pushed to catch up with the engine. The car screams to get going from a starting position. I think that a regular automatic would have been a better choice. This engine is supposed to be lighter and have impressive HP for its size. My Suzuki Reno is faster getting to 60. Other CVTs in the market dont feel like this. I crank the radio up so I dont hear the motor. It also gets poor gas mileage on hard acceleration.

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  After 3 Years - 2007 Mitsubishi Raider
  By WorldBeFree321 - May 4 - 10:03 am

  I have had my Raider truck now for exactly 3 years, I have grown attached to it by now. Last year the lights on the dash went out and the dealer had to replace the entire gadget board. Then about 3 months ago the steering locked, the chip on the key was not longer being recognized by the computer and the steering column had to be removed. It was not the chip on the key it was the computer ion the steering. The worst part is that the Mitsubishi dealer in Fresno, went out of business and closed and the nearest dealer is now about 30 minutes away. I still love my truck, but I probably would get a different truck because of all the trouble that I had with this one.