Hi folks:

I spent a lot of time reading threads here before buying my '12 MG MR so figured I'd share some things I learned going through the process and in hindsight that may be worth considering if you're thinking of getting an Evo.

Note this is after owning the car for 2 weeks (but researching it for 5 months).

1. This is great car. I've owned 3 Audi A4's, a MINI Cooper S, and test drove 335xd, G37X, and Boxster S. It's definitely the more fun than the Audi and BMW, more performant than the MINI, and more practical and safer than the Boxster. The thing is fast as lightening, handles like it's on rails, and feels very composed, solid, and almost begs you to take it to the limit without breaking a sweat.

2. This is not a leasing car. You will likely want to do some modifications and not having that option on a lease would suck. I also think the ability to mod will likely make the car's newness to you persist since you can update it every year with some new stuff.

3. You must upgrade the exhaust. The stock exhaust is soul-less. I went with the ETS V2 Quiet and find it just right in terms of angriness, discretion, and reputation for quality.

4. The counterpoint to #1 is the fit and finish (especially the interior) is not gonna compare to similarly performing cars (or even a new VW for that matter). You need to be ok with that and like the performance and uniqueness of the Evo to offset the little rattles and squeaks and plastic in the interior. That said, I have a fully loaded MR and find it makes the grade in terms of being a luxury sports sedan but just barely.

5. Get clear bra and rally armor flaps and seal/wax often. There are enough horror stories about the Mitsu paint that you should protect her.

6. Be prepared for weird reactions from friends and family. Half of them will ask why you didn't get a BMW, 1/4 won't care, and 1/4 (usually nephews or younger cousins) will think the car is cool. This is not the status car for girls or colleagues at work (unless you're in high school). The good news is you don't see many on the road (a lot fewer than STI's -- at least as far as I can tell in the Northwest) and definitely fewer than 3 series and A4's.

7. Be prepared for mixed dealership service and i suspect manufacturer support. I had to talk to multiple dealers, they don't have many in stock, and they don't seem to be anxious to earn your business. I'm used to be harassed by dealers bending over backwards to get me to buy or put in an order but this was not the case with my Evo purchase. Also, if you special order, don't expect to get many updates on status (MINI allowed me to see every stage of the production and deliver process so I could track it like a UPS package). With Mitsu, you just get a call when it arrives.

8. It still looks modern. I was worried since they hadn't refreshed it since 2008 but it still looks quite current. The rear 3/4 view is awesome and the front has this F-14 Top Gun thing that still looks cool after all these years.

9. Get one of the X's soon since they're moving to hybrid which I expect will be awesome but will likely be plagued by reliability issues for the first 2-3 years of production.

10. Be prepared for a slight bump in insurance costs. I'm late 30's and only 1 ticket four years ago and my premium went up $600 versus my 3 year old MINI S.

Hope this helps.

 

How are you liking the paddle shifting? thats the only thing i miss from going 8,9,to a mr 10

 

In what part of the world do train-tracks have a tilt to the outside? That doesn't seem optimal to me.

 

I haven't driven stick since college so not minding it too much. Had paddles on my last 3 cars and rarely used them. In fact, I find the MR's automatic extremely impressive. Rarely do I feel like it should shift and it hasn't already. From time to time I just mess around with the paddles but for the most part I keep hands at 10 and 2 and keep my sight line high :-)