There just really isn't much to commend the 2011 Mitsubishi Galant. The interior has a decidedly cheap feel, the engine lacks power, and overall the styling is dated. There are much better choices in an MSRP range of $21,599 to $23,999 with average fuel economy of 21 city and 30 highway -- namely the 2011 Ford Fusion and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata.
The Galant picked up its last refresh in 2004. Granted, there are more standard features on the table for this model year, but not enough for the Galant to catch up to the competition. There are two trims, the basic ES and the SE. There's only one engine, a 2.4-liter four cylinder with just 160 hp. (The Ford Fusion has 175 hp and the Honda Accord 177.) Add to the mix a four-speed transmission well on its way to being an antique, and there's nothing here to generate any excitement behind the wheel.
It would be nice to say something about the Galant's style if it had any. It is large as mid-sized sedans go, but it's pretty disappointing to buy a car in 2011 and feel like you're looking at the 2004 model. Visually, the things that distinguish it from the other family sedans are not what Mitsubishi would have hoped for. Harshly put, even brand new, the Galant looks old.
Once inside, you're confronted with a disappointing array of hard plastics and cheap trim. The stereo and climate controls look like something out of the Eighties. It's comfortable enough, but in an annoying way. The Galant has less head, leg, and hip room than the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion, and Hyundai Sonata -- yet another area where this car just does not make the grade.
So, is the Galant good at anything? Yes. It earned the highest scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety for front and side impact tests, with just slightly lower marks on roof strength. Rear crash ratings, however, are just "marginal." The government hasn't tested the 2011, but gave the 2010 five stars on all tests except frontal-impact driver protection and rollovers where the sedan earned four.
In the final analysis, what is there to say? Seven years ago this was a great family sedan with good appointments and high value. Mitsubishi has let it age and it shows in every detail. Buyers should take a pass and move on to better models in the affordable mid-sized car class -- there are many of them.
