Thinking back to just over a decade ago, Mitsubishi was still in the full-line automaker business. For most needs, there existed an option at your Mitsubishi dealer, which then was a place with functioning lighting and definitely not a former Pizza Hut or Carl’s Jr.
But that’s all changed now, and it has me wondering — is there really a point to Mitsubishi, you know, being a thing?
Circa mid-2000s, Mitsubishi had some volume Diamond Star Motors options for better or for worse: the Galant midsize and the Eclipse, which was, of course, a certified sports car. There was the Lancer, Lancer Evolution, and Lancer Sportback. There was also the Diamante, a midsize Lexus ES300 competitor. (LOL!) Mitsubishi also sold one of my favorite unibody SUVs: the full-size, optionally two-tone Montero, and its younger trucky sibling, the Montero Sport. A couple of crossovers beefed up the 4WD offerings in the Outlander and Endeavor. Mitsubishi also once again had a Raider, which was actually a Dakota. We don’t need to think much about that one. The point is, I count 11 model offerings if we’re being generous, and that’s a full line.
Move forward to present day, and almost all of that is gone. Here’s the current Mitsubishi lineup:
i-MiEV (the all-electric disaster)
Mirage/Mirage Sedan (G4)
Lancer (dead)
Outlander Sport
Outlander
And that’s it: four vehicles. There’s no midsize sedan, no luxury options, no real SUV, no coupe. You can have a subcompact in electric or gasoline, and a compact CUV or a near-midsize CUV, which runs on premium fuel if you opt for the underpowered V6.
The dealers? Surely they haven’t changed much, right? Well, here’s what Google showed me when I searched up my local Cincinnati Mitsubishi dealer, Kerry Mitsubishi. I didn’t realize how much the Outlander was cribbing on Econoline styling these days.
We all know the story of how Nissan announced it would spent $2.2 billion to acquire a controlling stake in Mitsubishi via a bulk shares purchase in May of last year. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said big things are in the works for this new Nissan and Mitsubishi “alliance,” as it were.
But I’m here questioning whether all that’s really necessary. As we see above, the Mitsubishi dealer network is in a state of … let’s say disrepair. The model lineup is Swiss cheese. And the kind of customer the brand attracts is generally already served by Nissan. Speaking of, all of Mitsubishi’s models are already duplicated entirely by the Nissan lineup. The LEAF, Versa, Juke/Rogue, Murano — and there you go, Nissan has replaced all the Mitsubishis.
So rather than bother with trying to save and re-energize this brand in North America, I’m thinking it’s not worth the trouble. Pare down the models over the next few years and replace them with Nissan badge jobs if necessary. Or perhaps just offer an incentive to visit the Nissan dealer down the street when current Mitsubishi customers are ready for a new ride. It’s a win-win, as Nissan can simultaneously sell more Nissan vehicles while trimming a bit of excess baggage.
Maybe I’m missing some grand design or cost savings somewhere. Doubtless, one of you B&B can show me my error, or some proof that a new Montero is on the way to US shores, in which case I might reconsider.
No, unless they bring back the Diamante :).
The answer is: No. Unless they want to go back and manufacture Zeroes again…
They are already making zeroes… zero sales.
We also get the Pajero, the Outlander PHEV and the Triton truck here… none are remarkable except for the fact that the PHEV is actually an innovative car that sells zero here (of course) but I hear that it sells well in the UK and other rhd countries.
The Outlander is also famous for being the cheapest 7 seater automatic FWD CUV you can buy… but of course you will probably contemplate suicide if you had to live too long with the moo-ing drone of the 2.4 matched to the CVT with minimum horsepower pushing 3,600lb?
Actually, their sales are UP.
Granted, they’re starting with a low bar…
The Zero did have… unexpected success.
I’d say the Zero definitely climbed Mt. Niitake.
My father drove to my Oldsmobile store in 1992 and, upon noticing the MITSUBISHI sign on the left side of the building, said “I used to shoot those down!”
