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I have always liked a solid well controlled
ride (I have had 7 Audis over the years but with two kids in college compromises must be made - they all will be done this year so maybe back to an Audi in a couple of years). I like the GTS very much so far. Lots of power, good handling, and better build quality than the D's. The D's were very quite and had a soft (Buick like) ride with sloppy handling. The GTS is not as quite do to tires and suspension that contribute to the handling. Wind noise is also higher. you mentioned wind noise in your car but I never found this to be an issue. I was always amazed that the noise level in the D did not increase very much from 60 mph to 90 mph. I did love that aspect of the D's. That said I don't find the increased noise of the GTS to be big deal. I always though that the last generation Accords were not the quit est cars. The GTS has a lot more personalty than my mothers new Camry or the D's. So far the GTS perfect and the automatic climate control works perfectly.
~alpha
Mitsu hasnt exactly hit a home run with the redesigned Galant. Its not selling well. Its not selling well because it is simply an alternative- with no distinct advantages- against Camry, Accord, Altima. Its not a better alternative.
Perhaps Mitsus strongest contender, aside from the kick-[non-permissible content removed] EVO (which is a niche vehicle) is the Endeavor. But its not selling well.
Ah, but the unimpressive Montero, Montero Sport, and Diamante are all still around.
~alpha
I;m not slamming Mitsu I'm just expressing my opinion. The EVO and Endeavor have style to them.
Mitsu should be a company that builds nice looking cars(elegant looking)not sporty like Mazda and not bland and conservative like Toyota. They need to split that exterior styling difference between those 2 companies.
Interiors in Mitsu;s have always been a weak point to me compared to the competition. The 93-98 Galant had an alright interior but Honda's and Toyota's interiors were still ahead of the ball game in the mid 90's.
"The redesigned Mitsubishi Galant is a sound car but isn't much of an improvement over the previous generation. The four-cylinder engine delivers quick acceleration and decent fuel economy, but it is very noisy under acceleration. The stiff ride transmits impacts to the passengers, and the wide, 43-foot turning circle hampers maneuverability.
The quality of the interior materials and rear-seat room aren't on par with that of competitors such as the Mazda6. Overall, this is a middle-of-the-pack sedan".
I like it a lot. It rides nicely and it is quiet. For my money, it's a LOT of car.
I was looking at the following cars because I was trying to stay under $12,000.
99-01 Honda Accord
02-03 Chevy Malibu
00-01 Toyota Camry
02 Honda Civic
Basically, I happened upon the Galant and drove it for a few hours. I was impressed! The ride was great, standard power options...For my money, I would be getting a much newer car still under most of the factory warranty and I was getting a car that no one on my block has (They all have Toyota, Honda or Malibu!)
The Galant has bad resale value - so don't buy it new! The money I saved now more than makes up for the low price I will get when I decide to sell it. Also, the inside is a bit uninspired looking - no doo-dads and pockets and stuff, but overall, I would rather not have those doo-hickeys than buy an Accord with all those fancy shmancy objects, 25k more miles, 2 years older and $2,000 more money!
Mitsubishi is a reliable company. It's not at the very top, but certainly it is better than most domestic companies. I am happy with my decision. I just don't know why so many people detest Mitsubishi.
The most interesting thing about the study is the huge showing by Korean companies, particularly Hyundai. As a corporate entity, Hyundai is tied with Honda in 2nd place for initital quality, right behind Toyota. And people thought it would take many many years before Hyundai could match Honda/Toyota. Mitsubishi was below average, but was rated higher then Saturn, Saab, VW, Mazda, and Nissan. Here is the link:
http://www.jdpower.com/news/releases/pressrelease.asp?ID=2004037
As for the technnology ... compared to some cars in the class the Sonata isn't feature-laden. You now have cars with navigation systems, satellite radio, dual-zone climate, electronic brake distribution, LED gauges, etc. Another example is that the Sonata V6 still uses a cast iron block. Most modern V6 engines use all aluminum.
