Mitsubishi Galant

rtolentino2 · October 2003

I'd like to add a comment on this topic: 1999 V6 Galant regarding the brakes - just like to ask if the rotors were covered by warranty?? Am driving a 2002-03 ES Galant 4 cyl. and my front right brakes squeeks at low speed and it's still under 30K mileage. I bought this 3 mths. ago at 25K mileage but it runs fast at 115 mph. I only have concerns on the brakes if this will last bec. I have lots of negative feedbacks on the brakes.

Also, I'd like to ask the guy who saw the 2004 Galant - is it worth buying this model?? How much will it be for an LS or ES models, how much is the price difference between the two? I learned that some additonal features will cost a lot more!!!! Am really planning to trade in my 2002-03 model for this 2004 Galant if the ratings are good!!! I only seen it at diff. websites and it looks great, the tail looks a Sebring Chrysler!!! Not bad but want to confirm if the interiors are good enough to compete w/ the Camrys and Hondas!!! I Am really an avid fan of Mits. during the 70's and it's about time to regain the confidence & be a leader again among its competitors!!!Pls. give me some feedbacks again!! I can;t wait to see the '04 model here in Southern CA.

maxamillion1 · October 2003

I truly believe that the new Galant is a full step above the current model. That I am sure of.

However, I don't think it is any better, but maybe slightly below the Accord and Camry.

The interior is much better now than the previous model. The materials are nicer, but not as good as the Accord or Camry. Nobody even touches VW for interior mateirals, not even Honda or Toyota.

The car is extremely roomy IMO. I am not tall, but I am a big guy (weight wise). I had a good amount of room in the car, and it felt larger than the Accord or Mazda6.

As far as pricing goes, I am not sure yet. But I remember the sales rep saying the Galant LS would compete with the Accord LX and EX. The Galant LS is bascially the same as last years ESV6. However, you can add options to make is similar to last year's LSV6 model. You can't get climate control for any model except the GTS. The sales rep expects the price to be around that of the Accord LXV6 and when fully loaded, about the price of the Accord EXV6.

The car should be out in a little under a month, so get ready. It is nice, much nicer than the previous model. But as far as it beating the Accord or Camry, I cannot say. One thing for sure, it has power 3.8L 230 hp and roominess, and the interior has better materials than any domestic sedan I have seen in the class. It even beats the Altima (That ain't saying much really)

rtolentino2 · October 2003

I just read Auto 123.com for the 2004 Galant Road Test which has a 100% positive feedbacks on this new model. "hanep" in Tagalog!!!! In english means - "Wow" man!!!!! Another positive review is in charleston.net saying the '04 Galant's interior beats it's rivals!!!!!!

I can't wait to see it!!!! Thanks.

anonymousposts · October 2003

But they tested an EX V6 coupe in 181 feet. Maybe it's due to the higher performance tires.

rtolentino2 · October 2003

What's EX V6 coupe in 181 feet your saying man???
Galant has only 4 trims, DE, ES,which have the 2.4 L 160 hp 4 cyl. and the LS & GTS - V6 3.8L 230 hp.!!!

marcin · October 2003

got my notice today! just 2 weeks after i've completely redone my brakes, for the 3rd time at least, +97k mi, the pulsation returned. now with this clas action i might get it finally fixed. well, if there is a solution. but the worst part is that i don't have records from a dealer showing the pulsation problem since day one. that's because it was all verbal - "it's not covered under warranty, nothing wrong, it's normal..."

since the language in the letter is very confusing, maybe one of the board members can help us out here for the non-law speakers :-)
(hi lawman1967 ? :-)

kostadinov · October 2003

Hallo everyone!
I just returned from the shop, where I had my break rotors resurfaced, because I felt some pulsations on my steering wheel!
The history:
I got the car .2002 Galant ES, from CARMAX (with 125 point inspection, as advertised!!!), 3 months ago. The car had 17 K miles on the clock.
I didnt know there were pulsations until a week ago; when I needed to drive the car for a day..my wife usually drives it!
Went to Carmax immediately, arranged an appointment and there we were.the rotors were warped and needed resurfacing, that came up to 90 dollars!
On my question why the warranty doesnt cover thatthe answer was this is a normal wear and tear, and the technician told me that theoretically I might be with warped rotors on the very same day..especially if I use the breaks hard and immediately after that I take the carto a carwash!!!!
On my next question.what I was supposed to do.when it rains..he didnt answer anything!!!
Please if anyone has any idea about this case (I have an invoice, stating that the pulsations are there and the rotors need to be done).it would be highly appreciated! My concern is that I would eventually get these rotors warped againand againand so onin fact we are driving much more carefully now.because we dont want to go back to the shop!
The other thing is that we might have bought the car with warped rotors, so please be aware of CARMAXs 125 point inspection.isnt that good! I meanmy wife drove the car for 3 months and 1K milesand we got warped rotors!!!
Thanks for your time, guys!

