Need some input on this one..... just looking for opinions

I am in the market for a new IX and i went to a dealer last night ( Blackridge Mitsu - St. George, Utah ) and told him what i wanted and filled out the paperwork. They didn't have any evo's on the lot but the sales guy said he could get one for me.

Sales guy called me earlier this morning - he found an RS for $28,9xx or a regular GSR for $31,3xx.

That's good to hear for me - question is..... how do you RS owners feel about your cars

How do you feel about the radio delete and the lack of power windows / locks ? Have any RS owners put on a GSR wing ?

Any inputs good / bad are warranted. I did search a few RS threads that i found, but i didn't get what i was looking for - basically pros/ cons.

Thanks in advance.

 

I think most of the RS owners buy the car for tracking mainly.

GSR (what I call the base IX) - mixed.

Daily drivers - MR pretty much.

--> of course that's generalizing and not all true. It depends what you want to do with the car, what you plan on driving it for, mileage, mod path and track use. Give us some feedback on that and we can better help.

 

I like my RS. I use it as a daily driver and it is fine. The power windows and locks dont really bother me as I can reach every window crank without much hassle do to my monkey arms.
It is all prewired for a stereo so you can add one anytime you would like.
I chose the RS because of the money savings, and I dont really care about the wing either way.

If you are really used to power locks, windows, and ABS, and can't see yourself going without them or really really like the wing, then you should just get the base IX.

 

There are really 4 levels of Evo:
RS
Base IX - lots call GSR
IX w/ SSL - lots call GSR. Note the SSL is about a $3200 option.
MR

 

Here is the RS as I see it...Most serious track cars do not have ABS, it's often glitchy (turns on at the worst times) and adds weight...the RS is a perfect blend for a track enthusiast (every weekend) who wants a comfortable, affordable, daily-driven track car...For me, I needed the ABS, it wasn't so much a decision of the wing...The wing isn't a big deal either way, I know the heritage behind it and anyone who bashes it really isn't worth explaining it to...The weight reduction with the RS is wonderful, and I would reccomend it to anyone...After all, do you really mind that you don't have a radio...With the ammount you save from the GSR, you can purchase a superior stereo and stronger brake components (pads/lines/rotors)...essentially, it all depends on your focus...This car is NOT supposed to be a blend of luxury/sport...It's affordable sport, so maybe don't get too fixed on power accessories...Boils down to this, do you want ABS?

 

I am also a fellow RS owner and i feel the same... if you dont mind not having power options/wing/ABS then save the money.... and i do not mind not having any of the power options, its still taking me a bit to adjust, but all i have to do is press on the gas and my worries are all gone away!!!

Also it really depends on what you are going to do with the EVO... track? autocross? a mix of both? a mix of show/performance?........... if your answer is not for track or autocross, then i would say dont get the RS.... if your answer is track or autocross.... then get a RS.......

Now i cannot speak for all RS owners but if you do decide to get a RS, like me.... do not try to make the RS into a GSR....... ie radio/power options..... doesnt make sense if you decide to buy a RS and purchase all the items needed to make a GSR.....

All and all if you get a RS its not only about the loss of certain options, but i think its about performance!

 

rs with excellent aftermarket speakers/HU and GSR wing is the way to go

 

Well I am kind of just reiterating what others have said about the RS, but I'm really happy with my RS as a daily driver. I put a decent stereo system in the car and pretty much used the rest of what I would have had to spend for base GSR on performance parts (brakes, AEM EMS, intake, TBE, fuel upgrades, etc.) I'll admit, the $ on mods is perhaps a tad over the amount I saved over a GSR model, but that's often how modding a car is - one leads to another, etc... Easy to get hooked! I like the wing, but I'm not going to put one on the car. It's nice how cops don't pay much attention to the car and how people who aren't already familliar with the car are shocked when they see what it can do!

I've adapted to the no ABS thing, but to be honest, I would not mind having them, as I'm not on the racetrack that much and in rainy Oregon with a bunch of stupid drivers and a lot of traffic, it wouldn't be a bad thing to have. That's my only (minor) gripe, as I'm used to the whole now power windows/mirrors/locks thing and that doesn't matter much to me. Nice to still have A/C too! Hope this helps with your decision... There's no doubt about it, the RS is better for some people, but the GSR is setup for what most people want/expect from a car these days. Just gotta weigh all your options.

 

Thanks guys for all your replies - i appreciate it

My ideal scenario is this... car will be used as a daily driver. I would like to take it to the drag strip and maybe a road course of two. I do not have ABS on my Lancer OZ so i'm not really missing anything. Tunes are very important to me and i'm not that big on a/c but i'm sure i'll use it when it gets hotter here in Vegas.

I'm more performance minded so i'm not really into body kits or wheels ( although i'm sure i'll be getting into some new wheels later down the line )

thanks again for all the responses

 

I think you will be missing a lot without ABS. That was the deciding factor for me to purchase the GSR. Yes under full concentration I can stop the car without engaging the ABS, though I can always stop faster with ABS.

How about trail braking in a corner, can you prevent the inner rear wheel from locking and at the same time hit the brakes relatively hard? Unless your a pro it is very hard to do that. Also when tires are cold they lock much faster as opposed to when they are warm. Same thing in the rain.

 

I purchased the RS. I love it and wouldn't have changed my decision. I put tunes in and still have tons of money in the pocket. If you look on here you can find everything you need to upgrade to power components if you want at a fraction of the cost. Someone is always making a race car and parting out their car.

Just my 2 cents.

 

The RS it the closest thing to a sportbike with four doors you can buy. Fun, Fun Fun. I have another car for the days I feel like driving a sofa.

 

BTW...the RS comes with air conditioning.

 

You are opening up a big can of worms asking which one to buy. Its fairly simple, if you can afford the IX get it, if you can't, and money is tight get the RS. People calling the IX a GSR kinda makes me laugh, because it makes us Americans seem like "want-a-be" Europeans. Its not a GSR. Our trim levels are RS, BASE, and MR. Say what you want, we are not Europe. Their options there spank ours, so please dont compare like that, its silly. Secondly, The ABS system on the IX I own has saved my life, and thats a story in its self so I think the ABS is worth it alone right there. I also think the added insulation in the IX vs. the RS is note worthy if your driving on rough rodes like where I live. The IX for me is just a good blend of an RS and an MR, so in my opinion its the one to have. Also note, that if you want HID's stock, you have to get a IX with that "option" they do not come standard on the car like the VIII. Only the IX MR comes with HID's and Foglights. Add up the things you get on a IX Base, vs an RS and the IX is actually the better deal. Either way you win, maybe look for a good used VIII instead? Thats always an option. Good Luck.

 

You save ALOT of money by buying the RS, which you can then spend on mods. I think not having power windows would drive me crazy though