2009 Mitsubishi Galant

"It's by far the oldest -- first released in late 2003 -- and in the intervening years, the competition has moved on," he says of the Galant. For example, only 11 percent of 2009 cars don't offer electronic stability control, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Mitsubishi Galant is one of them. Studies show that electronic stability control dramatically reduces a car's crash risk.

If the Galant does get into an accident, tests show it won't protect its occupants as well as other family sedans. In a 35-mph head-on collision with a similar car, the Galant's driver has an 11 percent to 20 percent chance of serious injury, according to federal crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In most family sedans, the risk is 10 percent or less.  The Galant also does a poor job protecting occupants in a rear-end collision, according to independent tests by the IIHS. Many other midsize family sedans offer better safety, including the Ford Fusion (*est. $19,270 to $27,675) and Mercury Milan (*est. $21,180 to $27,800).

Experts at Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book like the Mitsubishi Galant better than their colleagues at Motor Trend do, although their praise is still faint. "Fairly competent," Edmunds.com calls the Galant. "A decent choice." Testers aren't impressed with the 160-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and four-speed automatic transmission found on the base Mitsubishi Galant ES (*est. $21,249) and the Galant Sport Edition (*est. $21,249), which adds features such as bigger wheels and a sunroof for the same sticker price.

The bigger engine found on upper-level Galant trims performs better, reviews say. The Galant Sport V-6 (*est. $23,249) gets a 230-horsepower, 3.8-liter V-6 and a five-speed automatic transmission. The Galant Ralliart (*est. $27,449) increases horsepower to 258 and adds disc brakes, a rear stabilizer bar, sporty trim, an optional navigation system and more. The Ralliart's engine "has a nice throaty growl when you punch it," says Kelley Blue Book. "The performance is exhilarating and quick." However, fuel economy with either V-6 sinks to 19 mpg mixed (16 mpg city/25 mpg highway) -- the worst fuel economy for a midsize V-6 family sedan -- and premium gas is recommended (for the Mitsubishi Galant Ralliart, it's required).

Several critics say the Mitsubishi Galant's cheap-looking interior plastics and silver-painted trim can't compare with the rich interiors found in affordable rivals like the Hyundai Sonata. They note that the Galant lacks some basic comforts: Its steering wheel doesn't telescope, the backseat doesn't fold, and there's little storage space inside the cabin.

Depreciation is steep: Kelley Blue Book predicts that a 2009 Galant will lose 68 percent of its value in three years. That's far below the resale value of class leaders like the Honda Accord (*est. $20,905 to $28,955).  J.D. Power and Associates rates the Galant "about average" in its latest dependability rankings, based on massive owner surveys. The Galant does have a better warranty than most family sedans -- five years/60,000 miles basic, and 10 years/10,000 miles for the powertrain -- but the less expensive Hyundai Sonata offers the same warranty, and experts say it is a better car than the Galant.

Most review sources ignore the Mitsubishi Galant when they're choosing contestants for head-to-head tests, although Motor Trend does include the Galant in its comparison test of 10 family sedans. Other review sources that normally test just about every car on the market -- Consumer Reports, Edmunds.com and Kelley Blue Book -- do test the Galant, and J.D. Power and Associates includes the Galant in its annual owner survey. A full review at LeftLaneNews.com is particularly easy to read. MotherProof.com's "mom-testers" try out two different Galant trims; only one works well as a family car, they conclude. Government and nonprofit groups rate the Galant's safety and fuel economy.