You know at this point Mitsubishi could launch a model called Zero (or AM6 which was the actual name) and it would probably be a success.
They put the last nail in when they abandoned the grill design a few years ago. It was nice, recognizable, and in the days of “aggressive” Camrys, the only notable remnant left to work with stylistically. When I look at the people I personally know driving Mitsubishis, it would be no loss. This isn’t a question with same importance of, “Does Pontiac need to exist?”
AOTD: Mitsubishi still exists??
Yes, so that people with sub-600 credit scores will have new car options beyond their local FCA showroom.
There’s always Versa.
Judging by the local Nissan dealer I agree with Corey.
When I bought my (admittedly used…small import wagons get virtually zero love down south in truck country) 2004 Sportback Ralliart, I had far above 600 in terms of credit score. I bought the little nipper because it fit what I needed, and I loved the rarity and stealth practicality of it. Seeing that silver wagon in the photo above makes my heart hurt. Until the timing belt went prematurely, it was a dead reliable vehicle. I got more questions and compliments on that wee beastie than most other cars I’ve owned. The one thing it lacked to make it dang-near perfect for me was that the Sportback only came with an automatic transmission.
Sad to say that today I find very little excitement or desire in Mitsubishi’s line up. Heck, my first car was a Mitsu (well, transplanted…it was a 1978 Plymouth Arrow GT).
>Yes, so that people with sub-600 credit scores will have new car options beyond their local FCA showroom.
Not to mention 72+ month financing options.
This is asked a lot of makes and models that aren’t so popular. The answer is yes. Choice is good. More choice is better than less choice. When Hudson, AMC, Suzuki, heck, even when DAEWOO went away – those were sad days for choice.
Sorry, but if Mitsubishi is just going to become an outlet for rebadged Nissans, then no, they don’t need to exist. That’s not really providing us with more choices.
This seems to be the plan.
Maybe Mitsubishi can sell rebadged Datsuns.
Or they can make small cars for FCA. (Cue Sergio Marchionne, doing an impression of Lee Iococca: “Dodge Colt! Made by Mitsubishi, master car builders of Japan!”)
More crap is not good choice.
+1,000!!!!!!
No.
(To quote John McLaughlin): NEXT ISSUE!
Also (To quote John McLaughlin): Mitsubishi? BYE BYE!
Well 1/2 of those vehicles are CUVs which sell like hotcakes… provided they have ANY logo other then 3 diamonds on them. Its sad but they need to pack it in – and I say this as former Eclipse GS-T owner. A merge/take over by Nissan, followed by an immediate shutdown is the only thing that makes sense. Then in my dream world Nissan would bring back the Lancer as the Pulsar complete with AWD + turbo.
Turbo AWD Pulsar Sportbak makes my day.
No. Next question.
Ultimately, we don’t answer that question – car buyers do. And their sales are actually *up* the last couple of years.
So maybe the market is answering for us.
http://www.goodcarbadcar.net/2012/10/mitsubishi-brand-sales-figures-usa-canada.html
Only until all warranties on Lancer evo’s expire. Those dct repairs get real pricey real fast.
There’s also a lot of those 10-year Mirage powertrain warranties out there.
Yes, so I can buy a used Mirage in the next decade.
>Yes, so I can buy a used Mirage in the next decade.
By then, “Mirage” will describe the availability of parts and service.
Rockauto, Partsgeek, and Aliexpress will have my back.
Mitsubishi makes perfect sense if Nissan wants to put their name on commercial vehicles and TVs.
Also, Mitsus are still pretty popular in Latin America where Nissans occupy the same place in the market that Toyonda does here in the US. Nissan, with their dealer network around the world could move some el cheapo Mitsubishis down there.
No.
“As we see above, the Mitsubishi dealer network is in a state of … let’s say disrepair.”
You’re not kidding. I have two outstanding recalls – one is the Takata, the second is something-something-control arms (rust issue, I don’t have it, pay it little mind).