lngtonge18 · October 2003

Everytime the rotors are resurfaced, you stand a higher chance of running into warped rotors. This is because you are making the rotors thinner and thus more fragile, which leads to warpage caused by excessive heat or rapid temperature changes. Rotors in general can handle being hit by water. However, if you were using your brakes hard and got the rotors real hot and then ran through a puddle of cold rain water, there is a high chance the rotor will warp due to the sudden uneven cooling combined with the clamping forces of the calipers. Also, some Mitsus are prone to rotor warpage caused by the use of impact wrenches when putting the wheels back on. These tools either put too much pressure on the rotor or cause uneven pressures (one lug nut is tighter then the next one) which leads to warpage after about 3k.

To answer your question, yes you will probably encounter warped rotors again and it will probably be sooner then later. The best thing to do when your rotors warp is to just replace them and make sure the mechanic uses hand tools only to ensure pressure is applied equally to the lug nuts. Don't let anyone touch your wheels with an air powered impact wrench!

noleasegalant · November 2003

Need some advice like FAST.. I'm down to choosing a 2003 Galant OR a Maxima. I leased a 1999 Galant, and even though I had problems with the rotors at 20000 miles and the alternator went at 40000 miles, I enjoyed it. I see there is a $2500 cash incentive on the 2003 Galant BUT my head is telling me...STUPID YOU KNOW THE RE-SALE value of the Mitsus are garbage, so go with quality and choose the MAXIMA!!!!!!!

lawman1967 · November 2003

Galant resale is horrid, and besides, the Maxima is a much better car.

noleasegalant · November 2003

Guess you cleared that up! I am going to pick up my SL on Friday!

lngtonge18 · November 2003

I'm sure the Maxima is a better car, but I'm also sure noleasegalant is going to pay a lot more for the car too. I don't quite understand why he was even cross shopping these cars. The 03 Galant is in a totally different size and performance class from the Maxima. If money was no object, I would pick the nicer more expensive car too!

noleasegalant · November 2003

No particular reason why; I just narrowed my choices between a Nissan and Mitsubishi. Also I don't mind paying a little more $$$$ for quality.

lawman1967 · November 2003

The Galant is a decent car, but the resale value really ruins the value equation. I paid $17K for my 2002, and today it is only worth 8K as a trade. My wife's 2001 Saturn L200, another car known for poor resale, is still worth $10K, despite a lower purchase price and an extra year of depreciation.

My next car will be a Honda or Toyota, I just refuse to get stung like this again.

noleasegalant · November 2003

You only paid $17K for your 2002!!!!! What trim and options did you get??

lngtonge18 · November 2003

The 04 Galant info is up on Mitsu's website. My buddy, who is the shop foreman for the Mitsu dealer, drove the new 4 cylinder ES and was impressed with the power of the MIVEC engine. He said it was quite a bit faster then the old engine.

Here's the link: http://www.mitsubishicars.com/galant/index.html

noleasegalant · November 2003

I had a 1999 ES V6 myself and it took off like the wind! I'm a little disappointed in how they made the 04 body. I liked the BMW look of the previous models, which is one of the reasons I'm a Nissan man now.

alpha01 · November 2003

Car and Driver tested the new Galant 4cyl at 9.2 to 60, not bad, but not class leading.

Motor Trend has gotten a similar time for the Camry (they've tested the 4cyl/auto twice, one ran 9.2 and the other 9.5), and quicker times for Accord and Altima.

What are the EPA ratings for the new Galant 4?

I am hoping to take advantage of Mitsubishis test drive offer soon, so, with a bit of luck, I'll be able to comment on the cars dynamics more explictly.

