2007 Mitsubishi Galant Review

You don't need to be a racing enthusiast to have knowledge of the Dakar Road Rally. It's an endurance race across the African desert that Mitsubishi has won more than any other manufacturer. The racing division at Mitsubishi has lent its racing insights into several street models and the Galant Ralliart is the latest I had a chance to test.

Seriously void of parched desert, Chicagoland was a fine alternative for putting the Galant Ralliart through some challenging moves on the pavement. The Galant is a subtle statement compared to some of the other performance sedans in the market. Many go a bit overboard trying to be muscular or too aggressive looking. There is something to be said for subtlety - but in the end, no matter how it looks, it had better perform.

My tester had a beautiful Kalapana Black paint scheme. When you take into account the low rear spoiler and the stunning 18-inch alloy wheels, this sporty sedan was taking an aggressive stance, but it never felt over the top or gaudy.

And it wasn't even moving yet.

I do appreciate the credo that states, let what's under the hood do the talkin'. Believe me, this tester can do plenty of talkin'. Performance sedans are increasingly popular with drivers who enjoy large sedan cabin space with a spirited driving experience. I particularly enjoyed the Galant Ralliart for the spacious cabin, but make no doubt that this Galant is all about the driving experience.

So what's driving this rally-inspired Mitsubishi that is anointed with the colorful logo splashes that signify the Ralliart moniker? Let's start with the 3.8-liter V6 under the hood. Mitsubishi claims a 0-60 mph jump in less than 7 seconds. I didn't have a stopwatch, but unscientifically speaking, I believe them. My tester stood up and took off at the slightest punch of the accelerator.

This Galant is powerful off the line and the 5-speed automatic shifts effortlessly through the range to get you quickly where you aim the Galant. The V6 delivers 258 horsepower with 258 lb-ft of torque. The speed sensitive power steering is responsive and I felt in control at all times.

Inside my Galant Ralliart was a sophisticated cabin featuring a taut leather interior, racing inspired gauges with clean faces and easy-to-read sightlines. The driver's seat had 8-way power adjustments and lumbar support. The sport-wrapped steering wheel had audio controls conveniently located at finger's reach while the shift knob was leather wrapped and encouraged gripping as if this were a manual trans. A really understated feature of the Galant Ralliart is the aluminum brake and gas pedals. They look and feel like they belong in a car meant to compete.

My Galant tester had the Navigation Package ($1,850) featuring a DVD based navigation system with an easy-to-read 7-inch touch-screen LCD. It worked well the few times I punched in mapping information and requested directions, so I guess it is worth the up-charge in this case. Some models I have tested wouldn't be worth a $500 charge.

If you are going to be putting some serious driving time into the Galant Ralliart, and I think the type of consumer that is attracted to this performance sedan loves to put time in behind the wheel, you must have a audio system worthy of accenting the driving experience. Thankfully, my tester had the standard Ralliart system featuring a 360-watt Rockford premium tuner with eight speakers, 6-disc player and Sirius Satellite Radio service.

Fuel economy is 18 city and 27 highway. The Ralliart requires premium fuel to hit those numbers, and for the life of the engine it is always best to put in the extra few cents per gallon for premium and assure yourself of getting all the potential performance out of the engine you paid for.

Overall, my base tester was $26,999, plus the $1,850 for the Nav System. Total tax and delivery was $29,474, which is competitive with other performance sedans in the class and certainly Ralliart is above average on the performance aspect.