Ever test-driven a Mitsubishi Galant when shopping for a family sedan? We suspect that most of you have not. But for 2004, Mitsubishi has given the Accord-Camry crowd reason to take this small-time player seriously. Much like Nissan's Altima, the formerly undersized and underpowered Galant has grown into one of the roomiest and most powerful cars in its class.

Alas, the Galant's midpack finish tells you this still isn't the perfect family sedan. Most notably, our loaded GTS test vehicle was missing several key features — you won't find full-length side curtain airbags, a folding rear seat, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel or a grocery net for the trunk anywhere on the window sticker. In addition, the quality of some of the interior materials is mediocre. And although the Galant's cabin is spacious, other sedans offer more comfortable rear-seat accommodations and better storage provisions. These issues, along with middle-of-the-road personal and recommended ratings from editors, were enough to drop the Mitsubishi to sixth place.

Without question, the driving experience is the best thing about the Galant. For starters, there's the large displacement 3.8-liter V6 that produces enough torque off the line to push you back into the driver seat. Rated for 230 horsepower and a class-leading 250 pound-feet of torque, the engine is easily a match for the Altima's 3.5-liter; the two sedans turned in almost identical acceleration times during instrumented testing. If the Galant dropped a few pounds (it weighed 400 pounds more than the Altima and was the heaviest car in the test), there's little doubt that it would have had broken away from its rival. A slimmer Galant would also be likely to return better gas mileage numbers; the car's 18 mpg city estimate was the lowest of the group.

On public roads, the Mitsubishi accelerates with ease at any speed and is right at home in cutthroat freeway environments. The engine can't match the quiet, refined demeanor of a Honda or Toyota V6. It also has a huskier tone than the Altima's and tends to drone a bit on the highway. It's all a matter of what you like, really — if you're looking for performance, this one won't disappoint.

A four-speed automatic transmission is standard on all Galants, and our test car's tranny could always be counted upon to execute sharp, well-timed shifts. Mitsubishi has included an automanual gate, and the driver has full control over shift points in this mode (save for the delays between gear selection and actual engagement). The one thing Mitsubishi doesn't offer is a manual transmission option — not a big deal if you're an Accord or Camry buyer, but it's something you can get on sporting peers like the Altima and Mazda 6.

Expert suspension tuning makes the Mitsubishi Galant everybody's friend: The car rides softly enough to coddle weekday commuters yet is able to maintain a tight level of composure when the road turns twisty. Only the sedan's large size and weight keep it from feeling as nimble as a Mazda 6, and as one editor wrote, "It feels big until you start throwing it around, then it gets small in a hurry."

The steering doesn't communicate with the driver in the same way that the Mazda's does, but the Galant's rack is nonetheless well weighted and quick to respond to input. The brake pedal operates in a progressive manner, and there's ample power to bring this heavyweight to a quick stop.

Inside, Mitsubishi has attempted to set the Galant apart from the crowd through liberal use of faux aluminum trim and large white-faced analog gauges that, along with the other controls, light up in the brightest of blue hues at night. While not everyone on our staff was wild about the results, the ensemble does give the Mitsu a distinct flavor far preferable to the comparatively bland cabin of the Malibu. Moreover, our test car's black interior was a much better complement for the "cool metals" look than the blond interior of the Galant we tested previously.

As in the Altima, materials quality is hit or miss. The soft-touch upper dash and leather upholstery have a quality look and feel, but the thin plastics on the lower dash, console and door panels need work. Our early preproduction tester also had some build issues, including a disintegrating front-passenger door and some misaligned panels. Two other '04 Galants we've examined had no such problems, though, so we'll cautiously write this off as an isolated case.

The front seats are broad and extremely well cushioned, so much so that "it's like sitting on a good couch," one editor said. Although some people might prefer more in the way of firm bolstering, our drivers found these to be some of the more comfortable seats in the test. Complaints include the absence of padding on the center armrest and the lack of telescopic adjustment for the steering wheel.

