Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
3.0L V6 210hp and 220 foot lbs.
3.3L V6 225hp and 240 foot lbs.
gkearns- where did you learn/what source do you have that Camry power will go up for 2005? Perhaps did you mean a different car?
~alpha
Galant: 250
Altima: 246
Camry: 240
Malibu: 220
Accord: 212
Passat: 206
Mazda6: 192
Sebring: 190
Looking at the above numbers really makes the Galant stand out. It not only provides good hp but excellent torque as well. This leads to strong around town performance, which is what people like to feel. Nothing about the Galant's current engine makes it a step behind. What is holding it back are the lack of certain features, hefty weight, and some cheap interior plastics.
The Acura TL and G35 are in a totally different class and shouldn't be compared to the Galant. They may make more hp but they are also more expensive and don't compete in the family sedan category.
Mitsubishi on the other hand tunes their engines for strong low end torque, which sacrifices higher rpm power (a compromise that comes from a long stroke motor and how the cam is tuned). It's not that they aren't capable of designing a similar size engine with the same hp as the TL; they just have different objectives which leads to different size engines with different tuning. My former 02 Lancer had a 2.0 engine specifically designed to maximize low end torque, which by design, limited its hp to an average 120 and its redline to 6k. This helped the engine perform well around town with an automatic. They could have given it DOHC and variable valve timing and designed it for more top end power, but that went against their objective of strong low end torque, so they didn't do it. My current 03 Diamante 3.5 almost matches the torque output of the TL at 231 lb ft but the hp is only 205 (this good low end torque was achieved without DOHC or variable valve timing). Mitsu could have upped the hp some by just retuning the engine but they elected to give the engine a strong feel down low rather then impress with hp numbers. And it pays off. The 3.5 feels darn strong around town and I have yet to feel the need to exceed 4k rpms.
In short, which car grabs your attention is based on which aspect of engine tuning attracts you most. Obviously, Nissan, Honda, and Acura will wow you with their hp figures and in the case of H/A, their high revving nature. Mitsu will impress those who like strong engine performance without the need to rev the engine to death. I prefer the latter and am glad Mitsu designs the engines the way they do.
Another interesting fact about Mitusbishi: People here percieve its quality to be substantially higher than it actually is, according to an article in the USA Today. check usatoday.com, in the Money section, for details.
~alpha
As for gas mileage the Malibu posts 6 MPG better on the highway and 5 MPG better in the city even though it too uses a larger V6.
And lest we forget, even though the Galant finished a respectable second place, MT states "our winner ran away in a landslide: Every one of our six editors ranked the xxxxx first in this comparo." Page 100 of the February 2004 issue of MT. So while the Galant may be improved in some areas low-end torque and big wheels will only get you so far.
As for the Malibu, it does post impressive gas mileage and good 0-60, but the car is way too bland and low tech. The Malibu is the king of fuel economy and not much else. The Maxx is a neat idea though. I almost considered looking into one before buying the Diamante.
Lastly, you should give the Galant some credit for making it to 2nd place! It's low end torque and big wheels apparently was plenty to pass right by the competition and slingshot it to 2nd place. If it was rated last or near the bottom in its first year out, Mitsu would have a serious problem on their hands and I would admit it needs some big improvements. As it stands, the Galant appears to be an excellent alternative to the mom and pop me-too Accord/Camry. It has a more youthful sporty personality and isn't as common. For some people, these attributes are very important.
Oh yea, the 3.8 V6 is NOT a truck engine. It is simply a bored out version of the 3.5 V6, which was a bored out multivalve version of the 3.0 V6 that was used in the late 80s and early 90s. In case you didn't know, the 3.0 V6 was used mainly in cars and made its debut in the Galant Sigma. The only trucks to ever use the engine was the Montero and Montero Sport, and now the car based Endeavor. If the 3.8 was designed specifically for use in their sport utes (like Ford does with the Triton series and Chevy with the Vortec) and then later dropped in their cars, you could call it a truck engine. But thats not what happened here. It's a car engine plain and simple. It's low end power makes it acceptable as an engine for use in their trucks, so they save money by using the same engines across the board.