~alpha

lngtonge18 · November 2003

According to Mitsu's site, the EPA rating for the four cylinder is 23/30. Not bad considering my 02 Lancer 2.0 liter automatic was rated at 24/30 (it increased in 03), but it's definitely lower then the Accord and Camry.

alpha01 · November 2003

I test drove a Galant ES (no options) over a pretty varied 11 miles. Overall, a nice package, but not superior to the class leaders. And yes, looks are subjective, but exterior of DE/ES/LS not nearly as peculiar or disjointed as the GTS, and this car looks better in person (High rear-end, though) than in photos.

When I have more time, I will certainly be commenting with my detailed impressions. The car is definitely much more akin to Toyota's Camry than Honda's Accord.

Time will tell if this new approach works for Mitsubishi.
~alpha

rtolentino2 · November 2003

I test drove the '04 Galant ES model 4 cyl. 160 hp - and results are not that convincing as i'm expecting. The trunk is really small as compared to their 00-03 models w/ no folding rear seats. Engine is not that bad at 4 cyl. 160 hp but it's quite noisy bec. of their Mivec engine designs - I've spoke w/ their salesman and the reason why it's noisy bec. of the pads they installed under the car hood that acc. to them, it's kinda more thinner than the old models BUT it's fire proof!!! I don;t know how the V6 engine sounds - but in totality, i would prefer the V6 LS or GTS models bec. both exterior & interiors are well designed and far more better than the Altimas, Camry & Accords and a little bit similar to the Maximas. This '04 Galant is surely competitive among the other leading mid-size sedans!!!!It's more roomy, heavier, stable, well-designed and a little bit cheaper than the leading brands in this category(midsize sedans).

alpha01 · November 2003

Wow. Two of your comments were my major issues with the car. My impressions overall:

1) The lack of split folding rear seats is a major detriment to this vehicle, whose trunk is 1.3 cubic feet smaller than its predecessor, and smaller than the trunks of many smaller competitors, at 13.3 cu. ft. How can a car this big have such a small trunk. But, silver lining: cleverly, Mitsu chose NOT to use gooseneck hinges, but rather, the more sophisticated design which does not infringe on capacity.

2) The MIVEC 2.4L 4 feels decently peppy, and offers good power, but is SIGNIFICANTLY noisier than the Accord and Camry 2.4L engines, while returning 1-2 MPG fewer in city and 3-4 fewer in highway travel, according to EPA estimates. If you dont rev above 4000 RPM, you might not notice the extra noise, as this is when it becomes obtrusive. Unfortuantely, due to the MIVEC design, this is when the engine reaches its peak torque and starts to feel alive. Midrange power borders on impressive, and the transmission works well with the engine, delivering very smooth, appropriate shifts. The vehicle feels a bit pokey out of the gate, such as from a standstill at a stoplight, an impression that I didnt feel from the Accord and Camry, however. Overall, an improvement over the last generation non-MIVEC 4 cyl.

3) The front seats are firm and supportive, and felt excellent in my short trip. I got the impression that the comfort wouldn't fade. The seat is better than the Camry's, which suffers from a too-short lower cushion. However, the Camry offers standard 8 way power drivers seat, where as the Galant's is 6 way manually adjustable.

4) The ride is good, quite smooth, but felt somewhat floaty and decidedly Camry-like, especially compared to the previous generation Galant. Handling is a direct hit at the needs of 99% of buyers: NO SURPRISES, just roll and understeer. Steering is not up to Accord levels, but is decent overall, although on-center is vague, perhaps even more so than in the Camry, though I prefer the Mitsubishi's weighting.

5) My test-drive car did not have ABS. The pedal felt somewhat spongy intially, though fairly firm through its travel, which seemed a bit long, as in the drum equipped Camry LE.

6) The 16 inch wheel covers are very ugly, and do nothing to enhance the look of this car. The alloys that are part of the Diamond Package seem worth the price of that package by themselves, given the cheapness exuded by the wheel covers. Tires are a nice size, I personally like the extra tread width.

7) I found the interior well constructed, and pleasingly designed. Since my drive was at dusk, I had the lights on, and I enjoyed the bright blue instrumentation on black background. The dash is not overwrought as it is in the Endeavor, and I feel it hits its mark. The steering wheel however, is textured rather.... interestingly, and I'm not convinced.