In back, the accommodations are as roomy as those of the Accord, Altima and Camry, and indeed, our tallest editor reported that he had adequate headroom and legroom. As in the front, the cushioning is quite soft, and optimal bench height and depth assure excellent thigh support. Unfortunately, Mitsubishi didn't see through all the details; there's no place to rest an elbow on the hard plastic door panels, nor are there adjustable head restraints to keep taller passengers comfortable on long trips. Beyond that, the entry process can be a little more difficult in the Galant than in some other sedans — the rear doors don't open wide enough, one editor reported, after twisting and turning her daughter's car seat to get it into the backseat. We were also puzzled by the lack of grab handles (the Galant was the only car in the test that didn't have them).

We found most of the Galant's controls easy to use, thanks to the designers' preference for large dials, knobs and buttons. As in the Mazda 6, the stereo and climate controls appear as one unit, but subtly different dial designs and color coding for temperature adjustment help prevent confusion between the two. Additionally, there's an intuitive set of auxiliary stereo controls on the back of the steering wheel spokes. What we're not sure about is the separate multipurpose display positioned at the top of the dash. The idea is that it puts all of the relevant information at eye level, but in practice the Accord's larger, center stack-mounted display seems easier to read at a glance.

Storage space is limited for a family sedan, with little else in the front besides average-size door bins, an average-size console container and a large glovebox. In the rear, provisions are limited to a single map pocket. Trunk capacity is just 13.3 cubic feet (the smallest of the group); this is offset somewhat by a large opening that allows you to get the most out of the available space.

Despite its sixth-place finish, the Galant's problems would be easy to fix. Replace a few of the questionable materials, add a few choice items to the features list and create a few more storage areas, and this car would be a serious challenger to the class leadership. In its current form, however, the Mitsu must settle for being a performance-oriented alternative (with comfy seats and a superb stereo) to the top-rated family sedans.

Second Opinions:

Editor in Chief Karl Brauer says:
It would appear that Mitsubishi has looked at its crosstown rival, Nissan, and concluded, "If you can't beat 'em, join em." Like the 2002 Altima, the 2004 Galant is better than the previous version in every way. It's larger (and heavier), it's more powerful, and its outer shell displays far more attitude than the outgoing model. Certainly I expected an improvement for the '04 model year — it was a complete redesign after all. But I didn't expect it to be this good (if these sentiments sound familiar, it's because we felt the exact same way about the 2002 Altima).

The new Galant's biggest advantage comes from its 3.8-liter V6 engine. This is the largest engine in the class, and not surprisingly, it was also the quickest in our acceleration tests; and it feels as torquey as the strong power plants in the Accord, Altima and Camry. The motor isn't quite as refined as a Honda or Toyota V6, but the underhood roar is more appealing than annoying (like in the Altima). Even more unexpected was the Galant's nimble demeanor when driven rapidly on a twisty road or through our slalom. Though heavier than Mazda's sporty 6, the Galant felt just as buttoned down and offered superb steering feedback. In this aspect, it beats the Nissan.

So it's got Altima-like horsepower and 6-like handling. Sounds like a segment leader, right? Not exactly. The interior materials still fall short in various areas (like, ummm…the Altima) and our preproduction model had major build-quality issues, though we'd like to think these will be addressed in final production versions. Some of the controls are a bit confusing as well, and not everyone is going to like the neon-blue instrument lighting (though most of our staff did). Still, this car offers a compelling combination of performance, style and all-around attitude. For those looking to break out of the Accord-Camry doldrums, you now have something else to test-drive…in addition to the Altima.

Senior Road Test Editor Ed Hellwig says:
I liked this car the first time I drove it a few months ago, but in the end the interior just didn't do it for me. After driving it back-to-back with its competition, however, the Galant's abilities and style have grown on me. Taking it through the cones on the test track revealed a chassis that's as solid as any other sedan in the test, and its torque-rich power plant never fails to deliver a strong punch in the back when it's needed. Such traits make it a competent around-town errand runner and a comfortable long-distance touring sedan.

As far as the interior goes, there's still plenty of room for improvement. The materials are a step below Honda and Toyota and the overall look is more trendy than classy. There's plenty of room, easy-to-use controls and solid visibility, but overall I never warmed up to the Galant's cabin the same way I did with the Accord and Camry. Then again, I didn't have as much fun driving the Honda and Toyota as I did the Galant, so choosing one or the other might come down to priorities. If you're looking for a family sedan with more personality than refinement, the Mitsubishi Galant would make a fine choice, but more sensible minds are apt to prefer its more mainstream competitors.