The two dealerships in my region are approximately a 50 min. drive each (sparse, to begin with – I have a Ford shop within 2 mi., Mopar and Nissan in 3) but they share their shops with other mfg’s franchisees.
I took it in for a recall on emissions a few years back, and waited 2 hrs while they shuffled cars around (stated it would take “.5 hr” and “were ready when I was). I had a tech from the franchisee do the work, as the Mitsubishi department didn’t have one.
I purchased as much Diaqueen fluids as possible on that trip – I thought even THEN that they were death-rattling.
100%!!! I was also in search for some DiaQueen as my stash had run low, I could not find a damn dealer within a reasonable distance. The two dealerships I had used previously are now gone; one of them sells Mopar junk and the other sells VW junk. Anyway, I was forced to order my stuff online and went with Redline MT90 & Brad Penn 10w-30 instead of the Mitsu crap.
If there is no Evo in N. America, then, I do not see a need to keep them open. Although, in all honesty, I would rather have an Outlander Sport over a Nissan Rogue.
DiaQueen SP-III ATF is a must on their Montero 5spd autos, very picky transmissions, known to suffer torque converter chatter otherwise. Hyundai has an equivalent-spec fluid still fairly widely available, as historically older Hyundais licensed a ton of Mitsu mechanicals.
Thanks for the info GT, I have had ZERO experience with DQ ATF. The OEM stuff, regardless of manufacturer, always gets the nod and the recipe is always regarded as magic. Haha
Mitsubishi offered ‘somewhat’ comparable quality at a lower price point as the Korean Manufaturers did in the early 2000… I think Kia stole a lot of the business that Mitsu had in the US (had a similar lineup as classic 90’s Mitsubishi) but once Hyundai and Kia got going, there was much less reason to Mitsu to continue.
Also, Mitsu suffered from a lack of investment in its own product, aging models and unchanged platforms were kept going for years. And while I expected that the switch to CUVs/SUVs would help them rise again…it didn’t.
It’s OK not Having a Galant or DIamante since we all know the sedans are on death watch, but the choices left were the Montero/Endeavor or the Outlanders, which were not up to snuff with the competition.
I have owned 3 mitsu cars and loved them, and want to add a Montero too soon. But Mitsu deserves to live on its own products. I dont need rebadged Nissans or Renaults. So for me, they need to stay if they can still have their own. Otherwise, just like Suzuki, time to take care of the big markets you do hold and exit the USA.
Sure Nissan could spend a few billion upgrading the Mitsubishi vehicle line-up and dealer network, spend a few billion more on advertising and brand building activities, and in the end they would might create a more viable competitor to Nissan. If you want a preview of how it would work you can just see how VW spent billions to make Skoda into a very viable VW competitor. A cheaper and better solution would be to give Nissan franchises to the select few quality Mitsubishi dealers and $1,000 “loyalty” rebate certificates to current Mitsubishi owners redeemable for the purchase of a new or certified used Nissan.
Well, no, Mitsubishi doesn’t need to exist. But does any car company need to exist? At the end of the day, all car makers live or die by the whims of their customers. Even the mightiest manufacturer today may be gone the next day. Consider that at one point, almost 1 in every 2 cars sold in this country was a GM. Only 10 years ago, that was 1 in 4. Now it’s less than 1 in 5.
In 1999, you could stroll into a Mitsubishi dealership in the US and purchase a 3000GT, Diamante, Eclipse, Galant, Mirage, Montero, or Montero Sport. Outside of the US you could find the Mitsubishi Evolution VI, FTO, Pajero, Mirage Cyborg, Delica, and Legnum.
In 2017 you can stumble past remain 2016 Sentras and find two SUVs, a FICO-challenged small sedan and what appears to be an unpronounceable electric suppository.
I will echo ciscokidinsf’s sentiments.
I’m going to fly in the face of the general opinion here and say yes.
