2004 Mitsubishi Galant

galant56

Mitsubishi is at its best when releasing a new model after it has had a few years to study the competition. The redesigned 97 Mirage had all of the good stuff the much improved 93-97 Corolla contained, at a much lover price. Much like the somewhat decontented 97-2001 Camry, it seemed to me that the current Galant was not as much of an improvement from the mid-90s Galant. I look forward to viewing how much Mitsubishi has learned from the *knockout* redesigned Altima and Camry. New Accord has a surprising design defect, the supposedly wonderfull engineered front seats pinch my lower back.
The Altima is a tough one to compete with. The v6/5 speed Altima competes very well with many sporty and near-luxury cars in terms of performance. I have been very happy with my Reagan-era turbo Mirage and my current Mirage, I have a lot of respect for Mitsubishi engineering, the company sometimes hurts themselves by not having enough standard equipment, that does not appear to be a problem with the 04 Galant.

alpha01

Perhaps I was too quick to judge the Galant based on what I saw at NYIAS.

It seems that only the performance type model will have those very ugly tailights and body treatment... but there's still that 80s Aiwa boombox console to deal with... we'll see.

What about side curtains? Will they be available on the bread and butter 4cylinders?
~alpha

maxamillion1

I know a manual will not be available which is sad.

jchan2

Does anyone really care? Mitsubishi went and spilled all the beans at the car shows earlier in the year. Honda's strategy works much better in gaining more posts on edmunds boards. Hide everything until the last minute. Then we'll all be surprised rather than going "Oh, man. I saw this a year ago. At the car show."

aristotle

Does anybody know when the 2004 Galant will hit the dealers? I really liked the looks of my previous Galant ( 1995 Galant ES ). The only thing that I thought it needed were:

1. a more powerful engine
2. more leg room in the back
3. a more silent engine ( very important )
4. Less road noise
5. better material for the interior dash

I guess the newer Galants with V6 engines are already more powerful. I would think the rear legroom must also be better in 2004 model.

So, the only things ( I am mainly concerned about ) that remain to be seen are if the engine is quieter than the previous year models and if the cabin gets less noise from the road and from the wind.

If Mitsubishi has already fixed those problems, the 2004 Galant is bound to attract a lot of buyers if they price it right.

jchan2

Should be quieter.

wsag26

Realize when the Altima came out, all these people were talking about it. It was the buzz of the country. Then, it became Car of the Year, and Nissan got into revival process. Is it me, or is Mitsu trying to do the same thing, and get out of there "ONLY 16-30 year olds drive" it image? If they are, they're definitely not getting the same buzz as they wished too. The 2004 Galant was unexpected to me and probably to you when I went to the NY Auto Show earlier this year.

We'll have to see about it. Not so impressed with styling though. What kind of direction is it going in?

carguy58

I don't know who is styling their cars but their direction since the 02 model year has been not good. I'm hoping with the guy from Hyundai coming over to run Mitsu he can get a good design team in there. Mitsu had some good styled cars in the mid to late 90's period. I don't know what happened.

jchan2

I like the styling of the Lancer Ralliart and the Sportback. That's it. The Galant looks like a bloated camry. What happened?

asa0526

I saw the 04 Galant yesterday morning during rush hour traffic (along 880 South - SF Bay Area). The front looks good ... but I was disappointed by the rear. As soon as I saw it from my rear window, I got hooked. But when I slowed down to let it go past me, the rear was too edgy in design - love it or hate it.
It definitely looks more substantial to the current model. When I was next to it, I thought it was the new Maxima. Quite aggressive stance.
It's the (rear) same styling philosophy as the Altima - love it or hate it.
But it seems more aggressive - if not mascular than the Altima.
More men that women would probably go for this car.
Camry - 'Offend no one' styling philosophy, conservative rear design.
Mazda6 - Sporty
Altima - Sporty and bold design
Galant - Aggressive

jchan2

Here's what I think:
Galant: Something Aggressive
Camry: This is a bland one
Altima: Edgy
Mazda6: Sporty
Accord: EuroAsian combination. (Bland and Edgy)

alpha01

It seems the 04 Galant will not offer dual row side curtain airbags. Is this correct? If so, this is a MAJOR oversight, especially with the IIHS's new dyanmic side impact testing.