Minor problems included an intermittent noise from the dashboard that sounded like rustling plastic trashbags and was loud enough to interfere with conversation, a loud rattling metal-on-metal sound from the driver's lock mechanism that was fixed twice under warranty and kept returning, extremely poor fuel economy, which while vastly improved after the brake job (constant friction), was still much worse than other cars in its class or what the window sticker promised, and finally, it was starting to have some electrical gremlins, intermittent cancelling of the cruise control for no apparent reason and premature burnout of dashboard light bulbs, which are not easy to get in and replace.
While it was under warranty I gave Mitsubishi the benefit of the doubt that they would sort things with it, but once it hit 36,000 miles I started looking for a replacement. I know one thing, I'll not buy another one for a very long time, and I'm filing suit in small claims court to recover for the brakes.
What attracted me to the Galant was the styling (I really like the look of the 1999-2003) and the very plush and quiet ride (when I don't hear trash bags from the dash).
1. vehicle price: $26,667.00. got heated seats/mirrors.
2. service contract: $1895.00 (extends bumper to bumper)
3. tax 8.75(n.y.) $1799.17
4. lic and title $24.25
5. other fees: $42.50
6. total cash price: $30,427.92
7. APR @ 4.9 = $3501.44 finance charge
8. trade in for 2002 sonata gls(all paid for) $8,000
9. $25,929.36 to be paid by me over 72 mo. @ $360.13
The stereo sounds great built in amp no need to adjust bass or treble. i do not think there are buttons for those anyway. 6 disc changer works great. And the "cool blue" lighting on the dash and center pod looks awesome. I'm going to wait and tint the windows so other cars at nite can see the interior lit up. Oh they are also installing a remote start and upgraded alarm on Saturday. No antenna to worry about built into windshield. The ride feels absolutely great considering the sport tuned suspension. The car is just ready to be driven and let loose. The interior does not look cheap or feel cheap, it's just really sporty. Just keep in mind that i never in my life looked at a mitsubishi as car that i would buy, maybe the montero if i could have afforded it, and of course the EVO, if i could drive a stick well. This is the perfect car for me, a big powerful luxurious sedan. And just think, I was going to buy a used 325i for $25,000. Good luck to you all hope ya get one.
"Update Profile" should give you that choice.
However, some changes have just been made to how the profiles are displayed. Are you saying that you do not see an option to make your email address public even if you use the "Update Profile" link (on the upper left side of the page)?
If so, please go to the Our Software discussion to report/ask about this.
Not too bad.
~alpha
I will definitely check it out this weekend but it's at CarMax with no haggle prices and theirs seem to be much higher than at other dealerships right now which negates the value of that check I received (it's to be used exclusively at CarMax in my case). But, you're right, they'll make me go there even though I'm looking for a new Montero You never know though.
Happy Motoring.
~alpha
I like that idea of yours on buying an '04 LS Model w/ leather pckge./diamond pkge/sunroof/side air bags and have the 17"alloy wheels(as I mentioned before to portknoxxa)& apply all those rewards/rebates thus, arriving a total of only around $21K+++!!!!
Likewise, back lights for an LS model looks better for me (Plain red w/ thin/small transparent stripes on top) then have a Lip Spoiler on it .......looks perfect now!!!!
I could'nt wait for a "black" color to see. Did you see their ads on TV now & brochures??? Hope, Mitsu will increase their market share on this category for Midsize Family Sedan in 2004!!!!
Good luck for all Mitsu users/buyers and all I can say is.......VVVRRRROOOMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe in some areas/dealers, they don't mention on this simply bec. if you don't ask for rebates, they will never give this. And, if you compare 3 or more same Mitsu dealers on different state/areas, you 'll be surprised that they don't give the same incentives, just let them know & they'll give it to you! Anyway, you still have the new '04 GTS and I really love the "white face" gauge w/c is only avail. on the GTS. Enjoy your ride and again.......VVVRRROOMMMM!!!!!
I understand that CarMax is a no haggle, no pressure experience but I was not greeted by anyone or helped initially since salespeople preferred to play football in the main hallway and damage lighting fixtures instead (I'm NOT making this up!). At one point a player had to climb on top of the used Durango for sale to save the football that got caught in the lamp hanging down from the ceiling. Someone then finally decided to talk to me and take me for the test drive.
I really like the way the upgraded LS looks from the outside. The wheels are super nice, the lights look great and color choices are excellent. The only missing option is the lack of halogen lights (exclusive to GTS) which sucks big time.
