Looking for an intercooler for your vehicle will definitely take you to a brand called Mishimoto. Under this brand, there are some awesome intercoolers, both front mount and top mount, which work great to ensure a pleasant upgrade in horsepower compared to the stock ones.
I think picking an intercooler from Mishimoto is not a bad idea at all. I have several logics that support this statement. However, there are some downsides too. Also, preference varies from person to person. So, many might not support me in this case.
However, for better understanding, I’m going to talk about Mishimoto intercoolers in this article. Here I’ll be talking about everything you need to know about it so that you can make the right decision according to your preference.
Let me start the discussion with some words about the brand Mishimoto.
About Mishimoto (Company Overview)
Mishimoto started its journey in 2005. Compared to many other automotive aftermarket manufacturers, this is new in the market. But within this short time, Mishimoto has placed itself at the place of the most dependable brand for performance cooling products.
Besides intercoolers, Mishimoto offers many other cooling products, accessories, and parts for several vehicles. One of the top features of Mishimoto products is their fitment. They are designed perfectly to be the direct aftermarket replacement for the stock parts. I’ll be talking about other features a bit later.
To offer the best quality intercoolers to the market, Mishimoto has taken several steps. It has a strong in-house R&D team that continuously runs product development experiments. With superior quality tools and equipment, the engineering studio of Mishimoto supports the innovations of the R&D team. Products are tested to make sure that customers are getting the best products only.
Features of Mishimoto Intercoolers
Mishimoto has offered several intercoolers in the market. Here I’m going to talk about the common features of them. In the case of some intercoolers, a few things may vary. Just be careful and read the descriptions properly before selecting one to buy.
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All-aluminum Construction
Mishimoto intercoolers are made from quality aluminum. Some are made from 6061 Aluminum and some are made using cast aluminum.
The all-aluminum construction is beneficial in many ways. The first thing is- aluminum is strong and durable. As a result, Mishimoto end tanks don’t break easily. Rock chips and other road debris can’t make huge damage to them.
Also, aluminum has made the tank very lightweight. So, the intercoolers are not adding much weight to your vehicle. In some cases, installing these intercoolers result in cutting some weight.
Aluminum ensures durability too. So, the intercoolers from Mishimoto serve you for a long time.
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TIG-welded
End tanks of Mishimoto intercoolers are TIG welded.
As the tanks are made from thin aluminum, quality welding is a must. TIG welding comes with maximum quality. This finely-tuned welding process ensures precise and strong joints. As a result, the joining points are not as weak as the outcomes of other regular welding processes.
TIG welding reduces the number of weak points. This is another reason why Mishimoto intercoolers are durable.
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Core Construction
The core is a significant part of the intercooler system. Mishimoto takes care of it very carefully.
It uses both Bar-and-Fin and Tube-and-Plate cores in its intercoolers. Depending on the type of intercooler and its use case, it varies.
However, no matter which one comes with the intercooler, you’ll find it of great quality. Both types of cores are made to utilize the advantages of the design as much as possible. So, you can depend on this brand.
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Fitment
I’ve talked a bit about this at the start of this article.
Mishimoto offers intercoolers that are made to fit in your vehicle directly. It designs them as the size of the stock ones so that you can replace your stock one easily. As they are direct fits, installation is not a hassle at all.
The Bolt-on installation process allows you to use stock accessories to install the units.
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Universal Fits
If you’re bringing a massive change under the hood, Mishimoto has universal intercoolers for you. These are some of the best options which you can use to maximize the performance of your turbocharger or supercharger.
The universal fit intercoolers under the brand Mishimoto come with an easy-to-install feature with compatibility. As a result, you can effortlessly install them with the upgrades you’ve made.
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Noticeable Drop in Air Temperature
Mishimoto intercoolers are great when it is about dropping the air temperature. They are designed in a way so that they can deliver cooler air compared to other intercoolers. As a result, your engine gets the scope of performing better when you have Mishimoto installed in your vehicle.
This performance is the result of a continuous R&D process by Mishimoto. So, you must go for them.
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Appearance
If you’re a fan of simple things, Mishimoto intercoolers are the perfect choice for you. They come in a simple yet attractive appearance that is my favorite. Besides adding HP, they add style to your vehicle.
There is another factor about the appearance of Mishimoto. Most of the Mishimoto intercoolers come in three color options- black, white/silver, and golden. You can pick any one from these according to your choice.
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Value for Money
Mishimoto has priced the intercoolers so that you don’t have to spend more than the value you get. The performance is very satisfactory. Besides, you’ll find them working for a long time.
Using these intercoolers is a different experience you want to taste. Compared to the money you spend on it, any FMIC or TMIC from this brand delivers a huge value. So, you can call them as value for money devices for cooling your vehicle.
These are the common features of the intercoolers from this brand. Being one of the most reliable manufacturers of aftermarket cooling supplies, Mishimoto offers a few things that you can’t ignore.
