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2001
Mitsubishi Galant

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$17,557
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Available trims

See the differences side-by-side to compare trims.
  • 4dr Sdn DE
    Starts at
    $17,557
    21 City / 28 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas I4
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn ES
    Starts at
    $18,407
    21 City / 28 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas I4
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn ES V6
    Starts at
    $20,307
    20 City / 27 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn LS V6
    Starts at
    $23,907
    20 City / 27 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • 4dr Sdn GTZ V6
    Starts at
    $24,007
    20 City / 27 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs

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Expert 2001 Mitsubishi Galant review

our expert's take
Our expert's take
By Alan Vonderhaar
Full article
our expert's take

One almost feels sorry for the Mitsubishi Galant, or any car that is sent forth to go mano a mano with the likes of the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.

It didn’t take the Supreme Court to make the call on this one: when the votes were tallied for the last model year, the Accord handily won the title of best-selling car in the U.S., though Toyota made a good race of it. And this is people voting with their pocketbooks for what often is a more expensive machine than many comparably-equipped rivals. Why? Reliability is the word I hear most often.

Both the Accord and Camry have earned icon status for dependability. The Galant has not. Consumer Reports rates it worse than average for both depreciation and cost of upkeep. Both Accord and Camry are rated above the norm in these categories.

But, if you mean to keep your car forever and don’t fret about the occasional trip to the dealer’s service area – or want to stand apart from the herd – the Galant would not be a bad choice.

I found it quite pleasant to drive, unlike its more pretentious stablemate, the quirky Diamante, discussed here last week. And unlike the Diamante, the Galant is more sophisticated than the last one I can recall driving, with a more solid, well-integrated feel.

The Galant is made in Normal, Ill., at the plant Chrysler and Mitsubishi jointly created some years back. (DaimlerChrysler recently bought a 34 percent equity stake in Mitsubishi. The two companies have been hemorrhaging money in the billions, and are on a course to jointly develop a new round of small and midsize cars.)

The Accord and Camry are sometimes described as bland looking. That charge will never be laid to the Galant, which might seem a bit overdone to any but fans of Pontiac’s excesses. Lower bodyside bulges, a chromed grille, and in some cases, a prominent rear wing and other “aero” effects make it look like a schoolboy’s conception of what a four-door sedan ought to be.

The interior is less of a hodgepodge, to the extent that the door panels seem to have bypassed the stylists entirely, although the leather trim was delicious. I had plenty of headroom and legroom behind the wheel and felt constricted, as in any midsize, back in tourist class. The trunk, at 14.6 cubic feet, was reasonably accommodating and of useful, usable proportions.

The Galant is furnished in five series, ranging from the fleet-buyer’s delight, the DE, on up to the most sporty formulation, the one furnished for my appreciation, the GTZ. The DE and ES are powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. With 140 hp (@5,500 rpm) and 155 foot-pounds of torque (@4,000), this hard-working little burner can only aspire to adequate performance, given the car’s 3,000-pounds-plus mass and the mandatory four-speed automatic transmission, common to all series. The ES series can be fitted with either a 4-holer or a 6-holer, and the LS and GTZ levels come with the 6.

The 6 displaces 3 liters, arrayed in a V, with a single overhead camshaft and 4 valves per cylinder. It produces 195 hp (@5,500 rpm) and 205 foot-pounds of torque (@4,000), a 39 percent jump in power and a 32 percent augmentation of low-end grunt. Unfortunately, despite a modest 9:1 compression ratio, this engine expects to be fed 91-octane swill, a fact not likely to be appreciated by the bargain-hunters who might be drawn to the Galant.

At least EPA estimates are quite respectable for the weight class, 20 mpg city and 27 highway. I measured 23.7 in a mix of country cruising and freeway flying.

