we've had names picked out for months...(wether it's a boy or girl...since we didin't find out which one it is)
but we're still kinda thinking about changin them some...

the darn thing is late on it's eviction...lol
due date was the 6th...and still no signs of it wanting to come out...

i would LOVE to buy another RA...specially with less miles than mine had before...but i just don't have the $...and i'll wanna mod it(still)...and still no money...and with the kid...did i say no money...?
and did i say no space?(one of the reasons i sold the RA)...so if we sell the mazda(which my wife already hates and wants to get rid of...)...we'll look into something with more space again(speed3 maybe?...nah...it'll probably be another vw for my wife and i'll keep the 09 jetta still)...

i found 2 yellow RA's, black one, a red one and another gray one(like mine) for sale within 100mi of my zip for sale...all for around $6k...

i'd love to find a sportback in a stick...then i can have best of both - extra space and being my beloved RA...
but they didn't come in stick...or maybe....i can convert it,and have the 1st manual SB...but then it's WAY out of my price range...

if i ever had a few grand and wanted to get a fun car, hands down i'd get another RA...
but it's not gonna happen for quite a while

ps: did i tell you they hired a new guy at work that looks just like you and everytime i see him i'm like "WTF JOSH!?!?!?...no wait....new guy....nvm..."

 

i know exactly what you mean...it took me a few years to sell mine...and i basically only did it for the baby that's coming soon...

i had the option to sell or repair...
i decided sell was the better option, because the price would't change wether it was fixed or not...
so why fix it for ~1.5k to sell it for the same ammount as if i never fixed it...?

and we hope the new caris more kid and camping friendly...
we already know for SURE it's more fuel friendly...but not as comfortable than the RA on long trips tho...

 

Selling made more sense for me too. The buyer got a car that had the timing belt, pulleys and belts done. Not to mention new brakes, rotors and set of winters on rims included. Had it on autotrader a week, sold for top kbb value. He got a great deal still cus of the work done and the extras it came with. The truck I got for 5k below kbb value, so it was win all around.

 

i don't know exactly what the kbb was for mine...
but i got $4k for mine as trade...i had done the timing belts, still had relatively good brakes brand new tires, oe wheels were in good condition, i had just replaced all 6 rear control arms and all their hardware the previous year(6-8 months before if i remember correctly)...

unfortunately i did need some transmission work...which i planned on doing along with a few other things....which is y my repair bill would've been ~$1500...
if i just did the trans stuff and put it back together w/ no extra stuff it'd be like $500 total and i would've kept it...(but still would need extra room)

but since i would've been in there already, might as well do the full job...right?
w/e tho...too late now

 

Hey gang, I'm back, just not with another RA though. I have seriously missed this awesome community, you guys are the best group out there. Words can't describe how much I've longed for another zippy, slicing through traffic, super fun to drive, ride. Don't get me wrong, my truck is hella fun. It's super awesome for offroading, tows and hauls anything I need it to, but I really don't get the same excitement my RA used to give.

What did I pick up? Well a demo 2014 Kia Forte Koup EX with only 8500km on it. While it may not be the SX with the 1.6L Turbo (200HP), it is a 2.0L 173HP beast of a sporty compact car. If anyone is looking for the new best bang for buck ride, this is it (although they will never compare to the bang for buck of a used RA!). It's a major buyers market for Kia's right now (I paid 8k less than new price). They have totally kicked up their quality HUGE, ranking 6th out of 33 amongst all automakers in quality of 2014's. Beat by only Porsche, Jaguar, Lexus, Hyundai and Toyota.

As soon as I can get em, these are the immediate mods. Turbo as soon as one is made for 2014's, Coilovers as soon as they are made for 2014's and a set of UltraRacing stability bars.

In the meantime, here's are the new wheels.

 

Very nice! I always thought the kia koup was a good looking machine. Welcome back by the way!

 

no turbo...we can't be friends anymore....sorry






lol, just kidding...i've also been known to admire the forte koup...

 

The turbo for the 1st gen's gives a 125hp boost!

Thank you on zee compliments. I really love the styling too.

Kia hired an ex audi designer; this new Koup is one of his creations. German styling! They are throwing crazy awesome into their 2014's and 2015's. Came with heated front seats, rear climate control, voice activated infotainment system, cruise control, power windows, automatic folding mirrors, list goes on. The only downside is that it had to be automatic. Wifey never would learn the standard.

Here is the dash. You may be able to see that the center portion of the dash is slightly facing the driver more than the passenger.

 

nice purse, bro!

 

+1...i considered a forte koup before we got the mazda...but 2 doors and the same or smaller size didin't cut it...so it never left my thoughts...

plus it was when kia/hyundai was starting the upturn in quality so i was still unsure about it...we also considered a soul....but it wasn't available anywhere around us in a stick...so we passed on it and ended up with our mazda..(which we then sold a year later...lol)

just like audi/vw's...
ps looks good man...hope u enjoy it!

 

I will admit I miss my Turbo RA no question. Hard to not to get excited what I hit WOT in my S4. My turbo lancer was quick but the S4 well... its and S4. Another thing was comfort I am not a small guy and the Lancer Recaros were a bit tight, great for short trips but I have been doing more trips to Montreal, Toronto and 2 trips to Boston. I will admit something to be said for fast comfort. God I am old...LOL.

Still miss the rush of the turbo....nothing like that!

 

i actually miss the instant punch of a smaller turbo, but i am consoled by the larger punch that occurs a little later...not the same thing, i know....just saying.

 

Thank you, me loves it.

I went into the dealership wanting a sedan actually. The Koup just happened to be the demo model they had. It was a Friday near the end of the month. Pouring rain outside, an hour before they close (best time to get a deal on a lot!). I made out like a bandit so we were okay with it. Wifey is using the truck which is 4 door so we technically have the family vehicle already.

 

Kinda reviving this post, but I was going through my bookmarks and came across evom. I sold my 2005 Lancer RA about a year and a half ago in San Diego, CA. It's Red/Black and I actually saw it on a craigslist ad when I was on deployment (USN). I haven't been active on the forums in quite some time, but I just wanted to drop in and (revive a thread) to say the RA was one of the best cars I've had the pleasure of owning. This community was great. Had mine since I bought it new in 2005 and traded it in for the new ride (Audi A4). Love the new ride, but really miss my Ralliart. Thanks for being a great community!

Here's a pic of the new ride (courtesy of the wife for the picture)