~alpha

maxamillion1

I went to the Charlotte International Autoshow today (Friday), and the new Galant was there.

First impressions:

It is bigger than the current car, but not as big as the pictures make it seem.

Two models were on display. A GTS and LS. The GTS was on a turn-table so I could not see inside it, but the LS was out in the open for everyone to see. Being the car freak that I am, I jumped right in.

Exterior:
The Exterior of the Galant is pretty nice looking IMO. The car essentially reminds me of the Altima/Maxima twins. As a matter of fact, a Maxima SL was parked right beside the Galant I sat in. The similarities were obvious, from the nose to the tail. The Alloys (which are now OPTIONAL on the LS)were nice enough, but looked somewhat small IMO. The color of the car was Ultra red pearl, and it had a nice gray leather interior. The tail is about the only thing I have reservations about, it just looks silly IMO. The front did not bother me, as a matter of fact, the front of the Galant looks better than the Maxima, though they are similar.

Interior:
A surprise I must say. From the pictures, the Galant looks somewhat cheap, but the materials seemed better in person. Mitsubishi tried to use VWs theme by using Black dash tops. It works overall, but the materials aren't better than the Camry or Accord, but they do beat the domestics, the Altima and the current Galant. I particularly liked the dash design. The materials were not soft-touch, but they do look sturdy, and long-lasting. The fit and finish was excellent! Down-right surprising.

Roominess:
I am not really a tall person (5'9") but I weigh over 270lbs. I was able to adjust the front seats of the Galant to a comfortable position. I proceeded to sit in the back, and I must say that the Galant had plenty of rear seat room. The Galant was definately roomier than the Mazda6 and Accord, but the Camry and Altima felt slightly more roomy.

Overall:
I really liked the Galant. It seems like a pretty good competitor to the Camry/Accord/Altima/6 crowd. I especially think it will compete more with the Altima/6 group. The interior was much better than I had expected, and the car looked downright attractive for the most part. The car felt pretty roomy, and the quality/fit and finish was excellent.

I definately added it to my list of cars to consider.

outback589

mitsubishi is on the right track with the new galant and endeavor...I hope they offer a 4WD supercharged version of the Galant just to give it a better image (think Subaru Impreza) and get people in the showroom so they can see what a great car it really is. The new car looks better than a camry and hundreds times better than an accord.

rtolentino2

Just like to know if the "white" gauges are available on LS models. I learned that it's only available on their GTS models including the two tone colors "black & beige" (as posted in their website) is only available for the GTS models- is it??? I would say the V6 3.8 230 hp.will definitely beat their competitors in this category of mid-size sedans!!! I can't wait to see the '04 models in the market here in Southern CA.

rtolentino2

Just curious, what's IMO stands for??

maxamillion1

outback589

What will the engine choices be on the new '04 galant?

maxamillion1

The 2.4L makes 160 hp, and 157 lb-ft of torque

The 3.8L makes 230 hp, and 250 lb-ft of torque.

Gas mileage is:

23/30 (I4 w/ Automatic)
19/27 (V6 w/Automatic) (LS)
18/26 (V6 w/ Automatic) (GTS)

alpha01

3450 lbs for the 4, and does anyone know the stat for the oversized V6? I'm thinking that with all that extra weight, the V6 may not be as quick as the Altima, Accord, and Camry 3.3L. Already, the MPG isnt as good as Accord and Camry. I must say, I like the design of the interior of this new Galant, but I'm skeptical of the materials quality given C&D's recent road test. Also, no side curtains is extremely disappointing for a 2004 intro.

~alpha
~alpha

maxamillion1

....

3351/3373 (Galant DE and ES without sunroof/w sunroof)

3560/3583 (Galant LSV6 without sunroof/ w sunroof)

3649 (Galant GTS, has sunroof STANDARD)

The Galant is HEAVY!

I really like though, even if it doesn't have a stick shift.

alpha01

The Mitsubishi Crown Victoria!
(ok an exaggeration, but c'mon!!!)

