Hey all.

Past few days I've been playing with the thought about moving on to an Evo X in a year or so but I'm having a hard time deciding.

Got a few questions I'd like answers to when switching from the 2010 ralliart to an 2008 evo X. If I buy the X it will most likely be the MR cause of the extra "luxury" or it will feel to similar to the RA.

1. Is the X alot louder when it comes to road noise etc? I read that the MR should have some extra padding for the sound etc?

2. Now when my ralliart is at a comfortable 240whp with the GST tune + boostpill which makes it basically as fast or faster then a stock X, is more power really necessary when not taking it to the track more then once a year or not at all? I mean all the added power will feel wasted if not used in a competitive environment.

3. How much better is the grip and handling on the X compared with a ralliart with the same type of tires (not with the stock ones that got bad reviews). I know the X got more advanced differentials etc and that it's got better handling, but how big of a difference is it in real life and what can you do to make the ralliart somewhat close to the handling of an X? Also would like a reply in a mostly fun and safety perspective as I'm not going to the track (alot).

4. Is there anything I can do on the ralliart to get remotely close to the performance of the Brembo breaks used in the X without paying a fortune?

5. If i decide to lower the ralliart in the future with either coil-overs or lowering springs how much will this affect the ride quality and which brand(s) are the best?
Am I stupid to lower it when it's a daily driver and will get exposed to snow?

6. What is the difference from the 2008-2010 Evo X's? I will probably only afford the 2008 model.


And some pros and cons about both cars I thought about that makes it harder for me to decide:


Ralliart + :
The down-payment I would need to buy the X can either be used for future upgrades to the ralliart or for savings instead.
It looks more civilized then the X allthough still got an edge in the looks towards most other cars. Still sporty.
It's a hatch (sportback) so you have the ability to move bigger stuff if you need to when you fold the seats.
Won't attract bad attention (Thieves, jealousy?) as much as with the Evo X. I don't have a garage and I use it to drive to work.
More of a "sleeper".
I do have the best color of it which is black! (No tomato throwing please )

Ralliart - :
It will never be an Evo and I will need to live with that fact (But then again there's always better cars out there).
The breaks, which are important, are supposedly weak and is not cheap to fix.
Same insurance as the Evo X 2008 @ my insurance company (wth?)
It looks a lot like the regular lancer.


Evo X + :
Again, the insurance is exactly the same as the Ralliart.
It's one of the best looking cars I've seen in some angles and the wider look is with no doubt cooler.
I have only seen 1 evo x in about 6 months so I will be the only one/one of the few around in these parts to own one.
Will be able to get keyless system, original satnav, electrical folded rearview mirrors and other stuff not available to me with my ralliart (note: in Sweden we don't get keyless entry, satnav etc on the ralliarts without pre-ordering from the factory).
There's probably alot more pros but I have not testdriven one..

Evo X - :
I don't know if I'm up for the attention it brings.
Will probably be anxious of it being more of a target to thieves as it's more expensive and I don't have a garage.
I might feel obligated to upgrade it to make it faster then the ralliart (Maybe not a real con but will cost anyway).
The ride quality might annoy me if it's a lot stiffer then on the ralliart. It did annoy me on the 2007 Civic Type-R I used to own..
The mpg will be slightly worse.
Won't fit anything big in the trunk.
If I get a used 2008 it will probably have a lot of miles on it and the factory insurance will most likely be up by then or very close to it.


I'm sorry for the long post and I can't think about more right now as it's very late and my brain is about to explode , but basicly, I'm looking for the best sporty daily driver option that I can enjoy for many years.
Anyone that has been lucky enough to drive both cars for a longer period have any thoughts to share? Anything better on the Ralliart or is the Evo X just better in every aspect in your opinion?

 

I think it all comes down to what you can afford and what you really want. If it will be your daily commuter are you going to get tired of the rough ride day in and day out? I know everything you read in magazines or see on tv is all about the EVO so it does make it tempting.

I guess just weigh your options and see if it is worth it to you. I am thinking I will keep paying my RA down and maybe in 3 or so years see if I feel the same way. I love the RA and enjoy the ride. The only thing that worries me is issues reading about the transmission. The other thing is that I didn't know the dealership could see that I had flashed my ECU even if I flash it back to stock. I don't want my warranty screwed up. If I would of known that before I would of went bolt on route first.

 

IMO...not sure I could go from a Ralliart to an MR. For me there isn't enough of a jump in HP or performance to warrant the cash, especially if you have a tune and good tires. You still have the TC-SST limitation with the MR, so your basically just getting a better suspension and Brembos....which with depreciation and stuff is going to be cheaper to mod yourself.

