If you're trying to choose between the Raliart or WRX I'd just go with the WRX then. It'll be more bang for your buck, plus if those are your choices I'm sure you don't have a lot of it. The new WRX is a really fun little car to drive.

 

you want a bmw? Your going to spend WELL over 30 grand.

 

if u like manual
go for the WRX
but if u really like the evo body style
go for the 2008 EVO
they dont cost as much as the 2010 one, or u can a second hand one

 

If SST isn't that bad that it won't bother me.

 

Just go drive both for YOURSELF. Than make your choice. /thread

 

Will do. Thanks

 

Yes in manual mode you control the shift not the computer just make sure you move the gear lever over to the left in the +/- gate.

But yes like i said b4 drive them both and see which one you prefer.

 

WOOOT... another RA vs. WRX thread!!! Bring in the war drums! LOL /wave @ Amby.

j/k.

Anyway, to the OP... first off, there are great deals to be had on new Evo Xs right now:

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/hu...-them-out.html

You can basically get one for $8.2K off MSRP (excluding rebates)... if you are serious & make them a spot on cash offer (or your own financing), getting $9K off shouldn't be unrealistic. I would consider this route if you are willing to take that extra mile and get an Evo instead.

Back to the main topic, I've actually test-driven a 2010 Ralliart and let me tell you this... I would have hands-down picked this car over my Evo X (manual tranny) if I've gotten a similar deal on both during the time I pulled the trigger. The SST tranny is REALLY that good... it is best of both worlds: the power/response of a manual transmission, and the convenience of an automatic. The paddle shifters are there if you want to get really connected (minus the clutch pedal). It even downshifts for you, which truly amazed me.

If you do your research, you will find out that the Ralliart is equipped with a lot of fancy hardware (Evo hardware) which makes it a great buy considering it is not hard to get good deals from Mitsu dealerships (they are desperate to sell cars right now). It has 2 mechanical LSDs (front & back) and an active center differential (ACD), the whole AWD system was pulled directly off an Evo 9. It has the hi-tech SST transmission from Getrag which I read somewhere costs $6K alone (same one in an Evo X MR, except the 5th/6th gear ratios are taller for better MPG). The stout engine is a 4B11T which is the same one in the Evo X (stock block has proven to withstand 500whp reliably). The exhaust system is also very similar to the Evo X (just the bends are different so you can't swap them). The only crap thing about the RA are the tires... which is easy to fix. With that said, the RA is great starter platform, and if you can get one at a good price ($3K off sticker for a 2010 is realistic, $5K off on new 09s if you can find one should be easy)... it's a no-brainer.

I can't speak for the WRX cuz I haven't tried one, but on paper it has better numbers. Stock for stock, the RA won't beat it. I don't know about pricing but I recently shopped for a new Outback for my wife, and let's just say the best discount I got was $1K off after asking 3 dealers.

I've been buying cars for awhile... for me, it's all about value and the best deal I can find when I'm in the market for one.

Good luck to you. Test drive both and keep an open-mind.

 

Thanks!

 

Me personally I would not buy the RA again if I could go back now. On that note I also wouldn't buy the WRX either so that may not help.


I think it depends on what your looking for in a car. The WRX is hands down a better performance car, and hell it's cheaper. It out does the RA in every category. If your in traffic a lot and don't mind an auto I would recommend the RA.(I know its called a manual, but hell you don't have a clutch so........yeah its a fast auto). If you plan to heavily mod or track the car then I would suggest the WRX.

Anyways, the SST hinders the car a lot in terms of being able to mod/launch. In fact, all of the numbers that the magazines have gotten have been brake launching the car, which is pretty much asking for the tranny to give out earlier than normal. After the 5 recalls the last thing I would do is void this warranty. So real world numbers are even slower than magazine numbers show.

The price difference comes from the tech and "comfort" options, all the stuff I could have done without, but eh.

The looks of the exterior and interior are personal opinions; I myself believe the RA looks wayyy better than the WRX but both have pretty bad interiors. I have also seen nicely modded WRX's that looked good. Esp since they can fit "real" sized wheels .

All in all, test drive both and choose which one suites you better. Only you can really decide which is best.

 

^ You have to understand both cars are go-fast AWD econoboxes (and priced accordingly), they are not BMWs or Lexus luxury cars... so you can't expect the interiors to be noteworthy. You mainly buy them for their performance and tunability.

The SST tranny is not made to launch, if you like beating on your transmission, a manual car is your only choice (still you have to change your clutch on regular basis if you like launching). I for one don't treat my rides as drag cars, but that's a personal choice.

As for the recalls, I've had 3 done on my X so far, and I don't mind it at all. It's great that Mitsu is actually taking action to correct these minor safety issues. None of them are directly related to the dependability/reliability of the powertrain or drivetrain.

 

I would hope with the 2010 model all those recalls have been fixed already and there wouldn't be any tranny issues that the previous years had.

 

^ I usually check on the SST forums every now and then... the only ones having issues with it are the ones: a.) who beat on their cars (ie. launching) b.) who take their cars to the track in hot weather without adding an aftermarket SST cooler c.) who mod their cars above 350whp without modding the SST tranny. There are also rare cases of SST tranny failure with purely stock setups, but that is normal for new transmissions.

What I found out about people who "think" their SST trannies are not working right (or as intended) are the ones who a.) have never driven a manual transmission before b.) can't stop comparing it to a regular slushbox.

 

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't saying they should. I was just making it a note that neither really had the upper hand in this category,because I read that others were saying one was better than the other etc.

Mainly this was just an iteration of "It depends on what your using you car for". I personally don't have the need to launch the car, which is mainly why I have the RA over the WRX.


The powertrain itself has been ok. I love the performance side, but I just hope it can last. I cant help to see now that there will be future problems and it will be easy for Mitsu to say it was from performance driving or misuse. I could be dead wrong on that and I won't act like this is the only outcome.

I don't know if I would call the issues minor either. All of the issues were pretty serious to me if they actually happened, other than the latch ofc. Brakes, fuel line, and air bags. But your right, at least they fixed them before we all had problems and complained.... like other companies .

Don't get me wrong I am not saying I would not buy it again, because it is unreliable or a POS car. In fact I still like the car. Mainly I wouldn't buy it again, because of the new career path I will be on. It is not really the best work car as far as picking up people and so on. But yeah I own the RA and performance vs performance its not even close if that's the deciding factor.

 

There have been few actually tranny issues, and even fewer that weren't actually tampered with. Some were just a sensor that failed, and had nothing to do with the actual tranny. Like tip said a lot of people are used to regular auto's and this feels harsh or broke to people that haven't driven a manual. With any car regardless auto/manual/sst there are going to be some that fail anyways.

I'm sure most of the recalls that the 09 had have been taken care of already, but more may come out in the future. The only one that may not be fixed on the 10's would be the airbag sensor, because it just came out a few weeks ago.