In today’s thrilling episode, we’re going to look at two cars that have the same color scheme. They’re both rare, they’re both in nice shape, and if we’re being honest, they both seem a little expensive for what you get. Is one of them more worth the price than the other? That’s what we’re going to find out.
We looked at a couple of two-door sedans yesterday, and it sounds as if a lot of you had trouble choosing. And for once, it wasn’t because you hated them both! From the sounds of it, a lot of people’s heads said Toyota Corona, while their hearts said Volvo. The head won out, but just barely. As of this writing, only about thirty votes separate the two.
I understand your indecision. I’d have trouble choosing between them as well. I’ve low-key wanted a Volvo 240 for years, and that’s a good spec to get, but that Corona is cleaner, and I really like the light, airy look of the interior. I think I’d have to drive them both and see which one felt more like home.
Of all the possible color combinations for cars, green outside and tan inside is one of my favorites. It just looks good on everything. And it doesn’t really matter what shade of green it is; Forest Service Green works just as well as British Racing Green. The combination was really popular in the 1990s, but you don’t see it much these days. You don’t see many interior colors except for black, actually, unless you start looking at higher-end cars. Both of today’s cars are from the end of the green-over-tan era, but they both wear it well, and they’re both cars you don’t see often in any color. Let’s check them out.
2000 Daewoo Nubira CDX Wagon – $4,000
Engine/drivetrain: 2.0-liter DOHC inline-4, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: Hillsboro, OR
Odometer reading: 67,000 miles
Operational status: Ad doesn’t actually say
Daewoo doesn’t have a long or distinguished resume of selling cars in the United States. The first Daewoo-built car sold here was the ill-fated Pontiac LeMans revival, based on the European Opel Kadett. It should have been a good little car. It wasn’t. In the late ’90s, Daewoo came to the US as its own entity, just in time to go bankrupt and have to get bailed out by General Motors. This Nubira was the middle child of Daewoo’s lineup in the US, a car that sold so poorly that I haven’t actually seen one on the road since about 2005. And I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Nubira wagon in green. It’s a fetching color, I have to admit.
All US-market Nubiras came with a 2.0-liter twin-cam four-cylinder engine built in Australia by Holden. Either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic were available; this car, like nearly all Nubiras, I would imagine, has the automatic. Curiously, the seller doesn’t actually mention how well it runs; only that it’s hard to find “in this condition.” I assume that means running and driving? These cars weren’t known for their reliability.
It’s the fancy CDX model, with air conditioning, cruise control, and power everything. The seller appears to have installed a touch-screen stereo in it, but since it’s positioned so low in the dash, I have to imagine it’s a pain in the ass to operate. I think I’d yank it out and replace it with something with knobs and buttons, personally. It does look like it’s in good condition inside, at least.
Little wagons are always useful things, no matter who makes them, and this looks like a very practical car. The cross-bars on the roof racks are apparently a factory option, and I have to believe they’re one of very few sets in existence. I can’t see a reason to go for this over an Escort wagon or something, unless you really want a Daewoo, but if that’s the case, then you do you. You’re unlikely to find a nicer one than this.
2004 Mitsubishi Galant GTS – $4,800
Engine/drivetrain: 3.8-liter OHC V6, four-speed automatic, FWD
Location: San Jose, CA
Odometer reading: 119,000 miles
Operational status: Runs and drives well
Some cars seem to exist only in a certain period of time, regardless of how long they were actually produced. Mitsubishi’s Galant sedan is such a car. When I think of the Galant, it’s the early 1990s versions that come to mind, especially the cool all-wheel-drive VR-4 model. Remembering that Mitsubishi still sold the Galant in 2004 is a bit like being reminded that Collective Soul released a new album that same year. Oh right, so they did. Well, good for them.
As it turns out, in 2004, the Galant had a bit of a surprise under the hood: a 3.8-liter version of Mitsubishi’s long-serving V6, making 230 horsepower. That’s not too shabby at all for a mid-sized sedan, though not quite at the level of Nissan’s brawler V6 version of the Altima. No manual transmission was available in the Galant by this point; you get a four-speed automatic with one of those manual-shiftable plus-and-minus gates. (Does anybody ever actually use those?) The seller says it runs and drives well, and just had a bunch of service work completed. It does, however, have a salvage title, though the seller doesn’t know the reason. It needn’t have been an accident; it could have been a theft recovery. If it doesn’t affect the car, and your insurance company doesn’t care, it probably doesn’t matter.
