Hello everyone,

I am a college student and in need of a reliable used car. I would like to purchase something in the next month or so. I have done *some* research and it seems that the best ratings are generally given to Honda (in the first place), Toyota (in the second place), and Hyundai Elantra 2004 onwards (in the third): in terms of reliability, durability, gas mileage, availability of parts and mechanics, and the cost of repair. Nissan and Mazda are also good cars in this category: i.e., reasonably priced cars for a college student. For some reason I did not see any recommendations for Mitsubishi Galant although I do find it in my local Craigslist and AutoTrader.

Used Honda and to some extent Toyota are really overpriced in the US and so I am turning to other possibilities. I am looking for something from 2000 or younger. My budget is $5000 to $6000. I don't need any monthly payments so I am going to buy the car in cash which hopefully would help me find a better deal. The cars I am looking at on Craigslist and other similar websites seem to have 100K+ miles on them. I think if I do a very thorough search I might be able to find something around 120K or 130K. So I wonder if some of you can help me with the following questions:

1. How easy it is to find parts and mechanics for a Galant? How expensive or cheap are they -- let's say compared to a Honda or a Toyota?

2. What is the average lifespan of Galant -- considering if it was taken care of by the original owner/s, if it was maintained properly? What is the average lifespan for a Galant that *was not* maintained properly?

3. What are some of the general problems Galant has when it reaches 100K+ miles? Do the timing belt, water pump, transmission, and other things have to be changed? How much does the total cost entail?

4. Finally, do you recommend a Galant over other cars mentioned above? Do you think it would be wiser for me to spend this money on a different car, that is, a Corolla, a Hyundai, an Altima, or a Mazda?

Appreciatively,

Ron

 

the galant is a very dependable car. they do have some common issues, but nothing major. parts are easily available at any dealer or national part wharehouse. parts expense are about the same as any cars mentioned. if you take care of the galant maintenance wise you can get 200k out of one. have worked on several with more miles. timming belt has to be replaced every 60k. honda and toyota are the same. common things on the galant 2.4L are as follows. valve cover gasket and spark plug tube seals leak around 60k, front timming seals can leak, radiator can develop a crack at the upper hose neck, cam sensor can go bad. these are the most common things i see. not saying all these things will happen, but working for a dealer i see this on a regular basis. your price range is very good. you can get a 2000 or newer eaisily in that range. i am biased because i work at a mitsubishi dealership, but i would strongly recommend a galant.