The GTZ tested is the sportiest rendition, with slightly more robust shocks and springs and a different treatment of front and rear anti-roll bars, though sharing a powertrain with the more sedate members of the family. The GTZ seemed by no means race-ready. The ride was quite agreeable, even over dippy roads and broken pavement. It maintained its poise excluded most of the road problems the suspension had to deal with. At elevated velocities it was relatively quiet, with the rush of air the main noise component.

The lesser models must be cushy.

The GTZ, like other Galants I’ve tried, is a runner, feeling as if it’s coming into its own when it approaches the national speed limit. The top gear on the four-speed automatic transmission is a fairly steep overdrive, so the engine burbles along contentedly at highway speeds.

The transmission shifted quickly and smoothly most of the time, although it could get confused by rapid-fire throttle changes, and second and first were far enough apart that forced downshifts were usually a bit awkward.

The Galant showed none of the vexatious handling peculiarities that plagued the Diamante. Despite driving the front wheels with a generous amount of power, it torque-steered only a little, and that in extreme circumstances. It had a decent amount of self-centering steering tendency, not the willful self-absorption of the Diamante.

Braking was very good. The upper classes have ventilated discs in front and solid discs at the rear, while the lower orders get drums aft. Antilock is standard on all but the entry-level car. I tried a succession of panic stops from 65, and the Galant maintained its heading even in slalom exercises without undue drama and in agreeably short distances.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has crash-tested the 2001 Galant. The car garnered 4-star ratings (on a scale that runs to 5 stars) for protection of driver and front and rear passengers in a 35-mph barrier impact. In side impacts, the car afforded 3-star protection to driver and co-pilot and merited 4 stars for rear passenger safety. With the available side air bags for the first cabin, the rating leaped to 5 stars. They are included on LS and GTZ series cars and available only as part of a $2,400 package on the ES. Shame on Mitsubishi for making an important safety adjunct a profit center. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet subjected a 2001 Galant to its more stringent 40-mph offset barrier crash.

The standard stereo on all but the LS and GTZ machines is a 100-watt, 4-speaker AM-FM-CD rig. The top series have a 210-watt Infinity setup, again AM-FM-CD, with 7 speakers. Overall sound quality was very good, and tuner sensitivity was well above the norm.

The instruments are black-on-white with orange needles, four in number, and ovoid. They were properly positioned and easy to read even in bright sunlight.

A conspicuous omission was a gear-selection readout within the driver’s line of sight.

The GTZ I tested had, as is typical of that series, no options, but a ton of goodies, including such frills as a power moonroof, leather trim, adjustable lumbar support and an engine immobilizer anti-theft system.

Build quality was quite good, and the silvery paint on the tester was striking. Base price was $24,007, which swelled to $24,527 when freight was added in, a very appealing number for such a well-laden machine. While shopping, you might also check the Mazda 626 and the Volkswagen New Passat, for different style and feel.

2001 Mitsubishi Galant review: Our expert's take
By Alan Vonderhaar

One almost feels sorry for the Mitsubishi Galant, or any car that is sent forth to go mano a mano with the likes of the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.

It didn’t take the Supreme Court to make the call on this one: when the votes were tallied for the last model year, the Accord handily won the title of best-selling car in the U.S., though Toyota made a good race of it. And this is people voting with their pocketbooks for what often is a more expensive machine than many comparably-equipped rivals. Why? Reliability is the word I hear most often.

Both the Accord and Camry have earned icon status for dependability. The Galant has not. Consumer Reports rates it worse than average for both depreciation and cost of upkeep. Both Accord and Camry are rated above the norm in these categories.

But, if you mean to keep your car forever and don’t fret about the occasional trip to the dealer’s service area – or want to stand apart from the herd – the Galant would not be a bad choice.

I found it quite pleasant to drive, unlike its more pretentious stablemate, the quirky Diamante, discussed here last week. And unlike the Diamante, the Galant is more sophisticated than the last one I can recall driving, with a more solid, well-integrated feel.

The Galant is made in Normal, Ill., at the plant Chrysler and Mitsubishi jointly created some years back. (DaimlerChrysler recently bought a 34 percent equity stake in Mitsubishi. The two companies have been hemorrhaging money in the billions, and are on a course to jointly develop a new round of small and midsize cars.)