OVERALL: This is a well conceived effort, and if Mitsu can boost resale (by not offering heavy discounts and significant fleetage), will prove a good choice if reliability is strong. Car and Driver correctly summed it up - the Galant does not do refinement, isolation, and comfort quite as well the Camry, nor does it do precision engineering and an involving driving experience as well as the Accord, but it is less expensive, won't be a dime a dozen, and offers a pleasing overall mainstream drive.

The car's major caveats are its engine noise and lowish MPG, small trunk/no folding rear seat, strange steering wheel, and unfortunate wheel covers. I also cant comprehend Mitsubishi's disinclusion of side chest and front and rear curtain airbags as an option, since Accord, Camry, Altima, 6, and Passat all offer this ideal combination of side impact protection.

~alpha

PS- My test drive was of a no-option ES 4cyl, which stickered, including destination charge, at $19,592.

lngtonge18 · November 2003

I have to agree with you on the steering wheel and the wheel covers. The hubcaps are so plain, boring, and downright ugly. Heck, the Lancer ES hubcaps look a lot better. The steering wheel's surface feels rough and nasty in my hands. The Endeavor has the same wheel. Way to industrial grade in its feel. The first upgrade would be a leather cover! And I too am disappointed in the no fold down rear seat. What were they thinking??? The fuel economy I can live with. My Lancer is averaging 3 mpg better then the city rating and that's the only type of driving it sees, so I expect the Galant to do better then its rating.

I'm a bit surprised to hear about the engine noise. I'm wondering if you mean only when the engine is pushed hard? My Lancer has an extremely quiet engine under light acceleration and on the highway (Car and Driver compared its quiet idle to that of a Lexus), but it does get buzzy and boomy when you rev it past 4k. Under most conditions though, it impresses me with how smooth and quiet it is. I remember this characteristic in the 00 Galant that I test drove as well. If the Mivec four is the same way (which it ought to be unless the new frame transmits more noise), I'll be satisfied. I'll have to test drive one so I can check out this new engine!

alpha01 · November 2003

The MIVEC sounded louder and less refined than the 4s in the Camry and Accord at anything greater than 4000 RPM, which I dont really consider "pushing it". The Camry and Accord seem quieter at full throttle than the MIVEC at this RPM. Like I said, the Galant feels a bit pokey off the line, so 4000 in first isnt that much of a stretch. The car felt peppy if you stab the accelerator hard enough to upshift at about 4250 RPM, and kept pressure consistent until reaching your target speed.

~alpha

laydbug · November 2003

I'm not sure if I'm on the right board or not, so if I'm not, please let me know.

The problem: I leased a 2001 Galant, met my (now) husband a few months later, married into the military a year after that, and now we're stationed in Korea (the lease is not up until '04). Due to the cretins at MMCA we are unable to get out of the lease even though we are living on the other side of the world per military orders. The car is in stateside storage at our expense because we were unauthorized to ship a car here and were unable to "sublease" it out to family or friends prior to moving (as an aside, The Soldiers' & Sailors' Act does not cover car leases only apartment leases).

What we are doing: We are continuing to pay on the car even though it is in storage (to boot, MMCA gave us extensive problems about storing the car, too--like we had a choice in the matter) and we'll have to pay out of pocket to fly home next year just to turn the car in at the termination of the lease (we are stationed here in Korea until 2006). Just so you get a true picture of MMCA, they wanted us to sign over to them a full power of attorney for the entire time the car would be in storage in case we defaulted on the lease in any way shape or form (in the lease agreement, they already HAVE that authority)--after consulting JAG, they backed off. Unbelievable.

My questions:
1.) Can I tow the car in and not be penalized? I ask this because it will have been sitting in storage for a year-and-a-half by the time we turn it in.
2.) When do I actually turn the car in? I leased it in October of 2000, it is a 48 month lease, so do I turn it in the same month that I bought it?--October 2004?

I'd really appreciate any information that I can get on these questions and any other comments or advice would be great, too.

Chris

pat · November 2003

Wow! Someone here may have some suggestions for you, but I'd also check out the discussions on our Finance, Warranty & Insurance board. You might want to create a new discussion for this one.

