Over
the past two decades, the Mitsubishi Galant has grown up into a comfortable, attractive
sedan that still boasts affordability and user-friendliness above all else.
This
is a favorite car of rental fleets, due to its straight- forwardness and reliability.
And this is a good thing if you are of the type that doesn't want to have to go
back to college to learn how to adjust your stereo. Seriously, the Galant's interior
is comfortable, nicely laid out with no surprises. The seats are comfortable,
and as we discovered with a long-term
loan with a Galant a couple of years ago, the light, airy cabin is
a great place for road trippers like us. The rear seat isn't as big as others
in this class, though.
Yet
the Galant has many other virtues as well. A big trunk has a good, low threshold,
and it gets even bigger with the split fold-down rear seats (the folding seatback
isn't available on the base DE trim). The level of standard equipment is high,
with power windows, locks, a/c and a CD player on the DE. ES models add cruise
control, power mirrors and keyless entry. LS models get niceties like a power
front seat, sunroof, an Infinity stereo and side air bags. And finally, the sporty
GTZ model gets a sporty suspension (which can be a bit rough), leather seats,
traction control and a super-adjustable driver seat. The
base 140-hp four-cylinder powertrain is okay, and gets good EPA fuel mileage (21/28
mpg), mated as it is only to a four-speed automatic. The 195-hp V-6 is much stronger,
and doesn't exact much of a penalty on gas (20/27 mpg). The latter engine is available
on the ES and LS, and is standard fare with the GTZ. |