~alpha

carguy58

They hit the 99 Galant perfectly, The interior fit and finish was a little off at that time from a 99 Accord but still the 99 Galant was more than an appealing contender in the mid-size car market at that time. This one they have pulled a 1998 Mazda 626: make it a Camry/accord contender but nothing to stand it apart from the Honda and Toyota crowd.

rtolentino2

I only partially agree on your '99 Galant - the chrome grill in front is perfect as compared to '02 & '03 models BUT, you better look at Car Reviews/Road Test results for this '99 model - it's below average - the '02 & '03 models got better results mainly because they did some adjustments on their specs & engines I believe!! But here comes the '04 model - both exterior & interiors beat their rivals, plus the engine V6 3.8 L 240 hp will make the difference w/ their competitors in this category - midsize sedans!!!! If you look at the pros & cons, the only disadvantages are: small trunk space from 14 to 13.something - does'nt matter / no 5-speed auto or manual transmission, who cares!!! / no folding down rear seats - who cares too!!! You're not supposed to put your big stuffs inside your trunk - common sense baby!! / and extra costs for additional features - it's your decision!! What really matter is: engine is perfect, both exterior & interior designs are well crafted & 3-4 trims to choose - sorry guys but this '04 will look oustanding when compared to Camry's & Altimas & Maximas on the road - wanna bet???? Give Mitsu Galant sometime,it will regain OR make a growth in their market share!!! I just can't wait to see & test drive a new '04 Galant GTS/LS!!!

rtolentino2

Not quite.........didn't you know the heavier your car in the road, the more stable it is UNLESS your engine is a 4cyl?? The v6 3.8L 230 hp. engine is perfect for this 04'Galant model, i don' see any problem on this - what do you think??? I also heard that they might introduce a 5-speed auto or manual transmission by middle of next year.

alpha01

I think that the car is somewhat of a disappointment. To add to your list, you forgot about side curtian airbags, and lower fuel economy figures than competing vehicles, which is where the heavy weight and no 5sp auto comes in as a negative. 3650lbs. is VERY heavy for a midsize, front drive entry. The 3.8L produces 230hp and 250lb. ft, which is decent, but again it has to pull around those 3600+ lbs, which I'm guessing is going to make the car feel less than agile (like the class leaders in handling- 6, Accord)

"didn't you know the heavier your car in the road, the more stable it is UNLESS your engine is a 4cyl??"

Please explain how number of cylinders correlates to stability/traction. I was under the impression it had to do with suspension, tires, rigidity, weight distribution. But I may be wrong.

Anyway, the Galant looks to me an undistinguished entry in this market. Incentives, incentives, incentives....

~alpha

maxamillion1

Went by Joe Gibson Mitsubishi today and they had a few new Galants in stock.

The car looks good, and the ES was priced for $18,997 before destination.

wantapassatnow

I have a 2000 Galant DE that I love, but my lease is up at the beginning of January so I am considering the '04 Galant. I haven't seen one in person yet, and I'm totally torn as to whether or not I like what I see in the photos. I mean, my 2000 is *great*-looking; looks like an older-style BMW. And though I prefer the black door handles etc. to the color-keyed ones, I will probably get an ES so that I can get side airbags.

As for the packages, I tried building the car on the Mitsubishi site. I tried to select the ES with the leather package (includes side airbags) and ABS, but it seems that if you select the leather package you also have to select the sunroof package and diamond package ... but I'm totally not interested in a sunroof or an upgraded stereo! So is this supposed to mean that if you want leather you have to get all the other extras? I hope not.

Also, I am considering the 2004 Volvo S40. Apparently the 2005 is a major redesign, so there's like $7k off the MSRP of the '04. Plus, the Volvo gets a way better insurance quote than the Mitsubishi. Can anyone give me pros or cons to getting the Mitsu vs. the Volvo? Thanks!

P.S. Disregard my screenname; it was created when I actually wanted a Passat. Then I test drove it. Yuck.

t6553gw

After 10 miles of test drive of 4 cylinder of 2004 Galant, I know that is going to be my next car. Rock solid and stable ride feels like a highend German.

jchan2

The Galant DE comes surprisingly well equipped. Same equipment as the Honda Accord LX, which costs more. Wonder why anybody even wants to jump to the LS with the DE and ES so well equipped.