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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  Best Car for the Value! - 1999 Mitsubishi Galant
  By Quickster - November 3 - 11:10 pm

  Bought this car used with 108,000 miles for only $4,000. This car is fully loaded and is beautiful! Everything was in excellent condition. I now have roughly 123,000 miles and only have done two oil changes, replaced the tires and changed out the belts. This car runs so smoothly. Quick acceleration, very quiet. Stereo is great! Very comfortable. This car is a head turner! Everyone envies me of this car. It looks and feels like a luxury sedan, and looks like it would be worth tons more. I highly recommend this car!

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  Surprisingly Good - 2005 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By RandyWakeman - November 2 - 2:23 am

  This is an SUV that I didnt plan on buying, but after an ocean of test drives with other vehicles...I really tried to find a reason NOT to buy it, but I couldnt. Im was pleasantly surprised at how peppy the 2.4L MIVEC engine is - it sure feels like more than a 4-cyl., and has a lot more zip than some 6-cyl. vehicles that I tested. It is extremely stable at high-speed; at 105 mph there is still some juice left (top end is about 120 mph). It has no problem keeping up with traffic when fully loaded. Its easy / fun to drive, comfotable, easy to park, and the cargo area becomes a cargo area by just dropping the seats - no headrests need to be removed. Just driving, no special attention nets me 22 mpg.

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  Poor Mans Porche 911 turbo! - 1998 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Shapingo Yama - November 1 - 10:00 am

  When I bought this car it only had 18000 miles. Yes you read that right eighteen thousand. Glanzmann Subaru got the car from a company in PA that used it as a company car. The car is in excellent condition. Almost new! (The previous owner was a smoker, so that bothers me) no offense smokers. This car has everything, AWD, Turbo, Looks, 17inch rims, good for factory system, power everything. Though Im not a sunroof fan. This car brings negative attention from the wanna bes though. Great car over all.

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  2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse - 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By diana - October 30 - 1:56 pm

  I bought this car for my daughter, and it is the best car. It is a real beauty we are very happy to have this 2006. We are getting lots of compliments on it. We traded in a 2003 spyder it was great too.

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  Fun and Good Value - 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer
  By mross77 - October 30 - 3:01 am

  I bought my 2009 GTS used about six months ago and am really enjoying it so far. The 5 speed stick has plenty of power and is quite quick. Handling is very surefooted with little body lean and poised direction changes. Braking with the 4 wheel discs is excellent. Quick, short stops, zero fade and pretty good pedal feel. I would recommend the Sun and Sound package as the Rockford Fosgate stereo alone is well worth the money - far and away the best sound in any vehicle Ive owned. I get 22 or 23 mpg around town and 31 on longer trips - not awesome but certainly respectable. Nice roominess front and back for a smaller car and good ability to carry lots of stuff.

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  Groovy, Cool Wheels - 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante
  By muscleman - October 29 - 9:43 pm

  I love my 2003 Mitsubishi Diamante. It has all the creature comforts that I was lookintg for. When I drive by ladies with the Infinity stereo blastin loud, they always give me the eye. I love the feel of the leather seats. this is the best car in the world! I wish I could live in it.

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  Amazing Car That Has So Much To Offer! - 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By Chuck - October 24 - 1:16 am

  Ive owned this car for over two years now and its given me nothing but fun, reliable, stylish transportation! I get around 25 mpg and the car has given me zero reliability problems. It receives many compliments and the driving experience is so sweet, that when you arrive to your destination you hate to park the car! Its just that fun to drive!

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  Beautiful car and fun to drive - 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse
  By vkmicro - October 23 - 4:06 am

  Well let me start off with comparing it to different cars I drove and took for a test drive. Before eclipse I used to drive 4 door sedans, and comparing to the sedans, Mitsubishi eclipse has much more maneuverability on the roads both on high speeds and around the city. Comparing to the Grand Prix 1997 which I used to have, its slightly worse on the snow because its a lot lighter weight, so have to drive with more caution. I have a GS edition with automatic transmission and its awesome, its really fast and like I mentioned before very agile on the road. Overall I give the car 9/10, wish it was slightly better designed inside (EX: Better cup holders) but its fun and looks amazing.

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  An Eye Catching SUV - 2006 Mitsubishi Outlander
  By Bud - October 22 - 11:26 pm

  The Outlander is a great deal for the money with one of the best warranties out there on the market. This is the second Mitsubishi I have owned with my trading in a Galant for the Outlander SE. I reached for five months before buying the Outlander and what kept me coming back to the Outlander was the warranty, the outside look of the SUV and the overall qaulity of the SUV. It gets great gas mileage for an SUV with nice pick up and go with a stylish look inside and out.

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  Great job! - 2009 Mitsubishi Galant
  By John - October 22 - 7:46 pm

  Although Mitsubishi only made slight changes to the 2009 Galant, they seemed to pick the best features to improve. The ride is smoother and quieter. The new sport fabric seat is very comfortable and they even have power and 2-part heated fabric seats. They did away with the cheap plastic console and it look very tastefully elegant. A+ overall!