I can see Mitsu having a place in the crowded space here in America.
Nissan can retool the existing lineup and get them up to speed.
Then, they can really let loose…try some things with Mitsu that perhaps they couldn’t with Nissan. What those things are off the top of my head, I don’t know.
Perhaps start with the return of the Eclipse/Diamante/Montero, but sharing the platform/engines with Nissan? Or making them the Plymouth of Nissan (since I still strongly believe that there’s a place for cheap new cars)?
If we could get an Americanized Pajero – That I would seriously take a look at. Otherwise I find nothing compelling.
“Pajero” is infamous for being an unfortunate choice of car name, such as the “NOVA”. For those who haven’t heard the story yet, “No va” in Spanish means “it doesn’t go”, and “Pajero” is what the British call a “wanker”.
The Nova story is a myth.
http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/nova.asp
It’s such a common myth that it is even included in textbooks (including what was used in my undergrad marketing class), but it isn’t true.
I like the Outlander and the sport. The interiors still need more updating but other then that their pretty good. I also have a strange like of the mirage but I know that’s not shared by everyone.
I share that strange like of the Mirage with you, for reasons that I can’t explain. Probably the same reason(s) why I love cars like the Versa and Spark. LOL
Pajero…yes, that’s it! I forgot about that (even though I have an older one in 1/18th scale that I got for my birthday last year).
I do not have a tangible reason why, but I really like the new Mirage (only in a manual please). There is something honest about a basically no frills car that one revs the piss out of for commuting and still get decent mileage. Given the cash on the hood and the general fact that many people are bypassing Mitsubishi dealerships, the Mirage is a perfect commuting tool.
My wife had a recent model Mirage when I met her. It was her first new car and she was really proud of it. I drove it a few times before she upgraded to a larger vehicle.
I didn’t feel it was safe to drive on the motorway/freeway (yeah, it had a five-star safety rating but very little in the way of crumple zones for high speed impacts) and she commented that it felt a bit unstable at 100km/h. But around town it was surprisingly adequate and very economical. There was a shocking amount of space inside for such a small car. Hard not to like it (and I have a long history of buying full size sedans).
I will say that I test drove an Outlander GT with the underpowered V6 a year or so ago, within the context of the Rav4 (pre latest interior refresh) and the current Rogue, it’s interior was perfectly class competitive IMO. Interior dimensions in terms of cargo capacity lag those other two slightly on paper, but I’m not 100% sure how substantial the difference truly is. The Higher Trim Outlanders also get a fancy-gimmicky AWD system, again not sure what sort of practical difference it makes to most consumers.
Mitsu is stuck in the same death spiral as K-Mart / Sears, which is that they’ve fallen from the list of options people consider when they go shopping. If it isn’t even on your radar, you’re not going to track it down.
FCA has shown that you can still make big money on mediocre product (Patriot, Compass, Journey, entry-level Caravan) with the right blend of trim level, marketing, and incentives. But they also have showroom-generating traffic and the ability to upsell customers on much nicer models. I think it’s too late for Mitsubishi.
Except their sales are going up still. They just haven’t gotten back to the early 2000’s numbers.
Mitsubishi torpedoed their full lineup in the early 2000’s with their “zero” financing… as in zero down, zero interest, zero payments for a year. I think it was zero credit needed as well. This was a huge hit at my college, and more than a few of my acquaintances picked up Eclipses, Monteros and Galants – and trashed them for over a year – without ever paying anything at all (except for the occasional partial tank of fuel). Just imagine Mitsubishi getting back thousands of one year old used cars, having not ever made a dime on them. I don’t know how much money that promotion ended up costing the company, but I’m sure it made a big dent in funds available for R&D.
The main thing that this article needs is a realization that United States is not the whole world.
TTAC is North American-centric. Also, “So rather than bother with trying to save and re-energize this brand in North America, I’m thinking it’s not worth the trouble.”
