Hey all, I was referred here by a few good friends with Evo's and told this was an excellent site to answer a few questions I have.

To make a long story short, former Subaru Legacy 2.5i owner, wrecked last Sunday involving a deer and a couple of trees. Car was totalled and now I need a new car. Before the Legacy I owned a 2004 Eclipse GT that was modded. I miss having a Mitsu and I want another one, but I loved having AWD. I want a brand new car and can't afford the EVO X, so therefore my choice would be either a 2010 or 2011 Ralliart. I still have a couple of months before I can actually get a car though, need to get the rest of my insurance stuff taken care of and save up a couple grand for a down payment.

I want to get opinions from current RA owners about the car. This would be my first force induced vehicle so any advice about turbos is welcome as well. How about the SST transmission? If I do any modding to the car it would make it to the stock power of the EVO X MR, maybe slightly over but that's it, and that won't happen until after my warranty expires. What about the fuel economy of the RA? I know it takes premium, used to that with almost four years of owning the Eclipse GT and will probably get about the same MPG's as well. I drive about 45 minutes each way to work so I don't think it will be a HUGE issue, but any advice to help save gas would be great. How about maintenance on this car? Anyone have any issues with reliablility? How about build quality of everything on the car? I've heard people complain that the dash is quite cheap.

Sorry for the many questions, I just want to get some feedback so that I don't make a $27,000 mistake. Whatever car I get is going to have to last me a few years so I just want to make a good choice. Thanks folks!

 

Welcome to the site!

I have owned my 2009 RA for over a year now. I would have to say it is a love-hate relationship. I like how it handles, how it performs (even in stock form, although a tune coupled with some mods is even better ), and how it drives. I hate that the interior rattles and vibrates all the time and overall the interior feels cheaply made due to the interior rattling like a 10-year-old car. Also, if you live where you get snow, if you install snow tires this car is unstoppable! This car will blow by everyone on the road. I have passed many 4x4 trucks and suv's stuck in the snow!

The SST IMHO is awesome! It does have some quirks (i.e., clunking sounds, delayed shifting to Reverse, and some lag when starting from a stop), but it is the best automated manual transmission I've ever had in a car.

Mod-wise, this car does take mods easily and as long as you don't exceed 300-350 ft lbs. TQ, the car and transmission will be fine. With TBE, FMIC, UICP, Boost Pill upgrade, and a tune, you can easily reach slightly below or above stock AWHP of an Evo X MR.

Real-world fuel economy, I average between 21-25 MPG. Depending on how much highway driving I do and how heavy my foot gets.

The only issues that I have had with my RA is the annoying rattles that I mentioned earlier although I have been able to fix it so it is not as annoying. Other than that, it has been very reliable. Other people in the past have had issues with the SST though, but it does seem to be caused by how hard on the car you are and possible bad batches of the SST.

Hopefully I covered everything. Good luck with your decision!

 

Thanks Psycho09RA. You say it's a love-hate relationship, that seems like more of just a love relationship, there will always be minor irritating things in any car that one would own right? Haha.

If I do get one I plan on using the stock wheels for snow tires and getting aftermarket wheels with all-season performance tires since that might help with saving 1-2 mpg. Did that with the Eclipse and gained that result. The transmission has got to be better than the garbage Legacy automatic transmission, worst I've ever owned. The torque converter clutch engaged way too early, the tranny mounts were too soft, really loud when shifting between gears... I'll be damned if I buy another Subaru. Plus the vibration from the H4 drove me nuts. I just want a nice, smooth driving car that's fun. Mitsubishi always has an answer for me though!

I was debating between the RA and a number of small SUV's like the Ford Escape or Jeep Liberty, only for the 4WD or AWD capabilities. If I ever need to haul anything more than a car can handle I could always borrow my father's truck, no big deal. Plus, the other SUV's don't really get great gas mileage even in a four cylinder version, the RA (despite needing premium) is AWD and would still get better fuel economy than the others, and in some cases might be less expensive to purchase. I see the RA being a win here... AWD, decent fuel economy, and fun to drive.

When you mention rattling, what do you include? My Eclipse rattled too but I was able to tighten down a few things and it helped. Besides, that's what a nice sound system is for haha.

The SST transmission... could it have been that the first year or two build had issues and should be fine now that it's into the 2011 model year? What are a majority of the issues with it? I don't really plan on racing this car at a track all the time, simply a nice daily driver that will be taken care of very well.

 

Pretty much! LOL

Basically most of the rattles and vibrations come from the dash, but I have fixed my dash so that the rattles and vibrations don't annoy near as much as they used to. I have also noticed rattles coming from both front doors and in the back of the car somewhere, but the one's from the dash were by far the worst.

As far as the SST issues, most have occurred in the '09 and '10 models. I haven't heard of any issues with the '11 yet. Most issues requiring replacement are the clutch packs slipping and the SST going into limp mode. Other issues include people experiencing a delay when shifting from P to R, TCU issues, and some leaking issues. Luckily, I have yet to experience any of these issues, except for once in a while I will encounter the shift delay from P to R, but it isn't that big of an issue for my car.

 

The only issue you have to look out for is maintenance costs. Obviously, with AWD you have a lot of fluid changes to perform periodically. This can get expensive if you can't do the work yourself. The other thing is changing the SST fluid and filter. From what I have read, the process is only slightly more complicated than changing your oil. The issue comes in with cost. If you do the change yourself it will run you about $350-$400, if you have to take it somewhere, expect to pay somewhere close to $500. Experienced advice on this forum recommends this be done at the first oil change and then at least every 30,000 miles. As you can see this adds up pretty quickly. Maintenance costs aren't a deal breaker, but its best to know what you are getting into before you plunk your money down.