I was taken aback once I climbed aboard. The dark leather (or is it vinyl?) looked and felt terrible, lots of cheap, painted silver plastic, with flimsy buttons on that fancy stereo. Not good... I haven't seen the tan leather option but hopefully it looks better. I guess I'm used to driving SUVs too much but the blind spots were pretty bad. I'm 6 feet tall and it shouldn't be like that. I'd feel very uneasy driving this car aggressively (just changing lanes, really) in Atlanta's traffic.
I can't comment on the engine too much but it felt powerful enough - I just don't push my cars too much, even during the test drive. The sales guy was very SURPRISED when I told him it had 230 HPs - he thought it was 215 - is he selling donuts or cars? That was truly said...
How can they sell these things, you ask? Well they don't sell them and that's the problem. I've been watching their inventory and they sold their only Galant (happened to be the GTS) and it just happened today. The other 11 have been sitting on the lot for the past couple of weeks. They have them priced too high while other dealers are offering the same loaded Galant LS for $1K under the invoice.
Misinformation, lack of information, and the fact they just didn't care was evident at every step. For example, I asked the salesperson about the loyalty rebate and he said there was no such thing. The official Mitsu "rep" looked the rebate info up in his "system" and confirmed what the salesperson said.
It's a pity that Mitsubishi had to resort to having a dealer like this in their network. Refusing legitimate rebates to customers should be investigated by Mitsubishi. They also claim to be number one in the Southeast but so is every other dealer I've been to. Maybe number one in the phonebook?
Anyway, there's still nothing like the interior of the Montero (still the best Mitsubishi in my opinion sans the gas mileage) and this type of conservative but classy interior is what Galant should have been aiming for...
Handling is good & lots of power too!!! Salesperson here at Browning Mitsu Dealer are very accomodating and friendly - sad to say those salesperson at Carmax are less accomodating & misinformed about those rebates. Thanks!!!
The other one with the guy reciting his shopping list is very lame. How is that supposed to make me want to buy this car with some dork driving it?
The superbowl commercial (shot in LA just a week ago) comparing accident avoidance maneuvers with the Camry was bad (see it now on mitsucars.com site) - what a waste of money - just show the first one and be done with it. The song would stick in everyone’s head
What do you guys and gals think? Do you like the current marketing campaign? It does seem like they've spent a lot money so far while my local CarMax ("The largest Mitsubishi volume dealer in the SouthEast") sold just a few Galants including only one GTS.
There are plenty of other ads similar to this one by BMW, Infinity, etc. and they always show regular-looking people using their cars in "real-life" situations (dodging a kid chasing a ball into the street, a skid, or avoding a rolling truck).
All I'm saying is that they're more effective and more believable than a flipping Sentra in the middle of a deserted highway (plus probably MUCH cheaper to put together - they had to close two miles worth of highway in LA to do this).
Then, where's the Accord, where's the Altima and why did they pick on Camry. To the uninformed consumer it looks like the car's handling is only better than the Camry's and not just better over all. It doesn't project a strong image of superior suspension and traction control; just that it's superior to the Camry in dodging bowling balls - very silly if you ask me... and way too expensive to experiment like this trying to appeal to the older audience (better credit...) for crying out loud (that's what Mitsu's "stategists" are trying to do this year)
Whether this "continued on internet" advertising will work for others, I can't say, but it was interesting to me and got the message across that the Galant is a sportier alternative to the Camry and Accord.
This is what I just read on thecarconnection today in their daily edition article titled "Chevy, Caddy Score Big in Super Bowl Ads" and it proves my point - too bad:
"A cliffhanger spot for the Mitsubishi Galant scored relatively poorly, at 6.40 and 39th. The ad showed crash avoidance technology, with the Galant up against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The ad stopped short of showing how a potential accident ended up, and directed viewers to the company's Web site."
Let's check CarMax's stock of Galants - oops, the same ole's stuff and then some (21 of them). They sold that one GTS the day I test drove the Galant. They've been sitting on the same cars since then including two new Galant GTS's. NOT A SINGLE SALE since then! (a week and a half) We'll see how they'll do this weekend.
Talk about effectiveness... plus the cars are just too expensive. People will still overwhelmingly choose the Accord EX V-6 which happens to be cheaper right now. Such is the reality of poor brand perception and flipping Sentras doesn't help :-(