Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged sedan
2001 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ
Jun 27th
Words to live by: Never trust a “sport sedan” that isn’t available with a manual transmission. This nugget of wisdom has been brought to us courtesy of the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ.
Galant LS pictured
The GTZ has impressive genes–Mitsubishi can do sports cars, and they’ve proven it with multiple championships in rally and desert racing, and with cars like the Eclipse sports coupe. Even the Galant line has some screamers in its past, most notably the Galant VR-4 of the early 1990s. Current overachievers in the Mitsubishi lineup include the all-conquering Lancer rally car, whose roadgoing European and Japanese versions are the winged and finned, 300-horsepower all-wheel-drive stuff of dreams. So why isn’t the new Galant GTZ more exciting?
It’s certainly not the looks. The GTZ has the “subtle aggression” part of the equation down pat. The Galant’s crisp edges and angular nose and tail allow it to stand out from the herd of Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords clogging the streets, and even if we aren’t in love with its front end, which resembles an electric shaver, we have to agree that it’s distinctive. The GTZ takes the Galant’s design downtown, with a tall-ish spoiler, fog lamps, special 16″ wheels, and a body-color grill to let onlookers know what they’re dealing with. It’s A bit more boy-racer than average, but certainly not unattractive.
Inside, the cabin is standard Mitsubishi fare, albeit with considerably more logical control placement than in the past. A handsome trapezoidal panel (similar to that in the Montero SUV) contains radio and climate controls. White-faced gauges identify the GTZ from the driver’s seat. The seats are comfortably unobtrusive–neither astoundingly plush nor brutally uncomfortable. The console has two power outlets, the better to use your radar detector with, and a section of the rear seat folds down as a pass-through for large objects. The Galant’s interior is as inoffensive as possible overall, with barely enough personality to distinguish it from its competition.
Mitsubishi hasn’t neglected to sport-up the suspension for the GTZ, either. The Galant’s standard MacPherson strut front and multilink rear is beefed up with stiffer shocks and springs, and the large 16″ wheel and tire combo is standard on the GTZ (it’s optional on other models). Road feel is good, and the Galant GTZ is decently responsive, but nothing to write poetry about (Car Guys who have driven a BMW M5 will understand). The tires are something of a letdown; our test car’s Goodyear Eagles slipped and howled on hard turns. They seemed to be engineered more for freeway comfort than sport.
Under the hood, there’s a 3.0 liter 24 valve V6, pumping out 195 horsepower. It’s got plenty of power to move the GTZ along. But again we ask, why doesn’t it feel sportier? Shoving a foot to the floorboards yields decent acceleration, but it’s far from hair-raising. The GTZ really, really needs a manual transmission to make the most of its power, and to connect the driver with the car better. The four-speed automatic is an adaptive system (it “learns” the driver’s habits, and shifts accordingly) but we didn’t get much help from it on our test drive. Again, it’s fine as a mildly sporty family sedan, but as a serious contender, it’s not quite there.
Galants are available in five different trim levels, starting with the four-cylinder DE and topping off at the GTZ. We thought that the lower-level, lower-caffeine Galant ES V6 made the best choice; although it lacks the GTZ’s suspension improvements and trim, the standard equipment list includes ABS, four-wheel disc brakes, and the larger wheels. Options include a premium sound system, side airbags, traction control, and a leather interior. Our test car was a range-topping Galant GTZ, and it stickered for $24,527.
Don’t get us wrong; the Mitsubishi Galant is an excellent car. Ride quality, interior appointments and comfort put it right up there with the best from Honda and Toyota, and well above many other competitors. If you’re in the market to replace a Camry, the Galant ES is definitely worth a look. But the GTZ doesn’t make much of a sports sedan; for a serious sports car, there’s more enjoyment to be found elsewhere.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Mitsubishi Galant GTZ, which we tested.
Length: 187.8 in
Width: 68.5 in
Height: 55.3 in
Wheelbase: 103.7 in
Curb weight: 3296 lb
Cargo space: 14.6 cu.ft.
Base price: $24,007
Price as tested: $24,527
Engine: 3.0 liter DOHC 24-valve V6
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic, front wheel drive
Horsepower: 195 @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 205 @ 4000 rpm
Est. mileage: 20/27
2001 Pontiac Bonneville
Jun 27th
Pontiac’s catchphrase for many years has been “driving excitement,” but the kind of driving excitement to be discovered by hurling a Bonneville into a tight corner has traditionally not been a good thing.