There isn’t really space in a QOTD to address the worldwide financial situation and market share of multinationals.
Yes! One word: Dacia. Federalize the Dacia lineup, slap the Mitsu badge on them and sell at the US Mistu dealerships. Roll in the dough. You’re welcome.
I like how you think.
Brilliant!
(I am slightly biased because I need, not want a Dacia Sandero in my life)
This post was GREAT!
Because I didn’t know these mitsubishi cars existed at all.
I could scroll through this list and learn about all the cars I never saw before.
Mitsubishi has one simple issue. What the heck is Mitsubishi. really. What is it.
I used to own a 3000GT. It was a supercar in all sense of the word, and a budget supercar.
I think they got their entire strategy replaced by companies like Hyundai/Genesis/Kia
Their cars were a little cheaper than the competition… but a lot crappier.
Why someone would buy a Mirage over an Accent is news to me.
The lancer was great for what it was, but by 2010 it already looked outdated. Mediocre reliability and weak dealer support crushed the value proposition. The CVT doesn’t quite fit the buyer which is awkward. Its actually a reasonable vehicle for the price.
The Evo of course is what a lot of the enthusiasts look for, but the market the Evo serves is largely drying up. It had an impressive 5 speed transmission. That alone makes the car feel like its from 1996. 291 HP also is nice, but today you get that in a base four door.
Many people prefer it to the STI, but in similar configurations, it runs $5000-9000 more, and there’s no question if anything, “Subaru” has a brand perception benefit to the lancer evo, and subaru’s growth across the board left it more money to steam roll the Evo.
They are simply not set for the US market. I think they need to pick a niche and grow it. I don’t even care what that niche is… or they could partner with FCA like they did in the 90s to provide small cars.
Unfortunately I think they need to fall a little further before they can grow.
“The Evo of course is what a lot of the enthusiasts look for, but the market the Evo serves is largely drying up. It had an impressive 5 speed transmission.”
Heh. The Evo has many impressive features – but their 5-speed transmission is not one of them.
(Also, the Evo has been out of production since April of 2016)
Agreed with the “dying on the vine” approach taken with the Lancer. That car should have had a major overhaul by 2013 at the latest.
I can tell you why someone would buy a Mirage over an Accent. Because he already had an Accent. Seriously, a buddy of mine bought a Mirage two years ago to replace an early 2000’s Accent. Surely a miserable car, but he wouldn’t believe me when I told him they were much better these days. So Mirage it is!
Timely post, as I actually saw a late-2000s Mitsu Raider pickup on the road this morning and did a double-take. Rare bird indeed.
I will always have a soft spot for the brand thanks to the TV commercials in the early 2000s with the seat-dancing girl.
Wonder which is more rare – the Raider, or the Suzuki Equator (Nissan Frontier).
I would guess Raider, I have seen the Equator on the road more than once.
Corey you’d also probably want to clarify when it is more rare, in its day Raider may have been a common sight I don’t know.
Hmm I was thinking overall sales for the model run. The Raider was around for longer, certainly.
We’ve been through this before. “Mitsubishi represents nearly 10% of the GDP of Japan. The three main companies in the group are The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (the largest bank in Japan), Mitsubishi Corporation (a general trading company) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (a diversified manufacturing company).” From Wikipedia.
I think we need some asterisks on this fun QOTD, to make it more like something from Bloomberg, eh?
*Question applies to Mitusbishi automotive sales in the North American market only.
**This is not a financial analysis of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu.
***Question does not suggest Mitsubishi shut down manufacture of appliances worldwide.
The Mitsubishi keiretsu is only a minority owner in Mitsubishi Motors, 20% I believe. Given the context of this website, we’re talking about Mitsubishi Motors, not Mitsubishi Heavy Industry or the Mitsubishi keiretsu.
Feel like Mitsubishi is destined to become to Nissan what Daihatsu is to Toyota.
