Lancer Ralliart vs. Optima SX Turbo
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 72
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From: Toronto, ON
Lancer Ralliart vs. Optima SX Turbo
Hello Guys,
I have recently started looking to purchase a new car and while I have a few options in mind I wanted to get some advice from more experienced individuals here. Here are my requirements:
-- Budget: $20,000 (preferred) to $25,000 (max)
-- Sporty. I love a mean front look. Something with a nice body and a sunroof is preferred
-- 4 Door Automatic -- paddle shifters would be ideal
-- Good on gas mileage
-- RELIABLE all year around. This is very important, I want a car that wont break down a lot and won't cost me a fortune on parts and/or repairs.
-- Fairly new 2009/2010 or newer, under 50,000 kms
-- Best bang for the buck performance wise
-- I really want a LCD/Nav system in there but I can always install that after myself too
So after tons of research and looking around everywhere, I think I have it narrowed down to my final 2 picks:
1. 2009/10 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
- 2.0L L4 turbo DOHC 16-valve AWD
- 237-hp @ 6000 rpm and 253 lb-ft of torque @ 3000 rpm
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
- Recommend fuel: Premium
2. 2011/12 Kia Optima SX Turbo
- 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo FWD
- 274-hp at 6,000 rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
- Recommended fuel: Regular
Both these cars fall under the 20-25g budget listed above
Reasons to buy Kia:
- Lower cost of ownership including insurance, gas and maint
- Newer car with minimal to zero kms on it
- Tons more features including push-to-start, more passenger spacing/leg room, rear view cam, build in HD for music storage, heated back seats, cooled front seats, dual climate control, etc.
- Amazing warranty: 5 year bumper-to-bumper
Reasons to buy Lancer:
- Having the old EVO AWD system over the Kia FWD
- No turbo lag
- Better performance including pick-up and faster around corners
- Better suspension and brakes
- Better music system with 10-inch stock speakers in the trunk
- Recaro bucket seats with carbon fiber trim
Guess this is the ultimate practicality vs performance debate... what gives? Anyone out there who has driven both these cars and has an opinion one way or another? Also, another thing I noticed is that even though the Kia has all these features when you sit inside one compared to the Ralliart it feels like a cheaper make, everything from the paddle shifters to the leather on your steering wheel, to the actual seats themselves looks and feels like a cheaper make... am I just making this up in my head? Has anyone else felt this?
I have recently started looking to purchase a new car and while I have a few options in mind I wanted to get some advice from more experienced individuals here. Here are my requirements:
-- Budget: $20,000 (preferred) to $25,000 (max)
-- Sporty. I love a mean front look. Something with a nice body and a sunroof is preferred
-- 4 Door Automatic -- paddle shifters would be ideal
-- Good on gas mileage
-- RELIABLE all year around. This is very important, I want a car that wont break down a lot and won't cost me a fortune on parts and/or repairs.
-- Fairly new 2009/2010 or newer, under 50,000 kms
-- Best bang for the buck performance wise
-- I really want a LCD/Nav system in there but I can always install that after myself too
So after tons of research and looking around everywhere, I think I have it narrowed down to my final 2 picks:
1. 2009/10 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
- 2.0L L4 turbo DOHC 16-valve AWD
- 237-hp @ 6000 rpm and 253 lb-ft of torque @ 3000 rpm
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
- Recommend fuel: Premium
2. 2011/12 Kia Optima SX Turbo
- 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo FWD
- 274-hp at 6,000 rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
- Recommended fuel: Regular
Both these cars fall under the 20-25g budget listed above
Reasons to buy Kia:
- Lower cost of ownership including insurance, gas and maint
- Newer car with minimal to zero kms on it
- Tons more features including push-to-start, more passenger spacing/leg room, rear view cam, build in HD for music storage, heated back seats, cooled front seats, dual climate control, etc.
- Amazing warranty: 5 year bumper-to-bumper
Reasons to buy Lancer:
- Having the old EVO AWD system over the Kia FWD
- No turbo lag
- Better performance including pick-up and faster around corners
- Better suspension and brakes
- Better music system with 10-inch stock speakers in the trunk
- Recaro bucket seats with carbon fiber trim
Guess this is the ultimate practicality vs performance debate... what gives? Anyone out there who has driven both these cars and has an opinion one way or another? Also, another thing I noticed is that even though the Kia has all these features when you sit inside one compared to the Ralliart it feels like a cheaper make, everything from the paddle shifters to the leather on your steering wheel, to the actual seats themselves looks and feels like a cheaper make... am I just making this up in my head? Has anyone else felt this?
