Hi,

I currently own an AE101 XE M/T, and I grew up with that car since my dad bought it new back in 93 and I literally learned how to drive in that car. But age, gaining weight and previous injuries in playing football in my younger years have caught up with me and I developed problems in my left foot that causes extreme pain after a few hours driving in Makati traffic. I have no choice but to get me an A/T car to replace it.

I am considering a GLi A/T because it's easy to find parts for it and I'm accustomed to an AE101. But I'm not sure if the 4AFE is built tough like the 2E, but what really worries me most is the tranny, and how reliable it will be at this age. I'm also not sure if it pulls itself well with the aircon on.

I'm also considering the 7G Galant because of its more powerful engine, it's roomier and (IMO) more elegant, and because dad now works with a Mitsu dealer :D I've driven his A/T Adventure many times before and I like how it doesn't lose power even if the aircon is turned on full blast because of the bigger engine, and I like how the A/T allows me to rest my foot. It's really worlds apart from my XE in traffic situations. The drawbacks would be fuel consumption, but I can live with that since I have a light foot, but I'm worried that durability will be an issue for this model since I heard balljoints, suspension and the transmission are the main problems of this car, and I don't have any idea if parts are readily available for this model in surplus shops in Banawe.

So I guess the deciding factor is, which has the better tranny in terms of reliability and serviceability, the AE101 or the 7G Galant?

Thanks for your insight on this.