Cars.com Reviews the 2009 Mitsubishi Galant

If you’ve seen that oddly entrancing/annoying commercial that features two young women set to go clubbing in a new Mitsubishi Galant, you’ll be eager to read Mike Hanley’s review of the slightly revised sedan. If you’re a shopper who just wants to make sure you’ve checked out all the competition in the midsize sedan segment, it’s also a must. That said, it doesn’t sound like the 2009 iteration of the Galant will sway any Toyota Camry or Honda Accord loyalists.

2009 Mitsubishi Galant Expert Review

Midsize Cars Improve in Side Crash Tests

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently concluded crash tests on seven midsize sedans and discovered that while they had improved in side crash tests, they still lacked enough head protection to earn top marks in rear crash tests.

Tested were the 2008 model year Chevrolet Malibu, Dodge Avenger, Infiniti G35, Kia Optima, Mitsubishi Galant (which was updated for the 2009 model year on sale now), Nissan Altima and Saturn Aura.

Only the Kia Optima did not earn the top score of “good” for side impact crash tests – it received the second highest nod, “acceptable.” However, the Optima was the only car in the test to receive a “good” score in rear crash tests.

The difficulty in scoring the top rank in rear tests involves head and neck protection for those rear-end collisions that produce whiplash. The IIHS claims that those types of accidents and injuries lead to losses of $8.5 billion annually. Most vehicles need to equip active head restraints to pass this test.

The Audi A3, A4, Honda Accord, Saab 9-3 and Subaru Legacy – with optional stability control – earned good ratings in all tests previously and earned the IIHS’ Top Safety Pick designation for midsize cars. 

A full chart of how the cars scored is below.