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 72
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From: Toronto, ON
Just get the rallifart. I imagine it has a bigger aftermarket following which may make it easier (on your pockets too) to make a little more HP. No doot aboot it eh?
Prepare for a RANT…
Just so you know Kia was a company that made bicycle parts then eventually made bicycles all on its own BEFORE IT MADE CARS... do you really want this? The Engineering designer for Audi Peter Schreyer who designed the Audi TT now works for Kia and that’s the soul reason why their cars look remotely good with the Tiger Nose. I’ll take a shark or the intake to a fighter jet over a Tiger. The cars have good curb appeal don’t get me wrong but its what is on the inside that also matters. Kia declared bankruptcy in 1997. In 1998 Hyundai acquired 51% of the company outbidding Ford which had owned an interest in Kia Motors since 1986 aka from the Mazda (Japanese) cars they were derived from to initially get into the market in the US. Kia’s military adventures have only been in light utility vehicles. In my grand opinion Kia’s are still JUNK and always have been and won’t last.
Mitsubishi is the oldest car manufacturer in Japan and made its first car in 1917 called the Model A and has been making cars ever since. During WWII their heavy machinery industry merged with their ship building counter part and made the Zero or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. Let’s fast forward this rant and go modern. Mitsubishi’s own robots build its own cars while I am sure there is some Korean sewing machine shop (Hyundai) attached to the plant that makes the engines for their cars… I’ve seen the interior quality first hand from a friend who bought a new Kia. The stitching on the Leather (PLETHER) seats was cockeyed like someone with one shoe on did the stitching. My 2010 RA has the Canadian Premium package with the Hard Drive and the Rockford sound system. It also had the option for the backup camera but as far as I am concerned its added weight and for people who can’t back up with out a ground guide or park their car on a aircraft carrier so I didn’t get it. Mitsubishi has the best backed cars in the world for warranty but if you into modding it’s a tight rope act you’re going to traverse.
Mitsubishi has been racing in WRC and touring car racing. Mitsubishi has won 34 WRC events since 1973.The Evolution also dominated the FIA championship for showroom-ready cars, and has won seven consecutive Group N titles with four different drivers from 1995–2001. Even in 2002 when it ostensibly lost the title, the class-winning manufacturer was Proton using a Lancer Evo-based Pert.
SO racing pedigree or a bike? Up to you but wrong place for a strong Kia support base here IMO. I'd tell you to buy a regular Lancer if your price range is from what you said in your discussion but the RA is expensive for a reason. Evo Engine and MR Tranny, Evo 8/9 Drivetrain, Ralliart suspension set up. Its EVO "like" performance on a dime... a $40,000 dime in Canada
I had a friend that bought a Kia. He traded his Mazda Speed 6 for it. But is wife also wears the pants in that relationship… His loss.
Just so you know Kia was a company that made bicycle parts then eventually made bicycles all on its own BEFORE IT MADE CARS... do you really want this? The Engineering designer for Audi Peter Schreyer who designed the Audi TT now works for Kia and that’s the soul reason why their cars look remotely good with the Tiger Nose. I’ll take a shark or the intake to a fighter jet over a Tiger. The cars have good curb appeal don’t get me wrong but its what is on the inside that also matters. Kia declared bankruptcy in 1997. In 1998 Hyundai acquired 51% of the company outbidding Ford which had owned an interest in Kia Motors since 1986 aka from the Mazda (Japanese) cars they were derived from to initially get into the market in the US. Kia’s military adventures have only been in light utility vehicles. In my grand opinion Kia’s are still JUNK and always have been and won’t last.
Mitsubishi is the oldest car manufacturer in Japan and made its first car in 1917 called the Model A and has been making cars ever since. During WWII their heavy machinery industry merged with their ship building counter part and made the Zero or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. Let’s fast forward this rant and go modern. Mitsubishi’s own robots build its own cars while I am sure there is some Korean sewing machine shop (Hyundai) attached to the plant that makes the engines for their cars… I’ve seen the interior quality first hand from a friend who bought a new Kia. The stitching on the Leather (PLETHER) seats was cockeyed like someone with one shoe on did the stitching. My 2010 RA has the Canadian Premium package with the Hard Drive and the Rockford sound system. It also had the option for the backup camera but as far as I am concerned its added weight and for people who can’t back up with out a ground guide or park their car on a aircraft carrier so I didn’t get it. Mitsubishi has the best backed cars in the world for warranty but if you into modding it’s a tight rope act you’re going to traverse.
