Sales figures don’t care about history, reputation, or nostalgia — and in 2025, the U.S. market made that painfully clear for Mitsubishi. While the brand continues to fight for relevance, Toyota delivered a harsh reality check: one single model, the Toyota Corolla Cross, managed to outsell Mitsubishi’s entire lineup combined.
The Numbers Tell a Tough Story
Mitsubishi closed 2025 with 94,754 new vehicles sold in the United States, the world’s second-largest car market. That figure represents a 13.7% drop year over year — already worrying on its own. But the comparison that followed made the situation impossible to ignore.
Toyota’s Corolla Cross, a compact SUV that isn’t even considered a flagship model, recorded 99,798 units sold on its own. In other words, one Toyota did better than Mitsubishi as a brand.
And the gap doesn’t stop there:
Toyota’s long-running 4Runner, despite its age, sold 98,805 units, nearly matching Mitsubishi’s total.
The RAV4 continued its dominance with close to 480,000 units sold.
Even Lexus joined the blow, with the RX alone reaching 113,256 sales, beating Mitsubishi’s entire lineup by roughly 20%.
Core Models Slipping — With One Small Bright Spot
The pressure was clearly felt across Mitsubishi’s range. Some of its most important models took serious hits:
The Mitsubishi Mirage saw sales collapse by 51%, following its official discontinuation.
The Outlander, long considered the backbone of the brand, dropped by 20.7%, raising questions about how much longer Mitsubishi can rely on a single nameplate.
There was, however, one unexpected positive. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross bucked the trend, jumping 37.6% in sales and delivering the strongest quarterly performance in its history — a rare moment of relief in an otherwise difficult year.
Searching for a Way Forward
Mitsubishi knows that small tweaks won’t be enough. To survive, the brand is looking toward bigger moves.
One path involves deeper alliances, with discussions around closer cooperation with Nissan and Honda, including shifting production to the U.S. to cut costs and stay competitive. Another focuses on reshaping the lineup, as dealers push for the return of sedans and a serious entry into pickup trucks and family vans — segments Mitsubishi is currently missing.
