Mitsubishi more reliable than Lexus...
I agree... the same people (generally speaking) manufacture the Scions, Toyotas and Lexus vehicles, yet the three have different degrees of reliability 
How come Mitsubishi never came out with a luxury line? Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Chevy and Honduh all did. Subaru and Mitsubishi... not so much!
How come Mitsubishi never came out with a luxury line? Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Chevy and Honduh all did. Subaru and Mitsubishi... not so much!
Mitsubishi actually very heavily considered a luxury line like everyone else. The Diamante was a "test" vehicle to gauge how the market would respond to a more luxurious Mitsu. Mazda did as well (remember the Millenia?). Both couldn't build a good enough business case to move forward and create an entirely new brand.
You could argue that Acura and Infiniti aren't very strong brands (their brand loyalty figures, brand metrics and overall sales say they aren't) and perhaps weren't strong business cases for Honda and Nissan. Yet, they went ahead and developed brands that are second-tier luxury brands...and may never develop to 1st-tier luxury brands like Mercedes or BMW.
I've owned many Mitsubishi's, they have their faults like any other brand but on a much smaller scale, simple things like plastics and thin paint are my only complaints. Many people drive the Galant (three being my friends) and they are reliable vehicles! Just the other day I was at Ron Marhofer and a gentleman who owned a 90's Galant had 230k miles and was finally getting the valve seals replaced, I also remember one of Mitsubishi's news letter interviewing a gentleman who had 330k miles on his 03 or 04 Endeavor! The Mighty Max pick up was legendary and still lives on in other countries, as well as the Colt! Americans are superficial people who back brands that celebrities/athletes and political activists endorse. So in other words Mitsubishi is nothing more than a niche brand many disregard as being a reliable source of transportation.
P.S. Mitsubishi has also had some rough bumps along the road, the whole WW II things, sexual harassment at the Normal Illinois plant and a cover up on recalls.... With that being said though, Mitsubishi was the fastest growing import brand in the United States at one time, if it weren't for the no payments/no interest for a year fiasco they would still probably be on top!
P.S. Mitsubishi has also had some rough bumps along the road, the whole WW II things, sexual harassment at the Normal Illinois plant and a cover up on recalls.... With that being said though, Mitsubishi was the fastest growing import brand in the United States at one time, if it weren't for the no payments/no interest for a year fiasco they would still probably be on top!
Reliability these days is up in the air IMO. Toyota and Lexus have both slipped in the past few years, while others-Ford, Hyundai, Mitsu, GM, etc., have brought theirs up....point is, the gap is narrowing. However, back in the early to mid 90's nothing could touch a Japanese built Toyota/Lexus. They were in a league of their own.
We currently own an 07 RAV-4 V6. It's a great car. 270HP, AWD, roomy, good mileage, practical......but it's fit and finish aren't up to par. It has annoying squeaks and rattles, the front bumper cover constantly pops out of the rivet...little annoying things. For some contrast, I had a 92 4Runner with 220k miles and it was tight as a drum. No rattles, no sounds, nothing. Just smooth sailing. The same can be said for most of the Toyotas I've owned over the years, rock solid. That's why, despite their current minor shortcomings, they'll still get my business. Oh, and I'll make sure my floor mats are properly anchored too!
We currently own an 07 RAV-4 V6. It's a great car. 270HP, AWD, roomy, good mileage, practical......but it's fit and finish aren't up to par. It has annoying squeaks and rattles, the front bumper cover constantly pops out of the rivet...little annoying things. For some contrast, I had a 92 4Runner with 220k miles and it was tight as a drum. No rattles, no sounds, nothing. Just smooth sailing. The same can be said for most of the Toyotas I've owned over the years, rock solid. That's why, despite their current minor shortcomings, they'll still get my business. Oh, and I'll make sure my floor mats are properly anchored too!
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: nyc
Mine was a first-year RX330. It visited the dealership constantly. Abrupt automatic tranny downshifts (TSB for that - required reprogramming twice). Loose fuel lines (TSB for that). Defective Power Rear Hatch (TSB for that). Countless rattles and bad wind seals (TSBs for that), wouldn't start in cold weather (TSB for that)., transfer case leak (TSB for that), radiator leak (TSB for that), defective Airbag warning lights (TSB for that), Rear differential would THUNK when moving from coasting to gentle acceleration (TSB for that).
So it wasn't just me...the early-year RX330s turned me off from Lexus (and I was a big Toyota fanboy up until that point).
The Lexus service manager was on a first-name basis with me. And I was personally called when these TSBs would arrive because I had complained about them months earlier.
I do miss the Lexus Service experience...but given the choice, I'd rather spend less time in a Service Department regardless of how nice it is.
The worst problem was never fixed - Dangerous hesitation and/or delayed upshifts - there was a TSB for that - but it was never fixed to my satisfaction. google for it if curious - I wasn't the only one that complained. I was once was merging onto a highway, and pushed the pedal to the floor....and nothing happened for 2 seconds. I sat and watched traffic closing up to me in my rear-view mirror as I counted...1....2...then the engine surged forward.
So it wasn't just me...the early-year RX330s turned me off from Lexus (and I was a big Toyota fanboy up until that point).
The Lexus service manager was on a first-name basis with me. And I was personally called when these TSBs would arrive because I had complained about them months earlier.
I do miss the Lexus Service experience...but given the choice, I'd rather spend less time in a Service Department regardless of how nice it is.
The worst problem was never fixed - Dangerous hesitation and/or delayed upshifts - there was a TSB for that - but it was never fixed to my satisfaction. google for it if curious - I wasn't the only one that complained. I was once was merging onto a highway, and pushed the pedal to the floor....and nothing happened for 2 seconds. I sat and watched traffic closing up to me in my rear-view mirror as I counted...1....2...then the engine surged forward.
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,312
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From: Birmingham, AL
And as far as making a luxury line, I'm glad they didn't. I never heard of them seriously considering it while I was working for them, or that the Diamante was a test, but I do remember Mazda considering "Amati" as their lineup and the Milenia was the pilot car. Looking at the three brands today, only Lexus is enjoying success. Acura is in a big state of decline and Infinit only just recently got some traction in the past five years or so with the G (and later the M). So I would think Mitsu would have been lost with a luxury brand as their core brand doesn't have a secure enough foundation to build on in the eyes of the public. I think they should go back to their technical side with turbos, 4WD, etc and be a quasi premium brand above Honda and Toyota, but below Lexus and Infiniti, but with the use of tech and performance as opposed ot wood and posh.
Last edited by GPTourer; Nov 17, 2009 at 01:06 PM.
23. Mercedes-Benz ?!!!!! 26. BMW?!!!!
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 4,312
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From: Birmingham, AL
I agree with that list, especially with cadillac being so low. My Dad has an 07 escalade that he bought brand new, and that thing has had 10 times more problem than my 06 evo. If his car didn't have a warranty he would have easily spent 15k in repairs alone. Just a shoddy car and prone to breaking, we are going to change it up net time FOR SURE...
#7
FTW
#7
FTW
I am surprised to see BMW below Mercedes, but not surprised to see them both at the bottom of the list. MB's are horrible cars reliability wise. You are better off owning a Hyundai.