Mitsubishi has been racing in WRC and touring car racing. Mitsubishi has won 34 WRC events since 1973.The Evolution also dominated the FIA championship for showroom-ready cars, and has won seven consecutive Group N titles with four different drivers from 1995–2001. Even in 2002 when it ostensibly lost the title, the class-winning manufacturer was Proton using a Lancer Evo-based Pert.
SO racing pedigree or a bike? Up to you but wrong place for a strong Kia support base here IMO. I'd tell you to buy a regular Lancer if your price range is from what you said in your discussion but the RA is expensive for a reason. Evo Engine and MR Tranny, Evo 8/9 Drivetrain, Ralliart suspension set up. Its EVO "like" performance on a dime... a $40,000 dime in Canada
I had a friend that bought a Kia. He traded his Mazda Speed 6 for it. But is wife also wears the pants in that relationship… His loss.
Last edited by CanuckLancer; Nov 28, 2012 at 12:46 PM.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, ON
Don't get me wrong I'm a huge Mitsu fan too. Evo is like one of my dream cars. And I choose to post on here for a reason, because I'm not fully sold on the KIA either, even though every review that I read online has nothing but good things to say. I just feel like its way more car for the price you pay. And since I don't have a lot to spend price is a big factor for me. Also gas and insurance is also a premium on the Ralliart compared to the Optima SX Turbo.
I completely agree about the performance and handling. I would be foolish to think its the same as that of the Ralliart. I know I will be giving up a piece of the pie there. But the question is just how bigga piece? And is it going to be worth the cost savings in fuel, insurance and maint?
I do not agree with you about the warranty though. As much as I love Lancers, the warranty on them is ****: 3 years or 60K compared to KIA's industry best 5 year bumper-to-bumper. Also, Ralliart has a reputation for not being the most reliable car around, which also scares me. I just don't wanna get into a car that, even though might be a lot of fun to drive, will total so much on ownership costs that I won't be able to fully enjoy it.
I completely agree about the performance and handling. I would be foolish to think its the same as that of the Ralliart. I know I will be giving up a piece of the pie there. But the question is just how bigga piece? And is it going to be worth the cost savings in fuel, insurance and maint?
I do not agree with you about the warranty though. As much as I love Lancers, the warranty on them is ****: 3 years or 60K compared to KIA's industry best 5 year bumper-to-bumper. Also, Ralliart has a reputation for not being the most reliable car around, which also scares me. I just don't wanna get into a car that, even though might be a lot of fun to drive, will total so much on ownership costs that I won't be able to fully enjoy it.
Last edited by zeero260; Nov 28, 2012 at 01:21 PM.
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Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 133
Likes: 0
From: Toronto, Canada
Pay to play, if all your budget is put upfront on paying for the car and not much left for insurance and cost of ownership, go for the Kia, the RA is substantially more performance oriented than the Kia, I pay almost twice as much as an economy car on gas, but I'm enjoying this experience and I am happy for the amount I am paying. As for your situation, test drive both and decide for yourself, if you like the experience and willing to shell out the money, it's up to you.
Prepare for a RANT…
Just so you know Kia was a company that made bicycle parts then eventually made bicycles all on its own BEFORE IT MADE CARS... do you really want this? The Engineering designer for Audi Peter Schreyer who designed the Audi TT now works for Kia and that’s the soul reason why their cars look remotely good with the Tiger Nose. I’ll take a shark or the intake to a fighter jet over a Tiger. The cars have good curb appeal don’t get me wrong but its what is on the inside that also matters. Kia declared bankruptcy in 1997. In 1998 Hyundai acquired 51% of the company outbidding Ford which had owned an interest in Kia Motors since 1986 aka from the Mazda (Japanese) cars they were derived from to initially get into the market in the US. Kia’s military adventures have only been in light utility vehicles. In my grand opinion Kia’s are still JUNK and always have been and won’t last.