That said, according to the press reception as well as the current sales pace of the Galant, its going to be at least until the NEXT Galant that it performs for Mitsu as the Camry and Accord do for Toyota and Honda. That is of course, if Mitsu Motors can stay afloat in this country that long. Why should consumers be confident in Mitsu's products? The Lancer (save the rad EVO) is competent but uninspired and lacking in competitive advantage (ie... a dud), the Montero, Montero Sport, Diamante.. all date back to the mid 90s, and the Outlander isnt as good as Forester, CRV, RAV, Escape. Someone on another thread here at Edmunds.com pointed out that the Galant is a "Good" car. I concur. But this is 2004, and merely "Good" isnt enough.
IMO, the only mass produced Mitsu truly worth a look is the well conceived but somewhat oddly executed Endeavor.
~alpha
THANKS
As for the Lancer, the new Ralliart model is more then competitive in its class. For a list price of 18k (buy it for much cheaper), it blows away the Civic and Corolla in performance and has more refinement and room then the Sentra 2.5.
If you aren't all gung-ho on doohickeys, bells and whistles, then the galant is perfect! It's still a SWEET car without all the pockets and stuff, but it is a tremendous deal! Comparable to teh galant is an '02 accord, chevy malibu and camry. The Camry and Accord are at least $3k more expensive and you'd get a higher mileage vehicle.
The Lancer Ralliart is a good entry, and had it been around when I bought my 2.5L Sentra, I would have given it a shot. I like the increased room over the Sentra, but the refinement issue is debateable, I didnt think the Lancer 2.0L that I drove was particularly impressive, at least not more so than the Sentra 2.5. Again, Im big on head protection side airbags, which the Ralliart doesnt give you. Depreciation according to Automotive Lease Guide (of the Lancer LS and Sentra 1.8S, I couldnt find figures for Ralliart and 2.5S) is 4 to 5 percentage points of MSRP better in the Nissan after 2 and 4 years, which also counts somewhat in my book.
~alpha
As stated before, consumers have high standards and expectations. To merely just meet them is not enough anymore. Car companies must EXCEED them in order to be competitive; otherwise people will go to the brand that does this on a consistent basis.
What's with the blocky/square look like on this new Endeavor (which is selling very slow too).
Fire the people that are drawing or design these cars and bring a team in that appreciates beauty on the car. You can be innovative on technology without have to make your entire car look "cheap" and ugly. This is from a previous '89 Galant owner too.
gkearns56- Thank you for your kind words. I hope to be in the automotive industry someday, in marketing/research/consulting... something of that ilk. For now, it looks like Im in Finance at Big Pharma .
~alpha
Heres what Car and Driver said in July 1993 when the Galants 2.4L made its debut for the 2004 model year.
"Lows: Hard ride, rough engine at low speeds"
Of the Camry in the same issue: "Any four cylinder roughness melts away by 1500 RPM".
An excerpt from the September 1999 issue of Car and Driver of the same engine in the Camry:
On the Camrys 4th place finish and lack of power (which WAS the biggest issue with the 97-01s):
"How can an enthusiast magazine countenance such dawdling? One word: refinement. Under wide open throttle, the Camry and Galant emit the least noise among this bunch, and the Toyota's idle is so smooth that we have been known to engage the starter in an already running car."
Ahh yes, you say! That Galant. BUT the Galant tested was a V6, and you'd be hard pressed to find commentary on the Galant 4s refinement similar to that which Ive given about the Camrys (underpowered) 4. I couldnt.
2) The current MIVEC iteration of the 2.4L Galant is not even in the same ballpark in terms of quiet and refinement as the 2.4L offered by Honda and Toyota.
The Galants current 4 cylinder sounds unrefined and noisy at about 3500 RPM. Thats not high. IMO, neither is 4000. The best engines maintain their composure throughout the powerband, which the Galant 2.4L MIVEC does not do. I criticized the engine for its noise in my December post here, and it was also panned by Car and Driver, Consumer Reports, and USA Today's James Healy, who said this:
"The four-cylinder has the coarse sound of an aged tractor. That turns into an acceptable growl when spurred hard, but otherwise is obnoxious."