Good luck - I hope it all works out for you.

concrete1717 · November 2003

Some highlights from that article:
1. "The four-cylnder has the coarse sound of an aged tractor".
2. "Nice as the four-speed automatic is, it's behind the competitive curve".
3. "Otherwise, the Galants seem unusually quiet inside for midlevel cars".

lawman1967 · November 2003

Well after constant brake problems, rattles and now a busted axle halfshaft (pothole), I have gotten rid of my 2002 Galant ES.

At 38,700 miles the car, no longer under warranty, felt looser than my wife's 2001 Saturn L200 which has 50,000, or the Nissan Sentra I traded to buy the Galant two-years-ago, which at the time at 84,000.

As predicted, resale value was horrid, and I was only able to replace this P.O.S. because of the very aggress rebates on Mazda Proteges.

I will never buy a Mitsubishi again, no matter how attractive the price or the offer.

sandman46 · November 2003

I had looked at the Protege also, but ended up buying the Sentra. Wish the gas mileage was better, my only complaint actually. Really prefered the P5, but they weren't as aggressive to sell it.

The Sandman :-)

lngtonge18 · November 2003

May I ask why you would trade in your Galant after wasting $1000 on totaling replacing the problematic brake system, the only major issue you had with the car? And to make matters worse you traded a low resale car for another! That to me is like throwing money right out the window. Sounds to me like your desire for a new car simply took over.

lngtonge18 · November 2003

I went down to the dealer today and sat in an unlocked 04 Galant ES. I was definitely impressed. The seats front and rear are very comfortable and the legroom in back is amazing. The doors closed with a more pleasing sound then the last gen Galant and there are nice wide flat armrests in each door. The beltline is a little high in the rear seat area which could feel claustrophobic for shorter people. The interior design is pleasing (except for the rough steering wheel surface). The trunk is plenty big and it has the articulating hinges that don't infringe on luggage space. I still wish you could fold down the rear seat though. The front end styling looks better in person then in photos, but the rear looks a little too plain and square shaped. Overall, I liked the car better then I thought I would.

lawman1967 · November 2003

My Galant has had many problems over the two years I owned it. The brakes were the only one that was directly related to safety or performance (the low MPG was caused by brake friction). The car also had many rattles, had problems with the driver's door skin separating from the impact beam (repaired twice under waranty and very loud when broken) and the dashboard moved visibly when pushed. Four dealers insisted that these problems were normal for my car's age, but I've owned many cars, and NEVER has one felt this loose after only 38,700 miles.

As for resale on the Protege, well had I bought a Protege in 2001 that car would have been worth $900 more than my Galant was, at a $2000 lower purchase price. The low resale on this Protege is something I simly can't avoid as the hit I took on the Galant meant that I couldn't spend more than $12,000 on a car, and I didn't want to buy used.

Finally, I'll be getting the $1000 back from Mitsubishi in small claims court. This was an issue from day one with the Galant, and by failing to repair it, Mitsubishi violated the terms of the warranty.

Mazda does things differently. I had a 1994 Mazda 323, and after 60,000 miles the AC stopped working; bad condensor. The car was 10,000 miles out of warranty, but the dealer made a quick phone call and then the Mazda area rep simply stated "Our cars don't do that" and performed the repair at Mazda's expense. I kept that an additional 24,000 miles and when I sold it, it was as tight, rattle-free and solid as the day I bought it.

rtolentino2 · November 2003

To lawman1967 - just like to ask regarding your 2002 ES Galant. I just bought a 2002 ES Galant(certified pre-owned) 4 mths. ago from a reliable car dealer-at Cerritos Nissan, ....I am also experiencing some brake problems on my right front wheels. When it gets hot, there's a squeeling sound but my mechanic told me brake pads are still 50%good & adviced me to replace them w/ a ceramic pads which will cost around $90.00 per pair for the front brakes. Rotors are not to be resurfaced since this will only cause a major problem in the future,better replace them rather resurfacing them. My total mileage now is 31,000 and do you think I will also exprerience the same problems that you had before?? Or maybe it depends on the road conditions you're driving?? Am residing here in Orange county and actually, my '02 ES Galant drives fast at 110 mph & powertrain is so strong. I'm also planning to trade in my '02 sometime next year for an '04 Galant LS or GTS since this V6 3.8L 230hp has a positive review as compared to the DE & ES models. My second option is Nissan Maxima and 3rd is Honda Accord Coupe and last-Camry V6 XLE. The Mivec engines on '04 Galant DE & ES models are so noisy even at idle position - maybe bec. of the support pads under the car hood - which is less thinner than the previous models BUT acc. to their salesman, it is "fire proof" as protection to your engine.
What can you say on this?? Please give me some insights too !!!

