this is a big reality that older 08 evos have less whp then 2010. I had a friend which had many bolts on and i was stock and almost dyno the same.

 

i came from an ms3 so i knew its potential...i switched over to a 2010 evo x...the butt dyno says it feels WAY faster even from a roll...i doubted myself because everybody on the internet says the evo x bone stock is slow from a roll....then I proceeded to race my old car...a local had the same ms3 as me....i smoked him out of the water even from a roll

little did i know, the 2010s came with A LOT more power from the factory than 2008...

 

My main concern is not which is faster. What I'm really looking for is something that handles as sharp and composed as the MS3 but has a solid AWD, and solid transmission. I miss the old bolt action notchiness of my WRX, I really do, but it never handled with competence, and by the time it did with all the mods I threw on it, it rode like poo.

I also need a decent daily driver. I'm past the trunk and mediocre interior, now it's the freeway rpms that I'm hung up on and of course haven't experience for myself as I haven't actually had the chance to drive one as the closest dealer to me that will let me test drive even a used one is 160 miles.

I'm also keeping my options open, looking at used STIs, especially the 05-07 GDs, and Evo 9 MRs.

 

don't worry about freeway ride....its really not bad at all....just give yourself a few weeks to get used to it....on my first few days of ownership of the X, I thought it rode super stiff, especially on the freeway....now its been 7 months, and I feel like its way too soft! haha...I'm picking up a set of coilovers to help combat that

the evo has a real notchy transmission if you keep the stock fluid...make sure you swap it out with the redline cocktail fluid for smooth buttery shifts (2qts of redline MTL and 1qt MT-90)

 

that's odd i posted but it didn't show up. yo steven88, you're the same one that was on mazdas247 right? i think i msg'd you to buy a downpipe or something awhile back when you were parting out haha.

outside of a clear bra and rally armor flaps, i'm saving up for go fast goodies and kw variant 3's now.

 

I own a '08 X GSR but I drive every day a '07 MS3, so I always compare them...
About pure performance on a straight line, the feeling you have driving is that the MS3 is faster (stock vs stock). This is due to different reasons:
- the MS3 has more torque at lower rpm, so it kicks at already 3000 rpm (this is also because of direct injection, that allows greater spark advance at low rpm, since you have less risk of knocking). This can be just a feeling, I mean that then the MS3 dies before 6k rpm (in reality also a stock EVO X start to die there, but not so much), but driving you're firstly impressed by a high torque at low rpm than by a good progression through the rpm range.
- the MS3 can be really faster on a straight line (not just an impression), since it has only 28 HP less but it's much lighter and it is 2WD so it has not the big power loss of the 4WD transmission the EVO has. Also the max speed of the MS3 is significantly higher.

So, if you want to change a MS3 for a X just to have a better "power feeling", you will be disappointed; just take a X and do a 4th gear pull, you will understand.
The EVO is not a drag car, you can find better cars for that. The EVO is a rally car, in fact its best feature is not engine itself but for sure transmission and traction. From this point of you, the MS3 is really a stupid car since with its 2WD you cannot put down its power (except on straight line, and not always): during turns you cannot push, on wet you cannot push (it spins in 4th gear), etc.
Buy an EVO if you want to go REALLY faster in a twisty road and if you want the feeling of "I can push WOT in the middle of the turn, and the car stays there!".

Just my 2 cents.
Stefano

 

You can say the MS3 "feels" faster but numbers don't lie. The X is def faster, I've raced MS3's when I was stock. The reason it feels faster is AWD is always gonna deliver power much smoother than a wheel hop happy 2wd system. Hell, my srt-4 felt faster but we all know they aren't. As far as handling goes, you wont be disappointed, the X handles far better than any Subi they've made.

 

Yep. No wheelspin, no torque steer, makes for an uneventful straight line experience compared to a 2WD car. With my SRT-4 a considerable effort was made just to keep the car straight and avoid tiresmoke. With the EVO you just pin the throttle and go. Add in the fact that the 4B11 makes power in such a linear fashion and you just aren't going to feel blown away compared to higher effort cars that aren't quite as fast.

 

Exactly, feeling faster and being faster are completely different. You can "feel" fast all day long as u get left behind. But hey, as least you'll feel faster than the guy spankin that a$$

 

I used to feel fast in my old B16A equipped Honda changing gears at 8200 RPM. Wasn't actually going that fast but it felt engaging lol.

 

totally agreed...two completely different things

I can say for sure the MS3 "feels" faster than the EVO X in the low to mid range...its because the turbo in the MS3 is small and boost builds up very quick...theres a nasty punch right at 3k and of course its gonna "feel" like your faster than an EVO X...in reality though the Evo X is going to be faster no matter what....you just can't feel it as much in the evo compared to the MS3

 

if u want the 6speed get the mr, i cruise on hwy doing 120km/h usually and im sitting around 3000 maybe 3100 max rpm, not much noise, but mrt makes a difference im sure.

 

Yes, I totally agree.
My warning was only for the OP that (from what I understand) was looking for a better "power feeling": if this is the target, I don't know if going from a MS3 to a X will satisfy him.
For sure the X is much more effective thanks to its traction and handling, no doubts on this.

 

I dont think u could pay me to own an MS3 over an X. The X is a much better performer in every category that counts, plus it looks a hell of a lot better. I cant take an MS3 serious with that goofy smily face front.

 

I just came from a very lightly nodded MS3. It was absolutely faster in a straight line. It feels faster because it is. That being said I'm very happy with my evo. I don't hate driving my car on anything but a perfect weather day. Haha