The Accord and Camry are sometimes described as bland looking. That charge will never be laid to the Galant, which might seem a bit overdone to any but fans of Pontiac’s excesses. Lower bodyside bulges, a chromed grille, and in some cases, a prominent rear wing and other “aero” effects make it look like a schoolboy’s conception of what a four-door sedan ought to be.

The interior is less of a hodgepodge, to the extent that the door panels seem to have bypassed the stylists entirely, although the leather trim was delicious. I had plenty of headroom and legroom behind the wheel and felt constricted, as in any midsize, back in tourist class. The trunk, at 14.6 cubic feet, was reasonably accommodating and of useful, usable proportions.

The Galant is furnished in five series, ranging from the fleet-buyer’s delight, the DE, on up to the most sporty formulation, the one furnished for my appreciation, the GTZ. The DE and ES are powered by a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine. With 140 hp (@5,500 rpm) and 155 foot-pounds of torque (@4,000), this hard-working little burner can only aspire to adequate performance, given the car’s 3,000-pounds-plus mass and the mandatory four-speed automatic transmission, common to all series. The ES series can be fitted with either a 4-holer or a 6-holer, and the LS and GTZ levels come with the 6.

The 6 displaces 3 liters, arrayed in a V, with a single overhead camshaft and 4 valves per cylinder. It produces 195 hp (@5,500 rpm) and 205 foot-pounds of torque (@4,000), a 39 percent jump in power and a 32 percent augmentation of low-end grunt. Unfortunately, despite a modest 9:1 compression ratio, this engine expects to be fed 91-octane swill, a fact not likely to be appreciated by the bargain-hunters who might be drawn to the Galant.

At least EPA estimates are quite respectable for the weight class, 20 mpg city and 27 highway. I measured 23.7 in a mix of country cruising and freeway flying.

The GTZ tested is the sportiest rendition, with slightly more robust shocks and springs and a different treatment of front and rear anti-roll bars, though sharing a powertrain with the more sedate members of the family. The GTZ seemed by no means race-ready. The ride was quite agreeable, even over dippy roads and broken pavement. It maintained its poise excluded most of the road problems the suspension had to deal with. At elevated velocities it was relatively quiet, with the rush of air the main noise component.

The lesser models must be cushy.

The GTZ, like other Galants I’ve tried, is a runner, feeling as if it’s coming into its own when it approaches the national speed limit. The top gear on the four-speed automatic transmission is a fairly steep overdrive, so the engine burbles along contentedly at highway speeds.

The transmission shifted quickly and smoothly most of the time, although it could get confused by rapid-fire throttle changes, and second and first were far enough apart that forced downshifts were usually a bit awkward.

The Galant showed none of the vexatious handling peculiarities that plagued the Diamante. Despite driving the front wheels with a generous amount of power, it torque-steered only a little, and that in extreme circumstances. It had a decent amount of self-centering steering tendency, not the willful self-absorption of the Diamante.

Braking was very good. The upper classes have ventilated discs in front and solid discs at the rear, while the lower orders get drums aft. Antilock is standard on all but the entry-level car. I tried a succession of panic stops from 65, and the Galant maintained its heading even in slalom exercises without undue drama and in agreeably short distances.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has crash-tested the 2001 Galant. The car garnered 4-star ratings (on a scale that runs to 5 stars) for protection of driver and front and rear passengers in a 35-mph barrier impact. In side impacts, the car afforded 3-star protection to driver and co-pilot and merited 4 stars for rear passenger safety. With the available side air bags for the first cabin, the rating leaped to 5 stars. They are included on LS and GTZ series cars and available only as part of a $2,400 package on the ES. Shame on Mitsubishi for making an important safety adjunct a profit center. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not yet subjected a 2001 Galant to its more stringent 40-mph offset barrier crash.

