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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  Cell phone totals my MPG - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By MY LIL BUGGY !!! - April 28 - 10:56 am

  Bought it after 1 test drive ! I gotta give it to them, after 9.5 yrs & 41mpgs I did nothing but regular maint. and this car never let me down ! Thru 16"s of snow she just would not quit! Today 4/7/09 it was totaled by a cell phone in use! The power was slack especially w/ac on but other then that & some interior improvements would have been nice Ill never replace it for the money paid 13,000 & some change I never once had this car in a shop but for regular timing belt change @ 100,000.

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  Good Car/Good Value - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By CK8408 - April 27 - 12:03 pm

  I purchased this car on April 30th as my first new car after graduating college. I considered the Subaru Impreza and Mazda 3 but was blown away by the price, standard features, and performance of the Lancer. The 5 speed is fun and smooth. The engine could have more power, but with average 28-30 mpg I cant complain. Build quality seems to be great so far. The ES comes standard with many nice features such as steering wheel mounted audio controls and alloy wheels. You dont need to spend a lot of money to get a great looking Lancer. The ES comes standard with many great features. Sure there are always improvements, but for the price its hard to beat. I highly recommend it.

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  wow what a ride - 2003 Mitsubishi Montero
  By miss salgado - April 27 - 10:00 am

  I came in and though to my self "It looks like a tank" but when I got in it I though wow its a palace. I havent had it to long but I feel confertable in it and it feels like the truck ajusted to me not the other way around.

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  2001 eclipse GT - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By sp - April 27 - 10:00 am

  I bought my car brand new and so far reliability rating is a 10. Brakes sqeal and always have since I bought the car. Constant problems with sunroof getting stuck and not opening when it does its very jittery. Despite taking it in to dealer several times. Fun car to drive, performance and handling are superb. I get continuous compliments on the sporty appearance.

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  2000 Mitsubshi Mirage - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Sadspirit - April 26 - 8:06 am

  This is my second Mirage, my first one was involved in a front end crash. It kept me safe, after looking at it in the junkyard Im lucky to be alive. The car runs GREAT, my second one the only work Ive done to it from when I bought it was a timing belt and water pump along with an oil change. GREAT car and safe. The car shifts well, very smooth. Awesome on gas, mine gets 25 city miles. I do A LOT of driving, its a cute car great for new drivers.

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  i like the montero - 2003 Mitsubishi Montero
  By savannah1 - April 26 - 2:00 am

  this is my second montero ltd. i just turned in my 2001 - made some sense with the financing deals and i was eager to get the larger engine. the 3.8 is a big difference

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  nice car for the price - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By jjjones - April 26 - 2:00 am

  Nice sound system and its nice to drive a car that you dont see everywhere.

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  I love this vehicle - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By KATYRED - April 26 - 2:00 am

  I feel like I am driving a sedan. I am very short and I like the hight and the visability. It doesnt look like all the other corss-over suvs out there

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  best bang for your bucks - 2010 Mitsubishi Galant
  By mayori ciprian - April 25 - 4:43 am

  this is my second galant,and let me tell you its the best kept secret in the market. for the price i payed for my galant and the features i got in return, toyota and honda couldnt even compete. let me start with the navigation system with back up camera wow,then the six way power adjust drivers seat, sport cloth interior with heat, alloy wheels, fog lights and so much more. the best thing is the 5yr 60,000 bumper to bumper warranty, and 10yr 100,000 mile powertrain.i could go on and on and on.like i said best bang for your bucks.

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  So Far So Good - 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Quinny - April 24 - 5:50 pm

  Took a long look at many small SUVs. Honda CRV too sluggish, Forrester (used to own one) lacked wow factor, RAV4 V6 4WD was solid but cost $2000+ more with less features. Worried about American made being around much longer. Wanted to stay under $30k fully loaded. Walked out at $27,255 with 0% financing for 60 months (rather than another $2000 off) - approx. $1,500 below invoice. Sticker on car was over $31,000 MSRP. Fun to drive, looks good, great sound system, Fast key awesome - hope to have for a long time.