(Updated 7/31/2026) Four-door family sedans weren’t supposed to be exciting, yet manufacturers spent much of the 1990s trying to prove otherwise. Nissan had the Maxima, Mazda the 626 V6, and Honda the Accord V6. Mitsubishi joined the party in 1999 with the redesigned Galant GTZ, a handsome, V6-powered sport sedan that finally had the performance to match its aggressive styling. It came surprisingly close to greatness, though one missing ingredient kept it from becoming a true enthusiast favorite.
The following review covers the last Mitsubishi mid-sized sedan that could be described as “fun.” Apparently, in 1999, a proper sports sedan needed a manual transmission option to be taken seriously by the journalista. Today, not so much.
It’s a rare opportunity to be able to test drive two versions of the same model only weeks apart. Four weeks ago, we reviewed the four-cylinder Galant ES, which has been extensively redesigned for 1999. That car was found to be an exceptional value at under $19,000. But what about those buyers that want a little “oomph?”
Mitsubishi proudly offers those “oomph”-seekers the top-of-the-line GTZ. Distinguishing features include a body-colored grill, bright alloy wheels on low-profile tires from the luxury LS model, substantial rear wing, black-on-white gauges that change to orange-on-black at night, and a beefed up suspension. The add-ons appear natural on the Galant, which looks like a sports sedan even in its base form. The same cannot be said of previous Galants nor most other mid-size sedans for that matter. The rear wing, however, is a bit too much and does little more than block rear vision.
At the heart of the GTZ is the all-new 195-horsepower 3.0 liter V6. This engine finally allows the Galant to play with the big boys. While losing only one mile per gallon to the four cylinder, the V6 gives the Galant much needed highway passing power and flexibility. While not as silky smooth as the V6s in its Camry/Accord/Maxima competition, it has a nice sporty growl. Unfortunately, the only available transmission is a four-speed automatic, a trend that is disturbingly becoming the norm. While it generally shifts smoothly, a proper sports sedan needs a manual transmission, which is only available on lesser, four-cylinder Galants. A “manumatic,” automatic/manual hybrids that are becoming popular, would also be acceptable if one were available.
Thanks to the sportier suspension, the Galant’s already excellent handling is even better, taking hard turns with the finesse of a European sports-sedan. There is a substantial ride penalty, so make sure you know what you’re getting into when choosing which Galant to buy.
The GTZ comes one way – loaded. Options are limited to a CD player, 10-disc CD changer, and a few other odds and ends.
Best of all, the GTZ is a genuine head turner. Just check the box that says “delete rear wing” and sign on the dotted line.
For more information contact 1-800-55MITSU
SPECIFICATIONS
Type: Four-door Sedan
Engine: 195-horsepower, 3.0 liter V6
Transmission: Four-speed Automatic
EPA Mileage: 20 city/27 highway
Tested Price: $25,562
Note: Another in a series of my reviews that appeared in the online version of African Americans On Wheels, a now defunct automotive magazine that was included as an insert in the Sunday newspapers of major cities.
I remember at the time that a lot of these were sold because they were said to look a lot like a BMW (without the wing). Some young owners helped that illusion by removing the badging.
Only offering a manual (or in some cases, AWD – see today’s Charger/Challenger of today) in the lower power versions is a bummer. I assume it has something to do with emissions certification or reliability issues, but c’mon. . .
A colleague of mine owned a regular Galant of this era, kept it for over a dozen years. I think rust finally got it but they thoroughly liked it.
Some of those Galant models go really well a friend has a wagon ex JDM with a twin turbo V6 it flies but and buyer beware the sports style suspension is great for road holding on a good surface like a track it is terrible on our bumpy two lane black top giving not a lot of traction and a terrible ride,
they must have excellent roads in Japan as this seems to be a common problem with the performance cars from that market the fast and fatuous look must work some where but here you just look stupid as you spear off the road into the scenery.
Galant wagon – is that the Legnum, Bryce? There’s one in my town. White, nicely understated but with all the good bits from the look and sound of it. Often Japanese cars used to need local engineering input on the suspension tune before they were suitable for our roads.
Nice color too.
Regardless of how well these compared overall to contemporary Accords or Camrys, I really like the clean & sleek styling of this car, like many others, before they sprouted the gills, nostrils, lizard-eyes, fish-jaws, and steroid muscle-bulges the brainwashed masses lust for today!
I ‘m the owner of 2002 galant LS 2.4 cyl and still have it, I got 104,000 miles not to much, running good and never change transmission only maintenance change, I don’t want to change for little more years. I love it! 🥰
Fondly remember a friend’s green one of these. Lasted forever. Found the long term result of Car and Driver’s ‘99 GTZ. Those performance results prove how far and fast things moved these past 20 years… No way I’d guess 8.6 0-60 or just .78g from that car:
https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15140710/1999-mitsubishi-galant-gtz-long-term-road-test/
I truly miss having Mitsubishi as a legitimate player in the US market. Between the late ‘80s and early ‘00s they made some compelling products. By the mid ‘90s they seemed poised to reach parity (reputationaly, if not in total sales) with the mainstream Japanese brands, Galants were just becoming wholly acceptable alternatives to CamCordImas, when the bottom fell out.
I know people blame the mid-2000s “no payments” gimmick but I still think the fingerprints on the knife belong to whoever thought “Let’s save money by putting the Galant, Eclipse and Endeavor on the same platform!!”
“Four-door family sedans weren’t supposed to be exciting”
Are you not familiar with the BMW 5 series? They can be lots of fun. And Nissan had the 4DSC, 4 door sports car. No slight to the Mitsu, but they weren’t exactly breaking new ground here.