The standard stereo on all but the LS and GTZ machines is a 100-watt, 4-speaker AM-FM-CD rig. The top series have a 210-watt Infinity setup, again AM-FM-CD, with 7 speakers. Overall sound quality was very good, and tuner sensitivity was well above the norm.

The instruments are black-on-white with orange needles, four in number, and ovoid. They were properly positioned and easy to read even in bright sunlight.

A conspicuous omission was a gear-selection readout within the driver’s line of sight.

The GTZ I tested had, as is typical of that series, no options, but a ton of goodies, including such frills as a power moonroof, leather trim, adjustable lumbar support and an engine immobilizer anti-theft system.

Build quality was quite good, and the silvery paint on the tester was striking. Base price was $24,007, which swelled to $24,527 when freight was added in, a very appealing number for such a well-laden machine. While shopping, you might also check the Mazda 626 and the Volkswagen New Passat, for different style and feel.

Safety review

Based on the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant base trim
NHTSA crash test and rollover ratings, scored out of 5.
Frontal driver
4/5
Frontal passenger
4/5
Side driver
5/5
Side rear passenger
4/5

Factory warranties

New car program benefits

Basic
3 years / 36,000 miles
Corrosion
7 years / 100,000 miles
Powertrain
5 years / 60,000 miles

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
Less than 5 years / less than 60,000 miles
Basic
Remainder of original 5 years / 60,000 miles
Dealer certification
123-point inspection

Consumer reviews

4.1 / 5
Based on 21 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 4.2
Interior 3.9
Performance 4.1
Value 4.4
Exterior 4.2
Reliability 4.0

Most recent

  • Bought for $850 with 225,000 miles.

    Bought for $850 with 225,000 miles. Fixed exhaust. $500 new cat installed. New tires $400. Passed inspection. Drove for four years. Oil change every two thousand. Non synthetic. Sat for three years under tree. Drove V8 Grand Cherokee Limited. Nice. Well my 30 mile per gallon friends, I’m back! Car was hit …cosmetic. Insurance paid out $1000. Just put in 2400.00 in new ball joints tie rod ends, motor mount, spent 42.00 on a drivers window regulator, 45 mins in driveway. 85,000 mile Yokohama Touring Tires. Fuel efficient! I’m sure this 2.4 which runs quieter than a new Honda! Amazing…..trans hits a bit harshly during gear changes. Mechanic at shop asked for firsts on when I want to get rid of it. Anyone want a low mileage…..120,000… 07 4.7 Liter Jeep Trail whatever? Flip down DVD doesn’t power up and sunroof leaks!
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Still Drives, nearly 22 years after it was buit.

    It is March 20, 2022. I purchased my 2001 Galant in August 2004. This car still goes. Check engine light has been on for an exhaust issue for at least 7 years. Window motors work, transmission works, engine works. The A/c is sketch, but I think that it is fixable. The car keeps going. I think it will rust apart before the engine and tranny quit. I promised myself I would not purchase a new car until this one dies, or until my brother was ready to buy it. Unfortunately, my brother passed away last month-- now a definitely cannot let this car go!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 3.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 4.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • You get what you pay for, not always a bad thing

    This car can be bought for cheap and, if taken care of properly, can last you a long time. It is a bare bones car and there aren’t too many luxuries that come with it.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 2.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 2.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Very good car

    Drives smooth v6 engine brand new and starter and alternator powered windows and crusie control touchscreen radio tinted windows great trunk space cozy seats a
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 4.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • AMAZING RELIABILITY

    Mine is a 2001 model we've had since 2002. I drive it as a daily driver and we have bought and traded many cars over the years. The Mitsubishi stays in the driveway because it is such a great reliable car ( 271,671 miles reliable!). It is 17 years old and every switch, the power windows, the AC, the heater fan still work as if it came off the showroom floor. I just took it on a 2000 mile trip to Denver and it did not skip a beat!!! That 4cyl engine has never had any work done to it except for a valve cover gasket and normal maintenance. (3 Timing Belt Changes, Plugs, Oil Changes, Transmission services, etc.) The doors still close tight the interior materials have held up. When this Amazing little car finally wears out in another 10 years or so I will definitely buy another Mitsubishi!!!
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Horrible car

