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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  2001 Mitsu - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By bauerenna - April 25 - 10:00 am

  good car for the money

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  My lil blue eclipse - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Babygirl3482 - April 25 - 10:00 am

  I definately like this car but when I first got it, it had alot of problems such as my spark plugs going every week and needing to get them replaced, the battery went after 18 months along with the brakes and my two front tires. Besides that its pretty reliable, it hasnt broken down on me yet...

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  Fun but slightly problematic - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Chris - April 21 - 3:06 pm

  This car is solid, Ive never had this much fun driving before, the handling and suspension are amazing and just taking a corner is an experience. Fuel Economy is fairly good when youre not too busy having with it. This car also has a few problems. Ive had my clear coat start to come off, constant rattling in the car from when its unlocked, very bad road noise and other tad bits.

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  She Got the Job Done - 2000 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Brade - April 17 - 8:10 am

  Well, I finally did it. I had a little fender mender with ole Bessie Lou, and she was totaled. But this was a fantastic car. I bought it new in 99 and it almost made it to ten years. Ive always really liked the styling, especially for its class, and it proved to be very reliable too. Only routine maintenance (oil change, timing belt, brakes, tires, hoses) that never cost much. The only issues I had were build quality with the glove box (had to replace the latch) and the blinker switch that was weak plastic and finally snapped after 8 years (but it still worked). So if you see one of these on the cheap, hey, you could do a lot worse.

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  HOT SUV - 2004 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By myles - April 13 - 2:00 am

  I would buy again

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  Montero Sport review - 2000 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Bobby Edmondson - March 30 - 2:00 am

  I have had very good success with my Mitsubishi Montero Sport. I have driven primarily road miles and have over 90,000 miles on the auto. Have had only minor problems(electric antenna not functioning). Otherwise, all has worked as advertised. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Montero Sport and intend to continue driving it.

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  Montero sport - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By rodrigo hernandez - March 29 - 1:33 pm

  Great SUV -- no mechanical problems, but problems with cross winds at highway speeds.

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  Fun to Drive and Dependable! - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By jamster3 - March 27 - 5:04 am

  I bought my lancer brand new 6 years ago. It has 110K miles and still runs great! In that time, I took good care of it (nothing extreme), but I replaced the air filter at least once a year, changed the oil about every 5500 miles. Have had 3 sets of tires, changed the front brakes and battery once. Changed the transmission oil twice and thats about it. I still get between 30-32 miles on the highway and about 22 around town. The car has great torque for what it is. Though its not a luxury vehicle (especially the interior), when Im at a stop light, sometimes its hard to tell if the car is still running. thats how good the engine still is.

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  great ride - 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By bomber - March 25 - 2:00 am

  fun reliable driving machine. getting decent milage

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  Excellent Sedan - 2001 Mitsubishi Galant
  By willycasanova007 - March 21 - 1:26 pm

  I bought this car a week ago with less than 82,000 mileage on it for just $3600! Has been a pretty good deal so far, did all the inspections, no major flaw. The car drives great, the exterior design is superior to most Japanese cars that it is almost German like- similar to BMW, Benz. The interior is super comfortable and is equally great!