Boy does that sound familiar.

(I know, you want to hear from someone else, by now. )

But I bought an EVO 8 back in 2003, and I was very nervous about getting an MR, especially since I was ordering one new and never drove one until I picked up mine.
(The 8 still worked perfectly, but, since the EVO is my daily, I wanted a newer one before the X went out of production. The rumored "hybrid" XI sounded like a disaster.)

But I don't regret the paddles at all.

The MR isn't an "automatic" but a manual with computer operated twin clutches --- with an "automatic" mode available.
But you can still operate it as a manual. It's only the shifting procedure that changes. And gets faster.

My one complaint about the VIII was that horrible hydraulic damper in the clutch line that slowed down the clutch operation, making quick shifts nearly impossible.
(The 328 has a cable operated clutch, so -- even with the external gate -- it shifts a lot faster than the EVO 8.)
The X shifts *immediately*. No fuss, no drama, no waiting for the clutch to catch up.
And because it's a twin clutch, it simply disengages one clutch and engages the other, and you're shifted.

The Getrag on the MR is a 6 speed, lower power variation on the Getrag used in the 458 Italia, and the guys on the Ferrari lists have been raving about how much better it is than the old Maser-built "F1" box Ferrari used to use.

You can shift with the paddles, or by push-pull on the stick (in the side detent).
You can also let it shift itself, but I hardly ever do that, after decades of manuals.

I love the paddles. I can hold power longer and flick the downshift paddle while braking into corners.

The VIII, on paper, should have been competitive with the 328, but I still preferred the flexibility of the 328 in corners.
The X MR definitely feels just quicker than my (old) Ferrari.

I bought mine pretty well loaded, and I like using the Nav/Com as an MP3 player.
(I have about a week's worth of MP3s on an SD flash card.)
I can even charge my phone off the USB port while driving.
The Nav system is so-so, and the "live traffic" on the '14s only reports relative to "normal" gridlock, so it doesn't show a backed up intersection as "red" if it's normally backed up. (Not under Mitsu's control: it gets that data from Nokia's "HERE" network.)

The driver's seat is a bit further back, so the X has a bit less rear seat and trunk space, but it's a more comfortable piloting position.
And the B pillar is far enough back to make a decent anchor point for the shoulder harness.
(The harness always hovered in front of my shoulder in the VIII, when I moved the seat back enough for my legs. (I'm 6'4").)

I was really nervous about replacing the VIII with an X MR, but I'm really happy with the new one.

I just wish everyone else in the DC area didn't drive like snails on Valium.


Now you just need someone else to chime in.

 

If im not mistaken mr dont have sunroof.only gsr models do?

 

You can get either with a moonroof.

 

Oh what?its optional,nice.i see women digs evo for the dct.aha

 

dude, just go buy an viii or a ix. seriously, you're just getting annoying. What you like is up to you, stop asking us to answer for you.

 

I don't think there's a such thing as a fender package. Sounds like someone is trying to sell you some BS. Did you go to brookdale or whitebear to look at your car? If you test drive a X MR you need put it in S-Sport mode and drive it with the paddles else it'll feel like a regular auto car.