This one is also the top of its range, which for the Galant means the GTS model. It has leather seats, power everything, and nice-looking white-faced gauges. It’s all in good condition, but I do wonder about that yellow plastic bag in front of the vent on the right side. Is that an air freshener? What smell is it covering up?
It looks good on the outside, and this one is a nice color as well. The seller does say it has “scratches here and there,” but what car outside of Pebble Beach doesn’t? None of the panel gaps look off in the photos, which also leads me to believe that the tarnished title is not due to damage.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw either of these cars. Wait – actually, I had a friend in Portland with a Galant from this era, but hers was nowhere near this fancy. A Daewoo of any description, though? It’s been years. If nothing else, you’re practically guaranteed to have the only one in almost any parking lot, and you certainly won’t see another example of either in green. Which one is worth the money to you?
These are both terrible options. But I have to make a choice and I’m going go to the maximum credit risk level that most likely got either of these off the lot and choose Daewoo. It might be just so terrible it’ll come all the way around to being entertaining in its awfulness.
The Galant; got to know what’s behind that bag.
My first thought seeing the headline was “What the hell kind of Altima is that?”. Then, diving in I struggled to remember the 2004 Galant even though my home town had a shady Mitsubishi dealership right on the main parkway into and out of town. Still can’t remember that era of Galant.
I do remember the high spec dark green over tan Daewoo Leganzas (yes, plural) that were around my home town in West Georgia. There were actually several Daewoos around, but I could not tell you which car dealership actually sold them (Not the Ford/Lincoln/Mercury, the Chevy/GM/Hummer, the Mitsubishi, the Dodge/Ram/Chrysler, or the Nissan).
For this battle I picked the Galant because it does appear nicer and I don’t recall any comically bad crash test scores or fires like I do when I think Daewoo.
And I looked at the Daewoo thinking “What the hell kind of Hyundai is that?”
Dae-who?
– response from every non-car person you know after telling them what you bought.
In fairness, most of these same people would also say “What’s a Mitsu?” if you went with the other one.
daewoo but only because, if fatally injured in a crash, someone could quote that line from pineapple express – you just got killed by a daewoo (not lanos but c’mon), mfer!
I love oddballs… I’ll take the Daewoo.
I really want the green wagon, but the big-engine Galant gets my bucks. We used to have a Kia Sedona minivan with the Mitsu 3.8 V6, and the engine was an absolute horse. Towed a camping trailer, various antique cars, and a family of five all over the US for 150,000 miles and was still running strong when I sold it.
Buy the Galant and you can tell people you own a 3000GT*
Oof. I’m going with neither but at the point of a gun I could be convinced to take the Galant, although in my opinion the one from the late 90s is far easier to look at than…this beaky thing.
A 3.8 V6 seems like a lot of mill for this rig. It must be kind of peppy, or else that engine is one of the most lightly-loaded capacities I’ve ever seen.
If I’m getting a Daewoo, it better be the one with the transverse straight 6, because that’s weird and I like that. Because this one isn’t that one, and also because the Galant is easier to find parts for (and was this generation made at DSM? I don’t recall…) I’ll reluctantly take that.
That’s the Suzuki Verona – always thought that was a great looking car. Also thought it was kinda funny that there was the Verona AND also the Buick Verano under GM’s umbrella (they brought up a display of the rear suspension to a presentation they gave about the Verano Turbo launch for New England auto media. Sticker on one of the links: “Verona” I have a pic somewhere. This is probably only funny or curious to me.)
(GM shoved Daewoo stuff thru Suzuki after buying them, like a new Geo. Oh wait, wasn’t Neo Geo a video game thing in the 90s? Lotta noise in the brain today, free association is fun)
(Yes, a home console/handheld by arcade cabinet manufacturer/game developer SNK. But that’s besides the point.) It’d be cool to find one, though. A Verona, I mean. (Or a Neo Geo too I guess…)
Verona with a Neo Geo console you play via dash screen?
Feels Fast and Furious to me.