alpha01 · November 2003

of the XLE V6 Camry, you should look at the SE V6.
The cars you are looking at are very different in nature- the Accord coupe, a 30K Nissan, and the very vanilla XLE V6 Camry? If you knew youd want the 04 Galant why did you purchase an 02? I'm afraid you might take a hit on such a transaction.

~alpha

lawman1967 · November 2003

after my Galant experience, I cannot in any way, shape or form recommend another Mitsubishi product. Its not the car itself, even Mercedes can make a lemon, but rather the way the company handled it. I made them aware, in writing, of my brake problems and VERY poor MPG from the beginning, and even after four sets of pads and two sets of rotors, with all wear only on the right side, they still insisted nothing was wrong wiht my car. That is inexcuseable, and they have lost my business forever.

rtolentino2, I like new cars, so I'd cross off the Maxima right away. The Maxima is a class above the other cars you mentioned, and if you are comfortable buying use I have little doubt that you will enjoy driving it more than the others. For my money, I'd get either the Accord or the Camry. I'd check out Subaru too, and if the Mazda 6 has been reliable (haven't really looked into it) I'd put that on my list as well. At least with Accord and Camry, you KNOW you are buying top quality, and when you do eventually trade, you won't get hosed on th resale value.

As for your 02 Galant, I'd have the dealer run the car's service history. If the pads are worn and making noise at 30K and they are the original pads, I'd say you are doing fine. Mine wore out at 7K, which is a very different story.

I had no complaints about how the Galant went down the road. I too found the car (4 cylinder ES) fast, VERY quiet, comfortable and stable, and like many here, I also considered it one of the best-looking cars on the road when I bought it. I drive a lot of miles (38,700 in 23 months) and except for the hassles of frequent trips to the dealer, they were very comfortable miles. My friend has a 2003 Toyota Avalon, and honestly, my Galant was every bit as smooth and quiet as his car. I got rid of it because I just couldn't stand worrying about how expensive the next problem would be now that the warranty had expired, I still liked the car itself, though I had come to hate my particular (lemony) example.

By the way, the Protege is quite a blast to drive. Its nowhere near as luxurious (crank windows even), but it feels much better screwed together (in Japan, by Japanese workers using 97% Japanese parts).

pat · November 2003

See what Edmunds thinks of the 2004 Galant. Read the article in the Helpful Links box on the left side of the page.

lngtonge18 · November 2003

I can understand your disgust. I just don't know whether I would have gone about it the same way. The Protege's resale has tumbled rapidly, especially since all the rebates kicked in. Mazda's resale isn't any better then Mitsubishi's, except for the Miata. And then you went from a well equipped car to a car with manual everything?? The DX model takes the hardest hit at resale time. If your motive was cheaper payments due to financial troubles, I could understand. But three years down the road, you will be in just as bad of shape come trade in time once you are tired of the loud firm highway ride and lack of amenities. I would have kept the Galant and got my money's worth out of the solid reliable powertrain. There is no doubt in my mind it would have got you to and from work reliably for at least 150k.

p.s. Experiences like yours do make me pause in considering Mitsu cars built in Normal, Illinois. There build quality just doesn't seem as good as the Japanese built ones. My 02 Lancer has over 30k and is tight, solid, and rattle free. No dealer repairs at all and mine was bought after the car was only on the market for 2 months tops. Mine was built in Japan like the Protege.

lawman1967 · November 2003

is actually irrelevant on this car purchase. I bought the car so cheaply with the rebates that the difference between trade in and post-rebate purchase price was less than $6,000, and that is AFTER all taxes and license. The purchase price of the car was only $11,200 after rebates, so even if resale value went into the toilet, I still won't lose much.

It is also not an issue because by the time I move overseas in two years, the car will already have close to 40,000 miles on it. Even a Civic with 40,000 miles will take a hit, and while resale would be much better, purchase price would also be $4,000 higher.