Mitsubishi is the oldest car manufacturer in Japan and made its first car in 1917 called the Model A and has been making cars ever since. During WWII their heavy machinery industry merged with their ship building counter part and made the Zero or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. Let’s fast forward this rant and go modern. Mitsubishi’s own robots build its own cars while I am sure there is some Korean sewing machine shop (Hyundai) attached to the plant that makes the engines for their cars… I’ve seen the interior quality first hand from a friend who bought a new Kia. The stitching on the Leather (PLETHER) seats was cockeyed like someone with one shoe on did the stitching. My 2010 RA has the Canadian Premium package with the Hard Drive and the Rockford sound system. It also had the option for the backup camera but as far as I am concerned its added weight and for people who can’t back up with out a ground guide or park their car on a aircraft carrier so I didn’t get it. Mitsubishi has the best backed cars in the world for warranty but if you into modding it’s a tight rope act you’re going to traverse.
Mitsubishi has been racing in WRC and touring car racing. Mitsubishi has won 34 WRC events since 1973.The Evolution also dominated the FIA championship for showroom-ready cars, and has won seven consecutive Group N titles with four different drivers from 1995–2001. Even in 2002 when it ostensibly lost the title, the class-winning manufacturer was Proton using a Lancer Evo-based Pert.
SO racing pedigree or a bike? Up to you but wrong place for a strong Kia support base here IMO. I'd tell you to buy a regular Lancer if your price range is from what you said in your discussion but the RA is expensive for a reason. Evo Engine and MR Tranny, Evo 8/9 Drivetrain, Ralliart suspension set up. Its EVO "like" performance on a dime... a $40,000 dime in Canada
I had a friend that bought a Kia. He traded his Mazda Speed 6 for it. But is wife also wears the pants in that relationship… His loss.
Just so you know Kia was a company that made bicycle parts then eventually made bicycles all on its own BEFORE IT MADE CARS... do you really want this? The Engineering designer for Audi Peter Schreyer who designed the Audi TT now works for Kia and that’s the soul reason why their cars look remotely good with the Tiger Nose. I’ll take a shark or the intake to a fighter jet over a Tiger. The cars have good curb appeal don’t get me wrong but its what is on the inside that also matters. Kia declared bankruptcy in 1997. In 1998 Hyundai acquired 51% of the company outbidding Ford which had owned an interest in Kia Motors since 1986 aka from the Mazda (Japanese) cars they were derived from to initially get into the market in the US. Kia’s military adventures have only been in light utility vehicles. In my grand opinion Kia’s are still JUNK and always have been and won’t last.
Mitsubishi is the oldest car manufacturer in Japan and made its first car in 1917 called the Model A and has been making cars ever since. During WWII their heavy machinery industry merged with their ship building counter part and made the Zero or the Mitsubishi A6M Rei-sen and Mitsubishi Navy 12-shi Carrier Fighter. Let’s fast forward this rant and go modern. Mitsubishi’s own robots build its own cars while I am sure there is some Korean sewing machine shop (Hyundai) attached to the plant that makes the engines for their cars… I’ve seen the interior quality first hand from a friend who bought a new Kia. The stitching on the Leather (PLETHER) seats was cockeyed like someone with one shoe on did the stitching. My 2010 RA has the Canadian Premium package with the Hard Drive and the Rockford sound system. It also had the option for the backup camera but as far as I am concerned its added weight and for people who can’t back up with out a ground guide or park their car on a aircraft carrier so I didn’t get it. Mitsubishi has the best backed cars in the world for warranty but if you into modding it’s a tight rope act you’re going to traverse.
Mitsubishi has been racing in WRC and touring car racing. Mitsubishi has won 34 WRC events since 1973.The Evolution also dominated the FIA championship for showroom-ready cars, and has won seven consecutive Group N titles with four different drivers from 1995–2001. Even in 2002 when it ostensibly lost the title, the class-winning manufacturer was Proton using a Lancer Evo-based Pert.
SO racing pedigree or a bike? Up to you but wrong place for a strong Kia support base here IMO. I'd tell you to buy a regular Lancer if your price range is from what you said in your discussion but the RA is expensive for a reason. Evo Engine and MR Tranny, Evo 8/9 Drivetrain, Ralliart suspension set up. Its EVO "like" performance on a dime... a $40,000 dime in Canada
I had a friend that bought a Kia. He traded his Mazda Speed 6 for it. But is wife also wears the pants in that relationship… His loss.
OP, drive both and see which one you like. Asking a group of Ralliart owners to tell you which car to buy seems pretty useless to me. A lot of the BS people on here are saying about Kia are merely repeats of what people have said about companies like Honda and Mitsubishi at point or another.
