I couldn't imagine getting into a IX that is 3 years newer and far superior for only a 5k difference vs a used 03. The only advantage on the 03 is the SSL, but that doesn't come close to outweighing the 50whp/50wtq difference, ACD, 3 years of depreciation, 17k miles of depreciation, and the fact that it's a trade-in, which means it gets the lowest possible valuation.

I'd be surprised if you could get better than the $9500 difference honestly since the trade-in value is less than 21k, but if you can somehow manage to get it down to a 5k difference, then I'd suggest you do it with no hesitation.

 

I have tilt in my 03 guess some of us got lucky

 

I have tilt in my '03, as does every other Evo I've ever seen.

 

Thank you for your thoughts. $9500 is what they'd LIKE to make, if they get MSRP and give only the trade-in value that usually nets them $4000-6000 on the sale of the used car; they stand to make MORE than $9500 if they do a deal like this. I have known the salesman for three years now, have bought one car from him, and am likely to buy more; I told him if he could get it down to $5000 I'd trade, otherwise I can make my '03 faster and still have money left over to replace things I break. If he can sell the car to me for less, he will; if he won't, I'll wait.

 

if they make 4000-6000 profit on a sale of 9500, and you knock it down to 5000, then what do they make off of it? nothing??

 

Something to consider if you trade it in you will get and have to pay for the new 5/60 10/100 warranty. The reason I'm in a Evo is because my 03 Eclipse got hydrolocked and even though they replaced the short block on it due to bend rods I no longer trusted it and wanted something with a new car warranty. (not going to get into the REAL value of a Mitsu warranty though)

 

VIII gear speeds at redline: 40mph, 60mph, 83mph, 113mph, 162mph
IX gear speeds at redline: 42mph, 60mph, 81mph, 106mph, 153mph

While I'd like to have the 5th gear out of the IX, I think the 4th really blows. Its going to make people have to upshift to 5th in the quarter mile even with fairly light mods.

 

Well, not quite. We don't shift at redline in the 1/4-mile in 4th gear. It's going to be just like the MRs. We have been dealing with this over the last year, and I found that with the stock rev limiter, we hit a wall at 111mph (max 111.67 for me) in the traps, which was en route to a best ET of 12.01. Then, with just a 200rpm rev limit increase, I was able to trap 113.73 _WITHOUT_ hitting the rev limiter in 4th. A few others have gotten up to 115 with an 8k limiter or so, but those guys aren't too good at providing detailed information to help the rest of us, so I can't say for certain. If and when I get cams, I'll be able to tell you how fast we can go in 4th with an 8k limiter.

so, the IXs will have the luxury of making way more power with less mods, so they may be able to hit 115-116 in 4th on pump gas, but they will not be able to fully utilize that power until they raise the rev limit above stock. After 115mph, though, it will definitely be a problem.

 

I thought GG was only for the MR, or am I wrong?

 

I drove a 06 MR. They wanted 41. It was real nice. It was slower than I expected, but that can be changed with great results as we are starting to see. But the 06 GSR Electric Blue 34.000 was sick. MMMMMM........

 

My dealer is going to call me when they get a 9 MR in stock. They are going to give me $20,000 for my '03 and the MR for whatever I can work them down to. They said they would ask sticker for it but, I'm sure that is just a starting point. So, with what I make off of my trade I could get into an MR for the same payment as my '03.

The only thing that is stopping me is while I like the power and looks of the 9, I'm not sure it is enough to make it worth starting over financially. I really want the X and don't want to get myself upside down for when that comes out with a buying a 9. I figure by the time the X comes out my VIII will be completly paid off and what ever I get in trade or sell it for will make a very nice down payment and get my payments well below where they are at which frees up more money for mods.

 

If you could update that with MR's top speed at every gear I will buy you

 

Only in 2005

 

Yeah, that's why I said light mods. Obviously, none of us with modified Evos shift at redline, but take the car closer to the rev limiter, espscially when drag racing in 4th gear. With the IX though, the power potential on the stock turbo is so much greater. Some faster Evo VIIIs still on a 16G are trapping 117-120 with race gas. Getting into the 11s comfortably is going to take a little more HP than it does with an VIII (although the increased power with the bigger turbo and the extra low end punch from Mivec might help offset that).

I know that my car really lays down when I upshift to fifth. The IX fifth is shorter, but so is its 4th, so there is still a gigantic gap from 4th to 5th (a 47mph jump, in fact). **This is much less of a problem in the MR, as the 5th gear is much shorter, with a ratio that is much less of a death sentence than the 5 speed 5th gears. At some point fairly early in the upgrade process, its going to be a problem for the 5 speed cars, trust me.

 

VIII, IX, or both? The six speeds might be the same; I haven't checked yet.