Finally, if the car is reliable, which based on my past Mazda experience and Edmunds I suspect it will be, then I won't trade it in so quickly. I actually like this size of car best. When I win the lottery I'll probably buy a 3 series BMW, rather than a 7, because its just more my kind of ride.

The Lancer would have been on my list as it too has decent rebates and a good reputation, but my taste for Mitsubishi just won't allow it now.

lawman1967 · November 2003

Resale values if purchased at same time and driven same amount. Invoice price is using 2003 models, as 2002 data is no longer posted on Edmunds. If The 2003 invoice on the Galant doesn't look appreciably different than it did last year, perhaps $200 higher. I looked at LX model Proteges last year as well, and those invoices are also only up by about $100 or $200 for 2003.

Both cars are priced invoice + destination charges on Edmunds equipped as I bought them (no options on the fully-loaded Galant ES, and the 6-disc CD, AC and cargo net on the Protege DX), and are figured exactly the same way on Kelly Blue Book for trade-in value. Not coincidentally, for 2003 models, they both have the same customer and dealer incentives as also coincidentally, both are being replaced by all-new models for 2004.

Finally, both cars are computer on Kelly Blue Book in "Good" condition for the Los Angeles, CA area "Trade In" value.

Invoice Price including destination charge:
2003 Mitsubishi Galant ES 4 Cylinder
$17,834
*Mitsubishi offers a $2500 customer and a $1500 dealer rebate which reduces price to $13,834*

2003 Mazda Protege DX w/ 6-disc CD, AC, Cargo net
$15,160
*Mazda offers a $2500 customer, $500 dealer and $500 graduate student rebates (I got all three), which reduces price to $11,660

Purchase price as equipped is $2,200 cheaper for the Protege than the Galant, based on $3,500 Mazda rebates and $4,000 Mitsubishi rebates. My actual purchase equations were different. There was no rebate on the Galant in late 2001 and $1,500 on the Protege, making my purchase price differential closer to $6,500.

Trade-In Value in "Good" condition.

2002 Mitsubishi Galant ES with 38,700 miles $6,590
2002 Mazda Protege DX with 38,700 miles $6,506

2003 Mitsubishi Galant ES with 19,350 miles $8,835
2003 Mazda Protege DX with 19,350 miles $7,855

Had I bought a Protege last year instead of a Galant, my resale would only have been $84 less, but my purchase price would have been $6,500 less had I bought a Protege in December 2001. More importantly, it was the way Mitsubishi refused to honor their warranty that made me sell my car, so trade-in would have been a non-issue.

Even if buying today, the Galant costs $2,200 more and only retains $1,000 more value.

This is just a mathematical analysis. This time around, I wanted to get rid of my lemon and pay as little out of my pocket as possible. The choices weren't which is the best car at a given price, but rather what was the absolute cheapest new car that I could tollerate driving for the next 3 years. Had I wanted to finance, I would have just bought an Accord or Camry, or if I was willing to lease, a BMW 325i. I wanted to just write a check, so the choices were, after all incentives were figured out, Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Toyota Echo and Mazda Protege. It was an easy choice.

lawman1967 · November 2003

Selling a car after only two years is something I try very hard NOT to do. I kept my last car, a 1997 Nissan Sentra, for 5 years, and my car before that, a 1994 Mazda 323, for four years (wife drove after I bought the Sentra). Here is the resale value on 1999 model Galants and Proteges, equipped as close to my cars as possible, with 80,000 miles, which is about where my cars are after five years. Both again listed in "Good" condition for the Los Angeles, CA area in Kelly Blue Book.

1999 Mitsubishi Galant ES, 80K miles $3,865
1999 Mazda Protege DX, 80K miles $3,945

Funny how an economy car can consistently be so close in value to a much more expensive mid-size come resale time.

asiancarfan · November 2003

#1296 of 1296 99 GTZ Center Channel Speaker by japcarfan Nov 01, 2003 (12:06 am)

Does anyone know what speaker can replace the center channel speaker and where to buy one? right now my stock infinity speaker is buzzing and needs to be replaced.

I went to a car audio place and they said only the dealer could get it because it's a "euro mount".

Is this true? who can help? I'm tired of distortion.

maxamillion1 · November 2003

I am thinking about going to my local dealership to test one Wednesday afternoon.