Dang it, now you got me doing it!
Holy crap, they’re expensive: https://www.ebay.com/b/SNK-Neo-Geo-AES-Video-Game-Consoles/139971/bn_64858627
Galant.
Story time.
I was with Autoblog for like a decade. Steven Ewing, now with Edmunds, coordinated media loans for a while. Mostly as a joke, I kept asking for a Galant media loan for years and years. He kept emphatically saying no. It was a bit of sorts on our podcast. Listeners picked it up. To this day, I will occasionally tag him across the internet with a Galant reference.
The real auto journalism is the friends we make along the way …
The Daewoo has a certain gangly, goofy charm to it. I wouldn’t necessarily want it, mind you, but I’d rather have it than that Mitsu.
The Galant is a V6, and you really don’t want to have to work on a transverse V6 🙁
If the Galant had the I4, I would’ve voted for it.
The Daewoo is also a wagon, which is more practical. I voted for the wagon.
Is this a car you work on, though? Or just leave those plugs in there forever. TBH, it’s often not bad on transverse powertrains to get at the firew side of tue engine from below. Don’t know if it’s the case here
Strong inclination to say “neither” today. IIRC, the Galant was a pretty decent ride when new; the Daewoo somewhat less so. But lotsa luck finding parts when, inevitably, something goes haywire. Granted, a two-decade-old anything will be a crapshoot when spares are required, but buying a car from an orphan brand or one that barely exists seems riskier.
However, if I have to spend my Imaginary Dollars today, it’s the Mitsu.
I don’t remember much about Darwoos other than they were here one day and then seemed to disappear over night. That Galant is at least from a time when Mitsu was more relevant. I voted for it.
GM did the ol’ “buy them and shut them down” move to neutralize them. It wasn’t a terrible move – it led tonthe Crize eventually, and a bunch of small car expertise, plus a presence in Thailand, I think.
Daewoo’s late 90s retail launch in the US was some WACKY scrappy thinking.
I think Chevy Sparks are made by the grouo that used to be Daewoo
Yep
My roomate had a (then) new Gallant in 1991 and I drove it on occasion. It wasn’t a VR-4, but probably the next-to-top tier step down model. Had great driving dynamics, a 5-speen manual with precise shifting and active suspension…something pretty advanced back then. It was also green, but the interior was dark grey as I recall…anyway, I really dug that car and that’s part of the problem. Every Gallant that came after that was a step farther and farther away from that high point. The nadir was the mid 2000s which was the end of the line (thankfully) for the model. In spite of all that, I’d still take this one over the Daewoo. Nothing against the small wagon concept ,but these things always looked really weird to me and not in a fun or quirky way. Just plain weird. This Gallant..while still awkward and not nearly the car that I remember, would do just fine as a *car*, and you’d probably have slightly better luck sourcing parts.
Neither, but not for the usual reasons.
I have owned two green cars. I’ve been in accidents that have totaled both cars. I don’t want to tempt fate again.
Different colors? I’d take the Galant. As is, nope.
I thought green cars were only unlucky in stock car racing. D:
I know nothing about Daewoo, the Mits has a salvage title. Flip a coin?
There’s no doubting the usefulness of a small wagon. Very tardis-y.
But, in this case, it’s the Mitsubishi. I’ve known many people who keep their air fresheners partially in the package/bag to reduce the intensity of the smell of it.
I voted for the Galant because something about the interior give me leather couch vibes.
Also odd- wonder why Mitsu downgraded the 3.8 by a whole 28hp for the Galant. It would have been very competitive in the day if it had the same 263hp that the Eclipse with the same engine got.
I’m going for the oddball wagon because ‘oddball’ and ‘wagon’ are both compelling reasons for me. As a bonus, it’s low mileage and looks like it’s in really good condition. Probably a horrible mistake but I’m sticking with it.
Also, ‘unknown’ salvage title Mitsubishi seems like an even more horrible mistake.
Sitting here, scratching my head, wondering how I just voted for a Daewoo.
Not a particular fan of either of these, but I’d truct the Mitsu a lot more than the woo-hoo Deawoo.
Lower mileage, lower price, long roof? Daewoo all the way-oo
I voted Galant, but I’m not happy about it.
Ditto.