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The Mitsubishi Galant makes a strong styling statement. The long, wedgy stance of the Mitsubishi Galant leaves no doubt that it is a bona-fide midsize sedan.
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 Outlander SUVs. A dominating, vertical bar splits the grille, the outboard ends of which bend upward as if 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.
In profile, the Galant avoids the boring 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 integrate nicely into the design while providing an easy grasp. Wheel arches are mildly blistered and boldly 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.
Interior Features
The Galant has a roomy, comfortable interior. The seats are supportive without being overly firm. The GTS seats seem to offer a bit more support because of the leather upholstery. Also, the LS and GTS offer more adjustments. A dead pedal is positioned on the same plane as the accelerator, giving drivers a place to brace their left leg when cornering or for reduced strain on long trips.
Galant matches the generous front legroom in the Honda Accord, but Accord offers about a half-inch more headroom with a sunroof, and nearly an inch more without. Taller people should think twice about ordering the sunroof, as it reduces front headroom by 2 inches. Otherwise, interior roominess is comparable to that of the Chevrolet Malibu and Nissan Altima, placing Galant among the roomiest sedans in the class. Visibility is good all around, notably to the rear quarters, thanks to slim C-pillars. The high beltline gives passengers a secure feeling.
Controls are right-sized and easy to use, with knobs and buttons and rocker switches galore. The HVAC (heater) knobs are big and easy to operate even with gloves on. The A/C indicator is hard to see in bright sunlight, however. At night the instruments are cobalt blue on black, and on all but DE the audio panel now features ice blue LED illumination.
Quality of materials is hit and miss, with the climate control and audio panel a big hit, making the rest more of a miss than it would be otherwise. The interior of the basic DE is quite plain, of course. The ES, LS, and GTS add bright metallic trim (a silver tone for '06 replacing the '05's titanium) to the door handles, radio buttons, and the dashboard's accent panels; with a new black metallic finish highlighting the center audio panel.
In addition to its standard leather upholstery, GTS features wood accents for a richer look. Mitsubishi still offers a choice of black or creme leather; but now when you order creme the door armrests, door grips, center console lid, and seatbelts are all color-coordinated (instead of black) for a better-integrated appearance. Even the wood on the dash is lighter: With creme you get what Mitsubishi calls Brownwood, while black-leather Galants still feature Blackwood.
The dash still has a clinical look, however, friendly to the eyes but cold and austere in presence. Geometric shapes and angles in the steering wheel spokes don't mesh well with the slopes, arcs and arches of the gauge cluster. The standard steering wheel doesn't feel like a high-quality piece, either; fortunately a nicer leather-wrapped wheel comes with the GTS. Each door has a storage pocket. Two medium-size cup holders are molded into the front center console rearward of the shift gate; where dust, dirt and spilled liquids are likely to require regular wipe-ups.
The rear seat is reasonably roomy and adequate, though the seating position is a bit low and the bottom cushions could offer a bit more thigh support. Rear-seat passengers enjoy decent headroom in spite of the Galant's dramatically sloping roofline.
The Galant's trunk is slightly smaller than Accord's, and its trunk opening is a bit restricted. Galant's rear seats cannot be folded down to extend the cargo space, a significant omission in this segment.
For 2006, the keyless entry controls have been integrated into the key, eliminating the separate fob.
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