The AWD is effectively the same. I would prefer the simple mechanical rear differential to the active yaw control for the bad weather - (however I would like the pretty graphic on the dashboard which shows the amount of lock up that the MR has).

S-AWC/AWC is exceptionally good - you have to spend a **** load on an Audi S model and then pay extra to get a car with any kind of rear differential - they limit slip with the brakes. Even then you dont get a front mechnical differential, and it is a 40:60 power split like on the subarus, not 50:50.

The MR s still has the cheapo mitsubishi lancer interior on the inside that rattles like crap - and same plastic dash lol

However, a Evo GSR, that I could understand because u can mod it w/o worrying about a $10k unserviceable transmission going pop!

jmo, ymmv

 

I agree if I was going to get an EVO there is no way it would be the MR. It would have to be the 5 speed GSR

 

i concur but the backseats not being able to fold down was a no no for me

 

Some good points made in this post.

I must say though, in these five months or so I've owned the car I really appreciate the TC-SST more and more and it's such a relief in traffic and when pushing the car there's no need to check the rev meters all the time but instead concentrate on the road and adjust the throttle based on feeling.

 

All due respect but I disagree entirely. Yes expensive tires will get you very close to the grip of an Evo if you are talking about going in a circle and adjusting throttle more and more until you start to loose grip but left to right transitions are going to be noticeably better on an EVO. Also, with a tune you are going to be MUCH faster than a RA MUCH FASTER.

Again, I disagree with the AWD being the same. The AWC system is much more advanced and can place power much more effectively in snowy conditions. (as well as dry conditions) Check out the demonstration Mitsubishi posted on there web site using the Outlander GT displaying the advantages.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mF3TUzz7usk

If you are looking at the Evo like most people say in this community, Don't try to modify an RA to perform like an Evo. The cost will be more that the cost of an EVO. Partly because you need to consider the resale value after mods.

 

I think you misunderstood one of Ralliartblitz's points. He was saying that a well-tuned Ralliart will get you approximately the same amount of power/torque as a STOCK Evo. Of course, like you said, if you tune BOTH a stock Ralliart and a stock Evo, then the Evo will end up being MUCH faster.

 

Evo X. All the way. Loved the Ralliart, but the X is a different beast.

 

As a person who has had good seat time in a RA 2009, an Evo VIII with ACD and all sorts of upgraded suspension components, and owns an Evo X MR, all that I've had at the track, I'd like to give some feedback on this matter.

Handling, the X wins hands down. It's not even a fair comparison. While at the track in the X, I turn ASC off (not to be confused with off-off). It takes a great deal of effort to get the X to break free, even in wet conditions at the track. Last Friday at PIR I broke free once, and it was in the rain and was my fault. The stiffness of the Evo is completely different than the RA. The RA has marshmellow handling in comparison. My upgraded VIII was close, but still had this window of oversteer I had to be weary of. The X you just point the car where you want it to go and it does it. I have been running the stock advans at the track (now they are toast and I'm moving on to something else).

Power, again the X wins hands down. I put down 248whp baseline on a dynojet on my X MR. A tune got me up to 290whp. A tune + drop-in filter + intercooler + piping got me to 310whp. I don't think it's wasted power, because you can choose not to use it. When you need it, it's there.

Difference between the 2008 and 2010 X:
Color LCD in the gauge cluster
Different factory tune (doesn't matter once you get tuned)
2010 has a plastic valve cover instead of the aluminum on the 2008
2010 has cubby covers and cup hole covers

Honestly, I like the RA, it's a great daily driver. But the difference between the S-AYC and the drivetrain on the RA is night and day. It's not even fair. I feel like I'm cheating at the track when I have S-AYC on.

One thing to consider, the X MR SST and the Ralliart SST are significantly different. Proof enough is there seems to be about 7 times more RA SST failing vs the X MR SST failing. It's either in the software or the clutchpacks are created differently, we haven't proved anything yet, but the failures are sign enough that their is a great deal of difference. I'd be careful on modding the RA much more because of this if it was my car.

Hope this helps.

 

Thank you!
This feedback was just on the spot, coming from someone with experience of both vehicles.
Looks like I need to save up for a X MR, but will probably keep the RA for half a year/year or so.

 

No problem.

Your RA is great, don't get hasty. Be smart with your purchase, and don't go broke over it. The Evo does have slightly higher maintenance costs (though not much).