Faults:

After a year and 13,000 km, nothing!

General Comments:

Coming from 10 years of Audi's, this car is pretty good.

I miss the German steering, but this isn't bad for a Japanese family sedan.

Noisier inside than the Audi when driving over coarse chip paved country roads.

The V6 engine makes a big difference, unlike a 4-cylinder motor, this is pretty quiet and relaxed, and cruises at 100 km/h ticking over at just past 2,000 RPM whereas the 4-cyl. cars usually do so at 3,000 RPM. I don't think I could go back to a 4-cylinder car again.

Shockingly frugal -- my 4-cyl. Audi's with automatic averaged about 8.5-9.0 km/L, but the Galant with its more powerful 6-cyl engine manages 9.5 km/L on the average, sometimes even with air conditioning. Amazing!

The Tiptronic automatic is OK, but regardless of what anyone says, it does NOT feel like manual. Depends on the Tiptronic downshifts at high speed for "kick down". I reckon -- either have a good automatic (with normal kick-down), or a real manual, but Tiptronic simply isn't the right compromise. I'd have loved to have the manual gearbox for this car.

Quite roomy, but because of the shape of the front, it's a little difficult to judge where the corners are, especially with the dark blue paint.

Parts can be quite expensive. The Audi A4's spark plugs cost about NZ$40/set, this car's Iridium ones cost NZ$24/PIECE!

A pleasant surprise was that this car also has the outside temperature gauge, and heated mirrors -- two features I have always enjoyed with Audi.

The automatic climate control drives me nuts. You set a temperature, and it heats up quickly, then after a while, it starts blowing cold air at face level. Not what I want when it's 10 deg C outside! My '96 A4's climate aircon maintained the correct temperature all year round, no surprises.

It's got that smart Lexus-like gauge cluster which stays dark then lights up when the ignition is turned on.

Very smart body style (but too common in NZ now). I hate the navy blue colour though -- clean it at Wash World, you get home, it's already dirty. I'd have preferred bright red again, or diamond blue metallic, or even port red, which at least are not common here.

Initial major service (100,000 km) was horribly expensive, more than the Audi -- all fluids, cambelt and tensioner, all filters, water pump, those $24 spark plugs (admittedly good for another 100k km), and automatic transmission all-up cost me $1500. My previous Audi's cost me anywhere from $750-1,200 on the average for the same service.

The youngest second-hand car I have had, my first Japanese one in 12 years, and so far the most reliable.

Faults:

Nothing in 12k miles.

General Comments:

A comfortable car with good seats, happy to sit all day at high motorway speeds. Engine noise is well insulated, although there is a little tire roar.

Performance is the happy side of adequate, but no sports car and heavy body means 30mpg. Quite entertaining to drive for a big car, and feels nimble and grippy in the corners.

Saloon body not as practical for large loads as estate would be.

A handsome brute, and not a BMW or 4x4 so you still get let out into traffic. Rear quarter visibility could be better, can be difficult to manoeuvre in tight spaces and to parallel park. Large turning circle.

The cabin is a comfortable place to be, but the quality is mediocre with an odd mix of cheap plastics and nice chunky switches. Don't think it'll fall apart, but doesn't really feel like a quality product on the inside. Stereo speakers are not particularly good.

All in all happy with it, particularly given the price paid. It is a lot of car for the money (lots of toys - cruise control, sun roof, air conditioning, fog lights), and is a pleasant place to be for everyday driving.