2007 Mitsubishi Galant Ralliart 4-door Sedan
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SPECS
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A car built and aimed for the young set, the new Galant Ralliart is a fun car to drive with its Sportronic 5-speed automatic transmission and responsive 3.8-liter V6 engine. Performance being the name of the game today, all manufacturers are offering something along these lines; a car that's practical (4 doors) yet, provides the sporty feeling and get-up-and-go drivers look for.
The only option included on our test Galant Ralliart was the navigation system ($1,850) with Mitsubishi Multi communication system with DVD based navigation, full map, 7-inch LCD Touch screen panel and points of interest locator. The nav system is mounted front and center on the dash, high enough to see well, but also high enough to be somewhat of a distraction.
The Ralliart-as most vehicles with a starting price upwards of $26,000-offers a lot of standard equipment including such things as 8-way power adjustable driver seat with lumbar, daytime running lights, tire pressure monitoring system, dual seat mounted side airbags and advanced dual stage front airbags. ABS, automatic air conditioning, cruise, and 6-months of Sirius Satellite radio.
And for sportiness the Galant Ralliart comes with aluminum brake and gas pedals, integrated fog lamps, exhaust finisher, lower side aero kit, and color-keyed spoiler with LED, sport-wrapped steering wheel, leather shift knob and sport-tuned suspension.
The sound system in the Galant Ralliart is a 360 woofer Rockford Acoustic Design Premium audio system with three speakers, and 6-Disc CD/MP3 changer. The sound is plentiful and fitting of a car in this category.
Power windows, doors and locks are of course, standard equipment, as is a front console with armrest storage and dual cupholders. The center console features a colored LCD center with audio, compass, temperature/time/calendar display. A calendar-something different-is a nice extra and for those who are challenged by dates and times, it's a help. The IP cluster is white and a tad drab but easy to read.
Mitsubishi's DVD-based navigation system offers a full map on its 7-inch LCD touch screen panel, a points locator and multi communication system. Side mirrors are color-keyed and the glass sunroof is power with a sunshade. The auto-off projector-type headlamps, although a common feature today, are nice and something one gets accustomed to when driving at night. One less thing to think about.
We thought the total vehicle price, so-close-to-$30,000 was tough to take. The Galant, with four trim lines to choose from, has a history of good crash-test results and spirited powertrains, but depreciation is less than stellar. A "recommended" buy of Consumer Reports folks, Galant has turned in "average" reliability and according to CR, "a choppy and stiff ride."
Competition for the Galant includes Mazda6, Chevrolet Malibu, Kia Optima, Chrysler Sebring and Nissan Altima.
Reviewed by Susan Frissell