You're in the minority with respect to the 2.4L, my friend.
3)HOWEVER, I would agree that the 2.0L is probably on par, perhaps better than the 1.8L from Toyota (the 2.0L engine feels slow revving though, which perhaps enhances impressions of smoothness) and is better than the Sentras 1.8L. The Lancer 2.0L, however, coupled with either tranmssion, poses a poor power/fuel economy tradeoff. (Its almost like a latter day Camry 2.2 that I spoke of earlier this post.)
~alpha
Mine was an '03 with 14k miles. I just had a power sunroof put in it! I got the dover pearl white.
What I'm trying to say is that Mitsubishi makes a very smooth running four cylinder. The level of vibration and harshness that can be felt is lower then many other four bangers. I was very impressed by a 94 Galant my sister test drove and by a 00 Galant I drove. The car was peppy and the engine very smooth. It felt more like a V6. Sound effects at full throttle aside, the Mitsu engine is smooth, refined, and quiet. It may not be the best engine in its class, but it's hardly not competitive. And I wouldn't say the engine loses its composure when its just as smooth at redline as it is at idle.
I should find out soon enough how well their older 2.4 runs. I may be buying a 93 Expo LRV Sport tomorrow. I've been wanting one of these for a long time and I finally found one in good all around shape. Wish me luck since it will be a big gamble buying such an old car on limited funds already stretched between 4 cars, LOL.
What I'm trying to say is that Mitsubishi makes a very smooth running four cylinder. The level of vibration and harshness that can be felt is lower then many other four bangers. I was very impressed by a 94 Galant my sister test drove and by a 00 Galant I drove. The car was peppy and the engine very smooth. It felt more like a V6. Sound effects at full throttle aside, the Mitsu engine is smooth, refined, and quiet. It may not be the best engine in its class, but it's hardly not competitive. And I wouldn't say the engine loses its composure when its just as smooth at redline as it is at idle.
I should find out soon enough how well their older 2.4 runs. I may be buying a 93 Expo LRV Sport tomorrow. I've been wanting one of these for a long time and I finally found one in good all around shape. Wish me luck since it will be a big gamble buying such an old car on limited funds alerady stretched between 4 cars, LOL.
About the 2.4L:
"It may not be the best engine in its class, but it's hardly not competitive. And I wouldn't say the engine loses its composure when its just as smooth at redline as it is at idle."
I didnt say its not competitive, I just said that its not as smooth and refined as the current 2.4Ls from Honda and Toyota. It is also loud, and I do feel it loses some composure at higher revs.
I used reviews and quotes to back up my impressions. We can agree to disagree- but when it comes down to it, most sources cite the current Accord and Camry 2.4s as better engines. The Galant's is not a bad engine by any stretch of the imagination, but it is simply not as good as the Camcord 4s.
~alpha
As for the Expo, I'm the proud new owner of this extremely versatile little vehicle. I got a 93 Sport model that has the rare factory power sunroof (along with all other power options, factory alloy wheels, and rear spoiler). It's 2 tone with tan on top and dark grey on the bottom. It looks very sharp and only has 73k! It amazes me that this car didn't sell better. The sliding rear door makes it so easy to get in and out of the back in tight areas and lessens the chances of door dings. Visibility is darn near perfect with the high seating position and walls of glass. The cargo space is massive with the seat up or down. And that 2.4 liter engine is a smooth revver with more spunk then you expect. I put the accelerator down halfway and it peeled out. At 80 mph, the engine is loafing along at a tepid 2700 rpms and is very quiet and even the wind noise is low (my Aerio SX was much worse in this regard). Mitsu sure designed a great mini-minivan that was way ahead of its time. It's too bad there is nothing else on the market today quite like it. I'm gonna hold on to this little gem for a long time and I hope my dog appreciates the money I spent so he can go places with me, LOL. This is now my 4th Mitsubishi product.