1998 Mitsubishi Galant Review

1998 Mitsubishi Galant

Made in IL.

by: Dan Jedlicka

It's easy for this $17,670-$25,310 sedan to get lost in the crowd. The front-drive car not only is up against autos such as the mid-size Camry and Honda Accord, but also must compete with well-known compact cars such as the Nissan Altima and Ford Contour.

But the made-in-Illinois Galant offers a lot, including a smooth but fairly innocuous body and plenty of space for four 6-footers. The large trunk has a conveniently low opening for loading cargo, although owners must be careful not to hit their head on the prominent latch of the trunk lid when it's popped open.

The interior is quiet except for some road noise. It contains too much plastic, but the glovebox is huge and power window controls are nicely placed on the driver's door. Too bad the radio controls are too tiny for a driver to easily use when under way. And why do the back windows stop just an inch or so short of going down all the way?

The supportive front seats are flat and firm, and one sits fairly low in the car. Gauges can be read quickly.

The 1998 Galant gets minor new items, such as solar tinted glass and a heavy duty starter and battery. Mitsubishi has been promising a V-6 for years, but the Galant won't get one until the redesigned 1999 model arrives this fall.

Still, the car's 2.4-liter four-cylinder provides 141 horsepower and good torque. Acceleration is lively in town and on highways, thanks to an overhead camshaft and four valves per cylinder.

Balance shafts smooth out typical four-cylinder engine roughness. And the overhead-camshaft, 16-valve engine delivers 23 m.p.g. in the city and 30 on highways with the five-speed manual transmission standard for the DE and ES and 22 and 28 with the four-speed automatic standard for the top-line LS.

The entry-level DE doesn't have much equipment. But the $17,670 ES is well-equipped, with items including air conditioning, power windows and locks and an AM/FM stereo with cassette, which costs $350 for the DE. Without that option, the DE has no radio.

The top-line LS is loaded with items, including a power driver's seat, leather upholstery, power glass sunroof and anti-lock brakes. Alas, you can't get those brakes on the DE, but they're a $965 extra for the ES.

An all-independent suspension provides a good ride and decent handling and the power steering is accurate, with good road feedback. An easily modulated brake pedal helps the car stop quickly and surely.

The reliable, pleasant Galant is nicely built and should appeal to those looking for solid family transportation.

Dan Jedlicka

Dan Jedlicka joined the Chicago Sun-Times in February 1968 as a business news reporter and was named auto editor later that year. He has reviewed more than 4,000 new vehicles for the Sun-Times--far more than any newspaper auto writer in the country. Jedlicka also reviewed vehicles for Microsoft Corp.'s MSN Autos Internet site from January, 1996, to June, 2008.

Jedlicka remained auto editor at the Sun-Times until October, 2008, and continued writing for the newspaper's AutoTimes section, which he started in 1992, until February, 2009. While continuing his auto writings at the Sun-Times, he served as assistant financial editor of that newspaper from 1970 to 1973, when he began his automotive column.

He has appeared on numerous radio and television shows, including NBC's "Today," ABC's "20/20" and "The CBS Evening News." He was a host, consultant and writer for Fox-TV Channel 32's 1991 New Car Preview show and that Chicago-based station's 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995 Chicago Auto Show Previews.

Jedlicka's auto articles have been printed in national magazines, including Esquire and Harper's. His auto columns have been reprinted in U.S. government publications and economic textbooks and he is profiled in the "World's Greatest Auto Show" history book about the Chicago Auto Show. In late 1975, Jedlicka was host and technical advisor for three one-hour television specials, "Auto Test 76," which aired nationally on PBS and were the first nationally televised auto road test shows.

In 1995, Jedlicka was the recipient of the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois Inc.'s Consumer Education Award, given annually to a person who has gained distinction in the field of consumer education. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Media category and inducted into the Legends of Motorsports Guild at the Carquest World of wheels custom car show in Chicago in January, 2006.

Jedlicka was a member of the North American Car and Truck of the Year jury, composed of a select number of auto journalists from throughout the country, from 1995 until 2009. From 2010 to 2012, he was a member of Consumer Digest magazine's auto experts panel that gave Best Buy new vehicle recommendations.

He is a 1987 graduate of the Bob Bondurant Race Drivers School and later of the BMW "M" and Skip Barber Advanced Driving schools. He was a member of the U.S. team that participated in the 1987 1,000-mile Mille Miglia race/rally in Italy and has been a race winner at the Chicago area's Santa Fe Speedway.

Jedlicka has owned 25 classic cars, including 1950s and 1960s Ferraris and 1950s and 1960s Porsches, a 1965 Corvette, a 1967 Maserati and a 1957 Studebaker supercharged Golden Hawk. Jedlicka resides with his wife, Suzanne, in the Frank Lloyd Wright historic district of Oak Park. They have two children, James and Michele.

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