Hello all, I am new to the forum as well as the world of the Evo. My past cars have been Land Rovers and BMWs. I'm looking now at the EVO because it seems from the reviews it has the best bang for the buck.

Im currently thinking about trading my Range Rover in on either a IX or an X. Leaning towards the X. In doing my research it seems like the MR has the better suspension and wheels. I'm really leaning towards the GSR as it has been a long time since I owned a stick and it just seems like more of a "drivers car". I know the MR has a pretty awesome automatic from what I have read. Could anybody tell me if there is a difference in the handling between the MR and the GSR? What do most of the guys that take the car to the track buy?

Thanks

 

Handling is nearly identical, although the MR technically has a better suspension.

The MR has more standard options, and fancy things like heated seats, while the GSR is lighter.

The main difference is the MR has the TC-SST (automatic) which is faster but less fun, while the GSR has a regular stick that is far more fun but technically inferior to the twin clutch.

 

The sst is fun, it's just fun in different ways. Maybe I'm weird but I don't yearn to hold a shifter in my hand. The MR seems to be well mannered sometimes. I really don't know how to explain it. I can drive it like its a Camry and in an instant she's an Evo. Ive never driven a GSR X, but I can say I do not miss my VIII in the least bit (any more). I'm sure I'm not answering your question, but all I can say is if you do test drive MR keep an open mind. It is a fun car.

 

Thanks for the quick responses. Maybe I am old fashion is thinking a stick shift is the superior car. I guess the automatics have come a long way. So even for a car that you are going to push hard through some canyon roads or on a track the auto is the better of the two?

Thanks

 

When I was making my decision to buy a GSR or MR, I just read up on the issues in the transmission threads for 5sp and sst topics to get an understanding what I was getting myself into.

The 5sp transmissions aren't silky smooth, have very tall gears so freeway driving can get a little loud, they don't drive too well on cold starts either. I don't recommend driving a turbocharged car completely cold as well. I haven't missed a gear since owning my car, so the transmission is sufficient to me. The freeway noise doesn't bother me too much, I bought a SSS so the stereo helps.

The sst are great for daily driving and tracking (with trans cooler). They are slightly faster shifting/tracking overall. The 6th gear keeps freeway speeds more tolerable. But I heard a lot of people complaining about the transmission temps forcing the cars into limp mode quite early. The sst clutch packs also become another issue once you get above the 350-400trq range if I'm not mistaken. Upgrading the clutch packs are very expensive (parts and labor), so depending on your performance goals, this one can be a little more pricey.

I bought the GSR because the sst still seemed pretty new and not much was known about them yet. After hearing about needing upgraded trans coolers for tracking, I was pretty sure I wasn't going to get a sst. If I was only planning on using this car for daily driving, the sst shouldn't be an issue at all.

 

If you sit in traffic a lot I would definitely get the SST. My commute sux so it was a no brainer for me. Plus, SST shifts quicker with less work, in S-Sport of course.

 

I previously own an SST and it was awesome when I had to spend an hour in traffic both ways but now that my commute is a lot shorter the GSR is the way to go.

 

I also have owned a Range Rover Sport. The difference between a Rover and an Evo boils down to luxury vs performance. My Rover was quick for what it was, and definitely very comfortable and luxurious, but every Evo I've ever driven has a much more spirited ride.

 

That's funny, I traded my Range Rover HSE for my first Evo X. A year later, I traded my Evo X for a CTS-v, and a year later, regreted that, and bought another Evo X.

You've likely noticed by now that even the nicest interiors aren't "that" nice. I'd put the MR interior right up there with most of them. The GSR interior is a little more spartan, sure, but I went through mine with soundproof coating and it made a big difference.

The MR isn't really an automatic in the traditional sense, it's a twin clutch. It's pretty slick. Both my Evo X's have been GSRs, my next Evo might be an MR, I like the interior and styling. But, I also put an MR front end on my GSR, these cars are kinda like legos, just build what you want.

Evo 9 is a great car, too. But the X MR interior still beats it.

 

Just a heads up, he already bought the GSR. There's a thread on the Evo X forums from the same guy.

 

That was quick

 

LMAO!!! adda boy!

 

I have the GSR and I used to live in CA. Stop and go city traffic burns up the clutch. I used to cringe when I would get that burning clutch smell while inching along in traffic.

 

Sorry guys, I did start a new thread. Wasn't sure if I should have kept this one going or start a new one. Thanks for the advice though. I live in orange county so traffic isn't as bad as LA. I did get my first dose of traffic yesterday though. Let's just say I may need to go back to the gym and work my left leg only. I'm sure I will get used to it. When I first got my Ducati and took it on a trip to the canyons by the time I was half way home I was having to use my right and left hand to pull in the clutch. After a month i was good to go with my left hand. Lol As great as the SST is, I went for the stick purly for the fun of shifting. I guess it's just something built into the brain. Even as a kid we would run around the yard acting like we were shifting a race car. I'm sure it is good on the track as well, just takes more skill. Watch those old videos of Mario Andretti in the Lotus F1 with that shifter on the side and it's amazing how much skill was involved in driving a car like that. Although now a days the skill is the steering wheel with all the toggles.

I am getting a little crap from friends for being 42 and buying what they call a kids car. But I dismiss it. Most people buy cars to get them from a to b. I have never been like that. It's about the time between a and b that I care about. Loud and uncomfortable is a great thing. It means the car has character and soul. Besides, a vette is a midlife crises car, not an Evo.

Thanks again

 

Just tell em you can fit more high school girls in your Evo than a Corvette.