I checked inventory and my local dealer doesn't have a GTS model in yet. I am ONLY interested in the GTS or LS models...they have mostly ES models right now.

lawman1967 · November 2003

I wish I'd thought of that before buying my Protege, I'd have pocketed $100 for 15 minutes of my and their time.

alpha01 · November 2003

Make sure your local dealership is part of that program. I visited the nearest Mitsu delarship, and it was not participating.

~alpha

regfootball · November 2003

I checked out an 04 galant yesterday (no test drive)

quick summary

-ROOMY
-exterior-decent looking, not a stunner
-interior-bits of cheapness, spartan design but mostly cohesive and has nice gauges. Controls don't operate cheaply. Cost cutting on a few plastics but still fairly tasteful considering the price, nice alternative looking interior. Certainly not as cheap looking as many GM products. Maybe a bit nicer inside than the Altima, but not as nice as the Mazda6. Not embarassing.
-ROOMY
-v6 has big power available
-no folding seat
-small trunk
-ROOMY (wide and leg room)

if the deals are good it well sell ok. did I say its roomy? more room than my diamante

maxamillion1 · November 2003

One of the dealers in my area is a part of the program, but they have NO GTS models.

The closer dealership has a GTS (Which I looked at tonight) but it is not a part of the program yet.

After looking inside of the GTS I have the following observations:

The interior looks better in GTS trim because of the leather, the two-tone dash (which looks REALLY NICE IMO).

The wood trim is a VERY bright color. A TAN color that looks better than the ugly [non-permissible content removed] wood in the new Accord EX with Ivory cloth.

I also liked the leather upholstery that was in this particular model. It was the creme color.

The exterior was nice as well, and the GTS looked better than the ES and DE model that was on the lot. Even the taillights looked better on the GTS.
The car reminded me a LOT of the Altima...the Altima looks better though.

I actually am beginning to like the new Galant. I hope to test drive on while my trusty Accord is in the shop....I might even think about getting a GTS even though I am desperately WAITING to see if Nissan will finally give the Altima an interior that matches the Altima's sexy style.

But for now, the Altima DEFINATELY has a better interior than the Altima, but still falls short of the Accord, Camry, 6 and Passat.

Good luck Mitsubishi....I like it.

regfootball · November 2003

"But for now, the Altima DEFINATELY has a better interior than the Altima"

you mean Galant, right?

I would like to see C/D test the v6 Galant. Why they yested the 4, I don't know.

alpha01 · December 2003

A very low percentage of buyers are expected to go for the GTS. Personally, I hate the GTS taillights and center stack finish. Looks like its trying waaaay too hard. The red tailamps of DE, ES, LS V6 are elegant and in-character with the vehicle. In other mags/articles that have tested the V6 Galants, torque steer seems to be an issue.

~alpha

regfootball · December 2003

well then we know there's power a plenty then......

its nice to have the option to keep your feet OFF the accelerator.....

too much is never enough

rtolentino2 · December 2003

To all: I test drove an '04 ES Galant and got the Mitsu CD Mix & Amex $25 gift card (not bad ahh)... but still waiting for their LS & GTS Models. I would still prefer the LS models & take the "Diamond Package" option.

To lawman1967: I got my front brake pads replaced last week for $120 per pair (ceramic) which will definitely not squeek - rotors are still fine at 31K - the old brake pads are all originals when I bought the car at 25K so, not bad - my new ones will last for another 30K acc. to my mechanic/technician. Engine is still great at 110mph in the freeway!!! Referring to your case, are you based outside CA? Mitsu dealers varies from state2state - but here in Southern CA, Mitsu dealers are very professional (Glendale, Van Nuys,Long Beach and Duarte)I'm just wondering how'd you got those brake problems and unreliable Mitsu dealers??

To alpha01: The reason why I bought a pre-owned '02 Galant instead of '04 Galant is -- I did not know Mitsu will introduce a fully redesigned Galant this Nov.'03. I only learned it after I purchased my '02 Galant ES last July. Still, I'm planning to trade in my old Galant middle of next year - by that time, I'll decide if it's really worth & convincing to get the '04 models or not.

I would suggest that all of us should first test drive the GTS/LS models & see if they are competitive enough to the Camry's,Accord & Nissans!!! Good luck Mitsu!!!!

Mitsubishi Galant

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