Sporty front bucket seats in the ES V6 offer a good range of adjustment with above average side bolsters and thigh support. More important, there's enough rear seat legroom for three adults as well as enough rear headroom for six-footers, even with the steep rake of the rear window. Driver sight lines are average for a car in this class; there's good visibility over the sloping hood with no significant blind spots.

We liked the feel of the thick, padded steering wheel. However, the controls for the audio system are too small. In addition, the rear cupholders mounted on the rear of the center console reside below an armrest, which means flipping the armrest back if you want to use it. However, these are minor demerits in an otherwise thoughtful design.

For 2000, Mitsubishi has added a three-point seat belt in the rear-center seating position; this rear-center belt is absent from some passenger cars and most sport-utility vehicles. Mitsubishi has also added child restraint anchors. Side airbags are a standard safety feature in LS and GTZ models and optional DE and ES Galants. Mitsubishi's side-impact airbags are mounted in the sides of the front seat frames; side airbags are not available in all mid-size cars.

The Galant is available with antilock brakes, which allow the driver to maintain steering control during an emergency-stopping situation in dry as well as slippery conditions. ABS is standard equipment on ES V6, LS and GTZ models, optional on the ES.