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The Galant is a nice
enough car, but it is neither well-rounded nor well-priced, and does not have
any unique attributes. It rides and handles well, has good interior space, and
did very well in crash testing, but it’s only one of many cars that have such
traits. Looking at the car’s lack of a price advantage, its noisy engine, and
its mediocre interior quality, there is simply no reason to buy this car.
The Galant has a
comfortable, though rather firm ride. It is well-controlled, but is not as
absorbent as many family sedan competitors. The car handles well, with
responsive steering that offers good feedback, but it doesn’t feel as nimble
and fun to drive as the most sport-focused competitors. The 2.4-liter
4-cylinder is reasonably powerful, but very noisy. (A 3.8-liter V6 is offered
above this price range, with a drastic improvement in power and refinement.)
Road noise is also noticeable, wind noise is unobjectionable. The Galant gets
adequate gas mileage by this group’s standards, though most competitors’
4-cylinders return better fuel economy.
Inside, the Galant’s
front seats could be higher, but are roomy, supportive, and well-shaped. The
rear is also too low, and headroom is somewhat lacking. The seat cushion is
very well-shaped for maximum comfort and support however, and there is plenty
of leg space. The
dash features liberal use of insubstantial shiny false aluminum, but all trim
pieces fit together well on it. Many trim pieces feel cheap on the rest of the
car however, and don't fit together as well as on the dash. The shiny plastic
trim also can make glare on the windshield, and the limited contrast of the
instruments hurts their legibility. The gauges, at least, are very large and
clear. Entry/exit is complicated by the low seats and rather small door
openings. Drivers sit fairly comfortably, and have good overall visibility.
The trunk is small, and the rear seats cannot fold to expand its volume.
The Galant did particularly
well in crash testing. It earned five stars for both the driver and for the
front passenger in the NHTSA frontal crash test, as well as five stars for
both the driver and for the rear passenger in the NHTSA side crash test. The
IIHS rated it Good in both its offset and side crash tests, though its head
restraints were rated Poor.
The Galant reviewed here
came in at $20,221 reasonably well-equipped. It comes with standard
torso-protecting side airbags with a head-protecting extension and antilock
brakes, and equipped with the optional heated leather seats, a power driver
seat, and 6-disc CD player, but it still lacks a sunroof, traction control,
automatic climate control, and a power passenger seat at that price, and
stability control and curtain-style side airbags are among the features that
are not offered.
Overall, this Galant
fails to stand out from its competitors. It is not a bad car, and it is not
without its strong points, but it doesn’t offer enough to compensate for its
shortcomings, and isn’t inexpensive. There are other cars that do most
everything that it can for a lower price, or while doing other things better
at the same time. They are the ones that deserve consideration in this class.
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