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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  10s Are Not Given Lightly - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Mitsu Cam - January 2 - 10:00 am

  What a good looking SUV. Id call this the ideal commuters SUV since it blends very well, most required attributes of typical truck based models, with the demands of the sport car, sedan enthusiast, while impressing a masculine buldgey line style that is not the common slim doorme too for the SUV masses. This vehicles is one of the best handling SUVs available, but a 10 in FUN requires a race car.

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  my first car - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By eclipze - January 1 - 4:50 am

  I got this car for my 16th birthday with 59,000 miles on it my mom drove it back from Pittsburgh to me about 2000 miles. Its baby blue v6 3.0 liter, has good power and I have 2 12 inch sub woofers in the trunk and even at the loudest the car doesnt rattle great car no problems at all with it.

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  Just bought it - 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By nicole - December 31 - 3:36 pm

  I drive 30,000 miles per year in all kinds of weather. I needed cargo space and 4wd. This was the most reasonably priced, least ugly vehicle in this category. I never buy new, but finding something with low mileage wouldve cost me close to what this cost me new. I dont expect luxury in this price range - and I sure didnt get it, but its decent looking, inside and out. Im not thrilled about the velour cloth seats, I dont think theyll hold up. Dash and side interior panels are a weird textured rubbery material that seem to mark up fast. Maybe some protectant will fix that.

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  Better looking than the other imports - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Gordo - December 31 - 9:06 am

  This is one sweet ride, for the price. Ive had it a month & it has never let me down, even in the snow. The only option I added was Bluetooth which is something I will not live without in my next purchase. Ive tested Mitsu power plants for the past 10 years, in my 97 Neon & my 98 Dodge Stratus, both engines never let me down & I have over 275000kms on the Stratus. I believe Ill get as much if not more mileage on my Lancer

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  This thing is amazing - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By eclipseboi4u - December 30 - 5:33 pm

  This is an amazing ride. It handles great and has one of the best safety ratings. Stock, its component sound system is great. I have completely redone new speakers all the way around plus 2 subs which improved the sound, which is great still using the factory head unit. The 4 wheel ABS with front wheel drive is great especially for those tight turns. As for a 2.4L 4 cyl with 162 horses under the hood isnt bad for a stock 4 cyl. Hey the gas mileage is great if you use premium gas. If you use low grade, you will burn gas faster and probably reduce your mpg by 5%. If you want to greatly improve your mpg horsepower and torque do what i did... add a cold air intake & full exhaust.

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  Lancer ES Review - 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By Lancer ES Review - December 30 - 1:03 pm

  The car is great, 50,000 miles and still going just as the day I bought it. Very spacious and has no problems. The Adaptive Shift Control provides precise shifts according to my driving. For immediate passing to being a gasoline saver, the adaptive shift control works great. Sure it only has 120 hp and 130 lb feet of torque, but when you step on the gas, the transmission will immediately downshift and you will feel the torque over the power band. Provides great reliability as well. Not one problem reported yet and it has 50,000 miles on it.

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  Special Edition means just that. - 2008 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By John Crocker - December 28 - 2:50 pm

  We have had our new Outlander SE 4WD for exactly one month and close to 2000 miles now with absolutely no problems. The number one priority for ourselves, and many other drivers right now, is fuel efficiency. The Outlander has delivered just what it promised with a mixed city / local driving average of around 25 MPG. For a vehicle that size and weight, sometimes carrying 2 - 4 people, that figure is more than acceptable to me and I feel it may improve even more when the engine is completely broken in. Cant wait to check it out on an interstate road trip. With good fuel mileage and the rest of the package working flawlessly, Id rate the Outlander as a smart choice.

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  not quite as good as the 1995-1999 turbo - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By GENE - December 27 - 2:00 am

  The first thing Mitsubishi needs to do is rethink the quality of materials in the interior. The leather feels cheap, i lotion it at least once a month and the passenger seat is drying and cracking already.The interior design however is a big step up from the 2nd generation. The black paint sucks! It looks like crap already, despite getting waxed once a month.The sunroof motor wont open and close the sunroof all the way sometimes. The glove box door pops open when the car is jolted.

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  Rons Endeavor XLS AWD - 2004 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By UVADarden03 - December 27 - 2:00 am

  Driving is a pleasure. Love the sound system and the performance though road noise can be somewhat of a bother. The design is great though the finish quality on the dashboard looks like cheap plastic. Wish traction control and stability control came standard and had a 5-speed auto instead of a 4-speed.

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  Cool Sedan - 2002 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By d.m.roselle - December 26 - 10:00 am

  This car is fun to drive and has extremely quick pickup. The nice quite engine is a gem.