Introduction: The Mitsubishi Galant is the oldest name currently held in the Mitsubishi Motors lineup, originally started in 1969. For the majority of its lifespan the Galant would be a compact car, while the Lancer was a subcompact. Earlier Galants were RWD, eventually becoming FWD and certain VR4 versions had AWD. Today the Galant has taken on the role of a midsized sedan started from the 8th generation, the current Galant is in its 9th generation introduced in 2004.
I was always curious about the Galant since at that point I haven't driven the Lancer as a result I haven't driven a conventional car made by Mitsubishi. When we finally acquired one I was pretty excited to drive it hoping it would something like the Mazda 6.
Performance: The Galant is given the choice of 3 types of engine one 4-cylinder and 2 V6 engines. The 2.4L 4-cylinder is the engine that I've only had the opportunity to experience. This engine produces 162 hp and 162 lb.ft of torque. Acceleration of this engine is apparently 9.2 seconds to go from 0-100 km/h. The engine doesn't make a very pleasant sound and its noticeably loud during the earlier gears. I didn't notice it to be that slow though. Overall I didn't find this engine that significant, although I didn't think it was all that bad.
My Score: 6/10 - Average numbers, a bit noisy early on
Handling: This is usually the problem with mid size sedans, most are set up for comfort which in turns makes these sort of cars boring and unathletic. The Galant attempts to not try to fall into the same problem as other Japanese cars have. The steering wheel is pretty heavy in comparison to its competitors which I do like. It doesn't quite have the feel that is produced by the Mazda 6 despite its lighter wheel. As you go into the corners the Galant I found was quite stable and had far less roll than even some of the good cars in this segment. Overall I thought the Galant does well in this category.
My Score: 9/10 - Nicely weighted wheel, very stable in the corners, missing a bit of feel though
Interior: The Galant is probably the only vehicle I would ever complain about head room. The roof line is much shorter as you move the seat closer to the wheel and as a result I noticed how the styling can affect some of the practicality of the car. The further you sit back the more headroom available. Without height adjustment...this is a slight problem for me. The rest of the interior is pretty uninteresting, unfortunately the center console is full of the aerosol plastic that I dislike greatly. I thought the faux wood trim looked too fake and further cheapened the image. The good news is the build quality is actually good, the Galant is built in Normal, Illinois and is one of the few UAW products that has been assembled with consistent quality.
My Score: 4/10 - Unattractive, very plastic interior but with pretty good build quality
Styling: While not as striking or as bold as the Lancer's design the Galant is actually still pretty unique among the midsized sedans. The car is pretty handsome in the front and a bit different from the rear. The side profile is particularly pretty smooth(which contributed to my head room issues). I kind of wish there was a new VR4 put on this variation since I'd love to see how much more aggressive it looks.
My Score: 9/10 - Very good looking sedan even with some subtle details ended up looking unique.
Value for money: This is a harder one to score with the Galant, the market for the mid size cars is extremely competitive. The Galant starts out at roughly $24,000 which is very high for a vehicle that is often overlooked. In comparison the Camry and Accord are $1000-1500 more expensive, the new 2010 Fusion is about $2000-2500 cheaper. The cheapo interior and a lack of unique features is basically what prevents me from saying its a good value. What can make a Galant a good deal is mostly how much easier it is to negotiate a good deal with the dealers. Next is the very good warranty Mitsubishi Motors Canada has put forward. It may not actually be such a poor value with those useful incentives are factored into that price given.
My Score: 7/10 - Quite expensive for a car with a low rent interior, the good warranty and easier negotiations however may allow you to end up with a less expensive car with those goodies.
Overall: 35/50 - In the end I felt the Galant was a decent car, not a brilliant one but one that has tried in some areas to stand out. Hopefully the next Galant would address the flaws I found in this version.
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