Last edited by ambystom01; Nov 28, 2012 at 06:18 PM.
go for mitsu if u want a turbo charged engine
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 114
Likes: 0
From: Gulf Coast
Hasn't KIA grown higher in both quality and reliability? I know back in the day, Hyundai along with KIA was the "I just need a car I can afford or I'm walking" type of affair. Credits got to be given to them for improvement.
Go drive both... you might hate the RA for all the gadgets and comfort that it lacks compared to the Optima. Then you might hate the KIA for not feeling like a performance car, despite the higher HP / TQ numbers.
Did you look at the Sonata Turbo? I rotate carpooling with a coworker on my street and they're not bad. If I'm not mistaken, the optima and sonata turbos are almost identical under the hood.
Good luck... I feel your pain as my wife and I are car shopping too. I only have the Subaru XV Crosstrek left as an option to prevent her from getting a Toyota Matrix.
Go drive both... you might hate the RA for all the gadgets and comfort that it lacks compared to the Optima. Then you might hate the KIA for not feeling like a performance car, despite the higher HP / TQ numbers.
Did you look at the Sonata Turbo? I rotate carpooling with a coworker on my street and they're not bad. If I'm not mistaken, the optima and sonata turbos are almost identical under the hood.
Good luck... I feel your pain as my wife and I are car shopping too. I only have the Subaru XV Crosstrek left as an option to prevent her from getting a Toyota Matrix.
Last edited by roversix; Nov 29, 2012 at 01:52 AM. Reason: grammar correction
Internet Noise? As I said, "prepare for a rant" I was talking about history and history speaks for itself. Facts are facts and its worth reading into it who the companies progressed through time. Decide for yourself but like I said it was a opinion based rant. This whole thread is noise if what your saying is gospel but its everyones own opinion here.
and for the warranty question that was brought up for the RA
http://www.mitsubishi-motors.ca/en/warranty/
5 - year / 100,000 km Powertrain Limited Warranty*
3 - year / 60,000 km New Vehicle Limited Warranty*
5 - year / Unlimited km Roadside Assistance*
http://www.kia.ca/pages/owner/warranty.aspx?lang=en
- 5-year/100,000 km - Worry-free comprehensive warranty covering virtually the entire vehicle.*
- 5-year/100,000 km - Powertrain Warranty covering the engine, transmission, axles, differentials and driveshafts.*
- 5-year/100,000 km - Roadside Assistance covers you in case of mechanical breakdown anywhere in North America.
- 1-year/20,000 km - First-year adjustments covering consumable items such as bulbs, wiper blades, fuses, brake pads, etc.*
- 8-year/130,000 km - Major Emission Components that guarantee that the car will conform with government emission regulations.*
- 5-year/unlimited km - Anti-Perforation warranty on body sheet metal defects in material/workmanship.*
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 13
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From: Virginia
I'm going to go the other route here.
I'm not going to go off like a fan boy and do a book report on what each of these companies were doing back before my parents were born. "Do you want a racing pedigree or a bike???"
Seriously or trolling?
Hold on I got one, Do you want a car built in a country that the US defeated in the war??? Kinda ignorant isn't it?
Now back on topic.
Unless I missed it, you did not mention tracking/upgrading your car. If you just want a car that you plan to keep stock for the most part, as a daily driver I would go with the KIA. But as you said maint cost and gas and if I had to guess insurance will be cheaper with the KIA. I own both a mitsubishi and a kia to be exact, so I'm not going off of what my cousins first uncle said and all that other BS. When people think of Kia they still think of early 1990's cracker jack cars and as you saw with your own eyes thats not the case anymore.
Your not going to get any Kia love on this forum as most here believe if you have cancer get the evo, if you have the common cold get a RA and all your problems will be solved.
Best advice I can give is to drive both, talk numbers/payments, figure out all your expences, then figure out from there which one you "need/want" more. Good luck.
edit: and push to start is not gay, in fact many evo owners have said it they wish they had Push to start as many cars come with it in 2012.
Hello Guys,
I have recently started looking to purchase a new car and while I have a few options in mind I wanted to get some advice from more experienced individuals here. Here are my requirements:
-- Budget: $20,000 (preferred) to $25,000 (max)
-- Sporty. I love a mean front look. Something with a nice body and a sunroof is preferred
-- 4 Door Automatic -- paddle shifters would be ideal
-- Good on gas mileage
-- RELIABLE all year around. This is very important, I want a car that wont break down a lot and won't cost me a fortune on parts and/or repairs.
