That's because it has no active yaw, and the trunk is bigger too

 

USDM Curb Weights:

GSR = 3517lb.

MR = 3594lb.

RA = 3462lb.

 

Hello all ... again,

Here is another first drive by popular mechanics. Again, maybe the same day as the other mags articles. A couple interesting things to note about this article is that there was an evo there to benchmark with (didn't state year or trim). Also they stated an mpg rating of 17-29. Most other mags are rating it on the high of 24 highway though so ... who knows since there was not mileage testing done that day. 29 would be awesome highway mileage, average out to 23 which would be a 3 ish improvement over a 17-24 rating. Not bad but considering a 5 mpg on the highway increase is awesome. Again it is all speculation but I am so jazzed on this car as are some other people that I figured I would share the wealth.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/blog...s/4269562.html

 

Thanks again for the great contribution. Entertaining read.

This line was interesting.

"Mitsu utilizes an air-to-air intercooler that’s about 54-percent smaller, too."

And the line about the mpg sounds like it's fact and not speculation. 29 hwy would be bad *** and even more justification to use it as a daily driver.

"which is 17 mpg in the city and 29 mpg on the highway"

 

Thanks. I trust Popular Mechanics more than any other car magazine.

 

I fail to see how this car will "blow away the WRX". I'm not a big fan of the new WRX by any means, I don't like the way they softened the looks or changed the engine (it's essentially a LGT rather than a detuned STI motor) but it's still a quick car. It weighs substantially less than the RA (around 3150 lbs), has close to the same power (yes it's rated as 230ish but it dynos closer to the 250 range) and is AWD as well. I have a feeling that the two cars will have almost identical numbers unless the RA comes with summer rubber in which case it will obviously have faster slalom times and shorter braking distances.

 

It will come with this tire http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...irePageLocQty= in 215mm wide form. It has a lower tread wear rating than the Evo X's tire http://www.tirerack.com/tires/Spec.j...irePageLocQty=

With this tire it's possible that it will own the WRX where it matters, a track circuit and mountain passes. It has a much more advanced AWD system from the Evo IX and the TC-SST from the Evo X MR. The RA also has a suspension system that is more performance oriented. With these qualities, in theory, it will beat the WRX in the same vein as the Evo X MR beats the new STI.

 

With those tires it will beat the WRX since the WRX comes with crappy all-seasons. However, I don't think that means it's going to blow the car away since one is seriously handicapped. The MR also doesn't "blow away" the STI, in some reviews the STI does indeed win. The two are so close to declare a definite winner is next to impossible since you'll have to focus on very specific comparisons.

 

I completely understand what you are saying. Paper wise, the RA is coming in with impressive goodies. I think at this price range, you don't have to necessarily crush the competition in performance numbers in order to blow it out of the water. Good performance, good packaging, and good subjective opinions will definitely win out. People I think are more concerned about their money at this price range and want the best bang for their buck. But I completely agree with you that I don't think the RA will blow the WRX out of the water, though with what we have seen and heard so far, I think it will win out.

 

Yeah, it won't blow it away with equal tires.

 

I'm in the market for a new car and I am interested in the lancer RA over a WRX due to the many features available on the Ralliart that arn't available on the WRX (unless Subaru makes some significant changes for 2009):

-Sunroof
-Bluetooth
-Xenon headlights
-Auto-up drivers side window
-Auto on/off headlights
-Rain sensing wipers
-Music Server
-Fastkey
-Recaro seats
-Front and rear limited slip diffs
-Sportier suspension

The only aspects of the WRX that I like over the RA are its lower weight (250lbs less), available manual transmission and Subaru's reputation for excellent reliability.

 

You can get a sunroof on a WRX, at least you could since I have a sunroof. Auto on/off headlights and rain sensing wipers are overrated (and can be extraordinarily annoying), the driver's side window is auto-down, not sure about up, HIDs and Recaro seats can be bought aftermarket (and they don't seem to come standard on the RA anyways) and the suspension is probably pretty close although Subarus are notorious for suspension travel (not necessarily a bad thing). The diffs are a big thing, I have no idea why Subaru got rid of mechanical diffs since they kick *** (mine has mechanical diffs).
The big problem Mitsubishi will have is trying to get people to think about the RA when they think cheap, AWD and performance. The WRX has been around for years now and it's definitely earned a reputation for all the aforementioned things.

 

i doubt the RA will get 29 hwy, the regular lancers are already struggling to get 28-30 and they dont have a turbo or 4wd or extra weight

 

1) I'm comparing a new RA to a new WRX (not interested in buying used). You cannot get a OEM sunroof on a new WRX

2) Auto headlights/wipers may be annoying to some but you can turn them on/off manually if you like. (more options for the driver = better)

3) You can pretty much get any of the features I listed above aftermarket but I've been there and done that. I don't have the time or energy to deal with the headaches associated with aftermarket stuff.

You can pick that list apart all you want but, at the end of the day, that's a lot of extra stuff for about the same cost as a WRX. (assuming the RA price comes as anticipated) I don't know what the buyer demographics will be like when the RA goes on sale but, as a 28 year old male, its those features that convinced me to hold off from buying an 08 WRX.

 

Really? -- I would have thought that the fact that the 2008 WRX is butt ugly to just about everyone on the planet aside from die-hard Subaru enthusiasts would be the best reason not to get one.