Manny_112

Hi Guys,

I am very new to the Mitsubishi/Ralliart Scene, but am currently in the market to purchase a new car. I had originally looked into getting the Mazdaspeed3 (been a big mazda fan for a while) but with a new baby in the house the wife would really prefer I stick to sedans since she find them more family friendly.

I am currently driving a 2002 Mazda Protege with a few bolt on mods and cosmetic mods. So honestly anything I get will feel like a whole lot more POWA . I will miss my little Pro though.

The cars I have been comparing are the 2009-2012 RA, 2010-2012 Nissan Sentra Ser Spec-V and a 2009+ WRX.

The Sentra is appealing because of the 200HP it offers NA, and the 6speed transmission, but the overall look of the car isn't super awesome (my wife and I owned a 2008 Sentra S which I did enjoy driving) and the Sentra scene seems a bit annoying. but the price point on these cars is also very appealing (11k-15k)

Then there is the WRX, which has pretty much everything I would want, except everyone seems to own one and the price point is a bit ridiculous for me (22k+ for the years I am looking at)

then there is the RA, which I didn't even know existed until a month or two ago. now overall this car seems to have everything I am looking for nice sporty look, turbo, AWD, and the community seems to be really supportive and knowledgeable, and from what I understand these cars handle modding very well. My only concern (complaint?) is the TC-SST transmission. though the idea is growing on me, I would prefer a real manual. The used price point for these cars is also right up my ally (13k-18k).

So I guess to sum it up, what can you guys tell me about these cars that would be good to know before I go and start looking at them?

Any known issues/complaints with the TC-SST Transmission?

Any other known issues?

What would you say is the going price for a 2009-2012?

any major differences between those years?

is there anything I should be looking for that would tell me if these cars been abused or driven too hard?

any other info you may deem important?

I do have a few questions regarding mods, but I will save those for when I potentially own one.

thanks for any and all feedback and help, I'm looking forward to learning more about these cars and hopefully you'll see me posting about my own here in the next few months.

thanks again,

Manny

AlDim

iTrader: (1)

I must say I have never heard such a statement before.
Hatchbacks are always more "family friendly" than sedans. They have massive extra storage space and make it much easier to load stuff like strollers, groceries, etc. Americans are the only people in the entire world who seem to have a problem with that idea.

I will, however, agree that the previous gen Mazdaspeed 3 is lacking in the back seat leg space department (I used to own a base Mazda 3 of the same gen and that was definitely an issue). Lancers are way better in that respect.


As far as your search for a car, I'd say:
- 2009-2015 Ralliart > 2008-2014 WRX; the SST transmission is much better than the crappy 5-speed manual on the WRX and is very, very fun in its own way. Can't go wrong with the superior AWD with front and rear diffs either. Also it has a more comfortable interior and better looks. It's a really good platform for relatively low cost modding as well. Overall both are good cars, but the Ralliart has a lot more going on.
- 2015-2016 WRX > Ralliart. Subaru definitely made major improvements with the new models, but obviously that would be a much more expensive vehicle than a used Ralliart or WRX.
- Nissan Sentra is total garbage, but I could easily recommend the Inifiniti G37x (or if you want an NA FWD car with 200hp, the Civic SIs are pretty enjoyable cars for sure).
- Take a look at the 2006-2007 Mazdaspeed 6. These are really awesome - AWD, great performance (same engine as the Speed 3, lots of space, 6-speed manual, etc). It's one of the most exciting cars for the money.

As far as issues, the SST can have some, especially if it's not maintained properly (with OEM fluid changes at least every 30K miles). Keep in mind that this is a pretty aggressive sports sedan with an unusual amount of performance components for its price bracket that are more expensive to maintain.

Mivec20

AlDim is 100% correct.

The Ralliart has many upgrade paths, with EVO X Bolt ons. Regarding Exhaust, The Downpipe and HFC can be borrowed from any EVO X vendor as they are direct bolt-ons. The most restrictive part on the RA IMHO is the HFC due to emission control. You can purchase a HFC 200CEL from Depo Racing for $190 which is a steal and will net you approx. 10+hp with no tune. This will allow for the turbo to 'breathe' much better. Not many gains are seen from the downpipe or catback.. however if you want a nice sound you can get the catback anyway

Also, you can upgrade to an EVO X BOV, don't spend money on fancy BOV's.. VTA will cause stability issues which only gives you a sound... get the EVO X BOV from eBay or the classifieds. This will keep boost pressure as the stock plastic one leaks.