Also, if your looking for a quiet ride, this is not the car for you. The SST clunk and groans constantly. This is not a Mitsubishi thing, but just a sympton of having a dual clutch gearbox.

That all being said, I love my car, I wouldn't give it up for the world. The aftermarket is great, alot of the stock pieces from the Evo can be added cheaply to the RA for considerable gains. The drivetrain is bulletproof. Alot of people will tell you the SST is a weak point, but its really not.

 

A lot of automated transmissions have a slight delay in shifting, which is normal. I'm only concerned about the speed of shifting while the car is in motion. It seems that most of those problems with the SST could very well be fixed, as long as the transmission isn't destroyed.

Oh I never said I was looking for something quiet! Not when I'm driving it

Maintenance in any AWD can be slightly costly, I noticed that with the Legacy. You mean do the transmission maintenance initially then every 30k right? Changing tranny fluid and filters are typically recommended every 30k for best results anyway. And I love the concept of the SST, it's an automated manual and not a true automatic, no torque converter to mess with or anything. I think the drivetrain is one of the features that stands out, aside from it's aggressive looks.

 

RA is an awesome car given you DONT buy this car for its interior you buy this car for the engine (the 4B11T can hold up 500whp on stock internals) and the IMPRESSIVE AWD system by Mitsubishi which is borrowed from evo 9. As for maintenance as any other turbocharged car it uses ONLY full synthetic oil 5W-30 and must be service every 3000 or 5000 miles which ever you prefer... It is a HIGH PERFORMANCE SEDAN and needs care and attention... It's really easy to make power on this car... With a catback, high flow drop in filter and evo x bpv you'll be near to stock evo x whp whitout voiding your warranty..

 

For the hauling stuff - see also Sportback

It has built in sockets for removable roof racks... Very sweet for me - i kayak on the bay

Hard to find in MD for some reason.... Annapolis Misu looked at me like the dog looks at the TV when i asked about ralliart sportback...

 

Agree with Veronica above, I love my RA Sportback! For my wife, myself, and our 8 month lab puppy a hatchback matches our lifestyle perfectly.

 

I agree with what has been said so far, but I would also say look around and test out the car a lot before you go all in. If you can find a local RA owner, have them show you the car. I didn't find out about this site until after I had bought the car. I don't regret the purchase but I may have waited a little longer and then picked up a GSR or MR instead. Mods are expensive, and in the RA they basically hit a wall at 350 WHP/Torque. Choose wisely because selling a car is harder than buying right now. Having a good local group that can help you do mods or maintain the car will make a world of difference as most people on this forum don't go to the dealers for work.

 

You guys are awesome thanks for the advice so far. As far as the Sportback... no thanks, not a fan. I can see it being of good use if you use it to carry more than the average driver, but I don't see myself needing that much room, the trunk plus fold down seat room is plenty for me.

I do understand what I'm getting into as far as maintenance, and thankfully I have a pretty secure job to pay for the maintenance when needed and the fuel. Worse comes to worse, I could always buy an old beater Civic to drive to work on certain days, wouldn't bother me a bit. I will indeed test drive this plus maybe a few other cars to compare, but I really have my heart set on this car. Honestly, I seem happier knowing I might buy this instead of a GSR or MR. I don't know why haha. I just can't afford an EVO, plus the RA is a little better on gas.

 

If you want to carry anything get the sportback. The trunk on the sedan is small. FWIW the dash which seems to be the main culprit is made up or like 5 or 6 different plastic pieces? I haven't taken mine apart. The B pillar has pretty much always rattled for me as well.

 

get a GSR worth the extra man seriously

 

I wouldn't recommend a GSR unless I knew more about what he is looking for. Coming from a Legacy 2.5, he might not be looking for that as an option, and many would argue that the RA might be a better daily driver.

Personally, I have no problem with my interior, but then again, I have the Recaro package. I'm not sure if that makes a difference. As for the rattling and creaking, I don't really notice all that much. Again, though, I am not used to high-end cars, so maybe I just don't notice?

As for maintenance, I also have no complaints. Coming from a WRX, there is really no difference in fuel costs, and since I do my own oil/filter/fluid changes, the cost has never been high to begin with. $30 oil changes aren't a big deal, but that being said, I'm not looking forward to the transmission fluid I'll have to buy.

Personally, I think the stock rims and tires are worthless. I had a blowout at 2,000 miles, and never looked back. None of the tires with sizes that fit the stock rims are appealing to me, and I personally think that an 18" rim is too large for snow tires. I would recommend getting an aftermarket set of summer rims (wider contact patch and less weight), and a cheap set of 16" winter rims and tires.

As for performance, my stock RA is good enough for me right now. I haven't tracked it, and it is mostly a daily driver, so I'm fine for now. I might go with a tune pretty soon, but sadly, that is more for the improved mileage than any sort of performance gains. I know, I know.... I'm a boring RA owner! :-P

 

Haha I'm right with ya dude. You pretty much mentioned everything related to me possibly owning one. Not looking to mod it right now, doing your own maintenance, all that good stuff. What made you choose the RA over the WRX? As far as snow and tires, I plan on doing that ASAP if I get the RA. Hopefully once I buy one I won't have to deal with snow, that will allow me to focus only on the normal wheels and all-season performance tires, then as the year progresses I'll look for smaller wheels and snow tires.