My "New", Slightly Improved 2012 Galant ES
 

It was time for a new work vehicle, and I wanted to keep it relatively cheap so I could focus my money on more important things. I drive about 30K a year and wanted something reasonably comfortable, fuel efficient, and reliable. I looked at all of the usual suspects, and while most were "better" than the Galant in many categories, I really liked the simplicity of the Mitsu. After recently owning '12, '13, and '14 model year vehicles, I was a little sour on all of the "latest and greatest" electronics.

Enter a new, left over 2012 Galant ES at my local dealer. A Mitsu dealership at some point had installed remote start, driving lights, trunk lid spoiler, leather, back-up camera and a couple of other things...but it's still an ES so I gave up some of the goodies. Regardless, it checked all of the boxes and I bought a new car for a fantastic price on August 1. Here it is basking in newness:

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps03f0cbec.jpg

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps587eb04d.jpg

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps1d4d0325.jpg

I quickly set out to take care of the things I didn't like about the car, and add some basic things like good floor mats, tinted windows, and OEM splash guards and a dash mat.

My biggest dislike was the lack of Satellite radio; a must with the miles and places I drive. This was cured with a Kenwood Excelon KDC-X898 with Sirius XM Antenna and a Scosche M13018B dash kit. I liked this dash kit because it gave me another small compartment for my phone. Installation was fairly straight forward, but the XM antenna was a pain to run. Not a great pic, but you get the idea:

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps06ab7d69.jpg

I didn't like the silver grille AT ALL. I'm not sure how that got past the design department. A little time to remove it, tape off the Mitsubishi emblem and pull the chrome strip off, paint with gloss black Fusion paint, and it's vastly improved. Before:

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps78f19df5.jpg

And After:
http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps28e531a5.jpg

Last but not least, I had to do something about the steel wheels and less-than-attractive plastic covers. I chose to replace them with Konig Crown wheels in 16". I know 18" wheels probably would have looked better, but the tires are virtually new and I strongly prefer the ride quality of a tire with taller sidewalls. It's likely to stay this way for a long time. Here is the finished product:

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps0968c926.jpg

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...ps01819ac4.jpg

http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/t...psc1ce2166.jpg

4-Month, 11,000 Mile Update
 

Thought I would drop in and give a few more impressions after owning this car for about 4 months. It now has about 11,300 miles.

Reliability: So far so good with nothing of import. My glove box rattles a little bit when it's cold in the morning, but the dealer said they would take care of it when I have a moment to stop by.

Performance: It's running better than ever! Now, the 2.4L is not a powerhouse to begin with, but I felt it was good enough for me to buy the car. Now that it's getting "broken" in it's definitely improved. As you can see by the miles, I drive a lot and take note of these things. It accelerates quicker, passes other vehicles faster, and doesn't downshift as often on hills. Reviews on this car love to bash the 4-speed automatic when most of the competition uses 6-speeds, but I like the 4-speed. I've spent quite a few miles in comparable cars with 6-speeds, and they are always downshifting. I live at 5500 ft. and travel from 3,000 ft to 10,000+, so YMMV.

Economy: Better than expected! I track my MPGs on Fuelly.com on my average is 31.2 mpg with 83% highway driving. It's hard to complain about that considering where I live and the roads I drive. No out of pocket repairs or maintenance as the dealer gave me a couple of free oil changes.

Comfort: This is the one I worried about. The first couple of long trips I had some upper back and neck pain. Whether I finally have the seat dialed in, I've adjusted to the seat, or the seat has "worn-in" I can't say, but I recently did 1,600 miles in a week and was pretty comfortable. I've had good reports from passengers on the comfort of the rear seats.

Features: It's an ES, so it lacks some of the features of the upper trim levels, though mine had some added by the dealer. I really don't have anything to complain about, everything just works. The cup holders are excellent, the heat and A/C work VERY well, the controls function well and are positioned fine. The factory radio didn't fit my needs, but I addressed that in the first post. Really nothing to report.

Hope this helps anyone looking for some real-world feedback on one of these.