2005 Mitsubishi Galant Review

The Mitsubishi Galant brings value, styling and competence to the mid-size sedan market. That's no small feat when competing against superb sedans such as the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, and Nissan Altima. The Galant is enjoyable to drive and offers all the benefits of the other cars in this class. There's a lot to like about it and including it in your shopping list makes good sense.

In the past, Mitsubishi has played around the edges of the mainstream market, offering products best known for their quirks and eccentricities. But that changed with the introduction of this all-new, larger, and greatly improved Galant.

The Galant does everything well. It rides comfortably and quietly and offers responsive handling. Its optional V6 provides ample power for passing, and its automatic transmission shifts smoothly. Its cabin is roomy and comfortable. We'll let you decide on the styling. It is distinctive.

This newest generation of the Galant was launched as a 2004 model. Safety is enhanced in the 2005 Mitsubishi Galant with seat-mounted, side-impact airbags now standard on all models.

The Mitsubishi Galant is no compact, it's a mid-size car. Entirely new for 2004, this Galant is significantly larger than the previous-generation model. Nearly 5 inches was added to the wheelbase, 3 inches to the overall length and 4 inches to the width.

The Galant makes a strong styling statement. Not everyone agrees on the success of the design, but there's no disputing it's fresh and different. Head on, the Galant brings to mind the Mitsubishi Endeavor and Outlook SUVs. A dominating, vertical bar splits the grille, the outboard ends of which bend upward as if it's grinning. Sculpted headlight housings cover the forward edges of the front fenders. A strong, fully integrated, one-piece bumper and lower fascia with inset fog lights complete the presentation.

The profile of the Galant avoids the traditional box-on-box look commonly associated with conservative mid-size sedans. The roofline picks up from the graceful sweep of the hood and arcs cleanly over perfectly proportioned side windows. Door handles are perfect matches of each other with easy-to-grasp, full-round pulls. Wheel arches are mildly blistered and circular, wrapping concentrically around the tires. The deck lid seems truncated, as if it were abruptly chopped off when somebody realized it was getting too long to stay in balance with the front overhang. The aerodynamicists argue this works well in a wind tunnel, but on the street, it's a bit of a visual hiccup.

The view from the rear is something else, almost as if different people designed the two ends of the car. Where the front is soft and molded, the back is angular and carved, tending much more toward the vertical. Adding to the awkward, not-quite-finished look, the license plate hangs off the lower edge of the rear bumper, almost as if it were an afterthought. The GTS presents a more finished rear departure than the other models, with its nicely tailored, understated spoiler lip along the trailing edge of the trunk lid; and its modular-style taillight assemblies.