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The Galant has the
basics of excellence in the niche of the sporty family sedan. It has a smooth,
powerful V6, nimble handling, a roomy interior, top-notch safety ratings, and
reasonable pricing. Had the details been as impressive, the Galant would have
ended up as this group’s highest-ranked sporty car. Unfortunately, Mitsubishi
unwisely sells some of its premium features, such as an automatic climate
control system, only on its high-priced GTS model with the comfort-diminishing
sport suspension, which adds little to the car’s behavior. And other flaws,
like missing features, shoddy interior workmanship, low head-restraint
ratings, poor fuel economy, and a small trunk detract further.
The Galant has a very
firm ride that is jittery at low speeds, and doesn’t absorb road imperfections
well. The car does handle well, with responsive steering that offers good
feedback, and is more enjoyable to drive than the similar-in-concept Nissan
Altima. The 3.8-liter V6 is smooth and provides very quick acceleration,
without the torque steer that plagues the Altima. Road noise can be intrusive,
but wind noise is unobjectionable. Fuel economy suffers more to provide the
engine’s power than the Altima however, thanks in part to the Altima’s 5-speed
automatic versus the Galant’s 4-speed.
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 seat cannot fold to expand its volume.
The Galant did very 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 a fairly low $24,068, though it lacks stability control, a power
passenger’s seat, and a satellite radio system. Also, its side airbags protect
both the heads and torsos of the front occupants, but there is no curtain to
protect the heads of the rear passengers.
Overall, the Galant has a
good blend of the values required in a family sedan and in a sporty one, but
the failings in small details add up to push it back to this position. A
number of the car’s flaws could be addressed easily; adding equipment to
models without the sport suspension and improving the interior quality come
immediately to mind, but until that happens the Galant falls a bit short as a
premium family sedan. Nonetheless, its blend of power and handling is still
unique in this class, and its blend of driving enjoyment and interior comfort
isn’t so common either. It’s still worth consideration if you want something
fun for both straight and curved roads.
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