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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  good car!!! - 2004 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By rknap - March 3 - 10:00 am

  This car is the only car bought in 40 years that had no problems requiring repair or adjustment!!!!!!!!!

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  The Sport in Sport Utlity - 2005 Mitsubishi Endeavor
  By Johnnie - March 2 - 9:40 pm

  The vehicle is very nice. I wish I had purchased the AWD version. The motor is so "torquie" that often I spin tires when trying to get going quickly. The seats are nice and the added comfort of driving a limited with side frame re-inforcements makes the vehicle seem more truck-like. This is a nice one indded but the usual inconveniences from a manufacturer like Mitsubishi are there too. Molding, Molding, Molding.....Stuff does have a way of popping off of this thing for seemingly no reason at all. Sunroof privacy cover handle, radio/ ac knobs...Screw covers in the luggage rack.. Still I have to say that I love mine and would buy another without a doubt!

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  Mirage The Best - 2000 Mitsubishi Mirage
  By Lankaputhra - February 28 - 2:00 am

  I use the car for long distance travelling (around 140 Miles a day). Excellent handelling on highways plus really good on gas. It gives me around 33/gal. Fun to drive. But little too light. Good turning circle. Most liked feature is the gears can be used as a manual transmisstion to some extent. All 4 levels can be manually controlled.

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  Bimmer and Benz Buyers missed out big - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By Prince - February 28 - 2:00 am

  I waited on this vehicle and it was worth it. My brother-in-law has a Discovery and my brother has a Navigator, both wish they had gotten to the Montero before I did. This is a smooth, capable SUV. I would like to dispute the critics that say it doesnt handle well. If you want to whip around curves and do slalom testing, get a Porsche, leave the Montero to those of us who were looking for a luxury SUV, with distinct styling and superior appointments. And relative to the useless third row. I use it often. True, I have smaller children. But if I wanted a bus I would have bought an Econline.

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  Good for A While - 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Midwest Kid - February 23 - 3:10 am

  My 2000 Mitsubishi Eclipse ran excellent for the first 50,000 miles. Then it started to have a few little problems - the front tire kept going flat, brakes were bad, a water leak. Nothing major, but annoying. Mine has 75,000 miles on it and still has no major issues. It gets great gas mileage and is actually quite pleasant on a long road trips, as long as there is only two people. However, it surprisingly can carry a lot. The ground clearance is minimal so I have bumper damage.

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  Solid Sedan - 2006 Mitsubishi Galant
  By T. Miller - February 22 - 8:43 am

  So far I have put 8,500 miles on my 2006 Mitsubishi Galant GTS V6 and have had not problems. It gives great, responsive power and has a nice balance of comfort and road feel. It is the roomiest vehicle in its class, comes with a solid warranty, and an outstanding sound system. Its handling is a good balance between comfort vs. road feel, thought the car is not meant to be pushed to hard (its a sedan - doesnt take to sliding around corners well!). The abundance of torque and power make it a very comfortable car to be driven, its hard to keep below 80 mph. Its clear guages, and autoshift provide some additional "enthusiast" feel. This is a very pleasant, reliable car - I look forward to driving it each day. What more can you ask?

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  A Great Car For The $$$$ - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Marley - February 17 - 10:00 am

  After being married "forever" to a man who took care of all the car purchases, this was my first " buy on my own" car adventure. I researched, I test drove, I checked financing, and landed in the seat of my Galant. I love it ! The ride is great, fuel mileage is better than expected, it looks good and provided more car for the $$ than the comparable cars I looked it.

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  galant - 2003 Mitsubishi Galant
  By countrybo - February 17 - 10:00 am

  first foreign car and im sold on them now

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  Lovin my Mitzu! - 2005 Mitsubishi Montero
  By schaefer - February 13 - 3:56 pm

  I absolutely love the way my SUV looks. I drive around town, carting my 3 girls here and there. There is plenty of room, and I get tons of compliments from males and females. My husband added some sporty wheels which really finished the look. The only complaint I would have is that the side step rail is too thin. It is harder to use than to just hop out on your own. My favorite thing about it would have to be the HUGE sunroof! I just love it, and so do the kids! We cant wait to drive it to Florida this summer.

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  Test drive - 2002 Mitsubishi Montero
  By Leod - February 3 - 10:00 am

  I just got the Limited for the test drive. I like the way the vehicle looks, but I expected the interior quality to be a little bit better, especially the plastics and the switches on the front doors. I would prefer the spare tire to be stored somewhere else, because it makes the vehicle look a bit too long. The driving was good, acceleration and handling was sufficient. For me this vehicle is a little to big, but at the other hand the gas milage is comparable to my Grand Cherokee with I6 engine.