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Universal Intercoolers from Mishimoto
I’ve already talked a bit about the universal intercoolers from Mishimoto. You’ll find several types of universal intercoolers under this brand. Among those, Z-line, J-line, and R-line are some of the most known.
Z-line Intercooler
The z-line is the smallest one in the universal series. However, the size can’t stop it from delivering a great performance. Besides providing an enthusiastic look, it delivers perfectly cool air required to improve the engine performance.
Being made from 6061 aluminum and TIG welding, it comes with a lifetime warranty. You’ll find six mounting points here so that you can easily use it for universal applications.
J-line Intercooler
J-line comes with a cast aluminum end tank which has made it very durable and reliable. It is small but ready to deal with 500 HP without any issues. So, even if your car has limited space at the front, this J-line won’t face any issues sitting there.
The Bar-and-Plate design in this intercooler is made to deliver the maximum result. You’ll be satisfied with the performance for sure.
R-Line Intercooler
R-line is there for handling supercharged and turbocharged vehicles. The end tank here is also made of one-piece cast aluminum to ensure the strength required to handle high HP. TIG welding is also helping it to handle the pressure.
It efficiently reduces the temperature to allow the engine to work using its best. Being an ideal one for heavy engines, this intercooler ensures safe and dependable improvement in HP.
Reason Some People Don’t Like Mishimoto Intercoolers
I’ve researched a lot about peoples’ mindsets about Mishimoto. Also, I’ve talked about it with a lot of users who have been using these intercoolers for a long time.
After all the research and discussion, I found that people don’t have many points about the downsides of Mishimoto. Almost all of them have agreed that the intercoolers from Mishimoto are good. They are durable, reliable, and good enough for enhancing the performance of the vehicle.
From my understanding, the only problem I’ve found is the price. Mishimoto intercoolers come in good quality, and the price is okay for what they provide. But several other options in the market work almost similar to Mishimoto but come with a more reasonable price tag.
I think the price is okay when you relate it to the build quality, performance, and durability. But as there are cheaper options, the scope for comparison increases. This is why people are not satisfied with this brand.
My Recommended Best Intercooler from Mishimoto
Mishimoto MMINT-CIV-16SL Performance Intercooler
Just like the other ones from Mishimoto, this is a direct fit for your vehicle. The one I’m talking about here is for Honda Civic 2016-2021, but there is a huge chance that you’ll find one for your vehicle too. So, even if you don’t own a Honda Civic, you can continue reading.
Though it comes in the size of the stock one, the core size and piping size are increased so that it can offer better performance compared to the stock component. Being made of quality aluminum, the end tank supports the system to handle higher horsepower.
You can’t forget the aluminum piping too. The mandrel-bent pipes are great to carry air without any hassle.
According to Mishimoto, it ensures a great drop in the temperature which helps your engine to work by pushing its limit. Thus it ensures a good improvement in horsepower. Using this intercooler set in a vehicle is a great experience. I found it so satisfactory under the hood.
Being a direct-fit intercooler, it offers a hassle-free installation process. You won’t need any expertise for it. However, I suggest installing it a bit more carefully as there are many other components under the hood.
Pros
Cons
FAQs About Mishimoto Intercooler
How much Horsepower can Mishimoto Intercoolers Handle?
You’ll find several intercoolers under this brand. Those are of different capacities. So, the ability to handle HP varies. However, the strongest one from this brand can hold up to 850 HP. The smaller ones can handle lesser HP.
But you’ll find them handling more HP compared to others from other brands. Quality material and build quality have allowed them to be this strong.
What Should be the Expected Improvement in HP from Mishimoto Intercoolers?
Measuring the exact HP improvement and bragging about that is not right. As HP improvement depends on several factors, it is different in different vehicles.
But we can talk about an approximate range. You can expect your intercooler to show improvement within this range. In most cases, the ones we’re talking about here are showing around 12-15 HP improvement. So, you can also expect something within this range.
Can I Get only the Intercooler from Mishimoto?
Yes, besides selling the intercoolers with accessories, Mishimoto offers intercoolers only too. You’ll find many offers where you’ll get the intercooler only. Also, you’ll find complete packages too.
There are some packages that come with accessories only. So, you have scope to pick according to your choice.
However, you may not find these options available for all vehicle models.
How to Install Mishimoto Intercooler
Final Verdict
Mishimoto is a dependable name when it is about intercoolers and other cooling systems. Coming in a good price point, intercoolers from this brand ensure great performance improvement, durability, and value for the money spent.
I haven’t found any flaw that can help to ignore this brand directly. From my research and experience, I think that this is a good choice if you want to allow your engine a better environment to perform better.
Now it is time for you to make a choice. I hope this article will support you in making the best choice. No matter which one you choose to pick, just make sure that you have researched enough to make the decision. Before investing your bucks in something, invest some time to make the right investment decision.
I wish you luck with this upgrade. See you later.
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