• HOME
• 
• AUTO LISTINGS
• 
• FINANCE
• 
• NEWS
• 
• DIRECTORY
• 
• REVIEWS
• 
• FORUM
• 
• BLOG
• 

2004 Mitsubishi Galant LS Road Test

What a Great Car!

Just why there arent more Galants on the road is a mystery to me. I suppose, in a land that follows the automotive status quo more often than taking a chance on something new it only makes sense that Mitsubishis midsize, and soon to be flagship sedan is something of rarity. Its just too good to be popular.

Its like that with really good artists, great bands and the best movies. I mean, I go to the art museum hoping to be taken away into someones creative muse and am often left feeling flat. Then in some out of the way restaurant downtown Im blown away with some unknown artists incredibly lonely rendering of a gateway to a dark courtyard. I get into my car, turn on the radio and one vapid song follows another, nothing new, nothing that stirs the soul. And then Tom Waits announces a concert in my town and it sells out in fifteen minutes. I tell a colleague how upset I am not to get tickets and he looks at me baffled, "Whos Tom Waits?" The same could be said of any number of superb musicians that will never get played on

While driving around downtown, I wonder to myself why there arent more Mitsubishi Galants on the road. Then it dawns on me, maybe its just too good to be popular. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

the airwaves of commercial radio stations. In the same context, youve got to stay up ruddy late to catch anything Peter Sellers did on TV. "The Party", "Doctor Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb", "Being There", or just about any "Pink Panther" film is better than most anything else that program directors choose to run on primetime.

So here I am, parking one of the best sedans in the midsize segment on the busiest street in my home town, while passersby do multiple double-takes as if theyve never seen the car before. Theres something wrong here. Its got new-edge styling in spades, a high quality

With all it has going for it, why isnt the Galant LS or GTS the most popular midsize car on the market? (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

soft-touch interior with stylish surfaces and extremely cool blue backlit lighting, tons of top-tier features, more front and rear passenger space than anything in its class, incredibly comfortable seats at all positions, those in the back at the very top of its class, one of the largest trunks in its category as well, and an ideally balanced performance, refinement combination that should make most rivals shrink away in embarrassment, so why isnt the Galant LS or GTS the most popular midsize car on the market?

Hey, Beta was better than VHS and where is it now? The Galant is proof positive that building a better widget doesnt mean success is necessarily around the corner. The real trick is to get on a persons individual radar

The Galant is proof positive that building a better widget doesnt mean success is necessarily around the corner. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

screen. TV ads work wonders, and to this end Mitsubishi might be the best at expressing its cars cool factor. The Galant surfaced with an extremely creative spot showing the car driving around the city as people on the sidewalks smiled and waved. The Flaming Lips song "Do You Realize" dreamily lulled TV-watchers into a happy state, capitalized on when the camera panned to a little boy in the back seat waving to everyone outside. Brilliant! One of the best car ad-spots that Ive seen in years, that is until I laughed myself silly to a Galant GTS that withstood tossed bowling balls, barbeques, garbage cans, and compact cars, while out-handling its Toyota Camry XLE V6 rival in one zany TV ad dubbed "Accident Avoidance." No doubt, both ads sold a fair number of Galants that would otherwise have remained on dealer

Mitsubishi needs to somehow get people behind the wheel of the Galant for a test drive, and its class-leading driving dynamics will do the rest. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

lots, but obviously TV advertising is not enough.

The trick, of course, is for Mitsu to get many more warm bodies tucked into the Galant LS heated, leather covered seats, crank up the 6-disc audio system and get a feel for its class-leading driving dynamics. Its really that good. Its been a while since I last piloted one around town, and the long stretch of winding roadway that connects my house to the ski resort on the mountain above is ideal for shaking the best, or the worst out of any suspension system. From takeoff the Galant LS 3.8-liter V6 is the epitome of smooth, relaxed power. Acceleration comes quickly, but not with the rush of high revs associated with turbocharged 4-cylinders or the banal grunt that comes from domestic overhead-valve powerplants. Rather, the Galants 230 horsepower mill delivers strong forward

While it doesnt feature as many cogs as some competitors, the Galants 4-speed automatic transmission, featuring Mitsubishis Sportronic manual mode, leaves little to be desired. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

thrust balanced with even greater low-end torque, 250 lb-ft to be exact.

Mitsubishis engineers have done an exemplary job isolating the noise, vibration and harshness, keeping any away from the cabin where its not appreciated. Of course, theres enough on hand when under full throttle to give a little thrill, but it comes across in a more sophisticated fashion than most competitors in this class.

Page:  1  2  3  4

AUTOMOBILE REVIEWS BY MAKE

Acura  Audi   Bentley   BMW   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Chrysler   Daewoo   Dodge   Eagle   Ferrari   Ford   Geo   GMC   Honda   Hummer   Hyundai   Infiniti   Isuzu   Jaguar   Jeep   Kia   Lamborghini   Lexus   Lincoln   Lotus   Maserati   Mazda   Mercedes-Benz   Mercury   MINI   Mitsubishi   Nissan   Oldsmobile   Plymouth   Pontiac   Porsche   Saab   Saturn   Scion   Subaru   Suzuki   Toyota   Volkswagen   Volvo