In the hunt for a new car for the wife and she made some comments last night that got the gears turning.

She has four problems with my GSR:
1. trunk space
2. MPG
3. lumbar support
4. roughish ride for a DD

My responses:
1. take out the spare and sub when you NEED more trunk space, but it's actually quite adequate for normal use (as I'm finding out).
2. err... it's actually close to the 335i (according to fueleconomy.gov 17/22 vs. 17/26)
3. lumbar pillow, $10, problem solved
4. MR with the softer suspension? Hence my question.

For those that have extensive seat time in the MR and GSR, does the MR drive smoother than the GSR from a daily driver perspective?

The price of the MR is smack in the middle of the two cars that are left in the running, G35/37 sedan and 335i coupe/sedan. However the GSR is a much more visceral driving experience than either... which is both a positive and a negative!

 

335i is a great car. We got the wife one and she loves it. Plus it is fun when I drive it as well. Great power, pretty good mileage, firm yet civil suspension.

If you test drive one she will want it. At least that is what happened with my wife.

Although we never looked at the G's

 

My wife has test driven dang near everything on the market from $20k cars to $55k cars and we're no nearer to resolution

a $40k MR stands out more from a handling perspective and "what the heck is that" in traffic perspective (since 3 series BMWs are everywhere).

Plus it's $5-6k less than a BMW, has better nav (nav changes in 09 for the bmw) and has Sirius standard.

$5-6k buys a lot of gas, tires, etc.

The G35 is more technology oriented (better nav much like the one in the Evo) and has a much nicer interior finish than the 03 G35 we had. It's power isn't nearly as forceful as the 335i and the engine isn't as silky smooth. G35 doesn't handle as well as the 335i when driven to the edge.

It costs $9k less than a comparably equiped 335i though.

 

I want to get my girl in a G35. Shes sold on Audi's but I'm trying to convince her otherwise.

 

For the record I was getting alot better gas mileage in the 335i. About 4 to 5 mpg diference on my 20 mile backroad commute. Also as for a DD I think that the MR is going to actually be o.k. My wife hasn't really minded the ride either.

 

to get a little more back on topic...if the ride is the issue on the MR-there are a LOT of options out there that can help that (softer or harder). Save the $$, get the looks, and the turn in (if you need/want that) with the MR-get the refinement of the 335i. I DD mine 70+ miles (12600 already since Feb 08) and have loved it (I'm 29 and jump from dealer to dealer for work) so far. No one has complained of the ride when they are in it with me, so far
I have BC's installed...they work great for the track on weekends, and softer for when I pick up peeps.
My $0.10

 

Get a X GSR or get a 335i sedan. Don't get the 335i coupe and don't get the G35/G37 coupe or sedan. BMW has the name and the performance to back it up since it's the best sports sedan in the market today. The Evo X is much more unique and creative in it's styling and performance. My suggestion is to get the Evo if you have a "fun" personality, or get the 335i sedan if you have a "serious" personality. I know my opinion is funny, but I think it's good advice. All the best!

 

If I didn't have an EvoX it might be the only issue, but I think that she doesn't want to have the same car as me is bigger than the ride issue!

I asked her if she'd rather be unhappy or drive the same car as me (but in the hotness that is an X in WW). I got a pretty dirty look.

Do you run the BCs in full soft mode normally? How's the ride compared to stock GSR?

From what I'm reading, the MR's suspension/ride is softer than the GSR stock for stock (hence the point of my question here), but I'm wondering if it's something that you'd notice on the street daily driving or only on the track.

 

Dude, you live in Plano... how many 335i sedans are there? 342,234,234. How many Evos? 20? 25? Nothing like losing your car in the parking lot

And you have to admit, a $45k 335i is very hard to justify versus a $36k G35/37 if the person buying wants a quick/sporty car but doesn't need a barn burner.

 

But the 10 looks like every other Lancer. So you can't really use that argument. In most cases people with think the EVO is a base Lancer.

I would pay a visit to the lexus dealer and take an IS250/350 for a spin.

Or if you are flush with cash.....

 

does it looks like every other Lancer or a base lancer ...



here is the top of the Lancers GTS:

 

Ya, the evo looks like the lancer (I have trouble telling in traffic).

We've had an IS250 loaner car for the past two days and drove the IS350 yesterday.

As I've posted somewhere else on here, the car is stupid boring. The interior is cramped and the A pillar is in a horrible place (it makes me claustraphobic when driving -- and the IIHS shows it as where the drivers head hits in an accident!).

The IS is OUT. Heck, it's roughly the same price as the MR after discounts. ISes are everywhere here as well (mostly the 250, but you can't tell a 250 from a 350 and now with the F **** on all the 250's you can't tell a 250 from an ISF unless you see the gay stacked exhaust).

 

Sometimes Lancers look like Evos... but the Evo never is mistaken for a Lancer.

 

Okay the IS is out. Then I would go Bimmer.

Unless your wife plans to track the car I wouldn't get her an EVO. Simply no reason to have an EVO.

In my opinion the only reason to own an EVO is to track the crap out of it. Its really not a good choice for daily driver (even the 10) and only a car enthusiast can appreciate the difference between a base and evo. Most people not in the know make fun of my 9. Looks like a shopping cart, has a park bench for a wing, ect......

 

I can think of 5-6,000 reasons to get the Evo over the BMW if everything else is equivalent (which is obviously isn't).

Each one is printed on this funny paper that's more cloth and every day is worth less and less (and I have fewer of them!).

but ya, other than the BMW has a propeller on it and what not, how does the MR compare to the GSR from a cushiness perspective?