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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  Problems! - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By etipp98 - March 16 - 1:26 am

  I purchased this car thinking it would be reliable and would outlast all the American cars in the same price range. Well, I have owned the car for about 4 months now and am not pleased at all. The car looks great, gets good gas mileage, but works when it wants to. This past month I have had to take the car back to the dealership for the same problem. The car doesnt want to run in the cold and the engine starts to act erratically. The service engine light comes on and the same code keeps coming up, "Torque Monitoring". The Dealership says they cannot fix my car and neither can Mitsubishi at the moment so I am left with a car that is brand new and wont run in the cold weather. LEMON LAW!!!!

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  love my truck - 1999 Mitsubishi Montero Sport
  By Meli - March 15 - 10:00 am

  leased my SUV in 1999. considering buying out my lease. Very realiable, drove cross country no problems. Lots of space for moving. fun to drive and looks sharp.

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  Now we have an Evo-Hatch! - 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
  By Odin - March 14 - 3:56 am

  Got the car a few weeks ago, fell in love with this Turbo-Hatch! No doubt about the performance, its all from Mitsu rally gene: Never felt turbo- lag; Reaction is lighting fast (in sport mode with the twin-clutch); AWD lets the beast stick on the road all the time no matter how terrible the weather/condition is; Plus the brilliant Rockford stereo and Recaro bucket seats making the ride as such a pleasure... Well, there are tons of good things making you forget about the tough riding though. Besides, if you were enjoying the sporty driving, the engine "noise" would double the fun then. Since its a Turbo+AWD, you need to save some pennies for the Premium gas and maintenance for sure. Good luck!

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  Worth a look - 2005 Mitsubishi Galant
  By jeff - March 13 - 5:33 pm

  I have had my GTS for just under 4 years. Its fun to drive (very quick), pretty quiet, good interior room( and looks good too, decent trunk space, handles well. Average fuel economy for an engine this size. My ONLY complaint about this is the turning radius is just a little to large. If they fixed that, it would be close to perfect. I have owned Camrys, Accords, and American sedans and this is as good as any and better than most. Warranty is much better than most also. I would recommend to anyone looking for a fun to drive sedan.

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  Good SUV - 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Jennifer - March 12 - 7:10 am

  Ive had my Outlander for almost two years and I am very happy with it. Its very reliable and the performance is good. It is easy to get in and out of and the trunk compartment is easily accessible.

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  Great experience - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Mahaan - March 11 - 10:00 am

  Its been a fun car *and* reliable & economical to boot. Good-looking and practical! Have not had any repair issues even at 75K miles. It is sporty, yet can be roomy enough in a crunch. Lower the rear backrests, and theres considerable luggage space. Dont like the rear visibility esp. with the rear spoiler.

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  I love my new Endeavor - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By jillc - March 11 - 10:00 am

  After a LOT of research the choice for me was easy to make. I loved the looks, the ride, and the price of the Endeavor. I was thrilled to learn that it came with 3-years/45k miles scheduled maintenance for free. There is nothing about my Limited that I dont love. I have not went a single day without at least one person saying they love it, too! I was happily surprised when I filled up that I was getting 20.5 MPG with mixed city/hwy.

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  comfort & reliabolity - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By asett1@bellsouth.net - March 11 - 10:00 am

  good looking,comfortable,good ride.. interior provides plenty of room,dealer add ons enhance appearance

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  Love my Eclipse GT Special Edition "RV" - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Speedy Cowgirl - March 11 - 9:36 am

  After a decked out 300M "couch on wheels," I didnt think Id be happy with a small car. The Eclipse is stronger than my 300M was, and very sharp looking with the ground effects. I LIVE in my car (thus the RV part of my title). I drive 130 miles/day round trip to work. 2000-mile roundtrip road trips a couple of times/year, without disappointment; 50000 in 20 months! It has excellent handling and performance, although difficult to park. It consistently gets 28 mpg as long as I dont drive like a fool. Seat heat & "vibrating massage" from the 650w speaker are also nice on road trips. The car is built for one person, although passenger will enjoy seat heat/leg room, but no power seat.

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  After 3 years, still love it! - 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By gege - March 11 - 5:50 am

  This vehicle is Mitsubishis best kept secret. It handles with ease in all types of weather & road conditions. We are quite comfortable traveling long distances, no back aches... no more leg pains! We are tall people and having the leg & head room plus comfy seating is simply awesome! I get exceptional gas mileage in town, averaging 19-24 and on the highway our best was 29 mpg! Cant beat that for this sized vehicle. The engine runs smooth, automatic shifts easily and steps right into passing gear when you need it!