That’s changed since Pontiac redesigned the Bonneville last year. Pontiac’s flagship sedan’s sporty looks have finally filtered through to the working parts beneath. And that’s a good thing, as declining sales suggested the previous Bonneville had outlived its usefulness by a considerable margin. The redesign keeps the familiar Bonneville face and Coke-bottle shape, but a healthy dose of refinement is a welcome change. All-new in 2000, the biggest Pontiac sedan enters 2001 with few changes to its successful new outlook.
The Bonneville is mature-looking car…for a Pontiac. It’s not as wild a design as the Grand Am or ill-advised Aztek, but it still looks from some angles like the offspring of a Toyota Camry and the Batmobile. Traditional Pontiac cues such as a grille with a subtle chrome ring, split air intakes low in the bumper, and a rise in body line at the C-pillar ensure that loyal Bonneville buyers won’t be turned off. The plastic-cladding level has been turned down several notches, which makes it easier to take the Bonneville seriously. Still, it’s still one of the few large sedans that can wear a spoiler with a straight face. Up front, the familiar Bonneville front end has been updated with a smoother look which molds the bumper seamlessly with the body. Out back, the subtlety has been forgotten in favor of an overdone, busy taillight scheme.
Inside, the Bonneville has been similarly modernized and matured without losing its basic “Pontiacness.” The first thing to greet passengers is an array of eyeball-style air vents, staring right back. There are eight of them, but it seems like there are more. If they were chrome, it could be 1968. We liked them. The bulgy dash is familiar Pontiac fare, as are the large, gumdrop-shaped buttons which control the air conditioning and radio, and the door pulls and steering wheel which have finger-indents. A racy T-handle shifter in the console selects the gears. The seats are typically GM-wide, and feel firm but squishy, like inflatable beanbags. Heated seats are optional. There’s a ski-sized panel in the rear seat, extending the trunk for long, narrow cargo. Unfortunately, the Delco sound system in our test car wasn’t as good as the factory systems in many other cars. And we’ve never been a fan of GM’s automatic locking system, which locks the doors when the car is put into gear, but forces you to unlock them manually when you park.
The biggest change to the Bonneville is in its newfound driving manners. MacPherson struts up front and an independent lower control arm suspension with automatic level control at the rear bring the Bonneville’s performance into the 21st century. The flaccid feel of the previous model is gone. The steering is responsive, and the four-wheel disc brakes make par as well. And, of course, it doesn’t scream for mercy if you push it hard on a twisty road. Don’t be mistaken; a BMW M5 would eat it for lunch, but so what? The big Pontiac’s behavior at all speeds is great, and for its sub-$30,000 price it’s a very good-feeling car. It feels more substantial and solid than a Mercury Sable, and it’s easier to see out of than a Chrysler Concorde. And to make it an even three points in its favor, the Bonneville also has a great deal more personality than a Toyota Avalon.
It’s also a great deal less “grown-up” than any of them. In SE and SLE models, a 205-hp V6 provides power that will have sixteen-year-old boys and their fathers alike ripping needlessly away from traffic lights, just to enjoy the acceleration. It’s boyishly fun, but far from hard to handle. For more grunt, the top-of-the-line SSEi has a supercharged V6 with 240 horsepower. The SSEi also features larger brakes, larger wheels and thicker stabilizer bars, for a more overtly sporty ride. A four-speed automatic transmission is standard on all models.
Bonnevilles come in three trim levels; SE, SLE, and SSEi, in order of increasing cost and complexity. Our test vehicle was an SE, featuring the standard large sedan fare; power windows and locks, trunk pass-through, side airbags, and a nifty tire pressure monitor. The plusher SLE adds a performance axle, remote entry, spoiler, and other luxuries to the mix, and the top-of-the-line SSEi has Stabilitrak traction control, Pontiac’s head-up display instrument panel, power seats, and a trunk accessory kit. The SE starts at $23,680, and our test vehicle stickered for $28,420.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Pontiac Bonneville SE, which we tested.
Length: 202.6 in.
Width: 74.2 in.
Height: 56.6 in.
Wheelbase: 112.2 in.
Curb weight: 3590 lb.
Cargo space: 18.0 cu.ft
Base price: $23,680
Price as tested: $28,420
Engine: 3.8 liter V6
Drivetrain: four-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 205 @ 5200
Torque: 230 @ 4000
Fuel capacity: 18.5 gal.
Est. mileage: 19/30
2001 Oldsmobile Alero
Jun 27th
Oldsmobiles are going to be the best they’ve ever been for a while, thanks to the unofficial General Motors Curse. Always criticized for building vast numbers of cars that are good, but never quite reach greatness, GM has a history of getting a car to achieve greatness after years of trying, and promptly killing it off. The Cadillac Allante, Pontiac Fiero, and even the ill-fated Buick Reatta were all dynamically the best they had ever been in their final years of production.
