1992 Mitsubishi Galant VR4 review from North America

Balance shaft bearing failure resulted in timing belt failure, etc. requiring a full engine rebuild. Balance shafts have been eliminated as part of rebuild.

Upper inter-cooler hose split.

Rear wheel power steering lines were leaking and have been blocked off and removed.

This is actually a very good reliable car, given its age. The problem that resulted in an engine rebuild was something of a fluke.

Dead stock, the car has good performance with about 200HP to motivate its 3200 lbs. The all-wheel drive makes for confident handling in bad weather. In fact, I have come to think of rainy days as "VR4 weather".

The car has great tuning potential, given its engine and drive train which are shared with the US Eclipse Turbo all wheel drive GSX.

The interiors of these cars tend to hold up very nicely, a testament to the quality of materials used throughout. I have seen quite a few VR4s and in nearly all of them the leather seats are in very good condition, free of tares and heavy wear.

The seats are comfortable and very supportive. The driving position and outward visibility are first rate.

The styling is a bit dated, but still handsome.

The original paint on my VR4 is still in very nice condition, again indicating a good grade of materials in the car's exterior finish.

The previous (and original) owner of this car had it in Pennsylvania for the first 12 years of its existence. The body is remarkably rust free considering, although suspension parts, drive shaft components, and fasteners all show a good bit of surface rust.

The car has an unexpectedly small trunk, due to the changes required to the standard Galant layout in order to accommodate the drive shaft and rear differential, which, are absent on most other Galants. The rear seat back does not fold flat for trunk access, but there is a passthrough for skis, 2x4 lumber, and other long skinny objects.

The car has a lot of content that, while often standard on today's new cars, usually cost extra in 1992.