Mitsubishi does not need to exist in America. The one compelling offering it had, the Evo, is dead. Shutter the doors in North America, the ride is over. RIP Mitsubishi.
I will throw a f*cking party the day that Mitsubishi USA ceases to exist. Anybody who still works for that company and doesn’t have plans to jump ship needs to be fired.
Mitsubishi is focusing mainly h on SUVs and CUVs these days. A classic sign of becoming irrelevant in the marketplace.
Here we are, a Trooper back in the same kind of Rodeo. Passport stamped for exit, flying down to SLX.
That was worth absolutely Zero.
well… at least Mitsubishi has a vehicle offering (albeit not much of one)… unlike COUGH ***Elio*** COUGH….
With the resurgent demand for SUVs, I could see a business case for the gen IV Pajero being brought over here, although frankly it’s quite long in tooth. Recently watched a review of one and it seems to hit a lot of the right notes (for me at least). Might do some good to their brand image as a whole.
Because it’s rather luxurious, and I doubt they’d bring a stripper over – I am not sure they’ve got the brand to sell any. They certainly didn’t in the early-mid 00s, when they were asking $47K for the Limited.
Yeah it’d be an incredibly niche market. Most people just avoid the Mitsubishi lot by default, or associate the brand with bottom feeder junk (unfairly, as far as reliability is concerned). The only possible way IMO would be to sell a Pajero branded as a Nissan in a Nissan showroom, although Nissan has their own Armada to sell, in the exact same price bracket.
So forget it, my US Montero is but a pipe dream!
I read an interview with the head of Mitsu USA a few months ago. He said the #1 request by dealers and consumers alike is to bring over the Triton pickup. Which is interesting.
I could see that working out well. My understanding is that it’s a highly regarded truck overseas. Certainly an improvement over the ghastly Dakota-derived Raider.
The Triton pickup is the product that Mitsubishi most needs. It is about the size of the last U.S. Ranger, so it would appeal to those who think the new mid-sizers such as the Colorado are too big.
Mitsubishi claims that they cannot import the truck because of the Chicken Tax, and they will not produce it domestically: http://news.morningstar.com/all/dow-jones/us-markets/201701107944/chicken-tax-talk-revives-as-auto-makers-strive-to-sell-more-pickups.aspx
The newest pajero sport looks good seems like it would be tailor made to go up against the 4runner.
Haha, I was reading this, like “Oh man Nissan Monte– nope, Patrol.”
Owner of a 2015 stick-shift Lancer here. Mitsubishi is the rare company that offers many of its cars with a manual transmission, even their CUV. In my area, manual trans cars are unicorns on the lot except for VW and Mitsubishi dealers… and I didn’t really feel confident about VW quality.
Others criticize the Lancer for being around since 2008, with basic (non-turbo, non-DI) technology. For me those are positives. Also Mitsubishi’s cars usually have good safety ratings.
For them to survive in NA, though, they have to get their cars in front of people. The dealer situation is tough.
friedclams, interesting observation.
My belief is that Mitsubishi’s woes go all the way back to their liaison with Chrysler decades ago.
They became synonymous with Chrysler quality and have not recovered from that.
But I do believe that they need to keep on selling in the US, to give buyers a choice, if for nothing else. Mitsubishi products are not bad, but dealerships are few and far between.
At some point in time sales will become unsustainable, like Suzuki’s did.
Until then, if a person needs new wheels, and maybe their credit is not all that great, Mitsubishi will sell you a ride and take the loss if you default on the loan.
no one remembers chrysler and mistubishi being together.
JD-Shifty, yeah, I’m dating myself. But it was a pretty big deal way back when.
Here’s the link:
http://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/04/30/Chrysler-and-Mitsubishi-renew-partnership/5778357451200/
The Colt and some of the other badge engineered vehicles were quite OK. Starion aka: Chrysler Conquest. You wonder why the partnership did not last until the ill-fated Damier merger.
Please stop spreading this disease.
It’s good to have choices.