Now Oldsmobile’s clock is running out, just as the former Rocket Division is getting its feet back underneath it. General Motors has announced its plans to phase out Oldsmobile by 2003 or so. It’s a shame, because cars like the Aurora and Alero are likely to disappear as well. The Alero arrived in 1999 to replace the unloved Achieva, and was a success out of the gate. Forget about relics like the 88 and 98; the Alero is playing from the same deck as the revolutionary Aurora which singlehandedly brought Oldsmobile into the new millenium. Based on a platform, shared with Pontiac’s Grand Am, the Alero takes personal luxury in a different direction from the attitude-laden Grand Am. Labeled as a compact, it’s bigger than a Honda Civic, but smaller than a Chevy Monte Carlo, and its handsome, understated styling could be called an automotive version of business casual. For 2001 the Alero adds updated antilock brakes, improved sound systems, and a GL2 model with a sporty suspension and a five-speed transmission to the lineup.
The Alero’s face echoes that of the larger Aurora, for a strong Oldsmobile family look. The headlights wrap into turn signals, with a grilleless nose in between and twin air intakes under the bumper. It’s the “New Oldsmobile” look, and it’s more modern than the Grand Am (the Alero compares favorably to it in nearly every aspect, actually). A smooth profile sweeps upward at the C-pillar and ends in a short tail. Large, jewel-style taillights dominate the Alero’s rear end. From a distance, the car looks larger than it is, thanks to the shared design characteristics with the full-size Aurora and midsize Intrigue. Our GL2 test car featured the new 16″ wheels as well. The car got a lot of approving looks from people on the sidewalk, which is certainly an impressive feat when you consider its sub-$20,000 base price.
Squeezing through one of those heavy coupe doors (not only are they heavy thanks to their size, but it’s hard to get one fully open in a regular parking space without bashing the car next to you; as a result, they frequently fall closed on ankles and shoulders during ingress and egress), you’ll find yourself in a miniaturized Intrigue interior. Seats are soft, and a nicely-sized console is home to a pair of cubbies. Thanks to that “compact” designation, there’s plenty of hip and knee room up front. Back seat passengers don’t fare too badly either. It’s also of slightly better quality than the often cheap interior appointments sadly found in downmarket General Motors products. A word to the purchase-minded, however; our test vehicle’s light interior seemed to stain easily; the car arrived with dirt smudges on the steering wheel and trim that wouldn’t wash off. Dark-colored interiors will likely remain new-looking for much longer.
On the road, the Alero is impressive. Equipped with a 2.4 liter four-cylinder and the new five-speed manual transmission, the Alero GL2 coupe we tested quickly proved to be a good commuting companion. Unlike the typical clumsy GM “personal luxury” coupe, the Alero is nimble and easy to handle in traffic. The five-speed felt a little clunky, but allowed us to make the most of the 150 horsepower on tap. Freeway manners are one of the things GM does well, and the Alero is no exception. A 3.4 liter V6 is also available in Alero coupes and sedans, but it’s an automatic transmission-only option.
Underneath the skin, the Alero rides on a fully independent suspension with MacPherson struts at all four corners. It’s a good setup, especially with the larger wheels that come with the GL2 package. When pressed hard, the Alero is a much more deliberate car than a nimble sports car, but it’s no sweat to drive fast. The biggest tradeoff is a great deal more body roll than in more sport-oriented cars. Four wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard equipment on all Aleros. Traction control is also standard.
With all of this standard equipment, the price is surprisingly low. The Alero GL2 which we tested started at $19,525. With the optional sunroof and enhanced sound system installed, the price was $20,465, which is a great deal less expensive than some comparable and even much smaller cars. Add that to the Alero’s decent build quality and pleasant road manners, and you’ve got a recipe for a winner.
Unfortunately, hanging over all of that is a big, fat downside: the death sentence that Oldsmobile is currently under. It’s unlikely that GM is going to commute it and spare Olds. But even though the end of the road is likely to send buyers running from the showrooms (or maybe not; Olds posted some of its best sales months in recent years just after its impending demise was announced), we still recommend the Alero, for as long as GM continues to build them.
Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Oldsmobile Alero GL2 coupe, which we tested.
Length: 186.7 in.
Width: 70.1 in.
Height: 54.5 in.
Wheelbase: 107.0 in.
Curb weight: 3060 lb.
Cargo space: 14.6 cu.ft.
Base price: $19,525
Price as tested: $20,465
Engine: 2.4 liter DOHC 16-valve four cylinder
Drivetrain: five-speed manual, front wheel drive
Horsepower: 150 @ 5600
Torque: 155 @ 4400
Fuel capacity: 14.3 gal.
Est. mileage: 20/30