-- Fairly new 2009/2010 or newer, under 50,000 kms
-- Best bang for the buck performance wise
-- I really want a LCD/Nav system in there but I can always install that after myself too
So after tons of research and looking around everywhere, I think I have it narrowed down to my final 2 picks:
1. 2009/10 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
- 2.0L L4 turbo DOHC 16-valve AWD
- 237-hp @ 6000 rpm and 253 lb-ft of torque @ 3000 rpm
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
- Recommend fuel: Premium
2. 2011/12 Kia Optima SX Turbo
- 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo FWD
- 274-hp at 6,000 rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
- Recommended fuel: Regular
Both these cars fall under the 20-25g budget listed above
Reasons to buy Kia:
- Lower cost of ownership including insurance, gas and maint
- Newer car with minimal to zero kms on it
- Tons more features including push-to-start, more passenger spacing/leg room, rear view cam, build in HD for music storage, heated back seats, cooled front seats, dual climate control, etc.
- Amazing warranty: 5 year bumper-to-bumper
Reasons to buy Lancer:
- Having the old EVO AWD system over the Kia FWD
- No turbo lag
- Better performance including pick-up and faster around corners
- Better suspension and brakes
- Better music system with 10-inch stock speakers in the trunk
- Recaro bucket seats with carbon fiber trim
I have recently started looking to purchase a new car and while I have a few options in mind I wanted to get some advice from more experienced individuals here. Here are my requirements:
-- Budget: $20,000 (preferred) to $25,000 (max)
-- Sporty. I love a mean front look. Something with a nice body and a sunroof is preferred
-- 4 Door Automatic -- paddle shifters would be ideal
-- Good on gas mileage
-- RELIABLE all year around. This is very important, I want a car that wont break down a lot and won't cost me a fortune on parts and/or repairs.
-- Fairly new 2009/2010 or newer, under 50,000 kms
-- Best bang for the buck performance wise
-- I really want a LCD/Nav system in there but I can always install that after myself too
So after tons of research and looking around everywhere, I think I have it narrowed down to my final 2 picks:
1. 2009/10 Mitsubishi Lancer Ralliart
- 2.0L L4 turbo DOHC 16-valve AWD
- 237-hp @ 6000 rpm and 253 lb-ft of torque @ 3000 rpm
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
- Recommend fuel: Premium
2. 2011/12 Kia Optima SX Turbo
- 2.0 liter 4-cylinder turbo FWD
- 274-hp at 6,000 rpm and 269 lb-ft of torque between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm
- 6-speed automatic with paddle shifters
- Recommended fuel: Regular
Both these cars fall under the 20-25g budget listed above
Reasons to buy Kia:
- Lower cost of ownership including insurance, gas and maint
- Newer car with minimal to zero kms on it
- Tons more features including push-to-start, more passenger spacing/leg room, rear view cam, build in HD for music storage, heated back seats, cooled front seats, dual climate control, etc.
- Amazing warranty: 5 year bumper-to-bumper
Reasons to buy Lancer:
- Having the old EVO AWD system over the Kia FWD
- No turbo lag
- Better performance including pick-up and faster around corners
- Better suspension and brakes
- Better music system with 10-inch stock speakers in the trunk
- Recaro bucket seats with carbon fiber trim
Seriously or trolling?
Hold on I got one, Do you want a car built in a country that the US defeated in the war??? Kinda ignorant isn't it?
Now back on topic.
Unless I missed it, you did not mention tracking/upgrading your car. If you just want a car that you plan to keep stock for the most part, as a daily driver I would go with the KIA. But as you said maint cost and gas and if I had to guess insurance will be cheaper with the KIA. I own both a mitsubishi and a kia to be exact, so I'm not going off of what my cousins first uncle said and all that other BS. When people think of Kia they still think of early 1990's cracker jack cars and as you saw with your own eyes thats not the case anymore.
Your not going to get any Kia love on this forum as most here believe if you have cancer get the evo, if you have the common cold get a RA and all your problems will be solved.
Best advice I can give is to drive both, talk numbers/payments, figure out all your expences, then figure out from there which one you "need/want" more. Good luck.
edit: and push to start is not gay, in fact many evo owners have said it they wish they had Push to start as many cars come with it in 2012.
Last edited by Mad_DOHC VTEC; Nov 29, 2012 at 05:28 AM.