Most cars are that way, with regards to being able to go your own route. The RA had few options and even fewer experts to help you along. I was not one of them. I read what I could and learned what I could about the car and I loved my RA. In the end I wanted something faster that didn't require me to do every single thing on my own. I have a hard time believing that after the new RA drops that a lot of existing RA owners won't have at least a slight urge to upgrade.

It may be king of the 160 hp class but that class is getting smaller and smaller. It went from being upper tier 4 cyl NA cars to being standard fare. Thankfully, its stilll a great car for the money. There is great debate about whether or not the evo X is a step up from the IX or no. I do not believe the same issue faces previous gen RA owners and prospective buyers of the new RA.

So to change up the question just a touch: does the new RA render the old RA obsolete? In a lot of ways: yes - particularly if its performance relative to the old model you are talking about... Although no real numbers on the RA have been cemented yet I believe its a safe but to assume itll be a vast improvement over the existing model. This alone severely depreciates the value of the existing RA. It also encourages aftermarket vendors stop development of the existing RA, and limits enthusiast owners to their own devices. Not impossible to work with, but a challenge I certainly wasn't up to in the end.

 

one issue i'll have is that I really enjoy how the RA drives over the similar year WRX. Again, I haven't driven anything above an 04 WRX but the RA just gives me a feeling that I'm more intune with the drive and the road. The WRX felt to plush and soft. I get a more raw feeling with the RA and I love it. I'm hoping that feel doesn't disappear in the new RA models.

 

^^

Ya, it seems that issue plagues the STI as well - at least thats what comparisons to the evo in all the reviews I've read seem to suggest. I really enjoyed the RA and the way it handled, especially after I put the rear strut bar in. I need to get one in the IX now.

 

^^ nice seeing one Evo owner who doesn't hate RA for being Evo wanna be... I know people make RA look like an Evo and i don't understand that... oh well everybody laughs at RA, what can we do i still love mine and i am sure you can do a lot of things with that car to don't be evo poser and still look awesome..

 

This is exactly why i got my RA it's not over rated and it's a nice quick simple NA car. I'm not an EVO hater but EVOs are super overrated.

 

and expensive!

 

Well, I owned my RA free and clear. I got 8500 trade on for it and found a IX SE for 28, so after trade in I got mine for 19,500. The Evo had 6,500 miles on it is all.

The RA was certainly not overrated, but I don't personally believe the Evo is either. For the money, you cannot find another vehicle that performs as well out of the box IMO. I loved my RA and it was also a great car, but the evo for me is a whole other kind of car. I wouldn't call it overrated, but you're of course entitled to your opinion on it.

I will say this: I still prefer the RA community over the Evo one thus far. Quite a bit more helpful and friendly for the most part.

 

I hope not to offend anyone, but I have seen with the STI/EVO community you get a lot more of the ego involved. They aren't hated on as much as the RA community so thus they aren't as friendly to one another. Everyone is trying one-up each other rather then help each other to enjoy a nice car. Just what I've noticed is all.

 

^true, but thats the way of the world.

 

Just like anything else man, you have your turd eaters and you have your cool people. There just happens to be a lot more evos than RA's so the cool to douche ratio is even more noticeable. Just wait till the new RA drops and you have those guys staring down their noses at you. Hopefully, there's just respect for the older gen but.... Don't think I'm wishing this upon you, just very likely to happen.

 

Regards to the new RA, well its supose to be like the WRX is to the STI. Personally I dont see the big hipe in the new X anyways, not putting anyone down or the car. I dont like the fack its going to be a paddle shifting car ect.

Regards to the 04 to 06 RAs, I do have one and plan to keep mine. Yes it will take some personal time and a lot off money to mod it but in the end this is how I see it. I will have something more valuable then an EVO or the new RA as it will be more rare then those will ever be. I bought my RA for the simple fact there wasnt many sold in OKLAHOMA at the time. I do see about 6 or 7 around from time to time but that is it. To me its all about the pride you have in your car and how it reflecks you. I bought mine around June of 04 just after small mods started to come out for the car. I wanted somthing that was going to be fun yet simple sooo that is why I got it. I wanted somthing I could build on and was NEW to the industry. To me this car is a wonderful car and I will keep it till I cant fix it anymore. Not many people know or even new off the RA since I never seen a commercial on it. I found it when I went to the mitsu dealership and was looking around. I think they would have sold more if they would have avertised more for the RA then the other lancers. Just my opinion.

 

a little off the subject: evo m ralliart community have been very helpfull i have read in other forums and em/ra has been a blast to learn from all the posts!

us ralliart people are nice and i love my Ralliart sportback! since i 1st drove it, i got starred at and still do. people stop me to ask me what mitsubishi is it, some want to know where to get one, and as soon as im done paying it off i want me another one to heavily mod too bad they're not manual but im sure some way or how it can be swapped to 5 speed or an even 6 speed!

thumbs up to all mitsu ryders!

 

Rare does not always mean valuable. But its value is what *you* think it is worth man, so I'm glad you're still diggin your purchase.

In the end, I guess I don't know that much about this car in particular, because I found it really difficult to mod with parts other than those branded RRM - not that there was anything wrong with RRM at all. I just wanted more options and I'm not a very good "do it yourself-er."

 

[QUOTE=boozeup&riot;5420747]Rare does not always mean valuable. But its value is what *you* think it is worth man, so I'm glad you're still diggin your purchase. QUOTE]

Wrong, "Value" only comes into play when an item is sold.... Its only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it... And no, our cars are not really rare... "Unlikely" is a better word to use

 

[QUOTE=Punkskalar;5422247]or what you are willing to sell it for... hence why my RA was only worth 8500, but hey if he wanted to sell for much more theres nothing stopping him from asking... in which case its worth that...to him anyway.