Here is why I picked my GSR. As a college student I had a limited amount of money to spend on an Evolution. I loved the MR, and for the price, it is well worth the money in my opinion but I couldn't afford one because I had rent, tuition, and food (gotta eat sometimes too). The difference was 7k for me and I couldn't dish out the extra 7 k but I never regret buying my IX GSR because I love it every bit as much, it's not often that a car of this caliber comes a long where it can be used as a daily commuter and a weekend warrior. My IX has been good to me and I am lucky enough to just own an evo, now that I graduated and when I find a great job, I'll buy a 05 Evo 8 MR and leave it stock. All evos are great and most of us are lucky enough to have a chance to own one of these beasts. No matter what trim you have, be grateful for it because I'm sure there are tons of people that can only dream of owning an evo.

 

+1

 

well back then 03-04 some 05 evo had or have syncros problem.. in 05 the MR was a unique ,special edition for the Evo.Also was limited numbers.
Since 06 it's only a trim, also a year passed buy and sorry ,but yes the 6 speed have it's own issues...
We see more problem with a 6 speed then a 5! SINCE 05.
but if you leave your car factory or close to the factory it will be okey.
and yes we are ALL happy we got EVO!!! BUT i think the question was WITCH? so we want to figured out, what he want to do with it,and base on his choice try to help...
AT least this is what i'm doing.
like don't suffer in RS if you not going to hook it up hard..
Or don't waste you money MR ,if you will change almost every thing you paid to get MR./Because RS and SE have aluminium roof too,just meke sure you got it.Because a lots of you writing, like only the MR has that roof.

 

I thought about getting the MR but decided on the SE instead because I didn't want the 6spd. If I install some Bilsteins and a vortex generator it would almost be an MR sans the 6spd.

 

This is EXACTLY what I would have done if the SE's were out when I bought. I'm VERY happy with the MR, but for my purposes I don't need the Bilsteins or 6 speed, but the aluminum roof and HIDS were important.

 

you can get better coilovers for that money or little more... and you will be better then MR.

 

I havent read any of these posts but I will extend my .02

All 05's come w/ ACD. That being said, MR's are not worth it imo. The aluminum roof is nice. The BBS's are ugly, imo. The 6-speed is prone to breaking. The Bilsteins are nice, but personally I would be upgrading suspension anyways. Not to mention I am not a fan of the "softer ride". The Vortex generator is ugly. I would rather have an SSL.

 

HID's are a huge plus for MR/SE. The other lights are pretty bad.

 

i baught my 06 ix for the same reason you can put the extra money into your car and be quicker than an mr or you could even get a better tranny for that price and have it installed

 

get a silverstar light bulbs $50 ! high beam is a same.

 

All you guys are missing the boat... Why take a lesser EVO and try to make it into an MR? You'll come out ahead money wise if you get the real deal. I can't figure out why anybody would change the suspension of the MR unless you are racing. Also, why spend beaucoup bucks on a six speed swap? I don't get it. If you hate the MR, why try to make your EVO into and MR? Most people who trash the MR have not even driven it. Many don't even own an EVO at all Some of you have money problems and would have been ahead buying a used Honda . The MR is a special edition Evolution and it's fine just the way it is. As far as I'm concerned, making the stock EVO faster is pretty dumb since the car is already hella fast in stock form. Most ppl writing these posts cannot even come close to driving the EVO at 8/10s, let alone a car faster than stock.... Also, just changing to coilovers, no matter how good, is not automatically going to make the car handle better than stock. On the contrary, when the suspension is changed, it needs to be recalibrated and set up. The chances are very high that a modified suspension will screw up the handling of the car unless an expert is involved in the setup and the driver is good enough to take advantage of it. Even so, the car is most likely lowered which will cause no end of body damage, wheel/tire, and even suspension damage from driving on rough roads, potholes, RR tracks, etc. I've had both cars, the GSR first and the MR second. As far as I'm concerned my MR is much better than the GSR which was extensively modified (read: screwed up) by several "tuners". Perhaps if the GSR would have been left pretty much stock, it might have not been quite so inferior to the MR. But still, the MR is all around better for my purposes and yes, it's pretty much stock.

 

i actually ahve the gsr n mr model in my garage. gsr is my bro's. n mr is mine. to be honest if you plan to leave the car stock id say the mr would be best. i would choose the gsr if i were to upgrade parts.

im really luck my bro got an evo too, cuz we can exchange parts. im lending him my mr wheels once i get money to buy new tires for my other

 

The SE was perfect. It had the better roof and headlights but didn't have the stuff I didn't want, the 6 speed and the Bilsteins. The 5 speed is great for what the Evo does and I don't think I need the higher top speed as I haven't taken the car above 100.

I did think it was funny how the sales guys insisted on trying to compare the STi to the MR when the GSR comes off just as good in the comparison and is cheaper.

 

This is exactly the kind of thinking that promotes misunderstanding and obscures the value and benefits of the MR. The 6th speed is not for higher top end but a slight overdrive which makes the engine run a little bit slower at highway speeds. The true advantage of the 6 speed tranny is in that the ratios are closer to each other and more finely matched to the engine's powerband. It's fine if one does not want the Bilsteins or the 6 speed tranny, but it's important to know what you are really choosing and why.... The Bilsteins and the springs of the MR give excellent handling with much less harshness of the ride. The MR is definitely a different car than the GSR, SE or RS. All you have to do is drive them and compare.

 

I think you've made some excellent points throughout the thread, especially in light of the imbecilic, ignorant, hyperbolic drivel you exemplified in quotes in a post above.

I've spent considerable time behind the wheel of a IX MR. I've also owned a IX RS and I currently have a IX SE with MR suspension. Gearbox-wise, all three cars behave almost identically in 1-4. I say almost, because there is a slight difference in gearing on paper, but for the life of me I could not notice it in direct comparisons. I know you're comparing your MR to a VIII, which had a wider ratio gearbox, and I do not mean to fault your observations. When it comes to IXs, however, the difference in 1-4 is minimal if any.

The suspension, too, doesn't make for a tremendous change. Having put ~4000 miles on the stock IX suspension and ~1500 miles on the MR setup, I can say with some confidence that the Bilsteins do not offer a completely different experience. They're certainly more compliant, which helps to keep the tires in contact with the road and the reason for me making the change, but they do not transform the handling of the car. The VIII suspension is said to be the same as IX, but it sure doesn't feel like it. This may explain the difference.