The RA has such a small intercooler it gets heat soaked with one or two WOT pulls in the summer. (This means losing HP) I recommend purchasing a used EVO X FMIC from eBay or the classifieds. Fort the piping, use Ultimate Racing for UICP/LICP they are one of the most cost effective pieces on the market.

CAI is not needed since the RA turbo is single scroll and quite small. Drop-in filter is the only thing that is needed since the intake is also well designed. If you decide to do a EVO X Turbo swap then you can upgrade the CAI.

Now, the biggest problem with this car is the TC-SST Transmission. Mitsubishi recommends to do a tranny flush every 60,000km. Most guys on here are doing it every 30,000km.. associated cost is approximately $400 from the dealer. If you purchase a Ralliart from a private dealer, you can inherit issues especially if they abused it. When I talk to my service guys at Mitsubishi, they tell me most everyone that buys this drive the snot out of them (Always changing gears at high rpm) Hell, even when I drive spiritedly, or I'm late for an appointment I can smell my transmission fluid burning depending on what I'm doing lol and I have a conscious!

Try to purchase a previously leased Ralliart directly through Mitsubishi where they have record of the Warranty / Maintenance booklet to display when the customer performed this service. To maintain any warranty with Mitsubishi, they would have had to follow the recommend services guidelines. This will protect you from any possible transmission problems.

One of the other known problems is the timing chain. On newer models this issue has been fixed, however on older ones there have been some bad experiences.
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/09...retch-fml.html

Another problem is the AWD pump. If you live in Canada.. cold winters with sand and salted streets, the pump will deteriorate. What happens when this goes is the car will turn off AWD and go to FWD, CEL will appear. Mitsu has extended the warranty to 10 years for this so no problem..

Please note, that the engine components have stayed the same since 09-2015 The packages vary. For instance, the 2015 comes with Recaro heated seats, rain sensing wipers, side mirror LED signals, heated mirrors, keyless entry, 18" Alloys, EVO MR odometer, rockford system etc, sunroof etc.

The greatest single modification page is here:
http://www.rpw.com.au/index.php/vehi...ralliart-turbo

The second best page is here:
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/09...g-your-ra.html

Best,

AlDim

iTrader: (1)

Running a high flow cat without a tune is a very bad idea, as it can really throw off the car's afr.
As far as gains from a downpipe and catback, they can be rather big with an upgraded turbo, but for stock turbo they don't make much of a difference for sure.

This page has some good info, but combines it with a few dubious points and rather strange claims about hp gains (adding 80-100 hp "without even trying" with just a cat back and 3-port/boost pill is total bs).

Mivec20

AlDim is right regarding the HFC.. you will need a tune.

LOL regarding the 80-100hp... that was strange.

Murdered Out

iTrader: (2)

http://api.viglink.com/api/click?for...ralliart-turbo

What did I just read... lmao
I must be doing my mods wrong.

DWILSON357

iTrader: (1)

What would be the expected gains from a cat back, boost pill and tune? 50 ish?

Slee256

I'm pretty sure this is a totally bogus statement. Someone else please chime in here and confirm that it's wrong please.

AlDim

iTrader: (1)

More like 20.

w8less1der

iTrader: (27)

Get the Ralliart Sportback. Best Ralliart ever built if you have a family or hobbies that can't fit in a duffel bag (and don't trying fitting your family in a duffel bag, we'll call the cops).

IF you want to tune your car right away the proper way, do some research on tuners who can actually tune the TC-SST Transmission, NOT just the ECU.

Mivec20

evom forum patrol looking for bogus claims.. g0g0g0

DWILSON357

iTrader: (1)

I thought the GST tune alone was good for 30? Maybe I misread something

Slee256

Look at the first page of the GST Basemap thread. The dyno graphs will show you the power difference between the stock tune and the GST tune with a Boost Pill and Catback exhaust and you'll have your answer. I'm too lazy to go to that page and look it up for you myself.....

AlDim

iTrader: (1)

Around 20 without boost pill, 30 with boost pill. But how much you actually gain really depends on the car. There can be significant differences between vehicles since these are very generic maps. If you want real gains, you need a hfc. Getting a custom tune with just a catback is just a waste of money.

kornkid42

Correct, add a 3-port boost controller, Evo X intercooler, and Evo X BOV on top of the catback, and then a custom tune is worth it. I got +76 tq and + 61 hp with that setup.