More dealers.
Different vehicles.
Longer warranties.
It’s great to have Mitsubishi in the mix.
Once upon a time, Mitsubishi TV’s were as innovative and popular as anything out there, where did they go? Same will happen to their cars.
I spent a good chunk of my youth in the back of an Expo LRV. So, no.
Mitsubishi has several good products overseas that would fill holes in the market and provide Americans with more choice.
1. The Triton pickup is about the size of the last U.S. Ranger. There is significant demand for small trucks “the size of the last Ranger” from people who think the new mid-size pickups such as the Colorado are too big. This truck would sell in America.
2. The Pajero Sport is a body-on-frame mid-size SUV about the size of the Toyota 4Runner. Since there are only two mid-size BOF non-luxury SUVs, the Pajero would give buyers more choice. It could probably undercut the 4Runner by several thousand dollars in price.
3. The Mitsubishi Delica is a true minivan, about the size of the original Caravan, so much smaller than the big “minivans” such as the Sienna. It is available with AWD and CUV-like ground clearance. I believe there is a market for a small van with AWD and ground clearance as an alternative to CUVs. And the Delica has far better visibility than most small CUVs too.
The most popular Mitsubishis in the U.S., the Outlander and the Outlander Sport, both have excellent reliability and crash test ratings. The Mitsubishi products may not be the top of their class, but they are acceptable for the money.
Now, if the Mitsubishi products are going to be replaced with rebadged Nissans at the end of their lifecycles, then I do not think Mitsubishi needs to exist as a separate company. Nissan should just discontinue Mitsubishi as a brand and replace the Mitsubishi dealers with Nissan dealers.
The Outlander and Outlander Sport are not price competitive unless you cut their prices by $5-7k (apparently not hard to do these days). Their interiors are so 2007….
You are completely right about the Triton, Pajero and Delica – each would fill a slot not well served in our market right now….
A AWD 4cyl mid trim outlander sells for around 21k here in CT. The only other 3 row crossover that comes close is the journey. The next cheapest I’ve priced is a rogue which runs around 25k with the same equipment. So they really are selling at a value price.
In Ontario an Outlander, even the Sport, known as the RVR here, is far more expensive than the Journey. At least at the initial entry point.
Yeah here I can get an AWD 4 cyl mid trim Outlander for 21-22 a Journey with similar equip is 23-24 on average. Oddly enough the Outlander sport is hardly any cheaper, which I assume means it sells better around here.
I live in Southwest Florida. In the last 5 or 6 months, Two new Mitsubishi dealerships have opened. They were immediately stocked with new 2015 SUV’s plus lots of 2016 Mirages.
I never stopped to see the dealer name on the price stickers of the 2015’s. The 2015’s are gone, but they show 226 new 2016 and 2017 vehicles, I see very few on the road.
The dealers near me don’t have a ton of stock but I see outlander sports a lot lately here in CT.
And, the one thing I can tell you, even with a limited lineup, we still sell more Mitsubishis than closest Kia, Subaru, Hyundai and Mazda stores in my area.
I checked their website. They still list a “build your own” 2015 Lancer Evolution.
Sad, isn’t it.
Whatever happens, it would certainly have helped them to have an interior that looks newer than 1998.
For the US market Mitsubishi is definitely not relevant. But in other markets the Montero, Montero Sport/Nativa and L200/Triton models have a very good reputation and sell very well. The problem is that none of these cars are made for the US market.
That silver Lancer wagon bears a huge resemblance to the Volvo V70/Cross Country wagons, kind of an 8/10 reproduction. Has this been borne out anywhere? It’s either perfectly logical or “weirdly coincidental” copying, since Mitsubishi partnered with Volvo in Europe for a while in the 90’s.
Mitsubishi has been in bed with so many car companies over the years, it’s no wonder they get sick every now and again.
They still sell the Montero and the L200 in Australia, as well as the Pajero Sport and, seemingly, the Lancer.