    I bought this car used. Every time I stopped the car would turn off. I ended up spending $500 to get it smogged.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 3.0
    Interior 2.0
    Performance 1.0
    Value 1.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 1.0
    0 people out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Very good car

    I bought the car for 2700 with only 48 k on it which is crazy for a 2001, the car runs overall very well, had to do some tune ups from here to there but overall good car. Gets you to A and B
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • I love this car

    My Galant has always been a wonderful vehicle. It's a perfectly designed V6 so it has the power I desire, and the control that I need. It has gotten older, but it still rules the road.
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 4.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Drove this car for 12 yrs.

    Saved my money, drove a Mazda 626 for 7 years before I bought my 2001 Galant GTZ (Black) in 2003 w/19200 mi. on the clock (ex-lease car). Drove it for 12 years and approx. 84K miles until I sold it to a neighbor's son (I upgraded to an Infiniti G35). Other than the Black Paint "cancer" issue, bad rear wheel bearing, a failed transmission at 76K mi. (Google Mitsubishi transmission failures), a failed EGR vacuum solenoid and a dirty idle air motor I had no problems with the car. Replaced one CV axle (torn boot). Ran strong. Burned no oil. Fairly easy to work on except for changing rear spark plugs. good support through the Galant Club community. One of my 9 yr. old twins cried when I sold it; it was the only car he had rode in since birth. I still miss it sometimes. Change the timing belt BEFORE every 60K miles!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 4.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • 25th car

    This is the 25th car I've owned over several decades and already the 3rd or 4th best car I've owned.. It has more horsepower than a 70's Camaro Z, and gets better gas mileage than a 70's 4-cyl. I picked up this '01 GTZ last month with only 67,000 miles on it. I've had other 4-cyl Galants and this one definitely drives very differently. Too bad they only made it for 5 years ('99 to '03).
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • First Car

    My first car was a 2001 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ. I got it from my sister second-hand. It was in very good condition but I ragged the heck out of that car! I loved every minute. She was quick and reliable until about 120,000 miles. Around then the transmission went out and had to get a new one. Got a new timing belt around 80,000 miles. Overall, a great car. I'd recommend one to anyone. It will always be my baby! My adult car I just purchased a few weeks ago is a Kia Optima SXT-GDI.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 4.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY

    IVE OWNED MY CAR FOR ABOUT A WEEK IT RUNS RUFF WHEN I START IT UP IT SHIFTS OK IT RIDES PRETTY SMOOTH BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THE ENGINE RUNS RUFF WHEN I FIRST START IT
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 4.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 3.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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FAQ

What trim levels are available for the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant?

The 2001 Mitsubishi Galant is available in 4 trim levels:

  • DE (1 style)
  • ES (2 styles)
  • GTZ (1 style)
  • LS (1 style)

What is the MPG of the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant?

The 2001 Mitsubishi Galant offers up to 21 MPG in city driving and 28 MPG on the highway. These figures are based on EPA mileage ratings and are for comparison purposes only. The actual mileage will vary depending on vehicle options, trim level, driving conditions, driving habits, vehicle maintenance, and other factors.

Is the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant reliable?

The 2001 Mitsubishi Galant has an average reliability rating of 4.0 out of 5 according to cars.com consumers. Find real-world reliability insights within consumer reviews from 2001 Mitsubishi Galant owners.

Is the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant a good Sedan?

Below are the cars.com consumers ratings for the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant. 95.2% of drivers recommend this vehicle.

4.1 / 5
Based on 21 reviews
  • Comfort: 4.2
  • Interior: 3.9
  • Performance: 4.1
  • Value: 4.4
  • Exterior: 4.2
  • Reliability: 4.0
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